Medusa?s was ?like a community center for weirdos and freaks and everybody else in between,? say some Chicagoans who went there as teens in the 1980s and ?90s. In this week?s episode Axios Chicago reporter Monica Eng finds out how the club got started, what it was like to hang out there and why, despite its popularity, it closed its doors in 1992.

Growing up, one listener heard tales about how an engineer was hidden inside Chicago?s Buckingham Fountain in order to make sure the water spouts out each day. This week we go inside the innards of the fountain to see how it works and learn the history behind it. Plus, we get the answer to the question: Why does Chicago have so many alleys?

Abolitionists in Chicago and Illinois helped freedom seekers reach Canada, and freedom.

Lakeview once had a thriving Japanese community, but it fell victim to a push for assimilation. As one Japanese-American puts it: ?You had to basically be unseen.?

Tips and tricks for spotting and enjoying birds in Chicago, from far flung marshes, to one birder?s window.

Find out how the folks behind El Paseo Community Garden in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood changed a contaminated site into a space for neighbors to grow plants, keep bees, meditate, and congregate.

A tourist to Chicago in 1910 might have gone to see hogs being butchered, sought illicit pleasure in Chicago?s vice district, or simply enjoyed the majesty of Lake Michigan. We virtually explore those sites, and then trace the long history of Chicago?s rivalry with New York City.

As a classical composer and a Black woman, Florence Price blended African and European music into a new style of symphonic music.

We track down the band members, musicians and dancers who popularized dances in Chicago, and meet the people who keep La Danza Azteca alive in Pilsen.

Curious City takes a deep dive into how Chicago?s powerful white institutions ? from the police and the politicians to the banks and the realtors ? used the 1919 race riots to cement a more segregated city.

The history of traveling queer parties in Chicago is rooted in exclusion and racism. This week, we spoke with Pat McCombs and Vera Washington ? longtime organizers of Executive Sweet, a traveling party focused on Black lesbians that got its start in the 1980s. We also talked with Tori and Jae Rice of smallWORLD Collective, a group that organizes events today ? and learned how queer Black organizers have been at the forefront of traveling parties in Chicago.

Thinking about the next book you want to read? Librarians are way ahead of you. Find out how new books make their way in the Chicago Public Library system, and meet some of the librarians who make it happen.

Dozens of unconnected fast food joins serve up the same popular Chicago cheeseburger under the same name.

Chicago's scrap metal industry relies on small scale collectors, called scrappers, who scout for metal castoffs to sell and recycle.

Folk singer Steve Goodman grew up going to Cubs games in Chicago, and this diehard fan had a lifelong goal?to write a hit song about baseball. This week we revisit his story.

Each year tens of thousands of people take part in 5ks, 10ks, half-marathons and all kinds of walking and running events in Chicago. But how does one get permission? And what?s it like to navigate the process and work with the various city departments to put on an event like this? Curious City talked to one race director who organizes ultramarathons to find out. And of course, as you might imagine, there?s just a little bit of bureaucracy involved.

Two sure signs of spring in the Chicago area are end-of-year band concerts at schools, and plants beginning to grow. This week we revisit a couple of stories from the archives on that theme. First, tenacious weeds like buckthorn, milkweed and goldenrod grow everywhere in Chicago from railroad tracks to sidewalk cracks. We find out how they survive city life. Plus reporter Monica Eng gets an answer to the question: why do so many kids learn to play the recorder in school?

Editor's note: This episode has been updated with new statements from Judge Matthew Coghlan. Every election, after breezing through their choices for governor, president, senators, and state reps, Cook County voters face the longest part of the ballot: Circuit Court judges. Though the candidates running for judge may be the most obscure, judges are the elected officials any voter is most likely to encounter and the ones whose decisions can have the most direct impact on their life. Anytime you get divorced, sue for damages after a car accident, or face accusations of committing a crime ? a judge is involved. And once a judge is elected, it?s rare they?ll ever be removed from office. This week, reporter Maya Dukmasova from Injustice Watch answers a question about why that?s the case.

For more than a century, Chicago?s Polish community has celebrated Polish unity and identity at the annual Polish Constitution Day Parade. This year, the parade has a new theme and anti-war message. Curious City?s Adriana Cardona-Maguigad tells us the history of the parade and what it has meant to the Polish diaspora in the Chicago area

A listener thought she?d noticed a change in Chicago?s crow population. And she was right. Twenty two years ago, the crow population of Illinois was at an all-time high. But just a few years later, half of the birds were dead. The crows were hit by a deadly virus. And it?s one that humans are susceptible to as well. So where was this virus coming from? Reporter Claire Caulfield finds the answer.

Sometimes, when Mike Ervin sees other wheelchair users about to board the bus or enter a train station in Chicago, he wants to catch up to them and say, ?You?re welcome?. Because 30 years ago, much of the accessibility that people with disabilities encounter in public transportation today ? lifts on buses, elevators at train train stations ? didn?t exist. There were also no curb ramps, and buses would drive right by people in wheelchairs without stopping. But Mike Ervin, who has used a wheelchair all his life, fought to change all that. In this week?s episode we look at the history of the fight for disability rights in Chicago.

Geographically, Chicago is smack in the middle of the Midwest. But not everyone seems to think that?s enough to make us ?real? Midwesterners. Is being a Midwesterner about where you are on a map, or about state of mind? We found that people?s answer to this question says a lot about how they view Midwestern identity and the growing urban-rural divide.

This season 800 students will be a part of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra?s programs. They?ll come from across the state of Illinois but also from Indiana, Michigan and even Iowa. Nearly every member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra played in a youth orchestra. Producer Jason Marck finds out about the joys and pressures of being an elite youth musician.

Students from different racial and ethnic backgrounds may go to the same high school, but this doesn?t guarantee they won?t cling to stereotypes about one another. That became painfully clear a few months ago when a student at Chicago?s Lincoln Park High School made a video asking classmates what race they wouldn?t date and why. Most of the answers were offensive, with many kids laughing and talking comfortably about how people of other races smell ? all of it right in the school hallways with other students watching. That video was made public and got a lot of attention. But this kind of thing happens pretty regularly. Curious City reporter Adriana Cardona-Maguigad and WBEZ education reporter Susie An teamed up to talk to Chicago area teens about race and relationships and what they think schools should do to help kids move beyond stereotypes.

Chicago?s streets are covered in asphalt and the city pays out a lot of money to drivers whose cars have been damaged by the poor condition of our roads. So why does Chicago use a material like asphalt, which requires so much repair, to pave its streets? And is there any recourse when your car gets damaged from hitting a pothole? Find out in this week?s episode.

A Curious City fan asked us about an odd detail on an old Chicago map. Was it really a Native American burial mound? Producer Jesse Dukes went on a quest to find the answer.

The Free Theater was an ensemble group that put on non-traditional, avant-garde theatrical productions in Chicago from 1968 to 1974. Like its name suggests, the shows were free and no auditions were required. Productions took on the politics of the time. Curious City reporter Adriana Cardona-Maguigad digs into the group?s history and looks at what low cost and accessible theater looks like nowadays in Chicago.

One Curious City listener was skeptical about whether real people actually win WBEZ?s pledge drive giveaways. They do. But there?s a little more to that answer. Plus, an economist who studies fundraising explains why people give money during pledge drives in the first place.

Chicago has budgeted about 18 million dollars for salt for the winter 2022. And the city gets all that salt from one vendor: Morton Salt. Now, the company?s iconic warehouse is getting transformed into a multi-use development, including a music venue called ?The Salt Shed.? In this episode historian Paul Durica traces the history of Chicago?s salt industry and tells us how some of that history will be preserved in the new concert space.

Last year the Garfield Park Aldi closed after 30 years, leaving thousands of West Siders without a nearby grocery store where they can buy affordable, fresh produce or other staples. Now, the City of Chicago is considering purchasing the Aldi property to ensure it remains a grocery store. WBEZ reporter Linda Lutton and Curious City intern Asia Singleton head to the West Side neighborhood to find how the store?s closing is impacting residents ? and what they?re doing about it.

Chicago?s got a new ad campaign the city hopes will showcase Chicago?s influence around the globe. It reminded us of a question we answered about the origins of Chicago?s rivalry with New York. We actually took the answer to the stage and presented it as a live show in 2018 at the Museum of Science and Industry, with actors impersonating New York and Chicago. In this episode you?ll hear that performance and learn how the bid to host the 1893 World?s Columbian Exposition stoked Chicago?s rivalry with New York.

By now you?ve probably pretty familiar with that term the ?Great Resignation.? We asked our listeners why they quit their jobs and how they?re doing now. We heard from more than a hundred people who talked about burnout, stress and toxic workplaces. And we heard a lot about the fear and risk that comes with quitting a job you know. In this episode we share some of those stories.

Chicagoans call lots of places home. We live in two-flats, three-flats, bungalows and skyscrapers. And hundreds of households live in Chicago?s only trailer park, Harbor Point Estates. Beyond the city?s borders, there?s another 18,000 mobile homes in our metro area. Reporter Linda Lutton set out to answer a question about what life is like in Chicagoland mobile home communities, as told by residents themselves.

During the Cold War, many Americans were convinced that the end was near, building concrete bunkers to protect themselves from a nuclear attack. Whatever happened to these fallout shelters around Chicago? In this episode Curious City goes underground to find out.

Curious City?s new reporter Adriana Cardona-Maguigad braves the freezing temperatures to find out how Chicagoans are getting through the stress of winter.

Reporter Araceli Gómez-Aldana spent the day in Marriage and Civil Union Court in downtown Chicago where she met all kinds of couples who were there to say ?I do,? and a clerk that?s helped thousands of couples tie the knot over the last 50 years. She?s seen it all, including brides left at the altar at the last minute, and Chicagoans lining up for hours to wed on the same day as Prince Charles and Princess Diana.

In this episode we head to the Hideout in Chicago for an evening of storytelling around rats. Jesse Dukes, Curious City?s lead rat reporter shares some stories from a trip we took to Lincoln Park?s rattiest alley. And some Chicagoans share their some of their most traumatic rat encounters.

On this week?s episode we?re revisiting a couple of holiday stories. Reporter Monica Eng answers a question about a shuttered Chicago jazz bar that one hosted the likes of Tony Bennett, Liza Minnelli and Lionel Hampton. Plus, we meet some of the people that run the Christmas tree pop-ups around Chicago.

Native Americans farmed, developed trade routes and took advantage of Chicago?s geography before anyone else settled in the region. Yet Chicago histories usually start in 1830. Reporter Jesse Dukes fills us in on what the history books are missing.

The Chicago region was home to a number of Native American nations, and Illinois? native history is rich and varied. But unlike neighboring states like Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa, Illinois doesn?t have any Indian reservations. Curious City looks into the history to find out why.

Every driver in Chicago has probably encountered a speed hump (yep, they are officially known as humps, not bumps) at some point while traversing the city. It?s probably safe to say that no one particularly enjoys going over one, but these barriers meant to slow drivers and make streets safer certainly annoy some more than others. And one listener wants to know if they?re even effective. Reporter Andrew Meriwether investigates.

Lawyer selfies line the interstate between Illinois and Indiana. Curious City took a road trip and counted almost a hundred in one stretch of I-90/94. Audio producer Steven Jackson investigates why there?s so many of these billboards here, especially for personal injury attorneys. He shares insights from lawyers, marketers, and historians. Features a guest cameo by Lyndon B. Johnson.

Chicago has served as the backdrop for blockbuster films like ?The Blues Brothers,? ?The Dark Knight,? and ?The Break-Up.? But just when did Chicago, sometimes referred to as the ?Hollywood of the Midwest,? first become a go-to location for film and TV producers? The answer goes all the way back to the silent film era of the early 1900s when the Essanay Film Manufacturing Co. produced thousands of films from 1907 to 1917 and William Foster debuted ?The Railroad Porter? in 1913. Productions shot on location in Chicago ebbed and flowed in the years that followed as Hollywood became a film and television hub. But as of September 2021, a record 15 TV shows were filming here. And with so many things being filmed here, we get asked a lot of questions about what makes certain locations popular for movie shoots? Matt Sigur tracks down some answers for us.

We all know Chicago has a strong Polish community. But how did it get that way? And just how Polish is this city, really? Reporter Jesse Dukes finds the answers.

A listener noticed that diner after diner seemed to serve split pea soup every Wednesday. So is he really onto something? Reporter Linda Lutton investigates this legume mystery. Plus, we break down the origins of the Chicago-style hot dog.

On this week?s episode Curious City investigates the origins of the Munger Road haunting. Like any good ghost story, there are several versions of the Munger Road tale, but the ghost story goes something like this: A school bus full of kids was crossing over the train tracks and it stalled. Before the driver could get the bus off the tracks, a train came along and hit the bus. No one bus survived the accident. The legend says the ghosts of the children are still there, and claims that if you drive your car onto the tracks and put it in neutral and sprinkle some baby powder on your car bumper, allegedly, the children are going to push your car off the tracks to safety. And small handprints will appear in the baby powder.

Chicago was like Hollywood before Hollywood became the movie capital we know today. And Black directors were an important part of that early industry. In 1913 Willam Foster became the first Black director to make a film with an all Black cast. Yet most people have never heard of him. Reporter Arionne Nettles shares his story and the legacy he left behind.

Chicago?s Pilsen neighborhood was first settled by Irish and German immigrants who were soon supplanted by a large influx of Czech immigrants. They gave the neighborhood its name but it?s known today for its Mexican and Mexican American population who first began moving in during the 50s and 60s. Pilsen continued to be a port of entry for decades and since then, many have fought to maintain the neighborhood?s identity, culture, and its community. In this episode we answer several questions about Pilsen?s history -- about the role murals have played in creating that sense of community, how the people rose up and came together to fight for a new high school, and how residents of Pilsen took a Chicago housing peculiarity and made it their own.

The Great Chicago Fire, which lasted from October 8th to October 10th, 1871, destroyed most of Chicago from what is today Roosevelt Road up to Fullerton and from the Lake west to the Chicago River. Almost 100,000 Chicagoans lost their homes and several hundred lost their lives. And while the Chicago Water Tower has become an important symbol of what survived the destruction of the fire, it?s not the only building that made it through. Historian Paul Durica tells us about three other ?survivors? and what happened to them decades later.

Called "more dangerous than a thousand rioters" by the Chicago Police Department, Lucy Parsons was a radical socialist, a labor organizer, and a powerful orator who worked on behalf of people of color, women, and the homeless, she was