CuriosiD

What's the highest point in Detroit?

February 08, 2024 10:00 - 15 minutes - 20.7 MB

Get ready to uncover the heights of Detroit like never before! In the latest episode of "CuriosiD," join Outlier Media's Koby Levin as he delves into the city's unique pursuit of peaks.

What's the history behind Detroit's Outer Drive?

January 11, 2024 10:00 - 14 minutes - 19.6 MB

Outer Drive is an epic street in Detroit and the suburbs that winds for more than 40 miles. But the roadway isn't continuous, it's broken up into pieces. One listener wants to know why. WDET's Pat Batcheller has the answer. Have your own question about Detroit? Submit it at http://wdet.org/curious.

What happened to the 'World's Largest Stove' in Detroit?

December 14, 2023 10:00 - 19 minutes - 26 MB

Before Michigan was known for making cars, it was known for manufacturing stoves. As part of that legacy, the city of Detroit became host to “The World’s Largest Stove.” In this episode of CuriosiD, WDET's Laura Herberg tells the story of the birth and death of that stove. Have your own question about Detroit? Submit it at http://wdet.org/curious.

What's with all the white tile burger joints in metro Detroit?

November 09, 2023 10:00 - 13 minutes - 18.4 MB

All around metro Detroit there are tiny, white tile, old-fashioned buildings that sell hamburgers, or more specifically, sliders. There's Brayz, Hunter House, Telway and more. But if these places are owned by different companies, why do they all look so similar? WDET's Russ McNamara answers this popular question, and tours as many slider joints as he and a listener can handle, in this episode of CuriosiD.

What's the story behind Black motorcycle clubs in Detroit?

October 12, 2023 09:00 - 15 minutes - 21.5 MB

A group of bikers formed the Outcast Motorcycle club in Detroit in 1969. Some say that this was the first all-Black club that eventually spread nationwide. These days, if you cruise around Detroit you'll see dozens of clubhouses with members dressed in leather, wearing patches representing names like the Hell Raisers, Soul Stars or the Black Syndicate. In this episode of CuriosiD, WDET's Quinn Klinefelter dives into the history behind Black motorcycle clubs in Detroit. Plus, a white rider ref...

How did the Giant Tire end up in Allen Park, MI? And what's it like inside?

September 14, 2023 09:00 - 10 minutes - 15.1 MB

Just outside Detroit, along the side of a I-94, sits a very big tire. In this episode of CuriosiD, a listener asks how the Uniroyal Giant Tire ended up there, and what it's like inside. Plus, did the it ever roll across the freeway? WDET's Jack Filbrandt goes the extra mile to get some answers. Have your own question about Detroit? Submit it at http://wdet.org/curious. It might be the subject of a future episode.

What's the story behind metro Detroit's mile roads?

August 10, 2023 09:00 - 17 minutes - 23.5 MB

Where do the mile roads in metro Detroit begin? And why do we have mile roads in the first place? WDET's Pat Batcheller answers those questions and explains what you need to know about mile roads in Southeast Michigan. Then, we connect the dots on why intersections on roads like Michigan Ave and Fort Street have such weird angles. Finally, we find out who John R really was. Have your own question about Detroit? Submit it at wdet.org/curious.

What is Superman ice cream? And where does it come from?

July 13, 2023 09:00 - 17 minutes - 38.9 MB

In Michigan -- and a few other select states -- you can buy a red, yellow and blue ice cream often called Superman. One WDET listener wants to know the flavors behind this iconic treat and how it came to be. WDET’s Eli Newman digs in to bring you the scoop. Plus, WDET's Laura Herberg interviews Chicago Tribune's Nara Schoenberg on the origin of Blue Moon ice cream. || Read Nara Schoenberg’s reporting on Blue Moon in the Chicago Tribune: https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2007-08-31-07...

How do you catch fish in the Detroit River? And are they safe to eat?

June 08, 2023 09:00 - 16 minutes - 37.5 MB

Listener Jack Nagle knows that it's possible to catch your limit in fish down on the Detroit River, but he hasn't had any luck. For this episode of CuriosiD, WDET's Laura Herberg tries to find out how to fish the Detroit River. She also interviews a toxicologist to find out if the fish are safe to eat. | Eat Safe Fish guides: https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/safety-injury-prev/environmental-health/topics/eatsafefish/guides | Story about PFAS in the Detroit River and other water bodies: https://...

Who was Bagley?

May 11, 2023 09:00 - 8 minutes - 19.4 MB

On Detroit's westside there's an area known as the Bagley neighborhood. There's also Bagley Elementary and Bagley Street. But who was Bagley? In this epsisode of CuriosiD, WDET's Sascha Raiyn delves into the history behind the Bagley neighborhood and its namesake. | Have a question about Detroit? Submit it at http://wdet.org/curious | Live or work in the Bagley neighborhood, the University District, Martin Park or Fitzgerald? WDET would like to hear from you for a special project we're workin...

What is on Boblo Island today? And what happened to the Boblo boats?

April 13, 2023 09:00 - 28 minutes - 65.7 MB

For nearly 100 years there was an amusement park on an island in the Detroit River that you could only get to by boat. Two large steamships, the Columbia and the Ste. Claire, ferried people to Boblo Island. The amusement park closed down in 1993 and now one WDET listener wants to know what's on Boblo Island today... and what happened to the boats? To answer these questions, WDET's Laura Herberg travels to Boblo Island and she also tours one of the steamships with the listener. | Link to Boblo...

Why are there so many Coney Islands in Detroit?

March 09, 2023 10:00 - 16 minutes - 36.8 MB

Today, Coney Island restaurants are all over Detroit. These establishments sell Detroit's own specialty hot dog, the Coney Dog. A listener wanted to know why there are so many Coney Islands spread across the city. WDET's Quinn Klinefelter sniffs out the answer. As part of his reporting, he talks to Joe Grimm and Katherine Yung, authors of the book "Coney Detroit." Have your own question about Detroit? Submit it at http://wdet.org/curious Support programming like CuriosiD by giving a tax-dedu...

Could Detroit's buried streams see the light of day?

February 09, 2023 10:00 - 15 minutes - 35.6 MB

Streams are buried underneath Detroit. A few other cities that had covered streams have dug them up and restored them to a more natural state. One listener asks CuriosiD if 'daylighting,' as it's called, has happened anywhere in Detroit. WDET's Pat Batcheller uncovers the answer. Plus, we talk to Gary Belan of the national nonprofit American Rivers about some successful daylighting projects. | Here's a link to a story from the Detroit Free Press Flashback series that question asker Bill McGra...

What’s up with all these pheasants?

January 12, 2023 10:00 - 10 minutes - 14.4 MB

Pheasants are often spotted darting around the city of Detroit. In this episode of CuriosiD, a listener asks "why?" Reporter Shelby Jouppi takes her out to find one of these large, colorful birds in the urban wild. Then, WDET's Laura Herberg heads into the woods with Nyeema C. Harris, an associate professor in the School of the Environment at Yale University. The pair search for one of the cameras Harris' team has hidden in Detroit parks to capture urban wildlife. || Have your own question ab...

Why does steam come out of Detroit’s streets?

December 08, 2022 10:00 - 8 minutes - 11.4 MB

Have you ever noticed that it looks like steam is coming out of the sewers in Detroit? Well, it's not actually coming out of sewers, but steam plumes do come out of manhole covers in the streets of Detroit. In this episode of CuriosiD, WDET's Laura Herberg heads 60 feet underground to get to the bottom of where the white vapor is coming from.

Who made Detroit-style pizza first?

November 10, 2022 10:00 - 16 minutes - 22 MB

Detroit-style pizza has become a bit of a national phenomenon over the last decade. The distinctive square pies have appeared on menus from San Francisco to Washington, D.C. Even Pizza Hut has its own version of the pan pizza. But the style hasn’t always been so popular. In this episode of CuriosiD, WDET’s Claudia Brancart looks into what Detroit-style pizza is and where it came from. | We want to hear from you! For a future episode we're working on, tell us your memories of Boblo Island. Lea...

Are Detroit election officials prepared for another 'stop the count' protest?

October 13, 2022 16:52 - 17 minutes - 24.7 MB

Back in November 2020, after the polls closed, chaos ensued at a convention center in Detroit where poll workers were counting absentee ballots. Republican challengers stormed the center, banging on the windows, demanding that workers "stop the count." In this episode of CuriosiD, WDET's Russ McNamara recounts what happened and answers listeners questions about what's being done to ensure something like that doesn't happen during the upcoming election. We want to hear from you for a future e...

Where does the name Hamtramck come from?

September 08, 2022 09:00 - 13 minutes - 18.7 MB

Inside Detroit there is a little city named Hamtramck. And no -- that's not a typo -- there really is no vowel between the 'm' and the 'ck.' Where did this unique-sounding name come from? WDET's Nargis Rahman looks into the origin of the word Hamtramck.

What happened to the swimmobiles in Detroit?

August 11, 2022 09:00 - 11 minutes - 15.6 MB

In the late 1960s, the City of Detroit got its first swimmobile. This pool on wheels was carted around to the neighborhoods for kids to swim in on hot summer days. WDET listener Angela Hart is one of many Detroiters who remembers swimmobiles from her childhood. She asked WDET to find out what happened to them. WDET's Laura Herberg looks into it for this episode of CuriosiD. Have your own question about Detroit? Submit it at http://wdet.org/curious. Now though August 31, 2022 we are specifica...

Are the woods in Palmer Park a virgin forest?

July 14, 2022 09:00 - 17 minutes - 24.3 MB

A listener wonders if the tall trees found in Detroit's Palmer Park are part of a virgin forest, untouched by man. Planet Detroit's Nina Ignaczak looks into it and finds that the answer is actually pretty complicated. Then WDET's Laura Herberg ventures into an old growth forest in East Lansing with Michigan State University Forestry Department Chair Richard Kobe. Wondering something about Detroit? Submit your question at http://wdet.org/curious. Have a reaction to this CuriosiD story? Leav...

Corn Real Good

June 09, 2022 08:20 - 14 minutes - 20.2 MB

In this episode we answer the question, "What's up with those CORN REAL GOOD signs around Detroit?" Maybe you've seen them? The red, yellow and blue hand-painted signs. Reporter Eli Newman tracks down the man behind them, Orrin Fields. It turns out Fields is selling elote-style corn dusted with Flaming Hot Cheetos from what would otherwise be a vacant lot in Detroit. Wondering something about Detroit? Submit your question at http://wdet.org/curious. Have a reaction to this CuriosiD story?...

CuriosiD: Did you know the Dust Bowl made it to Detroit?

February 19, 2020 19:20 - 5 minutes - 4.02 MB

One WDET listener asks if the Dust Bowl ever made its way to Detroit. Spoiler alert: It did!

CuriosiD: What’s the Origin of the Boston Cooler?

October 07, 2019 16:39 - 3 minutes - 6.75 MB

In this week’s episode of CuriosiD, where WDET answers your questions about Detroit and the region, Dan Golodner from Huntington Woods asks: “I moved from Washington, D.C. to Detroit in the mid-’90. And I’ve always loved the root beer float and people said, ‘You have to try the Boston Cooler.’ So, I tried it and was like, ‘What’s the deal here? Why’s it called a Boston Cooler and not a ginger ale cooler or something like that? I’m just curious.” Dan Golodner, Huntington Woods The Short Ans...

CuriosiD: We Answered All Your Questions About the Mile Road System

August 12, 2019 13:39 - 6 minutes - 5.78 MB

Over the years, listeners have been curious about Metro Detroit’s mile roads. Some have asked if they’re really one mile apart. Others wonder why some are not called “mile” roads. Angela Hoffman lives on Three Mile Drive and wants to know how her street got its name.

Holocaust Bones Find Resting Place in Massive Michigan Cemetery

July 18, 2019 17:38 - 6 minutes - 4.25 MB

A cemetery and final resting place for some of the most significant remains in Jewish history is the subject of the latest episode of WDET’s series CuriosiD.

Listeners Ask, Why Does DTW Have Those Giant Fans?

June 26, 2019 14:48 - 5 minutes - 5.26 MB

At Detroit Metro Airport – on the way to the McNamara [Mack-Nuh-MARE-uh] Terminal there’s a tunnel with large fans. Many travelers have wondered why the fans were there. Two WDET listeners contacted us to find out more. As part of the station’s CuriosiD series… WDET’s Laura Herberg looked into it with them.

CuriosiD: Why Isn't Google's Street View of Detroit Up-to-date?

July 20, 2018 20:32 - 5 minutes - 4.83 MB

I’m looking to transition to Detroit to start a new business and it’s difficult to determine the quality and density of the neighborhoods on Google Maps Street View because they haven’t been updated since 2013 and sometimes even longer. I’d like to know why that is. Why haven’t the maps been updated?

Why Does Michigan Avenue Have Brick Pavers?

July 03, 2018 20:22 - 5 minutes - 7.32 MB

WDET listener Dan Lombardo asks, why there are brick pavers at Michigan and Trumbull and if they are original or if they are something they redo every now and then.

Could Electric Cars Increase Pollution

February 26, 2018 17:00 - 6 minutes - 8.47 MB

As part of WDET's series CuriosID, a listener wonders if driving an electric car could actually create more pollution, since it would force power plants to generate more electricity to charge it, thereby generating more smog.

Rumor of a British Bomber Crash In a Detroit Neighborhood Haunts a Listener

October 24, 2017 16:00 - 5 minutes - 8.24 MB

A British plane had a catastrophic electrical failure over Canada while flying to a training mission in Nebraska on Oct.. 24, 1958.

Why Is Detroit Sometimes Called "The Paris of the Midwest?"

September 13, 2017 13:52 - 4 minutes - 8.09 MB

Detroit's French connection is more than 300 years old, but is the comparison a modern invention?

What is the History of Detroit’s Times Square?

August 22, 2017 18:09 - 7 minutes - 9.65 MB

“There used to be a Times Square in Detroit. I know there’s still a People Mover stop, and I know there’s a street, but there used to be an actual square. And I think it was named after the old newspaper, the Detroit Times, but where was the newspaper headquartered? And also, how big of a paper was the Times?”

How Did Detroit Become a Center for Arabs in the United States?

August 08, 2017 18:07 - 7 minutes - 9.76 MB

WDET listener Priya Ganji has a diverse group of friends of Arab heritage, and she’s noticed their family, religious and cultural traditions are sometimes different from her own and other Americans’. So the 14-year-old asked “How did the Arab community grow to be what it is today in Detroit?”

That Waterway in Detroit, Is it a Strait or a River?

July 25, 2017 18:06 - 5 minutes - 4.87 MB

Listener Bailey Townsend asks “Why is the Detroit River called ‘Detroit River’ when it’s actually a Strait?”

What’s Happened at the State Fairgrounds?

July 13, 2017 18:04 - 6 minutes - 5.74 MB

“I show American Saddlebred Horses and we used to have a couple big shows up here at the state fairgrounds which are no longer available. And it was very sad to see that the Michigan legislature decided not to pay for the maintenance of the coliseum and the grounds.

Lewis Cass, Michigan Governor, Architect of Indian Removal

June 27, 2017 14:53 - 7 minutes - 9.84 MB

A listener asks, "Are the many different Cass locations in Michigan named after Lewis Cass? Do people know how horrible he was?"

Was there busing in Detroit in the early 1960’s?

June 20, 2017 14:51 - 6 minutes - 9.24 MB

Listener Cheryl Pernell was intereted in examples of busing in Detroit Public Schools around 1963. Pernell was bused to Dossin Elementary for the 1st through 7th grades, instead of going to Ruthruff in her neighborhood.

Who Was John R?

May 30, 2017 14:51 - 5 minutes - 5.23 MB

“Why is it just ‘John R?’ Most people use the last name of a person, not the first name, and an initial, so, I always thought that was kind of strange. And also, who was John R., and why was the street named after him?”

Are There Salt Mines Under Detroit?

May 15, 2017 14:50 - 6 minutes - 5.73 MB

Yes, but other than miners, few people have ever seen the inside of them.

Who Were the Natives in Detroit?

May 01, 2017 14:49 - 6 minutes - 9.28 MB

“Who were the Native Americans* that lived in the Detroit region, and how did they interact with the Europeans who settled it?”

What’s That Smell?

April 10, 2017 14:48 - 6 minutes - 9.11 MB

What’s up with the Detroit incinerator? Where is it, what’s going on there, and why does it smell so much on certain days and not others?

Why are there 5 Grosse Pointes?

December 06, 2016 15:47 - 7 minutes - 9.95 MB

"Why are there five separate cities that are seemingly small size with the same basic name in the Grosse Pointes? I was trying to figure out if there was there some type of dispute over land or if they were controlled by families or something of that nature?”

What Happens to the Stuff I Recycle?

October 03, 2016 14:36 - 4 minutes - 3.85 MB

What happens to the stuff I recycle with the City of Detroit (curbside recycling)? Where and how is it sorted? Is it sold, and what happens to the money?

Why Doesn’t Detroit Have A Subway Or Elevated Rail?

August 22, 2016 14:35 - 4 minutes - 4.26 MB

A listener asked why there is no subway or elevated transportation in Detroit, and whether it was determined before or after the rise of the auto industry.

Who Chooses Detroit’s “Tax-Free” Renaissance Zones?

August 11, 2016 14:33 - 4 minutes - 5.64 MB

Who are the deciding parties when it comes to choosing Renaissance Zones (in Detroit), and what criteria do they use to choose them? What is the history of Renaissance Zones?

What’s the Origin of the Boston Cooler?

July 25, 2016 14:32 - 3 minutes - 3.49 MB

“I moved from Washington, D.C. to Detroit in the mid-’90. And I’ve always loved the root beer float and people said, ‘You have to try the Boston Cooler.’ So, I tried it and was like, ‘What’s the deal here? Why’s it called a Boston Cooler and not a ginger ale cooler or something like that? I’m just curious.”

Did Detroit Ever Have A ‘Gayborhood’?

July 11, 2016 14:31 - 3 minutes - 3.5 MB

A listener wonders if Detroit ever had a gay neighborhood.

Why Does a Private Company Own a Major U.S. Border Crossing?

June 20, 2016 14:30 - 3 minutes - 5.1 MB

How did the International Ambassador Bridge become privately held? It just seems that, like, two sovereign countries should be in charge of an international crossing, a really large international crossing?

What’s Up With All These Pheasants?

June 06, 2016 14:30 - 4 minutes - 5.53 MB

How have pheasants survived and thrived in the urban setting of Detroit, and have they always been here?

What’s the Story Behind the NBC Building in Midtown Detroit?

May 23, 2016 14:27 - 4 minutes - 5.68 MB

“I pass a tall old business building that appears to be empty now but it has a very decorative lintel over the entrance that has the capital letters N-B-C and I was wondering what that was and if it was the National Broadcasting Corporation or something else.” Terry Segal

Episodes