Curious City

Once you recover from the initial shock, experts recommend piecing together evidence, spreading the word, and hitting the street stat.

The effects of the groundbreaking engineering feat are still being felt today — as far as the Gulf of Mexico.

A half day from ... what? Why this suburban myth is not even half true, and why the same mistake was made again 600 miles away.

Over three decades, Aadam Jacobs obsessively documented Chicago’s indie rock scene. His collection includes the early work of Liz Phair, Smashing Pumpkins, Jeff Tweedy, New Order, Naked Raygun, Flaming Lips, Yo La Tengo and much more. Today, the future of his roughly 10,000 live recordings is unclear. We took a peek into Jacob's archive.

Population estimates vary drastically. And numbers matter, since they dictate funding for crucial resources like shelter beds, food and social services.

Erratic water levels, disappearing beaches — climate change is already affecting Lake Michigan’s shoreline. Here’s what else we can expect.

Chicago’s Full Moon Jam is now a popular city-sanctioned attraction. But it began back in 2004 as a birthday party among friends.

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

A child psychiatrist, a public defender and a police officer weigh in on how to prepare kids for interacting with the police.

To explore the mysteries of Chicago’s rodents, Curious City took a rat safari, interviewed experts and turned your stories into a zine.

Some were called Communist, while others have been called out for lack of diversity.

Our recent search for the origins of a famous South burger hit a dead end — until the elusive Nicky Vagenas finally came forward.

Choices made in the wake of the violence set a foundation for the racial inequality the city continues to grapple with.

Long-brewing racial tensions came to a head one hot summer day, when a black boy was drowned near a whites-only beach.

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

We used a Geiger counter to see if we could detect any radiation footprint from the site of the first sustained nuclear chain reaction.

Use our handy guide to determine which Chicago beaches are safe for swimming, and when to proceed with caution.

Dozens of unconnected fast food joints serve up the same popular Chicago cheeseburger under the same name. Where did it all begin?

A key experiment in the development of the atom bomb was hidden in plain sight on University of Chicago’s campus. Who was in on the secret?

The DuSable Museum says — creepy or not — its Harold Washington robot will teach you a thing or two about the city’s first African-American mayor.

Back in 2008, Mayor Richard M. Daley’s plan to make Chicago “the greenest city in America” by 2020 made national news. How’s that going?

Think you know all the recycling rules? Think again. Check out this quick guide to some common dos and don’ts of Chicago recycling.

Lots of items in your local grocery aisle claim to have been at the 1893 World's Fair. We piece together these savory origin stories.

The U.S. legal system treated children the same as adults until the late 19th century, when a group of Chicago women demanded change.

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