How To LA

This week on This Old House Radio Hour—what does it mean to rebuild not just homes, but entire communities? Sunset Magazine editor-in-chief Hugh Garvey joins us to discuss the magazine’s special issue devoted to the rebuilding of Altadena and Pacific Palisades in the wake of January’s devastating wildfires. Sunset, a voice in California architecture for over 125 years, has assembled an extraordinary coalition of architects, planners, artists, and historians. Together, they offer not just a plan, but a call to action—for fire-resilient homes, culturally grounded design, and a West that can weather what’s coming. Then we travel from the hills of Los Angeles to the streets of Tulsa, where Danny Boy O’Connor—from House of Pain—takes us inside his remarkable second act. After bottoming out, he bought a run-down house for $15,000... and it just happened to be the house from The Outsiders. What followed was a full restoration, a pilgrimage, and a new life. We take a tour of the Outsiders Museum and meet the community that made it possible. Later, Cheap Old Houses is back—Ethan and Elizabeth Finkelstein spotlight a dreamy 1870s Victorian in Fredonia, Kentucky and an off-the-grid cabin on federal forest land in Snoqualmie Pass, Washington, both for under $100,000. Plus, another round of House Rules, our listener-powered game that tests your home renovation know-how. And in The Simple Fix, we show you how to find a stud in your baseboard—without breaking the wall. And as always, we’re taking your calls. Got a house problem, project hurdle, or just need a little advice? Call us at (877) 864-7460. All that and more, coming up on This Old House Radio Hour.

Hey there! After 317 new episodes, the How to LA team is turning the page. We won't be producing weekly episodes anymore, but you'll hear our reporting on LAist 89.3 FM, on our website and on social media. Before we exited the party, we wanted to hang out with our homies, comadres and contributors one last time. Thank you for lettings us in your homes, speakers and communities. Follow along at LAist.com/newsletters and Instagram. Guests: Gab Chabrán, LAist food editor Cato Hernández, LAist reporter Joshua Letona, LAist social media producer Erin Stone, LAist reporter Antonia Cereijido, LAist Studios host Monica Bushman, LAist Studios producer Victoria Alejandro, LAist Studios producer

#317: LAX tends to be a place that Angelenos avoid if they can help it, but today we're taking you there to check out a very cool, but not very well-known museum. It's one of 64 museums that are featured in a new book titled, “Also On View: Unique and Unexpected Museums of Greater Los Angeles.” Guests: author Todd Lerew; Jean-Christophe Dagohoy Dick, president of the Flight Path Museum

Marqueece Harris-Dawson is now one of the most powerful leaders in the city, as the new Los Angeles City Council President. He stepped into the position in September, two years after the council tape scandal shocked the city and the nation. Harris-Dawson speaks with Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido about the ongoing fallout from the scandal that could affect L.A.’s redistricting process, and he gets real about his top priority for the city, the L.A. 2028 Olympics, and the U.S. presidential election. Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. Support LAist Today: https://LAist.com/join

#314: L.A.'s musical vibes are a mix of cultures -- stop on any street corner and you'll hear 80s radio hits, rock en Español, contemporary pop, or reggaeton blast from all sorts of cars over the roar of traffic. Join us for this episode, where we explore the history of remixing Spanish sounds and cultures to create radio hits, and talk with Girl Ultra, a contemporary artist who's touring songs in Spanglish that are just as inspired by Britney Spears as they are by Mexico City. Guests: Mariana de Miguel, aka Girl Ultra; Professor Nathian Shae Rodriguez

#315: It’s Halloween! So we’re bringing you a slightly spooky episode today. Actually, whether you think it’s spooky really depends on how you feel about cemeteries —and Hollywood Forever Cemetery isn’t just any cemetery. Today, the Hollywood Forever is probably best known as the site of Cinespia’s popular outdoor movie screenings, which have been going on for more than 20 years, but the history of the cemetery itself goes back much further. GUEST: Karie Bible, Hollywood Forever’s official tour guide

Bringing one back from last year! Keep up with the How to LA team via our Saturday night newsletter. Sign up here. #173: Marigolds – or cempasúchi as the Aztecs named them – have long been the flower of choice for Dia De Los Muertos celebrations. This time of year, you've probably seen these bright, orange flowers all around your local flower shops, farmers markets and grocery stores. But traditionally, they're used in the making of ofrendas, the alters set up to honor those who have died for the day of the day. To learn more about the meaning behind these beautiful, symbolic flower, HTLA heads over to Boyle Heights to speak to the owner of LatinX With Plants. Guest: Andi Xoch, artist and founder of LatinX With Plants

Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do has resigned and agreed to plead guilty for a conspiracy to steal millions of dollars in COVID relief funds meant to feed needy seniors. Do’s criminal charges and plea agreement follow an LAist investigation and federal probe. The U.S. Attorney called Do’s conspiracy “Robin Hood in reverse.” Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido speaks with LAist Correspondent Nick Gerda about LAist’s investigation and its impact. Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. Support LAist Today: https://LAist.com/join

#314: Actor and comedian Marval Rex’s first solo show, “REXODUS: Out Of The Closet Into The Tribe,” draws on his experiences with religion, identity, gender — and this city. We had him on the show to really get into the state of transmasculine community in L.A. and how he's navigated 10 years of creating art and his exploration in acting and performance. We'll also hear from friend of the pod, journalist and author of “We See Each Other: A Black, Trans Journey Through TV and Film,” Tre'vell Anderson to get the scoop on what's going on with transmasculine roles in Hollywood today. Don't forget to sign up for the HTLA newsletter here: https://laist.com/newsletters And you can read Brian De Los Santos' LAist story here: https://laist.com/news/rexodus-marval-rex-transmasculine-actor-to-create-his-own-show-los-angeles Guests: Marval Rex, Tre'vell Anderson

#313: We are back today with LAist’s Gab Chabrán for another episode of Cheap Fast Eats. This time, we’re taking you to West Hollywood. First up was Super Rad Sub Shop to sample some super tasty sandwiches that combine East Coast tradition with West Coast flavors. Later on, we got a taste of the midwest at Dtown Pizzeria, which serves up Detroit-style pies with lots of unique options (just don’t try to order a single slice). And finally, we topped everything off with some smoothies at Kale Me Crazy.

Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón is locked in a tough reelection battle this November against Nathan Hochman. In candid, in-depth interviews with LAist Correspondent Frank Stoltze, Hochman and Gascón make the case for their differing approaches to running the country’s largest prosecutor’s office and differing views on criminal justice reform. Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. Support LAist Today: https://LAist.com/join

#312: We know summer is over, but hot dogs are an L.A. staple year round! We all know those bacon wrapped street dogs after a concert... In this episode, HTLA host Brian De Los Santos is joined by LAist food editor Gab Chabrán as we dig into the history of hot dogs in L.A, and the unexpected flavors that shape this city's most famous dogs. And since it's a food story, you know we're leaving the studio for a hot dog field trip. Stay tuned as we check out the world famous Oki-dog. For more, read Gab's story for LAist here. And check out our newsletter signups here.

George Gascón faces backlash from inside his own D.A.’s office and from the public. He’s become a national scapegoat for right-wing media. LAist Correspondent Frank Stoltze explores how Gascón’s policies have played out for people imprisoned, like Jose Santana, and families of victims. And Frank speaks to recalled San Francisco D.A. Chesa Boudin about his experience and whether the November election could be a referendum on not only Gascón, but also the national progressive DA movement. Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. Support LAist Today: https://LAist.com/join

We're working on fresh episodes, so we're bringing you an oldie, but goodie from earlier this year! Dig in and enjoy!: You know this podcast LOVES our food episodes, so we're teaming up with someone who loves LA's food scene as much as we do: Alex Cottrell, better known as LA Try Guy. In this new segment, Down To Feast, Brian and Alex show each other their favorite meal in the neighborhood. This first one is in Westchester, so next time you're going to LAX (or next time you're in the need of some ridiculously delicious Jamaican food) you've got some solid recommendations to choose from. Best Chicken Sausage Sammich (Brian): The Coffee Company Best Oxtail (Alex): Hungry Joes Music in this episode composed by: Austin Cross, Cortex, Dexter Thomas, Makoto Matsushita, Moon Mullins, The Sweet Enoughs

George Gascón is unlike many prosecutors. His background and sweeping criminal justice policy reforms as Los Angeles District Attorney have made him a polarizing national figure. LAist Correspondent Frank Stoltze speaks with Gascón about his journey from hard-nosed LAPD cop to one of the most progressive prosecutors in the country and reports on the rebellion inside Gascón’s own DA’s office that began brewing within hours of him taking office. Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. Support LAist Today: https://LAist.com/join

#311: The 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games have wrapped, and right now in the sports world (or at least here in the U.S.) a lot of the focus is shifting to the start of football season. But today on How To LA, we’re focusing on the increased attention that women’s sports have seen in recent years, and how that's playing out in L.A. Helping us do that are some Angel City ultra fans, the club's co-founder and president, some long-time Sparks fans, and Sparks players Azurá Stevens and Dearica Hamby.

Voters elected Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón in 2020 on his promises to undo decades of mass incarceration, tackle what many viewed as excessive prison sentences, and to generally create a fairer system. LAist Civics & Democracy Correspondent Frank Stoltze explores the criminal justice system Gascón set out to change. He examines decades-old practices and the impact on the people imprisoned through the case of Jose Santana. Santana ended up being sentenced to 22 years in adult prison for robbing two kids of their cellphones when he was 15. Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. Support LAist Today: https://LAist.com/join

Hey there! We’re bringing you another episode of How to LA as part of LAist climate solutions week. Today’s episode is from 2023. It features our former associate editor and one of my favorite journalists, Aaricka Washington. She took me on a hike in Silver Lake, and we foraged for plants! And yes we did get audio of us tasting some of them. Hope you enjoy the exploration of our urban environment. (And be sure to check out more stories at LAist.com!)

Here at LAist, it’s Climate Solutions week, and we’re focusing on the future of food. How food and agricultural systems are tackling climate pollution and adapting to a changing planet. And why Southern California is at the center of how climate change impacts the food we eat, grow, and sell. So today on How to LA, we’re bringing you a throwback episode from 2022. It was one of our first episodes, and it focused on produce from a Compton farm. You’ll get to hear how the founders of Alma Backyard Farms set up a community service that engages local residents and employs formerly incarcerated people — all in the name of good food. Guests: Erika Cuellar and Richard Garcia, co-founders of Alma Farms

#310: Today, we're meeting up with one of our favorite L.A. based influencers, Drew Tillman! Drew's known online for his date ideas in different pockets of this wonderful city, and in this episode, he's joining the How To LA team to take host Brian De Los Santos on a walking date around WeHo. We make the most of a beautiful Sunday by exploring spaces with delicious food and a strong community focus. Listen in to learn how to get curious about your city, and to hear some special spots in WeHo get a shoutout. Don't forget to check out LAist on Instagram and TikTok too, for a video component to this episode! Guest: Drew Tillman