Bay Curious

One hundred twenty-eight years ago, San Francisco was haunted by a bizarre, brutal murder case. And in terms of macabre ingredients, this story truly had it all. In the final episode of our Boo Curious series, reporter Carly Severn digs into the story of Theo Durrant, and the subsequent media frenzy around this case that draws parallels with our modern-day obsession with 'true crime.'Additional Reading: Murder in the Belfry: How the Story of Theodore Durrant Captivated Victorian San Francisco Read a transcript of this episode Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcastsThis story was reported by Carly Severn. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Christopher Beale and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, and Holly Kernan.

Anton LaVey, founder of The Church of Satan, is explored in this episode. The controversial beliefs and rise to celebrity status of LaVey are discussed, along with the controversies surrounding the Church of Satan. The episode also delves into personal freedom in the Satanic ideology and the aftermath of LaVey's death and changes within the Church of Satan.

This is the second episode in our month-long BOO Curious series! Today we've got a double feature. First, we look at how 19th century estate in Oakland became the undisputed star of spooky films dating back to the 1970s. Then, we head a little south to Hayward, where the centuries-old Legend of the Lone Tree inspires intrigue with its story of love, betrayal ... and gruesome murder.Additional Reading: Dunsmuir: The Oakland Mansion that Inspired Hollywood Nightmares The Legend of Lone Tree Connects Us to Hayward's History Read a transcript of the episode Get tickets for our walking tour at the AIDS Memorial Grove Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcastsThese stories were reported by Rachael Myrow and Pauline Bartolone. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Christopher Beale and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Pauline Bartolone, Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Jenny Pritchett, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family.

Welcome to the first episode in our October series we're calling BOO Curious! We're kicking off this month of stories about creepy places in the Bay Area with a trip to a tourist attraction that's steeped in ghostly legend: the Winchester Mystery House. This unusual, sprawling Victorian mansion was built by Sarah Winchester, who is said to have kept building onto the house for decades in order to keep the spirits at bay. Is there any truth to this story of paranormal paranoia? Reporter Carly Severn went to find out.Additional Reading: After 100 Years, the Mysteries of the Winchester House Endure Read a transcript of the episode Get tickets for our walking tour at the AIDS Memorial Grove Vote for us in the listener's-choice Signal Awards! Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcastsThis story was reported by Carly Severn. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Christopher Beale and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Attila Pelit and Holly Kernan.

Starting next week, we've got a whole month of stories about creepy, eerie and potentially haunted places in the Bay Area planned for you, as part of a series we're calling BOO Curious! To get you in the mood for spooky season, we thought we'd share a ghost story from our friends over at the Spooked podcast, from Snap Judgment Studios and KQED.Kristen Cortez is a new teacher in beautiful Los Gatos, California. From her classroom window, she can see rolling, golden hills. Redwood trees. The sun is almost always shining. And yet… something lurks.Additional Reading: Check out the Spooked podcast! Read a transcript of this episode Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Spooked is hosted by Glynn Washington. This episode was produced by Zoë Ferrigno, original score by Richard Haig.Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Cesar Saldana, Maha Sanad and Holly Kernan.Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts

"Bay Curious" explores the challenges of California's bottle recycling system and why most people never get their deposits back. The podcast investigates the lack of redemption centers in the Bay Area and the difficulties Californians face in returning recyclable beverage containers. It discusses the broken bottle deposit system and potential solutions to improve it. Additionally, the podcast explores the effectiveness of bottle bills in reducing litter and the role of the Beverage Container Fund. Overall, it sheds light on the financial aspects of recycling and highlights the need for better accessibility to redemption centers.

Explore the popularity and history of burritos while questioning the existence of the mission-style burrito. Discover the unique charm and culinary expertise of Miguel, the founder of La Taqueria in San Francisco's Mission District. Delve into the origins and loyal customer base of La Taqueria and learn about the significance of the term 'mission-style burrito' in the Bay area.

Explore the absence of a bar in the iconic Claremont Hotel, the history behind its creation, and how it navigated alcohol prohibition. Join the Bay Curious podcast for more interesting stories and a chance to win prizes in their trivia game.

The San Mateo-Hayward Bridge is the longest bridge in California. But the one you drive across today is not the original bridge — that one was built in 1929. Reporter Rachael Myrow looks into the history of the first bridge to cross the San Francisco Bay, and what happened to it.Additional Reading: The First San Mateo-Hayward Bridge was a Big Deal in 1929 Read a transcript of this episode Have a question for Bay Curious? Ask us! Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcastsThis story was reported by Rachael Myrow. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Attila Pelit and Holly Kernan.

At 3841 18th Street in San Francisco's Castro neighborhood sits a light blue Victorian, not unlike the countless other homes of that style in the city. Except this one is a major tourist destination—if you're French, that is. What makes this particular Blue House so special? We turn to NPR Culture Correspondent Chloe Veltman (who is half French herself) for the the very musical answer to this question.Additional Reading: The San Francisco Landmark You’ve Never Heard Of … Unless You’re French Read a transcript of this episode Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcastsThis story was reported by Chloe Veltman. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Attila Pelit and Holly Kernan.