Curious City

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Chicago is a jazz city, but where are the jazz radio stations? Oct 22, 2025

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The city is home to a vibrant jazz scene and the Chicago Jazz Festival. But WDCB is the only all-jazz radio station in the region. Why isn't there more jazz programming on the local radio dial?

How a group of volunteers saved a rare Illinois wildflower Oct 15, 2025

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The Kankakee mallow is one of the rarest plants on the continent, according to the Smithsonian Garden in Washington D.C. It’s a pink flower that grows on tall stalks and is native to just one small island in the middle of the Kankakee River, about an hour south of Chicago. But when botanist Rachel Goad paddled over to take a look back in 2014 with a group of native plant enthusiasts, instead they found an island overgrown with invasive honeysuckle.Was this special native plant gone for good?Perhaps, if not for the efforts of a small group of volunteers, initially led by conservationist Trevor Edmonson.“Hearing the phrase that the Kankakee mallow only grows on this island — anywhere in the world, like that is the extent of its remaining natural habitat — is such a draw for anybody, especially someone early on in their career,” Edmonson said.Today, reporter Claire Keenan-Kurgan from the Points North podcast at Interlochen Public Radio guides us on this floral rescue mission.Points North is a podcast that tells great stories from the Great Lakes. For more stories like this one, go to pointsnorthpodcast.org.

What’s that dead zone in the 19th Ward? Oct 08, 2025

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There’s a hole in the map of Chicago. It turns out, it’s a cemetery. But there are many other cemeteries in Chicago that don’t show up as holes on the map, so what’s up with this one? We take you to the 19th Ward and explore the history of this dead zone.

The tale of the two-flat Oct 02, 2025

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You know the building: Two stories, an apartment unit on each floor, usually with bay windows and a facade of brick or greystone. But how did the two-flat become so popular, and who was it originally built to serve? In our last episode, we looked at the types of places Chicago’s single women lived in at the turn of the 20th century. In today’s episode, we explore the Bohemian origins of the humble Chicago two-flat. As it turns out, the advent of the two-flat mirrors the development of the city’s middle class. “Our design No. 144 is a two-family flat designed for a money making proposition,” begins a 1915 ad enticing homebuyers to build a two-flat. “Anyone wanting a comfortable home and at the same time a good income on the investment will do well to consider this proposition.” Plus, we answer another housing-related listener question: why are Chicago fire escapes distinctively wooden (read: flammable) and are they actually effective during fires? This episode was reported by Chris Bentley and was originally published in 2014.

‘Women adrift’: How single women lived independently in early Chicago Oct 01, 2025

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At the turn of the century in Chicago, single women without a husband or family were considered to be "adrift," but they weren’t drifting at all. They were making choices that took them to different addresses.

‘Friendship set to music’: Curious City goes square dancing on the South Side Sep 25, 2025

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It’s a Thursday night and a group of folks in Washington Heights do-si-do to the bassline from “Shake Your Groove Thing” by Peaches & Herb. Square dancing has a reputation as more of a hobby for white people set to country music. But social clubs like the Southside Squares are turning that image on its head. Last episode, we heard how square dancing was once a booming hobby. Today, we hear from one social club that’s working to keep it alive in the 21st century. But square dancing’s African and African-American roots often get lost in popular accounts. Some of the first callers and musicians were enslaved Black people. Since then, square dancing has continued to be a part of African-American communities, including a long-running social club that meets up in Washington Heights every week to get down. Today, we hear from members of the Southside Squares. And you can’t have a dance without a caller. We also talk with a living legend in square dancing: world-renowned caller Sandie Bryant. She’ll show us the ropes and tell us what it’s like being one of the few Black women callers today.

Square dance clubs used to be bumping on the weekends Sep 24, 2025

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Square dancing was once so popular that a center opened in the suburbs dedicated to the hobby. Today, veteran dancers are trying to recruit new fans.

Is your local mall dying, thriving or evolving? Sep 18, 2025

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Malls hold a special spot in the hearts of many Americans of a certain age. One may have been the setting for your first date, the place you caught a now-classic summer blockbuster, or even a daycare of sorts after mom dropped you off with a few friends (and maybe a few bucks).In our last episode, we looked back at the history of Chicago’s Ford City Mall and the heyday of mall culture in America: the 1980s and 1990s.In this episode, we look at how malls are doing today with Stephanie Cegielski, vice president of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). She says reports of the death of the mall are overblown, that malls are adapting to a new era by offering experiences, and that Gen Z is playing a large role in malls’ resilience. Cegielski cites an ICSC survey of over 1,000 people aged 16-26 that found 60% of respondents say they visit malls just to socialize or meet friends, even if they don’t need to purchase something specific.“We just asked them blankly, ‘Do you still go to the mall?’” Cegielski said. “And the short answer was yes.”

What was Ford City Mall like in its heyday? Sep 17, 2025

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Vacant shops and faded signs, Ford City Mall is in the process of being sold. But this shell of a shopping center was once a bustling hub, especially for young people.

What happened after a dangerous year inside Cook County Jail Sep 11, 2025

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The year 2023 was a deadly one at the Cook County Jail. Eighteen people died in custody, “for many reasons,” said reporter Carlos Ballesteros, who reported on the record year for Injustice Watch. His reporting cited drug overdoses, lapses from jail staff and failed oversight.In our last episode, we learned about a group of volunteers who set up outside Cook County Jail to hand out free supplies to people after they get released. Today, we’ll hear about a few people who never were released, the conditions and circumstances that led to some of their deaths, what changes have been made and what changes may still be needed at the Cook County Jail. “Ultimately, it's jail, right?” Ballesteros said. “But the things we hear from people inside and their families is really disturbing.”The number of deaths at the jail has decreased since the 2023 report. We get an update from the Cook County Sheriff’s Department, which oversees the jail.

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