Episodes

  • The Delightful Story Behind A Thrift Store Vinyl Find

    The Delightful Story Behind A Thrift Store Vinyl Find
    May 7 2026
    Jess Garcia loves perusing San Francisco thrift stores for treasures. One day, she came across a vinyl record titled "In Baghdad By the Bay: Cora and Santos Beloy," which peeked her curiosity. She rushed home to listen and was amazed at the sweet nostalgic quality of the voices she heard. When she looked for more information on the couple she couldn't find much, but had this feeling there must be more to their story. It turns out this Filipino American couple were "San Francisco famous" in the 1970s, playing a celebrated set in the Fairmount Hotel's Tonga Room among many other gigs. They were also larger than life figures in their local community. We bring you the story of Cora and Santos Beloy. Additional Resources: A Vinyl Found in San Francisco Contains Echoes of Filipino American Love Story Read the transcript for this episode Sign up for our newsletter Got a question you want answered? Ask! Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Asal Ehsanipour. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale and Olivia Allen-Price. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    27 mins
  • The 24 Hour Job of Running Alameda's Bridges

    The 24 Hour Job of Running Alameda's Bridges
    Apr 30 2026
    Sarah Reid noticed a control booth attached to one of Alameda's many drawbridges, and wondered if people are inside, working the bridge. Turns out they are, and it's a round-the-clock job. This week, Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman takes us into the life of a bridge tender, and explores the history of crossing the Oakland Estuary. Additional Resources: Alameda Relies on Bridge Tenders for Safety on Land and Sea Read the transcript for this episode Why Is Part of Alameda Island in San Francisco? Alameda: The Island That Almost Wasn’t Sign up for our newsletter Got a question you want answered? Ask! Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale and Olivia Allen-Price. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    19 mins
  • Concord's Long Road from Navy Weapons Station to Walkable Neighborhood

    Concord's Long Road from Navy Weapons Station to Walkable Neighborhood
    Apr 27 2026
    Suzanne Howard was playing around with Google Maps one day and zoomed in on Concord, in the east bay. She noticed a large open space near Concord High School that wasn't labeled, but had some mysterious looking mounds in a grid pattern. What are those things, she wondered? And, what's being done with this space? Could housing be built there? In fact, a massive redevelopment project is in the works in Concord, but it could take decades to materialize. Additional Resources: Why It’s Taken Concord 40 Years to Turn a Bomb Site into a Neighborhood Read the transcript for this episode Why Are There So Many Abandoned Military Bases in the Bay Area? Surprising Ways Former Bay Area Military Bases Are Transforming (And Why It Takes So Long) Sign up for our newsletter Got a question you want answered? Ask! Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcastsThis story was reported by Pauline Bartolone. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale and Olivia Allen-Price. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    16 mins
  • The Most Beautiful Taco Bell in the World

    The Most Beautiful Taco Bell in the World
    Apr 23 2026
    The Pacifica Taco Bell, just outside of San Francisco, is legendary for its beachfront views and retro architecture. But it could never be built today. How did a fast food chain end up with such prime real estate? In this episode we explore it's origins, and how policy about California's coastline has evolved. Additional Resources: It’s the Most Beautiful Taco Bell in the World. Here’s Why It Could Never Be Built Today Read the transcript for this episode Sign up for our newsletter Got a question you want answered? Ask! Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Gabriela Glueck. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale and Olivia Allen-Price. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    17 mins
  • How to Make Friends in the Bay Area

    How to Make Friends in the Bay Area
    Apr 20 2026
    It's hard these days to make a good old fashioned friend! Especially here in the Bay Area, where there are so many demands for our time and attention. On today's show, we hear some of your experiences with making friends in the Bay Area, and follow one listener as she tries to meet new friends in San Jose. This episode originally aired on The Bay podcast. Be sure to subscribe! Additional Resources: Read the transcript for this episode Sign up for our newsletter Got a question you want answered? Ask! Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Jessica Kariisa. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale and Olivia Allen-Price. The Bay is made by Alan Montecillo, Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Jessica Kariisa. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    27 mins
  • Real Voices From San Francisco's Great Quake of 1906

    Real Voices From San Francisco's Great Quake of 1906
    Apr 16 2026
    Recently uncovered and long forgotten oral histories from Black Americans who survived the 1906 Earthquake and Fire are front and center in this episode all about the stories history forgot. Given the racism of the day, how did the Black community recover from the devastation of the Great Quake? And how do people remember those moments when the earth shook and fire consumed the city? Additional Resources: Stunning Archival Photos of the 1906 Earthquake and Fire Read the transcript for this episode "We Were Here" by tanea lunsford lynx San Francisco's Historic 'Relief Cottages,' Built After the 1906 Earthquake, Are Hidden in Plain Sight Sign up for our newsletter Got a question you want answered? Ask! Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Katrina Schwartz. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale and Olivia Allen-Price. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    23 mins
  • The Broken Alphabet of SF's Westside Streets

    The Broken Alphabet of SF's Westside Streets
    Apr 13 2026
    On the west side of San Francisco, the streets running east-west follow a bit of a pattern. They seem to be alphabetical, starting in the middle of the Richmond and going south, across Golden Gate Park, and into the Sunset District. Except, there are some anomalies in the pattern. Most of the names seem to be Spanish, but not all, and most of the alphabet is represented, but not all. What's going on? Additional Resources: From Anza to Yorba: The Messy History Behind the Richmond and Sunset’s Street Names Read the transcript for this episode Sign up for our newsletter Got a question you want answered? Ask! Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Katrina Schwartz. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale and Olivia Allen-Price. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    14 mins
  • Redevelopment in San Jose is Hard. Cambrian Park Plaza Shows Us Why.

    Redevelopment in San Jose is Hard. Cambrian Park Plaza Shows Us Why.
    Apr 9 2026
    Cambrian Park Plaza, a strip mall in San Jose, was once the heart of the neighborhood. Featuring a bowling alley, grocery store, post office, clothing stores and more, it had everything nearby residents might need. But it's faded significantly since it's heyday in the 1960s-1980s. Now the smattering of stores that are there are on short term leases, and may storefronts sit empty. On today's show, we explore the fight to redevelop this space, and the market conditions that have made moving forward a challenge. It's the story of one neighborhood, yes. But it's also the story of San Jose, and in many ways the entire San Francisco Bay Area. Additional Resources: Cambrian Park Plaza, a Beloved San Jose Strip Mall, Awaits a New Future Read the transcript for this episode Sign up for our newsletter Got a question you want answered? Ask! Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Katrina Schwartz. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale and Olivia Allen-Price. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    18 mins