Curious City Podcast
1) Chicago’s Tornado-Proof Delusion
Yes, tornadoes can hit Chicago. Why do so many people think otherwise?
2) Two-and-a-half minutes: Pilot John Ginley’s dance with disaster
While flying over downtown Chicago on July 18, 2018, a World-War-II era single-engine Ercoupe airplane suffered “complete mechanical failure.” “The throttle cable completely broke off of the carbur...Show More
3) ‘Mayday, mayday, mayday’: How many planes have landed on Lake Shore Drive?
A couple of pilots have made forced landings on DuSable Lake Shore Drive. What makes a road or any other non-airport spot the best option in an emergency?
4) A Curious City Halloween: Scary stories from spooked Chicagoans
Three stories from Chicagoans who endured a terrifying experience that they couldn’t explain, couldn’t get over, or couldn’t escape. Karen Holt tells the story of her haunted childhood home on Chic...Show More
5) Gone and nearly forgotten: Lincoln Park’s High Bridge
A bridge constructed for sightseeing during the turn of the century soon became known as a place for death. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, you can call or text 988 ...Show More
6) The unsung legacy of Margaret Burroughs: ‘We called her mama’
Margaret Burroughs was a force to be reckoned with. An artist and a poet in Chicago from the 1920s until her death in 2010, she was also a teacher, an organizer, and the founder of the DuSable Black H...Show More
7) Chicago is a jazz city, but where are the jazz radio stations?
The city is home to a vibrant jazz scene and the Chicago Jazz Festival. But it’s hard to catch the genre on the local radio dial.
8) How a group of volunteers saved a rare Illinois wildflower
The Kankakee mallow is one of the rarest plants on the continent, according to the Smithsonian Garden in Washington D.C. It’s a pink flower that grows on tall stalks and is native to just one small is...Show More
9) What’s that dead zone in the 19th Ward?
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 ...Show More
10) The tale of the two-flat
You know the building: Two stories, an apartment unit on each floor, usually with bay windows and a facade of brick or greystone. But how did the two-flat become so popular, and who was it origina...Show More