Curious City

The story of Irish-American draft resisters, African-Americans who defied the odds in order to fight, and women who found alternate ways to support the war.

Dominic Pacyga shares his encyclopedic knowledge of Chicago history and answers questions about everything from “gin joints” to stockyards.

We unearth the business model behind these seasonal shops, and get the scoop on what costumes will be most popular this season.

We learn that, despite the current paucity of food co-ops, the city actually has a strong food co-op history — and there may be more on the horizon.

Chicago once had a booming commercial fishing industry. Lawrence’s Fish and Shrimp is one of the last vestiges of that industry.

Billy Sunday was an influential preacher within the American evangelical movement. How'd he end up in a song sung by Sinatra?

Chicago continued to use lead pipes long after many cities banned them. We look at the politics and personalities behind it.

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.

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

We trace one synagogue’s migration, from the Maxwell Street neighborhood to North Lawndale to West Rogers Park.

More than 1,100 people had to move due to pollution. We follow two of them as they fight to find housing.

The city says the show generates millions of dollars in business. But some listeners wonder whether it’s worth the environmental costs.

We find out why downtown became the go-to destination for Chicago’s tallest buildings, and whether that might change in the future.

Lots of famous comedians got their start in Chicago. Actor and improviser T.J. Jagodowski talks with Jimmy Carrane about why that’s the case.

Chicago has the nation's most extensive network of lead service lines, but city officials say drinking water is safe.

In this live podcast episode, two actors playing New York and Chicago duke it out over who will host the coveted 1893 World’s Fair.

One Chicagoan wonders why Chicago beaches ban things like rafts and boogie boards. But experts say there's good reason to leave them at home.

Chicago is home to an estimated 2,000 coyotes. To learn how they survive, Curious City joined researchers as they tracked down pups.

Long hours, fatigue, and boredom can be hazards of the job. But former rail operators say there’s a lot to love about driving an 'L' train.

When pollution invaded Ezell Foster’s East Chicago neighborhood, he found himself stuck between industry and a bureaucracy.

We curate an episode from WPLN’s podcast, ‘The Promise,’ a series about life in the James Cayce Homes, a public housing complex in Nashville.

We curate an episode of the WBEZ podcast, Nerdette, featuring an interview with comedian John Hodgman and the very Chicago story of Malört.

As lawmakers move to require additional training for police in Illinois schools, five young people weigh in on whether it will make a difference.

Do LED lights cause cancer? Can they really reduce crime? One kid is so concerned about LED streetlights that he called Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Lots of Mexican bakeries can be found near one another in neighborhoods like Pilsen. So how do they stay in business?