Curious City

Here’s why you shouldn’t  that "sand between your toes" experience for granted!

The Ike was the city’s first superhighway. In this special presentation, people affected open up about how it scattered ethnic neighborhoods and changed many lives forever.  

How clout, corruption, and construction without permits led to half the Loop being evacuated.

Commuters are regularly hit with the announcement “Gambling is prohibited on CTA trains.” We find the reason behind the rule and look for those who inspired it.

In the 1920s, the city was head over heels for airships. So why did it let this once-futuristic technology float away?

When one Chicagoan found brand-name Brussels sprouts at a bargain produce market, she had to wonder: How did these get here? And why are they so cheap?

A listener’s nostalgia for catching lightning bugs as a kid lead her to wonder: Are there any left these days? Our experts say they’re around, just really, really fickle.

It smells like garbage and gym shoes, but, surprisingly, the city’s geographic center says a lot about Chicago’s soul.

Here’s a peek at what goes on inside some of these “mystery buildings” and how their architectural disguises have evolved over the decades.

Rumor has it a young George Lawson was attacked by a shark while swimming at a Chicago beach in 1955. Is it true, or just a bunch of bull shark?

Here’s who and what to blame if you spill your coffee on your commute.

Before it fizzled out, the summer shindig’s blue ribbons, plump pumpkins and animal shows united a large, diverse county.

Sisters seek details about their grandfather’s Chicago baseball team, and his killing by a white police officer in 1925 .

The city’s cagey on estimates, but suggests you bring your best walking shoes.

The city’s pushing pedestrian-friendly design, but it’s left one consideration at the curb.

Combine gangster-era liquor laws with a twist of modern creativity, add a dash of laid-back spirit, and you’ve got a cocktail that makes Chicago the BYOB capital of the country. 

Each migratory season leaves a flurry of birds dead at the feet of skyscrapers. But does that make a dent in the bird population?

Yes, tornadoes can hit Chicago. Why do so many people think otherwise?

The answers are crazy. We’ll have fun looking. But you’ll probably be pretty mad by the end. Things are worse than you thought. The bad news: We’re paying out billions more than we take in. Just without setting priorities. The state comptroller — who makes the payments — calls it “ad hoc” and “ridiculous.” The worse news: We’re still letting billions of dollars in services go totally unfunded. And...

Decades ago, Chicago’s  Union Stockyards were the source of meat for the country, jobs for the city and ... field trips for Chicago Public School children. Really. (Related to a Curious City story about meatpacking in Chicago. )

The village insists a decades-old rule to fight blockbusting continues to protect a precious suburban commodity: diversity. 

If this retail mystery’s keeping you up at night, here are answers. Plus: Have we hit peak mattress? Warning: More puns ahead! 

Today’s Chicago architects answer why they build the way they do, and to what degree their inspiration comes from the city’s past. Full story, with photos and additional interviews from Chicago architects and developers .  

How bubblers, boats and brawn keep the city safe each winter.  

Rifle sport shooting was once so popular in the city that even ComEd and schools had competitive teams. Today, there's not a range in sight.