Bay Curious

During the Gold Rush, people flocked to the San Francisco Bay Area to make their fortunes. A few entrepreneurial folks realized seabird eggs could provide protein to the hungry miners. Matthew Tuckner heard there was even a war fought over eggs on the Farallon Islands and wanted to know more.

Additional Reading:

The Gold Rush Delicacy That Started A War: Eggs

The Kitchen Sisters Present podcast

When California Went to War Over Eggs (Smithsonian Magazine)

Originally reported by Nikki Silva and Davia Nelson for The Kitchen Sisters Present. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde.

Bay Curious listener Jaimie Cohen wants to know: "Why are there restaurants that serve Chinese food, doughnuts and burgers all in one location? And why are there so many of them in the Bay Area?" We found that it's a uniquely Californian combination with an unexpected history.

Additional Reading:

 Why Donuts + Chinese Food = A Very Californian Combination

'The Donut King' official trailer (Premiering on KQED May 24th)

Reported by Asal Ehsanipour. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Brendan Willard, Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Marnette Federis.

Bay Curious listener Chris Johanson wants to know whether the Nike Missile site in the Marin Headlands ever housed nuclear weapons. It's true. Veterans say the Cold War missile batteries that ringed the Bay Area housed warheads that more than equaled the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs combined.

Additional Reading:

 Marin Was Once Armed With Nuclear Missiles, Luckily They Were Never Deployed

Reported by Craig Miller. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde.

Many people in our community are experiencing homelessness -- about 35,000 throughout the Bay Area at last count. Matthew Schmitz was shocked by how wealth and poverty exist side by side when he moved to the Mission District of San Francisco. He wanted to know how homelessness here compares to other places around the world.

*This audio has been updated to correct an error. A previous version misstated the number of NYC public school children experiencing homelessness. We regret the error.

Additional Reading

From New York to Helsinki: What the Bay Area Can Learn When Addressing Homelessness

Sold Out podcast: Rethinking Housing in America

One Way to Get People Off the Streets: Buy Hotels

Reported by Erin Baldassari and Molly Solomon. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho, Katie McMurran and Erika Kelly. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde.

How did a cutting edge railroad become crumbling tunnels to nowhere? This week, the story of the Mountain Route, a long lost rail line that once cut through the Santa Cruz Mountains. In it's heyday, the line provided an easy way for Bay Area residents to get to the beaches of Santa Cruz.

Additional Reading:

 The Story Behind Those Old Train Tunnels in the Santa Cruz Mountains

The Island Ghost Town in the Middle of San Francisco Bay

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Reported by Peter Arcuni. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde.

We’re answering your questions in a Bay Curious lightning round. We tackle changes you’ve noticed this past year on our bridges, on the water, and in how we consume.

Additional Reading:

 End of an Era: No More Toll Takers on Bay Area Bridges

It's Not Just You, There Are More Cargo Ships in the Bay Than Usual

How the Bay Area Is Using Water, Power and Landfill Space During the Pandemic

San Francisco Bay Is Filled With Boats, But What Do They Do?

Reported by Katrina Schwartz. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Isabeth Mendoza, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde.

For years, Bay Curious listeners Julia Thollaug and Phil Montalvo have wondered the same thing: "What's the deal with the cross on Mount Davidson?" This week, how a 103-foot tall concrete cross ended up on the city's highest peak. It's a story that goes back almost 100 years.

Additional Reading:

 Why There's A Cross on San Francisco's Highest Peak

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Reported by Suzie Racho. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Brian Watt, Nina Thorsen, Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde.

Bay Curious listeners Peter Caravalho and Sarah Caravalho Khan live in Cupertino. While wandering around their neighborhood they wondered where the street name "Hoo Hoo Way" came from. Turns out, it's a long story.

Additional Reading:

This Lumberjack Frat Once Had the Coolest Clubhouse in S.F.

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Reported by Jessica Placzek. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde.

We asked you to send us reflections on how your life has changed in the year since Bay Area leaders first issued a shelter-in-place order —the emotional beginning of the pandemic year for many of us. Amidst the hard stuff, you're finding bright spots and hope moving forward.

Additional Reading:

The Year of COVID: Your Stories of the Pandemic

'In the Heart of the Pandemic': COVID-19 Deaths Loom Large in East San Jose

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In this episode we answer your questions about Bay Area highways. Herb Masters has noticed what looks like a ghost freeway where 280 and 380 intersect on the Penninsula. He wants to know what's going on there. And Daniel Huertas has noticed more garbage on Bay Area roads recently. He's wondering, why?

Additional Reading:

Is That a Ghost Freeway on the Peninsula? And Are Our Highways Filthier Than Ever?

Why Aren't Any Billboards on 280?

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Reported by Dan Brekke. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde.