

Bay Curious
KQED
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 understanding of this place you call home.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 23, 2020 • 17min
Cleaner Air and Weirder Dreams — Such Is Life in April 2020
As we shelter-in-place, a lot of people on Twitter are sharing the strange dreams they're having. We look into why that might be. And, listener Anne-Marie Rochè wants to know: Are there any positives for the natural environment from humans staying home?Additional Reading:
Feel Like COVID-19 Is Invading Your Dreams? You're Not Alone
Has Sheltering-In-Place Been Good For the Environment?
Bay Area Pollution Way Down, Air District Estimates
Reported by Michelle Wiley and Kevin Stark. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Asal Ehsanipour, Katie McMurran and Rob Speight. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Bianca Hernandez, Ethan Lindsey and Don Clyde.

Apr 16, 2020 • 11min
Did We Put the 'Bay' In Bay Windows?
There are so many bay windows in San Francisco, Oakland, and other cities around the Bay Area it would be easy to assume they were invented here. But were they? Listener Ayran Michaels wants to know: Why are they so prominent here?Additional Reading:
Did San Francisco Put the 'Bay' in Bay Windows?
Victorian Home Walk
Reported by Christopher Beale. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Katie McMurran and Rob Speight. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Paul Lancour, Kyana Moghadam, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Bianca Hernandez, Ethan Lindsey and Don Clyde.

Apr 9, 2020 • 17min
Coronavirus: A Guide to Grocery Shopping
Thanks to Judith Milgram and Ryan Stauffer for their questions. We cover how to shop safely, bring groceries home, and order takeout during the novel coronavirus pandemic.Additional Reading:
How to Safely Grocery Shop During Coronavirus Shelter In Place
Coronavirus in the Bay Area: Your Questions Answered
Follow Coronavirus Voicemails @coronavoicemail or call 415-316-1542 to record your story of how the pandemic is impacting your life.
Reported by Carly Severn and Shannon Lin. Featuring work by audio producers Tina Antolini and Evan Roberts. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Jessica Placzek, Katie McMurran and Rob Speight. Additional support from Julie Caine, Paul Lancour, Kyana Moghadam, Suzie Racho, Bianca Hernandez, Ethan Lindsey and Don Clyde.

Apr 2, 2020 • 12min
Just Don't Call Them Buffalo: Meet the Bison of Golden Gate Park
Bay Curious listener Paul Irving wanted to know: "What's the story with the bison in Golden Gate Park?" The park celebrates its 150th birthday this week, so we are re-running this episode digging into the backstory of the herd of American bison who call it home. And there are five cute updates to this story.Additional Reading:
What's With the Bison in Golden Gate Park?
Golden Gate Park Welcomes Five Young Bison Ahead of 150th Anniversary
Reported by Jessica Placzek. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Jessica Placzek, Katie McMurran and Rob Speight. Additional support from Julie Caine, Paul Lancour, Kyana Moghadam, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Bianca Hernandez, Ethan Lindsey and Don Clyde.

Mar 26, 2020 • 14min
Does Mount Diablo Have the Biggest View in the World?
Listener Mark Isaak heard that the spot on the earth from which you can see the most land is the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. But that the summit of Mount Diablo comes in second. Turns out, this is a widely-circulated factoid that goes back centuries. Is it true?Additional Reading:
Does Mount Diablo Have the Biggest View in the World?
Your Coronavirus Questions, Answered
Reported by Asal Ehsanipour. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Jessica Placzek, Katie McMurran and Rob Speight. Additional support from Julie Caine, Paul Lancour, Kyana Moghadam, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Bianca Hernandez, Ethan Lindsey and Don Clyde.

Mar 19, 2020 • 18min
A Coronavirus Care Package: Care For Yourself, Others and Still Have Fun
It has been a week, y'all. We're bringing you some tips on how to care for yourself, an inspiring story about how one neighbor his helping another, and a tour through the creative world of digital gatherings. Sit back, take a breath and hang with us.Links relevant to this episode:
Sheltering in Place: What You Need to Know
How to File for Unemployment in California During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Your Coronavirus Questions, Answered
Berkeley Mutual Aid
Art classes on Instagram Live with @wendymac
One Salon SF
Urban Adamah
Alison Faith Levy’s Youtube
The Feelings Parade Facebook Page
Dance parties with @mkik808
Featuring KQED associate arts and culture editor, Nastia Voynovskaya. Produced by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Asal Ehsanipour, Jessica Placzek and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Julie Caine, Paul Lancour, Rob Speight, Kyana Moghadam, Suzie Racho, Vinnee Tong and Ethan Lindsey.

Mar 12, 2020 • 22min
Coronavirus in the Bay Area: Your Questions Answered
What are the recommendations for taking public transit? Should I go to work? Should I cancel upcoming travel plans? How long does the virus last on a doorknob? Can it be transmitted in the air? Will we be quarantined? Find the latest answers to these questions and more in this constantly-changing story.Additional Reading:
Public Health Orders and Recommendations for Each Bay Area County
Bay Area Hospitals Gear Up for Potential Surge in Coronavirus Cases
Coronavirus: Public Health Experts Want to 'Flatten the Curve.' Here's What That Means
Featuring KQED reporter Michelle Wiley. Produced by Asal Ehsanipour, Olivia Allen-Price and Katie McMurran. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Asal Ehsanipour, Katie McMurran and Rob Speight. Additional support from Julie Caine, Paul Lancour, Kyana Moghadam, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Bianca Hernandez and Ethan Lindsey.

Mar 5, 2020 • 11min
Why Highway 280 Has So Few Billboards
Question asker David Shayer has a lot of opinions... about billboards. He says the worst are electronic billboards that flash changing images at night. But in addition to an opinion, David has a question: "Why is Highway 101 plastered with billboards while Highway 280 doesn't have any billboards?" In this episode, reporter Christopher Egusa takes a roadtrip to find out more.Additional Reading:
Green Foothills
Bay Area, I Love You
Reported by Christopher Egusa. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Asal Ehsanipour, Katie McMurran and Rob Speight. Additional support from Julie Caine, Paul Lancour, Kyana Moghadam, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Bianca Hernandez and Ethan Lindsey Patricia Yollin.

Feb 27, 2020 • 16min
In A Changing City, How Does The Tenderloin Stay The Same?
San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood is bordered by some of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the city, yet it has a bad reputation. Tourists are told to avoid the area. You can often see drug dealing out in the open, and garbage on the streets. Today's question asker, Vy Nguyen, lives in the neighborhood and wants to know how the Tenderloin has stayed the same in a city where most low-incomes areas have gentrified.Additional Reading:
Why Hasn't the Tenderloin Gentrified Like the Rest of San Francisco?
By Randy Shaw: After a Tough 2019, Tenderloin Will Move Forward
Reported by Kelly O'Mara. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Katie McMurran and Rob Speight. Additional support from Julie Caine, Paul Lancour, Kyana Moghadam, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Bianca Hernandez, Ethan Lindsey and Don Clyde.

Feb 20, 2020 • 14min
Coyotes, They're Back and They're Thriving
Question asker Lauren Fleming has noticed a lot of signs warning about coyote sightings in San Francisco parks. She wants to know how many coyotes live here, how they got here, and how they manage to live in an urban environment. In this episode, reporter Bianca Taylor meets a woman who has been observing the city's coyotes for thirteen years. Additional Reading:
San Francisco's Coyotes are Back, and They are Thriving
The "Coyote Lady's" website, CoyoteYipps.com
Submit your love letter to the Bay Area
Reported by Bianca Taylor. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Katie McMurran and Rob Speight. Additional support from Julie Caine, Asal Ehsanipour, Paul Lancour, Kyana Moghadam, Suzie Racho, Ethan Lindsey and Patricia Yollin.


