The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

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   Number 1: Why is the island in Washington Park behind a locked gate?

   Bynum Island was once a gem in Chicago’s Washington Park, but now it’s abandoned, overgrown and inaccessible to the public. Curious City looks into why, and whether the island will ever reopen.

   August 26, 2026·16min
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   Number 2: Chicago, Milwaukee or Detroit: Which city has the best encased meats?

   In Chicago, it’s the Chicago dog. In Milwaukee, the bratwurst. In Detroit, the Coney dog. Each is a little different, but their origin stories are connected. In a limited series we’re calling “Curious Midwest,” Curious City teamed up with WUWM Milwaukee’s Bubbler Talk and WDET Detroit’s CuriosiD to explore our midwestern links (pun intended). Today, why are these hyper-specific encased meats associated so strongly with these three cities? And which is the best?

   September 23, 2026·20min
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   Number 3: Did Chicago invent the rage room? A look inside “the Frustration Room”

   The Frustration Room appeared in a Chicago motel in 1962 and offered visitors the opportunity to smash objects — like a lamp base, a lightbulb or an ashtray — in a space dedicated to relieving frustration. One Curious City listener remembers visiting three times and wanted to know: who thought of this place, why, and what ever happened to it? We look into the Frustration Room’s origins and its next of kin — including a local “rage room” and a “scream club” — to ask if this kind of venting really works.

   September 09, 2026·22min
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   Number 4: How did a native Chicago plant disappear forever?

   Thismia americana enjoys near-cult-status among Chicago botanists, ecologists and plant enthusiasts. The tiny, bell-shaped flower hasn't been seen since the early 1900s, but that hasn't stopped believers from trying to find Chicago's most elusive plant once more. A reporter and a team of scientists went hunting for thismia americana to see if, over a hundred years later, it could be re-discovered.

   September 02, 2026·19min
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   Number 5: School lunch used to ace the test

   Former Chicago Public Schools students say school lunch used to be delicious decades ago. That comes as a surprise to current CPS students, who give lunchroom offerings mixed reviews. Also missing from the menu is a once popular butter cookie. What happened to tasty school lunches and this iconic cafeteria cookie?

   August 19, 2026·19min
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