Author: KQED

There isn’t a clear path on how to make close friends. Some people find making friends even harder than dating. They say with romantic relationships there’s at least some semblance of steps: You ask a person out, you go out again, maybe you keep going on dates, maybe one person isn’t feeling it and the relationship ends, or perhaps both people are feeling it, you talk and then make your relationship “official”.

Last year, Bay Curious received the question: “How do I make friends?”

We tried reaching out to the question asker, but they never responded.

Surveys show many Americans often feel lonely, and a lot of those lonely people also feel socially isolated.

To help our question asker, we’re going to start off with tips for finding potential friends, then next week we’ll talk about how to make them closer.

Read the full web version: How To Find New Friends

Reported by Jessica Placzek. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Robert Speight, Katie McMurran, Maggie Galloway and Paul Lancour. Additional support from Julie Caine, Suzie Racho, Ethan Lindsey, Pat Yollin and David Weir.

Theme music by Pat Mesiti-Miller.

Ask us a question or sign up for our newsletter at BayCurious.org.

Rayan Rafay was prepared to be blown away by Bay Area seafood when he moved here in 2016.

After growing up on the East Coast, he had been amazed by the seafood he encountered when he moved to Vancouver, British Columbia.

“It’s just this like magical wonderland of seafood,” he said. “Chefs just did things with seafood on the West Coast that I’d never even imagined in my lemon butter world of fish.”

But when he got here, he was surprised not to see the local catch on many restaurant menus.

So he asked Bay Curious: With the Pacific Ocean right there, why isn’t local seafood a bigger deal in the Bay Area?

This week on Bay Curious, we explore the economics of seafood and the cultural changes need for it to get a star place on our dinner plates.

Read the full web version: Why Isn’t Local Seafood a Bigger Deal in the Bay Area?

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Reported by Ryan Levi.

Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Robert Speight, Katie McMurran, Paul Lancour and Ryan Levi. Additional support from Julie Caine, Suzie Racho, Ethan Lindsey, Pat Yollin and David Weir.

Theme music by Pat Mesiti-Miller.

Ask us a question or sign up for our newsletter at BayCurious.org.

Follow Olivia Allen-Price on Twitter @oallenprice.

While the Bay Area is known for its sourdough, it’s often Dutch Crunch that really gets the attention of newcomers. The tasty bread is especially prevalent at local sandwich shops. Where did it come from? How is it made? In this episode of Bay Curious, reporter Amanda Font bakes us an answer.

Find the web story, including images of the baking process: Why Does Dutch Crunch Seem to be the Best Kept Local Food Secret?

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If you’re still craving carbs, check out this Bay Curious episode: What Makes San Francisco Sourdough Unique?

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Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Robert Speight, Paul Lancour and Ryan Levi. Additional support from Julie Caine, Suzie Racho, Ethan Lindsey, Pat Yollin and David Weir.

Theme music by Pat Mesiti-Miller.

Ask us a question or sign up for our newsletter at BayCurious.org.

Follow Olivia Allen-Price on Twitter @oallenprice.

Spring cleaning, Marie Kondo-ing, whatever you want to call it — there is a massive purge of clothing coming out of people’s closets right now. Thrift stores across the country have reported unprecedented surges in their clothing donations.

Bay Curious listener Ellen wants to know: What can you do with used clothing? What if it’s not suitable for donation sites? Can you recycle the material in the Bay Area?

In this episode of Bay Curious, we sort a pile of clothes with a sustainable clothing expert, learn about a new business model and take a trip to a Goodwill sorting facility.

Read the full web story: How to Responsibly Purge Your Closet in the Bay Area

Reported by Sarah Craig.

Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Robert Speight, Katie McMurran, Paul Lancour and Ryan Levi. Additional support from Julie Caine, Suzie Racho, Ethan Lindsey, Pat Yollin and David Weir.

Theme music by Pat Mesiti-Miller.

Ask us a question or sign up for our newsletter at BayCurious.org.

Follow Olivia Allen-Price on Twitter @oallenprice.

You might think the iconic rum cocktail was born in Hawaii. We set off to discover its true roots.

This week we answer three listener questions: What happens to whale carcasses that wash ashore? Why is gas so expensive in the Bay Area? What is 'earthquake weather' and is it real?

Follow one man through his morning routine to get a taste of what's helpful and harmful for commuters who are blind.

Veterans say the Cold War missile batteries that ringed the Bay Area packed nuclear warheads with a punch that more than equaled the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs combined.

There are a lot of crows in the Bay Area, but maybe that's not such a bad thing.

The turkeys we see today are descendants of birds captured near the Rio Grande in Texas that were brought to California. Learn more about our wild turkeys and hear the story of a turkey that broke into prison.