Curious City

More public elementary schools were built in the 1920s than in any other era. Their design reflected new ideas about child development and health.

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

For more than 20 years, researchers have tracked how often Americans defend themselves with a gun. So why can’t they agree on an answer?

A family, a dog owner and tenants of a men's hotel explain why the Loop offers a sense of community amid the hustle and bustle.

Eight improvisers who got their start in Chicago explain what draws so many aspiring funny people to the city’s improv scene.

Do the animals go somewhere warm, like Florida? Does the zoo give them coats? We took a behind-the-scene tour of the zoo to find out.

Statues of historic men can be found throughout Chicago’s parks and plazas. But one Curious Citizen wonders, "Where are all the women?"

Tearing down an old home can release dust containing asbestos or lead. Curious City found that Chicago rarely enforces laws meant to minimize contaminant exposure.

Answers to listeners' questions about the mysterious side of Chicago that lies beyond the soaring skyscrapers and the sheen of the Bean.

The City of Chicago employs 20 full-time blacksmiths. But what do they do? And what's with the ancient job title?

A 2015 Senate investigation found that the DOD did in fact pay college sports teams to stage patriotic tributes at games. Curious City finds out whether they still do.

Some wards vote on how to spend some taxpayer money. Does it help spread the wealth or is it just a feel-good exercise?

It took decades for Chicago's first and only female mayor to land an official honor from City Council. Is there a reason it took so long?

Curious City finds out where your poop goes by taking a journey through the Chicago-area sewer system.

The recorder often inflicts squeaky torture on parents. Music teacher Valerie DePriest explains why it became a staple in music education.

Names like Marquette and Joliet are cited in history books. But it was Native Americans who first set Chicago on a path to develop into a major metropolis.

From Chicago Heights to Mount Prospect, here's why Chicago suburb names flat out lie about their elevation.

The listings are there — just in Chinese. Is this a form of discrimination, or a way to preserve a neighborhood's character?

The answer has to do with shifting ideas about bikes and the proper way to mourn the dead.

The good news is Chicago probably won’t be hit by hurricanes and earthquakes. But the area is becoming more vulnerable to other disasters.

Chicago area Muslim leaders weigh in, and they open up about what divides and unites the community.

Architect Dwight Perkins' ambitious plan to save Chicago's natural landscapes raised a question: Which kinds of nature deserve to be preserved?

The brainchild of a 22-year-old executive, the White Sox look hit a home run with fans and, half a century later, rappers.

Don your dancing shoes as we track down the Chicago band members, musicians, and dancers who helped create five iconic moves.

John Connors says swimming naked in high school gym class was “torture.” Curious City looks at why schools enforced the policy for decades.