Author: KQED

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Bay Curious - Is Picking California Poppies Illegal?

After a wet winter, California hillsides are carpeted with wildflowers — especially our glowing, golden orange state flower, the California Poppy. In honor of this super-bloom, we're reprising our episode from 2017 about a rumor concerning these little beauties: that it's illegal to pick them. Reporter Jessica Placzek helps us answer that question, and discovers more about them and their use by indigenous peoples.

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This episode was reported by Jessica Placzek. Bay Curious is made at KQED by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Brendan Willard and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Paul Lancour, Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Jenny Pritchett and Holly Kernan.

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Bay Curious - San Francisco’s Little Slice of Paris

During California's Gold Rush when miners flocked to the Bay Area, so too did people selling goods to those fortune seekers. One of these businesses grew to become a historic Union Square department store that brought a taste of French finery to those San Franciscans who could afford it. Reporter Christopher Beale explores the origins and legacy of the 100+ year run of 'City of Paris.'

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Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts

This story was reported by Christopher Beale. Special thanks this week to Raphaël Timmons. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Jenny Pritchett and Holly Kernan.

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Bay Curious - Our Night Skies Are Getting Brighter

If you live in a city, you've likely noticed that it's kind of difficult to see the stars at night through the glow of artificial lighting. That urban lighting bubble is getting brighter every year. So what can we do about it? KQED Science reporter Sarah Mohamad shines the light on light pollution, and where you can still go connect with the cosmos.

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This episode was reported by Sarah Mohamad. Bay Curious is made at member-supported KQED by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, and Christopher Beale. Special thanks to Paul Lancour and Kevin Stark. Additional support from Carly Severn, Cesar Saldaña, Jen Chien, Jenny Pritchett and Holly Kernan.

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Bay Curious - Why Do People Fish off Hwy 101?

There’s a stretch of Highway 101 between South San Francisco and Candlestick Park where the road gets very straight and runs right next to the Bay. Even though there are lot of 'No Parking' signs in the area, some people are willing to risk a ticket for the good fishing in that particular spot. What are they catching, and what other treasures are fisher folk pulling out of San Francisco Bay and beyond? We sent producer Katrina Schwartz out to reel in the answer, and dip her own toes into the water.

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This episode was reported by Katrina Schwartz. Bay Curious is made by Olivia-Allen Price, Amanda Font, and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Paul Lancour, Cesar Saldaña, Jen Chien, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Jenny Pritchett and Holly Kernan.

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Bay Curious - Farming in the Middle of a City

The greater Bay Area is surrounded by a lot of commercial farmland, whether it's vineyards in Napa or strawberries in Watsonville. But there are also a number of urban farms—plots of land, or even rooftop gardens, that lie within big cities. With land at a premium, how can these small growers afford to grow food in an urban environment? Reporter Dana Cronin visits a few to find out. 

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This episode was reported by Dana Cronin. Bay Curious is made by Olivia-Allen Price, Amanda Font, Christopher Beale, Katherine Monahan and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Paul Lancour, Cesar Saldaña, Jen Chien, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Jenny Pritchett and Holly Kernan.

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Bay Curious - The Castro Theatre’s Past and Future

The iconic Castro Theatre in San Francisco's historic LGBTQ+ neighborhood is more than just a movie theatre — it's a movie palace. No one denies its cultural importance and landmark status, but there has been debate over the fate of its interior, specifically its seats, after management was taken over by Bay Area-based Another Planet Entertainment. Reporter Christopher Beale takes us back through the history of this famous theatre, and the fight over its future.

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This episode was reported by Christopher Beale. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Paul Lancour, Cesar Saldaña, Jen Chien, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Jenny Pritchett and Holly Kernan.

Audio for this episode has be updated to reflect rescheduling of the final landmarking decision date for the Castro Theatre.

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Bay Curious - Renaming a State Park

Today we’re getting a little outside the Bay Area because we’re headed to Folsom, just east of Sacramento. There, you’ll find a state park whose name caught the attention of Pendarvis Harshaw, host of KQED's Rightnowish podcast. On a stretch of shoreline, where the northern end of Lake Natoma meets the American River, is Black Miners Bar. Before June 2022 this spot was called by a different name: Negro Bar. This week on Bay Curious, we're featuring an episode of Rightnowish from their series on land in Northern California, 'From the Soil.'

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This story originally aired on Rightnowish, whose team includes Pendarvis Harshaw, Marisol Medina-Cadena, Chris Hambrick, Ceil Muller and Ryce Stoughtenborough. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Brendan Willard and Katherine Monahan.

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Bay Curious - How San Francisco Got its Bike Lanes

There are hundreds of miles of bike lanes in San Francisco, making it one of the most bike friendly cities in America. But that wasn't the case until the 90s. The transformation was due, in large part, to two groups working without coordination: The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition – an advocacy organization, and Critical Mass – the name of a regular group bike ride. This week, reporter Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman tells the story of how these two groups changed the way people cycle in San Francisco, whether the city liked it or not.

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This story was reported by Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font and Brendan Willard. Special thanks to Scott Shafer, Paul Lancour and Dan Brekke for their help with this story, and to Ted White who shared archival audio from his documentaries “We Are Traffic” and “Return of the Scorcher.”

Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcast

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Bay Curious - The Boat-Shaped Building in Palo Alto

In the Palo Alto Baylands, right on the edge of a marsh, sits a building with a strong resemblance to a boat. Who built it, and why did they go with the nautical theme? KQED's Silicon Valley Editor, Rachael Myrow, hops aboard to find out.

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This story was reported by Rachael Myrow. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Amanda Font and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Paul Lancour, Christopher Beale, Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Jenny Pritchett and Holly Kernan.

Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts

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Bay Curious - Runoff, Rivers and Rodents

You may have noticed that it has rained a LOT so far this year. All that water got us thinking about some of your water-related questions over the years. Where does all the rain water go? Are there really underground rivers in San Francisco? What happens to the ground squirrels when it rains? Do they… drown? This week on the show, it's a three-question lightning round with producer Amanda Font.

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These stories were reported by Amanda Font. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Amanda Font and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Paul Lancour, Christopher Beale, Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Jenny Pritchett and Holly Kernan.


Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts