Curious City

Pit bulls are the number one dog breed in Chicago. We take a trip to the animal shelter to find out why, and we follow one pup as he attempts to find a forever home.

There’s a hole in the map of Chicago. It turns out, it’s a cemetery. But there are many other cemeteries in Chicago that don’t show up as holes on the map, so what’s up with this one? We take you to the 19th Ward and explore the history of this dead zone.

A listener thought she’d noticed a change in Chicago’s crow population. And she was right. More than twenty years ago, the crow population of Illinois was at an all-time high. But just a few years later, half of the birds were dead. The crows were hit by a deadly virus. And it’s one that humans are susceptible to as well. So where was this virus coming from? Reporter Claire Caulfield finds the answer.

What began as a method of desegregation and a way to stem white flight has now become a source of both pride and pain for kids and families around the city. We’ll look at the history and future of Chicago’s selective enrollment high schools.

Apple slices were a favorite Chicago pastry decades ago. Not many bakeries sell them today, but the dessert still has avid fans who hold on to its nostalgic flavor.

Stealing political signs has been a thing since candidates started printing signs. The tactic was widely used by the Chicago political machine, and its origins trace back to the late 1800s when saloons and politicians worked closely together.

The juvenile justice system we know today was created by Cook County women. We take a look back at how the program came to be. Then later, ever notice how so few of Chicago’s monuments are of women? We’ll find out why and talk to the folks working to change that.

Chicago is home to thousands of feral cats. But who’s looking after them? We look at the pros and cons of keeping feral cat colonies.

Around Chicago, there are ribbons of paint on utility boxes that look like little doodles. But there’s much more to these paint splotches. The street artist and graffiti writer behind this and much larger work says painting has been a lifesaver.

This week, hear about historian Carter G. Woodson’s important Chicago ties, and how he came up with the idea for a “Negro History Week,” which later turned into the Black History Month we celebrate today.

Fed up with how Black Americans were portrayed at world’s fairs, Black organizers created the “first real Negro World’s Fair” in Chicago in 1940. As Arionne Nettles reports, this exposition paved the way for Black institutions. Nettles’ debut book, "We Are The Culture: Black Chicago’s Influence on Everything," is out on April 16, 2024.

In 1913 Chicagoan William Foster became the first Black director to make a film with an all Black cast. Yet most people have never heard of him. Join Arionne Nettles as she tells Foster's story, the story of Black filmmaking in Chicago, when our city was the pre-Hollywood movie capital of the world. It's the first of 3 Curious City podcasts in a row celebrating Black History Month 2024!

Storefront churches have been around since the early 1900s when African-Americans migrated up north from the South. Many are in operation in South and West side neighborhoods like Austin. We talk to residents about the impact these churches have on the community.

There’s never a shortage of complaints about Chicago traffic, but experts swear it could be worse. We investigate the science behind lane closures and red lights, and then take a look at the chaos of creating a traffic report.

There’s a lot that goes into keeping the city streets clear of ice and snow. A snowplow driver shows us the ropes. And did you know Chicago used to ship out its plowed snow? We’ll revisit a story one joyful Floridian will never forget.

The weather outside is frightful, but our answers to 5 Chicago winter-related questions are delightful.

The Walnut Room in the Macy’s department store downtown has been a longstanding holiday tradition in Chicago. While it is a source of Christmas nostalgia for many, it brings back painful memories of discrimination for others.

You’ll only see news boxes for free publications around today, but those papers are important for many people.

The Chicago area played a key role in Black aviation in the early 1900s. The founders of the first Black-owned airport learned to fly in Chicago and went on to teach thousands of others.

The CTA Holiday Train started from humble beginnings. Then a holiday celebrity and his helpers turned it into a Chicago tradition.