Investigation timeline: Do urban archaeologists look inside construction sites?
Linda Rudy got curious after railroad ties were pulled out of a Wells Street project.
Where the Bulls are … and where the art isn’t
Curious City’s bite-sized answers about the hidden life of art and antiquities, where the Bulls live, and the location of Chicago’s first kaboom-proof building.
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When did Chicago get a Chinatown? And is it still Chinese?
A curious citizen was surprised to find Chicago’s Chinatown both large and well-established, so she wondered: Just how long’s it been around, anyway? Well, it depends on which Chinatown you start …
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What’s one thing you can only get in Chicago?
Brenda Guzman asked Curious City to find at least one “thing” you can get in Chicago that you cannot get anywhere else. She says she’s open to interpretation: That thing can be an object, a food, an …
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What role does the city play in resettling refugees?
Lowell Wyse moved to Chicago’s North Side neighborhood Rogers Park from Kansas, and couldn’t help marveling at the area’s international mix. He wonders what role the city plays in settling …
Chicago’s flower costs, the oldest sidewalk, and why no ketchup on our dogs
Last week, Curious City had its first live event: a trivia bowl! We answered 10 questions from our growing pile. They included: how much does the city spend on ornamental planting, where’s the …
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The better deal: Teachers’ pensions? Social Security?
While the political wrangling over Prairie State retirement systems continues (just Google “Squeezy” and “pensions” for the latest twist), Illinois teacher Milt Walp asks why he doesn’t have have an …
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What’s In A (Neighborhood) Name?
Turns out, a lot goes into the labels Chicagoans slap on their corners of the city. We have two stories about how this plays out, including one by an Edgewater resident who asked why her own ‘hood …
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ListenWhere’s Chicago’s Biodiversity Hotspot?
The city’s home to more wildlife than the usual suspects. (We’re talking ‘bout you, Mr. Squirrel.) Lace up your boots, folks. To find lizards, osprey and cactus, we’ll be heading far off the Mag Mile.
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ListenInvestigation timeline: Why pensions instead of Social Security?
Curious citizen Milt Walp is a teacher who’s currently on disability. He’s curious to know why Illinois has its retired government employees rely on a state-funded pension system rather the …
