The Bay Area is one of the most eclectic places in the world, if we do say so ourselves. It’s filled with people and places that prove time and again why so many yearn to visit us. As we’re contemplating how we want to start this new year, the Bay Curious team wanted a way to get out and explore the unique, rich history surrounding us in a safe — and relatively cost-free — way. So we dug through the archives for some fun activities you and yours can enjoy this weekend.
Here are seven places to visit to learn more about what makes the Bay so special. Listen to our Spotify playlist of these Bay Curious episodes on the road, while you’re there, or on your way to the next adventure.
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Who’s Behind the Colorful Lights at San Francisco City Hall?
Katie Emigh (left) met up with her best friend, Kim Ish, for St. Patrick’s Day — but first a stop at her favorite landmark. (Blair Wells/KQED) By day, San Francisco City Hall is a monument to a place many of us call home. And at night, the lights reflect the city’s unique identity. Like every great structure in every great city, San Francisco City Hall has a story to tell. Its history can be explored through the special days when its granite exterior takes on a vibrant new look: perhaps the colors of the rainbow for Pride Week, or a radiant shamrock green on St. Patty’s Day. Head on over to the historic steps and listen to Bay Curious to discover who makes the lighting decisions, and how it comes together.
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How Oakland Became a Gnome-Man’s Land
This gnome is nailed to a telephone pole alongside a liquidambar tree in an Oakland neighborhood not far from Lake Merritt. (Brittany Hosea-Small/KQED) Every time Bay Curious listener Lauren Bresnahan takes her dog for a walk, she sees them: a collection of painted gnomes at the bases of utility poles all over her Lake Merritt neighborhood. Seems kind of random, right? It’s a cute oddity, so we set out to find the story behind the little gnomes painted around this cherished Oakland neighborhood.
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What’s With the Bison in Golden Gate Park?
Five members of the herd at Golden Gate Park. (James Watkins/Courtesy of San Francisco Recreation and Parks) You might be wondering, why are there bison in San Francisco? Bay Curious listener Paul Irving had the same question. So we headed over to the lush fields of Golden Gate Park in search of the herd of American bison that call a section of the 1,000-acre urban park home. Bison aren’t native to San Francisco, after all, so what’s the story behind their presence at Golden Gate Park? The answer goes back hundreds of years.
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The Unassuming East Bay Beach Strewn With Ceramic Treasures
TEPCO Beach is strewn with broken pieces of TEPCO pottery, dumped there when the factory was operating in El Cerrito. (Katrina Schwartz/KQED) At this beach off the southern side of Point Isabel in Richmond, you’ll find broken pottery, not sand. It feels like you’ve happened upon some kind of archaeological site right next to the Costco. Bay Curious listener Jo Anne Yada stumbled upon this beach, affectionately called TEPCO Beach by locals, and wondered why it has so much pottery on it. The bizarre ceramic-strewn beach’s history tells us a lot about a beloved Bay Area porcelain business, its legacy, and changing views on environmentalism.
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Is the Castro Getting Less Gay?
Longtime Castro residents say the neighborhood has evolved as house prices have gone up. (oversnap/iStock) “I had never seen a gayer place,” journalist Ryan Levi said when he first moved to San Francisco in 2016. He was blown away by the endless expressions of love and community in the Castro. But Bay Curious listener Bob Girard has a different perspective. As someone who has visited the Castro a lot over the years, he noticed a changing neighborhood, one that is less of a haven for LGBTQ+ people than it once was. “Doesn’t seem to be quite the same old Castro as in years past,” he said. So, what has changed, and why? Bay Curious explores the changing dynamics of one of San Francisco’s most famous neighborhoods.
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El Camino Not-So-Real: The True Story of the ‘Ancient Road’
Mission San José in Fremont once controlled a huge expanse of what we now know as the East Bay. (Rachael Myrow/KQED) El Camino Real runs the length of the Peninsula between San Francisco and San José. Its very name implies a regal history, translating to “The King’s Highway” in Spanish. Legend has it that El Camino Real in Silicon Valley is part of the historic Mission Trail, an ancient road that connects the Spanish missions that stretch along the California coast. But is that true? Join us as we unravel a series of falsehoods that have become “common wisdom.”
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The Secret Lives of the Palace of Fine Arts Swans
One of the swans at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. (Jason Thompson/Flickr) The Palace of Fine Arts is an architectural gem tucked into a corner of the Marina district, offering a lovely space for a stroll, a picnic and a selfie session. But do you know the story of the swans that live here? The lagoon at the center of the ancient Roman-style rotunda is home to swans that glide the chilly waters. One Bay Curious listener wondered how the graceful birds survive here. We soon found out that, if you want to know anything about the swans, there’s only one person to ask: The Swan Lady.
(Since publishing this episode, one of the swans featured in the story has sadly passed away.)