Curious City

Chicago Public Media

Ask questions, vote and discover answers about Chicago, the region and its people. From WBEZ.

Episodes

Standing on history: Who built Chicago’s WPA sidewalks?

‘This is how I speak’: The influence of the Black Chicago accent

How has the Black Chicago accent retained its Southern roots?

The story of the Lady Elgin, the deadliest shipwreck in Great Lakes history

What are Chicago area lighthouses used for?

How early Black Chicagoans used photography to redefine their image

What was Chicago's first art gallery?

Chicago came under martial law after the Great Fire. Did it help?

The ‘windmill capital of the world’ used to be down the road from Chicago

Why aren’t there wind turbines in Lake Michigan?

No cars, no road salt: How one Midwestern community avoids salt all winter

How does a mild winter affect Chicago’s economy?

What was it like for women working in Hoover’s FBI?

Why did the FBI recruit girls from Catholic high schools?

How Ella Jenkins’ Chicago childhood shaped her iconic children’s music

What's the first Chicago public school named in honor of a Black person?

Why did Chicago widen Ashland Avenue?

Why is Ashland Avenue sometimes Ashland Boulevard?

We can’t name ‘em all, but here are some of Chicago’s greatest films

From ‘The Fugitive’ to ‘The Dark Knight,’ what’s the best movie filmed in Chicago?