Author: KQED

As San Francisco's population exploded in the 1850s, speculators looked to cash in by delivering fresh drinking water to the new boomtown.

Many of the classic buildings were condemned and padlocked in the 1970s before an architect undertook a massive project to restore them.

Read our web story: Meet Charley Parkhurst: The Gold Rush’s Fearless, Gender Non-Conforming Stagecoach Driver

Reported by Jessica Placzek.

Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Katie McMurran, Rob Speight, Suzie Racho, Paul Lancour and Ryan Levi. Additional support from Julie Caine, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong 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.

People have been living for free anchored in Richardson Bay for decades, but living on the water in Marin County goes all the way back to the state's early days.

If you’ve driven north on 101 through Mountain View, you really can’t miss Moffett Field. Seeing the giant open airfield is one thing — but what really grabs the eye is the larger-than-life birdcage-looking structure known as Hangar One. This week on the show, we learn why the airfield was built, what majestic airship that was once house there, and what’s going on at Moffett Field now.

Read the web story: That Giant Structure Off 101 Once Housed a Flying Aircraft Carrier

Reported by Rachael Myrow.

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. We’d also love your questions about Lake Tahoe at baycurious.org/tahoe.

Follow Olivia Allen-Price on Twitter @oallenprice.

Piedmont is surrounded on all sides but the city of Oakland, yet has remained an independent city since it incorporated in the the late 1800s. We take a closer look at the wild circumstances that lead Piedmont to form, and discuss some of the tensions that exist between Oakland and Piedmont residents today.

We answer three listener questions: Where do kids live in the Bay Area? Why does Palo Alto have two downtowns? And what's with the 'weeping women' statues at the Palace of Fine Arts?

If you’ve ever driven northbound on Interstate 280 through Hillsborough, you’ve surely seen The Flintstone House from the highway. A cluster of orange and purple tubular domes, the home is reminiscent of the 1960s Hanna-Barbera cartoon.

The house has always had it’s fans and detractors, but recent renovations have sparked controversy, and prompted the city of Hillsborough to sue the homeowner and declare the home a “public nuisance.”

The renovations include the addition of several large sculptures in the back yard: three 15-foot dinosaurs, a giraffe and a mammoth. There’s also the more benign infrastructure improvements, like a retaining wall, steps and a parking strip.

In this episode of Bay Curious, we revisit our 2017 story that includes a tour of the home (web version: What’s That Thing Off 280? The Flintstone House) and we get an update on the controversy.

Reported by Rachael Myrow.

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

The barrel of free red delicious apples have been a mainstay of the iconic San Francisco music venue.

The San Francisco Bay is full of boats, but do you know what most of them actually do?