What Are Those Grids of Glass in the Sidewalk — And Why Are They Purple?

Bay Curious

KQED

History, Society & Culture, Places & Travel

4.9 • 999 Ratings

🗓️ 2 January 2020

⏱️ 10 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Listener Britt McEachern is a tour guide in San Francisco, and spends a lot of time walking around city streets. He's noticed grids of glass embedded in the sidewalk and wants to know what they are. Take a journey with reporter Jessica Placzek to learn the purpose and origins of these gems beneath your feet. Additional Reading: What Are Those Grids of Glass in the Sidewalk — And Why Are They Purple? Quiz: Test Your Bay Area Knowledge Reported by Jessica Placzek. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Katie McMurran and Rob Speight. Additional support from Julie Caine, Paul Lancour, Kyana Moghadam, Suzie Racho, Ethan Lindsey and Patricia Yollin.

Transcript

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0:00.0	From K-QED.
0:03.0	Let's jump right in and meet this week's question-asker.
0:07.0	My name is Britt McCarran and I'm a tour guide living in Bernal Heights.
0:11.0	Britt does a lot of walking around San Francisco and notices the kind of details
0:15.2	that others might miss. You look up and there's all this amazing architecture
0:19.9	around to you and there's all this excitement and interesting things. But there was one
0:24.8	thing I was looking down the sidewalk and I was just seeing all these little
0:29.2	patterns of glass circles embedded in the pavement.
0:33.0	These glass circles, or blocks, are usually arranged in a grid, and they're a few feet by a few
0:38.7	feet.
0:39.7	So I was trying to figure out what these things are.
0:41.7	That's why I emailed you guys.
0:45.7	This week on Bicurious, we're shining light
0:48.0	on these gems underfoot.
0:50.4	What are they for?
0:51.5	Where did they come from? Why are some purple? I'm Olivia
0:55.2	Alan Price. Stick around, it's Bay Curious. Support for Bay Curious is brought to you by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, still family owned, operated, and argued over.
1:08.0	Explore their brews wherever fine beverages are sold and taste how trailblazing runs in the family.
1:14.5	Visit Sierra Nevada.com to find your new favorite beer today.
1:20.3	Reporter Jessica Plachik takes us on a journey to learn more.
1:24.0	You're in a ship below deck. You can smell the sea and the musk of the wood. Nearby men sway back and forth in their
1:38.8	hammocks, snoring softly amid the creeks of the hall. The cook sent you down here to bring him
	...

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