Curious City

Tempted to ignore the revolving door? Here are the revolutions that made the city a magnet for this seemingly simple device.

Schools are really crimped for cash. Hold up, wasn’t the lottery supposed to help with that?

There was a time Chicago gave New York a run for its money. How did we end up the Second City?

Minneapolis and San Fran do it. Even Oak Park’s got a program. What gives? Photos of how municipal composting works in Oak park, interviews and the prospects for change in Chicago.

That sorry-looking bike on the curb could end up in the hands of a local kid or even a family overseas. Full story with additional interviews and photos: http://wbez.is/2dgqDAf 

Why did Richard J. Daley push for the UIC campus to rise from the heart of a long-standing ethnic neighborhood? In this special Curious City presentation, reporter Monica Eng examines the pervasive suspicion that the mayor’s choice rose from a political spat or — even worse — from disdain for the Italian-American community.  Click here for the full story.

As The 606 stokes fears of economic displacement, the city wants to repurpose more rail lines. What's the state of research on this?

This Curious City special mini-documentary answers how the Polish became one of Chicago’s largest and most influential ethnic groups. And, come to think of it, is there anything to the claim that the city has the most Poles outside of Warsaw?

Craftsmanship and economics combine to keep the city's tradition of distinctive hand-painted signs alive in the digital age.

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.