Ranked #1
Is There a San Francisco Accent?
Is There a San Francisco Accent?
When you think about America’s biggest cities, many have a recognizable accent. Does San Francisco have one? And no, say... Read more
24 Jan 2019
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16mins
Ranked #2
Why Are San Francisco Houses So Close Together?
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 p... Read more
22 Nov 2018
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12mins
Ranked #3
Who Invented the Martini? A Bay Area Story, With a Twist
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.
3 Nov 2018
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12mins
Ranked #4
Why is Piedmont a Separate City From Oakland?
Why is Piedmont a Separate City From Oakland?
Piedmont is surrounded on all sides but the city of Oakland, yet has remained an independent city since it incorporated ... Read more
4 Apr 2019
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15mins
Ranked #5
Should Californians Allow Rent Control to Expand? Proposition 10, Explained
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.Pro... Read more
12 Oct 2018
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14mins
Ranked #6
When Recycling Pays the Bills … and When It Doesn’t
When Recycling Pays the Bills … and When It Doesn’t
In California over 18 billion beverage containers were recycled in 2017. Meet some of the people who recycled them and w... Read more
10 Jan 2019
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12mins
Ranked #7
Why is Marin County So White?
Why is Marin County So White?
Marin County is the whitest county in the Bay Area -- but why? Reporter Ericka Cruz-Guevarra takes us through some pivot... Read more
16 Feb 2017
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14mins
Ranked #8
Why Do Some Hate the Nickname ‘Frisco’?
Why Do Some Hate the Nickname ‘Frisco’?
Not long after people started using it, others started hating it. They said only out-of-towners used it.Reported by Vinn... Read more
2 Mar 2017
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14mins
Ranked #9
From Aviators to Apps: The Evolution of Traffic Data
From Aviators to Apps: The Evolution of Traffic Data
How do Bay Area traffic reporters do their jobs? From flying high in the 1950s to the tech-powered tools of today.
17 Jan 2019
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14mins
Ranked #10
Why the ‘O’ in San Francisco’s Airport Code, SFO?
Why the ‘O’ in San Francisco’s Airport Code, SFO?
Why the "O" in SFO? And why is one of Chicago's airports coded ORD? And IAD for Dulles?Reported by Jessica Placzek. Bay ... Read more
29 Jun 2017
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7mins
Ranked #11
How the San Francisco School Lottery Works, And How It Doesn’t
How the San Francisco School Lottery Works, And How It Doesn’t
San Francisco's complicated school lottery system offers opportunity that isn't always realized.Reported by Katrina Schw... Read more
27 Sep 2018
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15mins
Ranked #12
Why Wild Turkeys Love the Bay Area’s Suburbs
Why Wild Turkeys Love the Bay Area’s Suburbs
The turkeys we see today are descendants of birds captured near the Rio Grande in Texas that were brought to California.... Read more
23 May 2019
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12mins
Ranked #13
What Makes San Francisco Sourdough Unique?
What Makes San Francisco Sourdough Unique?
Reported by Julia Scott. Bay Curious is Olivia Allen-Price, Vinnee Tong, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Jessica Placzek, Pen... Read more
20 Apr 2017
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14mins
Ranked #14
There’s a Secret Message to Decode in San Jose
There’s a Secret Message to Decode in San Jose
f you’ve walked past Adobe’s corporate headquarters in downtown San Jose, you may have spotted them: four big orange LED... Read more
28 Dec 2016
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11mins
Ranked #15
The Not-So-Crystal Clean History of San Francisco’s Drinking Water
The Not-So-Crystal Clean History of San Francisco’s Drinking Water
As San Francisco's population exploded in the 1850s, speculators looked to cash in by delivering fresh drinking water to... Read more
16 May 2019
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13mins
Ranked #16
Lightning Round: Brisbane’s Stars, Millbrae’s Sweet Smells and Red Rock Island
Lightning Round: Brisbane’s Stars, Millbrae’s Sweet Smells and Red Rock Island
For our last episode of the year, we get the answers to three of your questions: What's with the stars in Brisbane? Why ... Read more
21 Dec 2018
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15mins
Ranked #17
Eucalyptus: How California’s Most Hated Tree Took Root
Eucalyptus: How California’s Most Hated Tree Took Root
Depending who you ask, eucalyptus trees are either an icon in California or a fire-prone scourge.Reported by Daniel Pott... Read more
1 Feb 2018
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17mins
Ranked #18
It’s-It! The San Francisco Treat That Sparked a Cult Following
It’s-It! The San Francisco Treat That Sparked a Cult Following
San Franciscans have been having a love-affair with this ice cream treat since 1928.Reported by Alyssa Kapnik Samuel and... Read more
4 May 2017
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9mins
Ranked #19
How the Bay Area Came to be a Hub for Casual Style
How the Bay Area Came to be a Hub for Casual Style
On a recent visit to San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House, KQED listener Michelle Morby didn’t like what she saw. In... Read more
5 Sep 2019
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18mins
Ranked #20
The Island Ghost Town in the Middle of San Francisco Bay
The Island Ghost Town in the Middle of San Francisco Bay
Drawbridge was a popular bird hunting destination decades. What happened?Reported by Jessica Placzek. Produced and edite... Read more
20 Jul 2017
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14mins