Bay Curious

During the Gold Rush, people flocked to the San Francisco Bay Area to make their fortunes. A few entrepreneurial folks realized seabird eggs could provide protein to the hungry miners. Matthew Tuckner heard there was even a war fought over eggs on the Farallon Islands and wanted to know more. Additional Reading: The Gold Rush Delicacy That Started A War: Eggs The Kitchen Sisters Present podcast When California Went to War Over Eggs (Smithsonian Magazine) Originally reported by Nikki Silva and Davia Nelson for The Kitchen Sisters Present. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde.

Bay Curious listener Jaimie Cohen wants to know: "Why are there restaurants that serve Chinese food, doughnuts and burgers all in one location? And why are there so many of them in the Bay Area?" We found that it's a uniquely Californian combination with an unexpected history. Additional Reading:  Why Donuts + Chinese Food = A Very Californian Combination 'The Donut King' official trailer (Premiering on KQED May 24th) Reported by Asal Ehsanipour. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Brendan Willard, Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Marnette Federis.

Bay Curious listener Chris Johanson wants to know whether the Nike Missile site in the Marin Headlands ever housed nuclear weapons. It's true. Veterans say the Cold War missile batteries that ringed the Bay Area housed warheads that more than equaled the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs combined. Additional Reading:  Marin Was Once Armed With Nuclear Missiles, Luckily They Were Never Deployed Reported by Craig Miller. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde.

Many people in our community are experiencing homelessness -- about 35,000 throughout the Bay Area at last count. Matthew Schmitz was shocked by how wealth and poverty exist side by side when he moved to the Mission District of San Francisco. He wanted to know how homelessness here compares to other places around the world. *This audio has been updated to correct an error. A previous version misstated the number of NYC public school children experiencing homelessness. We regret the error. Additional Reading From New York to Helsinki: What the Bay Area Can Learn When Addressing Homelessness Sold Out podcast: Rethinking Housing in America One Way to Get People Off the Streets: Buy Hotels Reported by Erin Baldassari and Molly Solomon. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho, Katie McMurran and Erika Kelly. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde.

How did a cutting edge railroad become crumbling tunnels to nowhere? This week, the story of the Mountain Route, a long lost rail line that once cut through the Santa Cruz Mountains. In it's heyday, the line provided an easy way for Bay Area residents to get to the beaches of Santa Cruz. Additional Reading:  The Story Behind Those Old Train Tunnels in the Santa Cruz Mountains The Island Ghost Town in the Middle of San Francisco Bay Help us decide what to cover next by casting your vote! Reported by Peter Arcuni. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde.

We’re answering your questions in a Bay Curious lightning round. We tackle changes you’ve noticed this past year on our bridges, on the water, and in how we consume. Additional Reading:  End of an Era: No More Toll Takers on Bay Area Bridges It's Not Just You, There Are More Cargo Ships in the Bay Than Usual How the Bay Area Is Using Water, Power and Landfill Space During the Pandemic San Francisco Bay Is Filled With Boats, But What Do They Do? Reported by Katrina Schwartz. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Isabeth Mendoza, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde.

For years, Bay Curious listeners Julia Thollaug and Phil Montalvo have wondered the same thing: "What's the deal with the cross on Mount Davidson?" This week, how a 103-foot tall concrete cross ended up on the city's highest peak. It's a story that goes back almost 100 years. Additional Reading:  Why There's A Cross on San Francisco's Highest Peak Sign up for our newsletter where we answer even more of our questions. Reported by Suzie Racho. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Brian Watt, Nina Thorsen, Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde.

Bay Curious listeners Peter Caravalho and Sarah Caravalho Khan live in Cupertino. While wandering around their neighborhood they wondered where the street name "Hoo Hoo Way" came from. Turns out, it's a long story. Additional Reading: This Lumberjack Frat Once Had the Coolest Clubhouse in S.F. Sign up for the Bay Curious newsletter! Reported by Jessica Placzek. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde.

We asked you to send us reflections on how your life has changed in the year since Bay Area leaders first issued a shelter-in-place order —the emotional beginning of the pandemic year for many of us. Amidst the hard stuff, you're finding bright spots and hope moving forward. Additional Reading: The Year of COVID: Your Stories of the Pandemic 'In the Heart of the Pandemic': COVID-19 Deaths Loom Large in East San Jose Get more answers to your question in our monthly newsletter. Sign up here.

In this episode we answer your questions about Bay Area highways. Herb Masters has noticed what looks like a ghost freeway where 280 and 380 intersect on the Penninsula. He wants to know what's going on there. And Daniel Huertas has noticed more garbage on Bay Area roads recently. He's wondering, why? Additional Reading: Is That a Ghost Freeway on the Peninsula? And Are Our Highways Filthier Than Ever? Why Aren't Any Billboards on 280? Sign up for our newsletter where we answer even more of our questions. Reported by Dan Brekke. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde.

The Bay Area is known for great oysters, but the ones grown locally are mostly from up in Marin County. San Francisco Bay used to have a thriving population of native oysters and Bay Curious listener Joseph Fletcher wants to know if they'll ever make a comeback. Additional Reading: The Bay Waters Once Teemed With Oysters. What Happened? The Wild Oyster Project Reported by Chloe Veltman. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde.

The question is a simple but alarming one: If the Lake Chabot dam cracked open in a big earthquake, what kind of flooding should the communities below expect? This week's question asker, Hollyann Vickers Keng, has a vested interest in the answer -- she lives there! Additional Reading: A Potential Flood Threat Is Hidden in the East Bay Hills — Chabot Dam Oroville Crisis: Sheriff Called Emergency 'Ugly, Sh**ty Mess' Send us your COVID story by recording yourself on your smartphone and emailing baycurious@kqed.org or leave us a voice message at 415-553-3334. Reported by Dan Brekke. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde.

Our question-asker, Sara Russell, grew up hearing stories from her mother about how Irish Coffee was invented in San Francisco. Now, she wants to know if that story is totally accurate. Additional Reading:  The True History of Irish Coffee and Its San Francisco Origins Send us your COVID stories! Record yourself on your smartphone and email: baycurious@kqed.org Or, leave us a voicemail: 415-553-3334 Reported by Oliva Allen-Price and Kelly O'Mara. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, and Vinnee Tong. Special thanks this week to voice actors Brian Watt, Paul Lancour and John Dunleavy.

A year into the coronavirus pandemic there's hope on the horizon. It's too soon to know the lasting impacts on the Bay Area, but we asked experts in mental health, transportation and education to try and predict what we might expect in our day-to-day lives as we slowly emerge from this crisis. Additional Reading: How Will A Year of Pandemic Learning Impact Bay Area Schools Long Term? As Battle Over Reopening San Francisco Schools Turns Ugly, Equity Emerges as Fault Line It Was Hard Already, Then It Got Worse: Resources For Coping Right Now We want to hear YOUR story for an upcoming episode: How has your life changed under COVID-19? Record yourself on your phone and send it to us: baycurious@kqed.org Or leave us a voicemail at 415-553-3334 Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong, and Don Clyde.

California is the most expensive state to build affordable housing in part because the costs to build are high. Some builders are turning to modular, prefabricated housing as a way to speed up production and rethink the way we've traditionally built in the Bay Area. Additional Reading: The Bay Area Has a Housing Crisis (Obviously.) Could Prefab Be the Answer? 5 Reasons It's So Expensive To Build Housing In California Take KQED's podcast survey! Reported by Molly Solomon and Erin Baldassari. Edited by Erika Kelly. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho, Rob Speight and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde.

The coronavirus vaccine rollout in California has felt chaotic, in part because the state has changed course several times. Many Bay Area residents are wondering when and how they can get vaccinated. And what do all the changes mean for getting the most vulnerable people vaccinated? Additional Reading: California Debates Speed Versus Equity in Vaccine Distribution Plan Where Can I Get A COVID-19 Vaccine In The Bay Area? Your Questions Answered KQED.org/podcastsurvey Reported by April Dembosky. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde.

On this week's episode, Olivia says goodbye (temporarily!) as she gets ready to welcome a new baby to the Bay! But don't fret, Bay Curious producer Katrina Schwartz will be hosting the show while Olivia's away. We'll learn all about Katrina's roots in San Francisco and the thing that made the city finally feel like home. Additional Reading: Bay Curious Podcast Listeners: We've Got Some Changes For You What's The Story Behind The Wrecked Car On Mount Tamalpais? (video) Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde.

Want to know what time it is? These days, it's as easy as looking at your phone. But before the digital age, Bay Area residents could dial POP-CORN or 767-2676 to hear a woman's recorded voice giving the time. Bay Curious unpacks the human history of this now obsolete telephone service. Additional Reading:  You Used To Be Able to Call POP-CORN And Get the Time. What Happened To That? Reported by Christopher Beale. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde.

In just two-and-a-half years the utility’s equipment started more than fifteen-hundred fires, a Wall Street Journal investigation found. Some of those were small, but others were deadly, like the 2018 Camp Fire, which burned the town of Paradise to the ground and killed 85 people. The Camp Fire caused about $16.5 billion in damages. Additional Reading: KQED coverage on PG&E 'Deflect, Delay, Defer': Decade of PG&E Wildfire Safety Pushback Preceded Disasters Why Doesn't PG&E Bury the Power Lines to Prevent Wildfires? Reported by Amanda Stupi. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Jim Bennett and Paul Lancour. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey and Vinnee Tong.

Listener Ben Kaiser loves watching films shot and set in San Francisco, and is looking for some recommendations. This episode features Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle culture critic, and host of the Total SF podcast; and Carly Severn, KQED's resident movie obsessive and senior engagement editor. Additional Reading and Listening: Share your favorite Bay Area movies in our Facebook discussion QUIZ: How Many of These Bay Area Movie Locations Can You Spot? Subscribe to the Total SF podcast: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Listen to The Cooler podcast archive: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, and Jim Bennett. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde.