

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

Nov 29, 2018 • 15min
Bike Theft: How It Works, and What Police Are Doing in San Francisco
Thousands of bikes are stolen in San Francisco every year. What are police doing about it? And how does this crime operation work?Reported by Daniel Potter. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Paul Lancour, Ryan Levi, Katie McMurran. Additional support from Julie Caine, Ethan Lindsey, Suzie Racho and David Weir. Holly Kernan is Vice President for News. Theme music by Pat Mesiti-Miller. Ask us a question or sign up for our newsletter at BayCurious.org. Follow Olivia Allen-Price on Twitter @oallenprice.

Nov 22, 2018 • 13min
Why Are San Francisco Houses So Close Together?
Early on, housing lots in San Francisco were subdivided into plots as little as 25 feet wide -- just enough room for a parlor and a staircase.Reported by Sarah Craig. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Paul Lancour, Ryan Levi and Suzie Racho. Additional support from Julie Caine, Ethan Lindsey, Katie McMurran and David Weir. Theme music by Pat Mesiti-Miller. Ask us a question or sign up for our newsletter at BayCurious.org. Follow Olivia Allen-Price on Twitter @oallenprice.

Nov 15, 2018 • 14min
‘Frisco’: It’s Not Just for Tourists
Frisco is the nickname we love to hate. How did this once widely-used name fall out of favor?Reported by Vinnee Tong. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Paul Lancour and Ryan Levi. Additional support from Julie Caine, Ethan Lindsey, Katie McMurran, Suzie Racho and David Weir. Theme music by Pat Mesiti-Miller. Ask us a question or sign up for our newsletter at BayCurious.org. Follow Olivia Allen-Price on Twitter @oallenprice.

Nov 8, 2018 • 16min
There Were Once More Than 425 Shellmounds in the Bay Area. Where Did They Go?
These mounds were used by Ohlone as burial sites for their ancestors, to help navigate bay waters and as a gathering place.Reported by Laura Klivans. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Paul Lancour, Ryan Levi and Suzie Racho. Additional support from Julie Caine, Ethan Lindsey, Katie McMurran and David Weir. Holly Kernan is Vice President for News. Theme music by Pat Mesiti-Miller. Ask us a question or sign up for our newsletter at BayCurious.org. Follow Olivia Allen-Price on Twitter @oallenprice.

Nov 3, 2018 • 13min
Who Invented the Martini? A Bay Area Story, With a Twist
There are two origin stories for the much-beloved martini, and both place its birth in the Bay Area.

Nov 1, 2018 • 16min
Why Is Part of Alameda Island in San Francisco?
The answer stretches back to 1820, when California was still a part of Spain.Reported by Ryan Levi. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Paul Lancour, Ryan Levi and Suzie Racho. Additional support from Julie Caine, Ethan Lindsey, Katie McMurran and David Weir. Theme music by Pat Mesiti-Miller. Ask us a question or sign up for our newsletter at BayCurious.org. Follow Olivia Allen-Price on Twitter @oallenprice, or use the hashtag #BayCurious.

Oct 25, 2018 • 15min
Ghost of a Legend: How a San Francisco Civil Rights Icon Was Made a Monster
One of San Francisco's purported “ghosts,” has a remarkable real-life story often left out of San Francisco's history books.Reported by Carly Severn. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Paul Lancour, Ryan Levi and Suzie Racho. Additional support from Julie Caine, Ethan Lindsey, Katie McMurran and David Weir. Theme music by Pat Mesiti-Miller. Ask us a question or sign up for our newsletter at BayCurious.org. Follow Olivia Allen-Price on Twitter @oallenprice.

Oct 18, 2018 • 13min
The San Francisco Origins of Green Goddess Dressing
California's iconic Green Goddess Dressing may be herbal and delicious — but its name has a not-so-savory history.Reported by Sasha Khokha. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Paul Lancour, Ryan Levi and Suzie Racho. Additional support from Julia McEvoy, Ethan Lindsey, Erika Kelly, Julie Caine, David Weir, Amanda Font, Carly Severn and Katie McMurran. Holly Kernan is Vice President for News. Theme music by Pat Mesiti-Miller. Ask us a question or sign up for our newsletter at BayCurious.org. Follow Olivia Allen-Price on Twitter @oallenprice.

Oct 18, 2018 • 16min
Black Power, the 1968 Olympics and the San Jose State Students Who Shook the World
As John Carlos and Tommie Smith stood on the medal stand, raising their fists in a black power salute, the San Jose State students were praying they didn't get shot.

Oct 12, 2018 • 15min
Should Californians Allow Rent Control to Expand? Proposition 10, Explained
Proposition 10 aims to overturn the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing act, which limits rent control throughout the state.Produced by Jessica Placzek. Featuring KQED's Guy Marzorati. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Paul Lancour, Ryan Levi and Suzie Racho. Additional support from Julie Caine, Ethan Lindsey, Katie McMurran and David Weir. Theme music by Pat Mesiti-Miller. Ask us a question or sign up for our newsletter at BayCurious.org. Follow Olivia Allen-Price on Twitter @oallenprice.