Bay Curious

Dan Brekke, a seasoned KQED reporter with over 20 years of experience in Bay Area transportation, joins the discussion. He answers burning questions like where all the toll money from Bay Area bridges goes. Brekke uncovers the reasons for the long-closed toll booth on the Bay Bridge and explains why many interstates end in '80.' The conversation also dives into the surge of vanity plates in California, revealing intriguing trends and regional differences. Listeners will find practical insights and quirky facts about their local transit system!

A Bay Area artist in Richmond has been stealthily building and placing fairy houses around his neighborhood. His creations bring ‘endless fun and fascination’ to the East Bay town. And, across the Bay Bridge, a waterfall in Golden Gate Park is sometimes an "alarming shade of green." What's going on with the water there?Additional Reading Point Richmond's Fairy Houses: Miniature Worlds of Whimsy Ever Wondered Why Some Water in Golden Gate Park is Bright Green? Join us for trivia on April 1st! Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Read the transcript for this episode.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 and Chris Hambrick. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Alana Walker, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Francisco's oldest lesbian bar, The Wild Side West, is in the Bernal Heights neighborhood. It's been open since 1962 and has a long history of offering sanctuary to a community that hasn't always felt welcome elsewhere. As lesbian bars around the Bay Area have been closing, the Wild Side West has survived in part because of dedicated regulars, like Timotha Doane, who has been going there for over fifty years. She just celebrated her 80th birthday at the bar!Read the transcript for this episode.Additional Reading: San Francisco's Oldest Lesbian Bar Has Been A Safe Space For More Than 60 Years 5 Historic Lesbian Bars We Wish Still Existed Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcastsThis story was reported by Ana de Almeida Amaral. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Alana Walker, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever wonder where the internet stops and IRL begins? Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor. From internet trends to AI slop to the politics of memes, Close All Tabs covers it all.How will AI change our jobs and lives? Is the government watching what I post? Is there life beyond TikTok? Host Morgan Sung pulls from experts, the audience, and history to add context to the trends and depth to the memes. And she’ll wrestle with as many browser tabs as it takes to explain the cultural moment we’re all collectively living. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A British sailor named Charles Lightoller visited San Francisco in the late 1800s and raved about the "'Frisco biscuit" he ate there. Carl Merritt read that in a book and wondered: "What is a Frisco biscuit?" That little question took us on a long journey for the answer.Additional Reading: Ever Heard of a 'Frisco Biscuit'? Neither Had Many Maritime Historians Is There Treasure At the Bottom Of San Francisco Bay Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcastsThis story was reported by Gabriela Glueck. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Alana Walker, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whether it's on the apps or in real life it can be hard to meet romantic partners. We explore what it's like to be dating right now in the Bay Area. This episode is brought to you by the team over on KQED's The Bay podcast.Additional Reading: Read the transcript for this episode Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcastsThis story was reported by Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz and Christopher Beale, with support this week from Brian Douglas. The Bay episode was produced by Jessica Kariisa and Dana Cronin. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Alana Walker, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listener Tadd Williams often sees the 16th Street Station from I-880. It's a huge, stately building in the Beaux-Arts style. It's looking a little rundown now, but it was clearly once dazzling. In today's episode, we explore how this spot was important to West Oakland's Black community and the Civil Rights Movement. And we get a promising update on it's future.Additional Reading How Oakland's 16th Street Station Helped Build West Oakland and the Modern Civil Rights Movement Transcript of this episode Legacy of the Pullman Car Porters Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcastsThis story was reported by Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Alana Walker, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carly Severn, KQED's Senior Editor for Audience News, offers invaluable tips for reserving California campsites, often as challenging as grabbing concert tickets. She reveals the secrets to mastering competitive reservations and emphasizes the importance of early planning. Carly discusses the surge in camping popularity during the pandemic, sharing strategies to navigate the intricate reservation systems of national and state parks. Her insights include ethical practices, like canceling unused reservations to help fellow campers. Get ready for a summer of successful outdoor adventures!

Explore the enchanting Brooks Island, a hidden gem in San Francisco Bay, home to a solitary caretaker and over a hundred bird species. Journey through its captivating history, from a naval ambition to a cherished nature preserve. Experience the tranquility of its landscapes and wildlife, alongside insights into the challenging life of its resident caretaker. Discover the island's significance to the Ohlone people and the unique efforts to protect its delicate ecosystem. Get ready for a serene adventure in this ecological sanctuary.

Joining the discussion is Pauline Bartolone, a dedicated reporter focusing on the complexities of redeveloping old military bases in the Bay Area. She highlights the transformation of sites like Mare Island and Treasure Island into housing and community spaces. The conversation delves into the intricate processes of environmental cleanup and the balance between modern development and preserving history. Bartolone also shares insights on community engagement and the unique challenges faced in bringing these abandoned spaces back to life.