Nashville's local news and NPR station

Curious Nashville

Listener-powered investigations
We investigate oddities, share local history, tell stories of interesting people, and explain how local institutions operate. You ask the questions, and we answer them.

Podcast: How did Nashville become such a Kurdish epicenter?

and

Nashville is a hub for Kurdish culture and community. But how did this come to be? That’s what we’re exploring in the latest longform episode of Curious Nashville.

Curious Nashville: How the city became a destination for Kurdish families, and how the community is evolving

You may be aware that Nashville is home to the biggest population of Kurdish people in the United States — Kurds, who are considered the largest ethnic group in the world without a sovereign state. But one Curious Nashville listener asked how Nashville came to be such a destination for Kurds. The answer is multi-layered.

Curious Nashville: What’s with the Hogwarts-looking tower at Vanderbilt University?

The west end of Vanderbilt University’s campus has seen its fair share of new buildings go up since 2018, but one tower rises above the rest.

Podcast: How an ornamental tree led neighbors to the history of their North Nashville corner

and

A sixth-generation Nashvillian says she’s rarely surprised by new information about her city — but did start wondering about what she describes as a “bonsai-looking cypress tree” in her yard. She uncovered a rich history about her neighborhood and shares it with Curious Nashville.

Curious Nashville: How an ornamental tree led neighbors to their street’s hidden history

Liz Cannon reached out to WPLN’s Curious Nashville project about the “bonsai-looking cypress tree” in her backyard. She wanted to know its history and took it upon herself to do some investigating beforehand.

Podcast: Why are freight trains blocking Tennessee streets so often?

and

In the past two years, nearly 2,000 people have logged federal complaints about stopped trains blocking road crossings in Tennessee. Sometimes, an entire day passes before the trains get rolling again. As federal officials ramp up their tracking of this chronic problem, WPLN’s Cindy Abrams documents the concern and explains the factors that lead to […]

Curious Nashville: Freight trains keep blocking city streets and frustrating commuters. Can anything be done?

It can be a daily frustration in some Nashville neighborhoods: a freight train grinds to a halt and blocks the road. The frustration prompted a question to our Curious Nashville project.

Podcast: Tennessee’s strange pronunciations — explained!

and

The way we pronounce the names of some places in Tennessee can raise eyebrows for newcomers. But even long-time residents can’t always explain why those names are the way they are. This prompted a question to our Curious Nashville project, and sent WPLN’s Marianna Bacallao [mary-AW-nuh bahk-uh-YOW] in search of the stories behind a few.

Curious Nashville: How to say ‘Demonbreun’ and 4 other unusual Tennessee pronunciations

If you’re new to Nashville, and no one’s told you yet, let me be the first. That name is not pronounced the way you think.

on-air light On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM