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Curious City

WBEZ Chicago
Chicago
Chicago Public Schools
WBEZ
Lake Michigan
Filipino Cuisine
Education
Feral Cats
Schwinn
Road Salt
Domestic Terrorism
Extremism
Berlin Nightclub
Lake Shore Drive
Immigration
Cook County
Dusable Black History Museum
Soccer
Native American Community
Black Cinema
1919

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

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes656Founded14 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
EducationArts

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Artwork for Curious City

Latest Episodes

For a brief moment in the 1990s, Lake Champlain was known as the sixth Great Lake. The lake wedged between Vermont and New York doesn’t quite measure up to the five Great Lakes. So how did this happen? Curious City partners with the Points North podc... more

The name Aaron Montgomery Ward might sound familiar, either from the chain of now-defunct department stores that once bore his name or as the catalog guy who revolutionized mail-order shopping over 150 years ago. His lesser-known legacy, perhaps, is ... more

Chicago-style magic is close up, funny and usually performed at a bar or restaurant. We learn about its history and talk to several magicians who are part of the tradition. This episode was originally published in 2024.

There’s no New York-land or Boston-land, so why does the Chicago metropolitan area have its own unique name? It turns out this has been a question on the minds of many Curious City listeners. To learn more, we looked at the origins of this term, how ... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Paul Derica
Director of Exhibitions at the Chicago History Museum
Chicago History Museum
Episode: Why does Chicago have so little love for the ‘Watchdog’ of the lakefront?
Tom Merrill
Co-author of Lakefront, Public Trust and Private Rights in Chicago
Legal scholar
Episode: Why does Chicago have so little love for the ‘Watchdog’ of the lakefront?
Fred Bates
Longtime board member at Friends of the Parks
Friends of the Parks
Episode: Why does Chicago have so little love for the ‘Watchdog’ of the lakefront?
Roberta Allen
Author and biographer of Ward; forthcoming biography
Author, Ward biography
Episode: Why does Chicago have so little love for the ‘Watchdog’ of the lakefront?
Marie Mendoza
Reporter for Curious City
WBEZ Chicago
Episode: Where did the term 'Chicagoland' come from?
Rebecca Kling
Curious City listener who recalls a Beach memory
Community member
Episode: How did Hollywood Beach become Chicago’s ‘gay beach’?
Jerry Marcoccia
Founding organizer of the Hollywood Beach volleyball tradition
Community organizer, Chicago LGBTQ+ history
Episode: How did Hollywood Beach become Chicago’s ‘gay beach’?
Brianna Turner
Black woman regular at Hollywood Beach
Community member
Episode: How did Hollywood Beach become Chicago’s ‘gay beach’?
Chris Perardi
Neighbor in Edgewater, witness to changes at the beach
Local resident
Episode: How did Hollywood Beach become Chicago’s ‘gay beach’?

Host

Erin Allen
Host of Curious City with deep ties to WBEZ Chicago; frequent contributor and lead host in many episodes.

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 785 ratings
  • What about now?

    The city is currently having its citizens kidnapped en mass. ANY Chicago-centric show should be featuring this!

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Bedpost#4
    United States9 months ago
  • Can do better

    Show has interesting topics but averaging 7 minutes a show, 2 and a half of which are ads or plugs for other shows, not really worth my time.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Klauski57
    United Statesa year ago
  • Curiously Void of Information

    Overall, it’s been enjoyable listening to the various aspects of this wonderful city, however the show lacks so much detail now!

    The shorter episodes, and in particular this last one on traffic are a complete waste of time.

    Never did the episode go into the history of Chicago traffic or highway systems, touched on the backstory of the application and its development, or really explained how it works.

    It fell short in so many ways- there was a depth of info that could have been useful and qui... more

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Bluefinkillie
    United Statesa year ago
  • Interesting Episodes

    I love how these short episodes delve into an aspect of Chicago history/culture!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    BCguy94
    United Statesa year ago
  • Quick n easy n fun Chicago tidbits.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    estellax
    2 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Fans highlight a consistent, approachable delivery with strong on-site reporting and archival context.
Critiques often focus on pacing and episode length rather than content quality.
Some listeners feel episodes have become shorter and less in-depth.
Many praise the show for providing tangible Chicago history and urban insights.
Listeners appreciate the city-specific historical depth and engaging expert guests.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Why does Chicago have so little love for the ‘Watchdog’ of the lakefront?
Q: My question is, why isn't Montgomery Ward's name more prominently featured along the lakefront?
Ward fought to keep Grant Park forever open, clear, and free, and preferred privacy over public self-promotion; his legacy is more about the preservation of space than personal fame, which explains the muted public signature.
Why does Chicago have a monument named for fascist leader Italo Balbo?
Q: Why does Chicago still have the Balbo Monument?
The monument remains because there is no immediate plan to remove it, coupled with calls to contextualize it with signage and to fund a proper preservation or relocation, highlighting a broader conversation about how to handle controversial artifacts in public spaces.
‘This is how I speak’: The influence of the Black Chicago accent
Q: How did the reaction to your voice affect your career in journalism?
She recalls facing mic checks, criticism, and moments of doubt in grad school and early journalism work, but ultimately choosing to embrace her voice and pursue radio as a means to own her narrative.
‘This is how I speak’: The influence of the Black Chicago accent
Q: When did you realize you had an accent?
Arionne describes recognizing that her speech sounded different when she attended Florida A&M University and encountered people who perceived her Chicago-tinged southern-influenced speech as unique, leading to broader reflection on linguistic identity.
How early Black Chicagoans used photography to redefine their image
Q: Tell me about the community and the social practice of taking and making photographs.
The guest explains that social photography was a community activity, with studios hosting salons and gatherings where images circulated and people connected around shared spaces and culture; the interaction helped build a local Black visual culture.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Curious City

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

This show consistently explores Chicago's history, culture, and urban life through focused, sometimes quirky, investigations. Episodes span topics from public memory and monuments to infrastructure, maritime history, and linguistic identity, often featuring historians, journalists, and local experts who bring context to how Chicago has shaped—and been shaped by—its people and places. A strength across episodes is the way guests illuminate nuanced angles on public memory, civic decisions, and regional identity, while keeping the stories highly tangible with on-site reporting and vivid historical anecdotes. The format tends to blend archival context with contemporary relevance, offering listeners a compact but informative window into the city... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Curious City?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Curious City:

1. City Cast Chicago
2. This American Life
3. Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
4. 99% Invisible
5. Throughline

How many episodes of Curious City are there?

Curious City launched 14 years ago and published 656 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Curious City?

Recent guests on Curious City include:

1. Paul Derica
2. Tom Merrill
3. Fred Bates
4. Roberta Allen
5. Marie Mendoza
6. Rebecca Kling
7. Jerry Marcoccia
8. Brianna Turner

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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