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Bay Curious

KQED
San Francisco
California
KQED
Bay Area
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay Area
Climate Change
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
World War II
Oakland
BART
Proposition 2
Alameda
Presidio
Sex Work
Gold Rush
Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dogs
Housing Crisis
Proposition 5
Port Costa

Bay Curious is a show about your questions – and the adventures you find when you go looking for the answers. Join host Olivia Allen-Price to explore all aspects of the San Francisco Bay Area – from the debate over "Frisco", to the dinosaurs that once roamed California, to the causes of homelessness. Whether you lived here your whole life, or just arrived, Bay Curious will deepen your understandin... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes518Founded10 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CultureHistoryPlaces & Travel

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Latest Episodes

The San Francisco Bay Area has two major public ferry agencies serving the north and east bay. Together, they carried 4 million people last year. Bay Curious listener Kristen Breck often sees the ferries as they crisscross the bay waters and she wond... more

If you aren't the type of person to wake up at 6:30am six months before you want to go camping to reserve a spot, you might be interested in dispersed camping. It's a free way to get outside and into nature that takes a little more preparation, but c... more

Jack O'Neill is often credited with inventing the first wetsuit and selling it out of one of the nation's first surf shops near San Francisco's Ocean Beach. But many people don't know that a UC Berkeley physicist had a big role in the wetsuit's early... more

Since it was first unveiled in 1971, the 710-ton brutalist-style Vaillancourt Fountain has been a divisive piece of public art. The tangle of concrete square tubes once fit in seamlessly with the Embarcadero Freeway, a double-decker road which once r... more

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Recent Guests

Katie DeBenedetti
Covers daily news for KQED's Express Desk
KQED
Episode: The Brutalist Embarcadero Fountain Some Love, Many Hate
Jess Garcia
Question asker who found the thrift-store album
Bay Curious listener
Episode: The Delightful Story Behind A Thrift Store Vinyl Find
Sissy Beloy-Sher
Daughter of Cora and Santos Beloy
Family of Cora and Santos
Episode: The Delightful Story Behind A Thrift Store Vinyl Find
Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman
KQED reporter who covers Alameda and Bay Curious stories
KQED
Episode: The 24 Hour Job of Running Alameda's Bridges
Deb Wong
Local historian
Pacifica history
Episode: The Most Beautiful Taco Bell in the World
Nancy Cook Long
Pacifica local with memories of the area
Local resident
Episode: The Most Beautiful Taco Bell in the World
Charles Lester
California Coastal Commission official
California Coastal Commission
Episode: The Most Beautiful Taco Bell in the World
Katie Barrow
A woman in San Jose who is trying to make friends
Private individual in Bay Area
Episode: How to Make Friends in the Bay Area
Kat Vellos
Connection coach, educator, and researcher on adult friendships
Bay Area-based
Episode: How to Make Friends in the Bay Area

Hosts

Olivia Allen-Price
Host of Bay Curious, focused on Bay Area questions and storytelling.
Katrina Schwartz
Editor and Producer contributing to Bay Curious content.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 1.3k ratings
  • So interesting!

    Look forward to this show every week! Keep teaching me things about the place I love to call home!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    EZMC213
    United States16 days ago
  • What’s not to love?

    As a Bay Area native who now lives outside of California, I love listening to Bay Curious for its creative storytelling and robust history that keeps me connected to the Bay. Keep up the outstanding work!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    BayAreaOkie
    United States22 days ago
  • Disappointing

    I've tried for some time to find the value in this podcast. I'm very interested in the subject as a local historian. However the use of journalists to summarize academic or learned perspectives is rarely a good idea, especially here. The journalists get things wrong, draw strange conclusions to fill in blanks and ignore nuance. And of course the voice affectations and intent to keep an honest tone (rather than focus on the content, getting it right and presenting something for the listener to co... more

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Stay Fat
    United States22 days ago
  • Drawbridges of Alameda

    I’m a huge fan of Bay Curious for several years now. The episode on the drawbridges of Alameda was unexpectedly… lovely.

    Thank you !

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    MessyEm
    United Statesa month ago
  • A gem!

    I love this gem of a podcast! It is charming and interesting and a perfect little snack.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    DrayaCarp
    United States2 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners find the show consistently informative and family-friendly.
Many appreciate in-depth, nuanced storytelling and archival context.
Fans value accessibility and the spot-on exploration of neighborhood histories.
Listeners praise the local focus and engaging guests, with a strong sense of Bay Area culture.
A few reviews note occasional stylistic critiques or political bias in some series.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The Broken Alphabet of SF's Westside Streets
Q: So, start us at the beginning. When did San Francisco even start naming its streets?
The city began naming streets around the Gold Rush era as it aimed to become a regional capital, but early practice included duplicates and ad hoc naming, which caused widespread confusion before formal renaming efforts in the post‑earthquake rebuilding period.
Why So Many Legal Courts in S.F.?
Q: Why are there so many courts in San Francisco, rather than in other cities like Sacramento or Los Angeles?
California's early statehood created a split into Northern and Southern Districts with San Francisco as a natural hub due to population, economy, and maritime strength; the federal and state court systems expanded around this central, accessible downtown area over time. The Ninth Circuit was formed when the region was developing, and San Francisco's role as an economic and legal center helped cement these courts here.
The Eccentric Personalities Behind Sunnyside Conservatory
Q: Could you start by painting a picture of the conservatory and how it looks now?
Katrina Schwartz describes it as a redwood, two-story octagonal building set back in a lush garden, with light-filled spaces and a modern recreation of the original spire, which has been carefully maintained to honor the past while serving as an event space today.
How Italian Is North Beach? The Surprising Stats
Q: Do Italian people still live in North Beach, or is it all just a tourist trap?
While the number of Italian residents has greatly decreased, many still visit for community gatherings and dining experiences that reflect their heritage.
Are We Having a 'Crow-maggedon'?
Q: Is there a plan to reduce their populations?
Experts suggest coexistence and better urban management rather than extermination.

Audience Metrics

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Listeners per Episode
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Location
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Frequently Asked Questions About Bay Curious

What is Bay Curious about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A Bay Area–focused exploration that covers a wide range of local questions, from public art and historic landmarks to infrastructure, urban planning, and neighborhood memories. Episodes frequently blend reporting, archival material, and expert or community voices to illuminate how place, policy, and people shape the region. Noteworthy is the show's knack for turning everyday Bay Area curiosities into nuanced, neighborly storytelling—often featuring local historians, reporters, and residents who add texture to familiar places. Potential listeners can expect approachable, deeply local content with a mix of history, culture, and current affairs, served through engaging interviews and listener-driven investigations.

Where can I find podcast stats for Bay Curious?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Bay Curious. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Bay Curious and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Bay Curious get?

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What are the audience demographics for Bay Curious?

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How many subscribers and views does Bay Curious have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Bay Curious has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Bay Curious?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Bay Curious:

1. The Bay
2. East Bay Yesterday
3. KQED's The California Report
4. KQED's Forum
5. Political Breakdown

How many episodes of Bay Curious are there?

Bay Curious launched 10 years ago and published 518 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Bay Curious?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Bay Curious?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Bay Curious from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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What guests have appeared on Bay Curious?

Recent guests on Bay Curious include:

1. Katie DeBenedetti
2. Jess Garcia
3. Sissy Beloy-Sher
4. Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman
5. Deb Wong
6. Nancy Cook Long
7. Charles Lester
8. Katie Barrow

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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