What happened to Chicago’s Japanese neighborhood?
Lake View once had a thriving Japanese community, but it fell victim to a push for assimilation.
Listen — 17:03
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Curious City
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WBEZ’s Curious City series is an ongoing news experiment at WBEZ, online and on the radio dial around Chicago at 91.5 FM. Our mission is to include the public in editorial decision-making, make journalism more transparent and strengthen multimedia coverage about Chicago, the surrounding region and its people (past or present).
Curious City airs on Thursdays during All Things Considered on WBEZ
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Some of Chicago’s best birdwatching spots might surprise you
There’s more to Chicago-area birdwatching than Montrose Point. Local birders shared their tips for birding off the beaten path.
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Listen — 19:57How do you start a community garden in Chicago?
As Pilsen changes, volunteers strive to keep the community garden a space where longtime residents can find ease and wellbeing.
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Listen — 23:31Chicago’s rivalry with New York shaped both cities
There was a time Chicago gave New York a run for its money. So how did we end up as the Second City?
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Listen — 23:50Florence Price was one of the greatest composers you might not know of
A major figure in Chicago’s Black Renaissance, Price became the first Black woman to have a composition performed by a major American orchestra.
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Listen — 25:33If you love Chicago’s Garrett Popcorn, here’s the science behind the flavors
Have you ever wondered why cheese and caramel popcorn pair so well together? We talked to a food scientist about why the “Chicago Mix” is so hard to resist.
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Listen — 4:23From the Cha-Cha Slide to the Polka Hop, these dances were created in Chicago
Don your dancing shoes as we track down the Chicago band members, musicians, and dancers who helped create five iconic moves.
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Listen — 19:11Drawn by drums and incense, Pilsen residents are finding strength and joy through Aztec dance
Every Thursday, a group of Aztec dancers practices in Harrison Park. Through dance, they say they find community and harmony with nature.
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Listen — 4:36Traveling parties are part of a queer Chicago culture of partying as resistance
Starting in the 1980s, Executive Sweet was a traveling party that focused on Black lesbians. Two of its longtime organizers say they aren’t finished yet.
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Listen — 22:38Public libraries are city treasures
How many books are in the Chicago Public Library? How many visitors come each day? Here are eight fun facts about how your library system works.
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Listen — 14:33
