Curious City

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?

Like millions of black Southerners during the Great Migration, they sought greater freedom and opportunity. They found it in the blues.

Community activists and a university representative reflect on why the relationship has been difficult in the past and where it stands now.

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

Demographic shifts, changes in attitudes towards public drinking and the politics of the Daley family led to the shuttering of many Chicago bars.

It takes a lot of information and a lot of patience, but here’s what you need to know to get reimbursed from the city.

Bruce Graham and Fazlur Khan changed the way architects and engineers thought about the structure of the modern skyscraper.

Part I of our CliffsNotes guide to Chicago music history included jazz, folk, Latin, and gospel. Here, we present four more genres.

A former CPS student wishes kids learned more about Chicago’s rich music history. So here’s a CliffsNotes music guide. Happy listening!

Northwest Indiana resident Beth Braun wants to know whether lead emissions from the nearby steel mill are landing in her backyard.

Did you know you can’t perform in a window or dye a baby chick? We feature nine of Chicago’s most obscure laws.

Election judges don’t usually count votes for cartoon mice or celebrities, but there was one exception. We took a peek.