#82: Happy Labor Day, Los Angeles. We hope you are able to enjoy the day off, but we realize many of you may have to work today. This holiday was created for the workers by the labor movement back in the late 19th century. So on this day we are resurfacing a conversation we had earlier this year about the role of organized labor today. Because, if you haven’t noticed, there’s been a LOT of picketing in L.A. this summer. Guests: Jonathan Harris, professor, Loyola Law School; Diana Reddy, assistan...
Sep 04, 2023•12 min•Ep. 82
#142: We've talked a lot about Inglewood lately... and for good reason. The city is a booming scene for entertainment right now with SoFi, the Forum, the new Youtube Theater... not to mention, all the sports teams that call Inglewood home. Beyoncé is just the latest megastar to dominate the town with multiple concerts. But with those changes come the good, the bad, and the ugly. And some people worry whether the new Inglewood will still have room for them. So today, we hit the streets of Inglewo...
Sep 01, 2023•17 min•Ep. 142
#141: Whitewater kayaking might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you picture the L.A. River. Too much concrete, right? Not enough water? Well, think again. Kayaking the L.A. River officially became legal in 2011 when the EPA declared it a "navigable waterway." And turns out... it's pretty fun! Join How to LA host Brian De Los Santos and producer Evan Jacoby as they paddle down a 2-mile stretch of river that does NOT have a concrete bottom and passes through the Sepulveda Basin Wild...
Aug 31, 2023•17 min•Ep. 141
#140: We're back with another segment of How I Got Started, the series where we bring you the stories of artists, community leaders, and all around cool people living and following their passions in LA. Today, we're hanging out with Etienne Maurice. He’s an actor and filmmaker, a homegrown Angeleno, but he's also a community builder and a wellness leader. He's become widely known for is founding the group WalkGood LA. It’s a movement that's all about getting brown and Black folks outside and int...
Aug 30, 2023•25 min•Ep. 140
#61: OK - with the summer heat back on our backs, it might be hard to remember that just a week ago we had a record-smashing storm. But all that rain had some of our listeners asking us... Where does all that rainwater go? Well the good news is, we did a whole episode answering that question this past winter. But the bad news is... a lot of that water still goes out to sea. But there's plans to try and change that. Take a listen. -- -- Remember those intense storms in early January? L.A. County ...
Aug 29, 2023•14 min•Ep. 61
Today we’re bringing you a special episode from a live taping of On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti! Recently, the On Point team was here at our very own Crawford Family Forum to host a live event celebrating 50th years of hip hop. Stay TUNED to hear the special episode. We hope you enjoy it! Guests: Tyree Boyd-Pates, historian and Associate Curator of Western History at Autry Museum of the American West; Damita Jo Freeman, original Soul Train dancer and author of the book "Are You That Girl On So...
Aug 25, 2023•48 min
#139: KCON is everything K. K-pop, K-drama, K-beauty, Korean food... The mega event drew about a hundred thousand attendees over the weekend, selling out the LA Convention Center for yet another year. And the HTLA team was there with Vivian Yoon, host of the LAist podcast K-pop Dreaming, and Pixar's Peter Sohn, to get a sense of what KCON means for Los Angeles... and how events like this bring much-needed visibility to the Korean American community. Guests: Peter Sohn, director of Pixar's Elemen...
Aug 24, 2023•18 min•Ep. 139
#138: Recently, the weather talk in L.A. has been all about rain, thanks to Tropical Storm Hilary. The storm, plus the wet winter we had, means that the threat of major fires is reduced in a lot of places. But it's not gone. Earlier this month, the York Fire in the Mojave Desert burned more than 90 thousand acres, and did some major damage to the Joshua trees in the Mojave National Preserve. These trees are actually succulents and have been around for millions of years. They are native to our re...
Aug 23, 2023•10 min•Ep. 138
#137: We spent all weekend bracing for our first tropical storm in decades. BUT Hilary didn’t get as wild as expected — at least in some parts of the region. So far there haven’t been any deaths or major injuries reported. But we did get a LOT of rain, about 7 inches in LA county. Even though the disaster didn’t quite match our biggest fears - we got a chance to see what our city’s response would be to a major environmental catastrophe. To get a better sense of it, we’re checking in with some of...
Aug 22, 2023•24 min•Ep. 137
Until 1980, Barbie was always white. Mattel had made Black dolls before, but they were sidekicks to the brand’s main character with facial features that didn’t really distinguish them from the other dolls. In this bonus episode of The Barbie Tapes, we’re bringing you the story of the first Black doll to have the name Barbie as told by WNYC Studios correspondent Tracie Hunte . Tracie speaks with Kitty Black Perkins, Mattel’s first Black designer who brought her own style and preferences to the ta...
Aug 18, 2023•23 min
#136: Cheap Fast Eats is back on the streets of LA, ever seeking the perfect on-the-go meal for under 10 bucks. This time, LAist's food editor Gab Chabran is taking Brian through the streets of Chinatown. They're checking out some modern hotspots, 30+ year old neighborhood staples, and of course... some excellent dim sum. Restaurants featured: Angry Egret Dinette, Long's Family Bakery, & My Dung Sandwich Shop Check out Gab's article on LAist.com for all that and more! Music in this episode c...
Aug 17, 2023•18 min•Ep. 136
#135: California likes to pride itself on being a place that’s ahead of the curve, and sets trends where other states, and even countries, might take some lessons. But when it comes to solutions to the homelessness crisis, could California could stand to learn something from Texas? While the population of unhoused people in Texas has decreased by 28% since 2012, in California, during the same time period, our unhoused population grew by 43%. So, why the difference? Guest: CalMatters homelessness...
Aug 16, 2023•13 min•Ep. 135
#134: The great thing about Los Angeles is that you can do the urban thing – go to museums, clubs, concerts and eat at good restaurants – and you can get out in nature whenever you want... or need. There are ton a beautiful parks, sunset spots and hiking trails right in the middle of the city. Or if you are feeling more adventurous, you can venture out to farther flung places across the county. Last fall we asked our listeners for their favorite places to get outdoors and we turned it into an ep...
Aug 15, 2023•10 min•Ep. 134
#133: We're staying on the hip hop beat in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the genre! (Check out our first episode on the origins of the West Coast sound with the Godfather of West Coast hip hop, Alonzo Williams). Today, How To LA speaks to historian, hip hop fanatic, and expert on Black culture from the millennial vantage point: Tyree Boyd Pates. We dive deeper into the impact and evolution of west coast hip hop, the power of speaking truth to power with a beat, its roots in Black Americ...
Aug 10, 2023•25 min•Ep. 133
#132: Hip Hop officially turns 50 this weekend - Aug. 11th to be exact. As we all know by now, its roots are in New York. The west coast sound developed later but, when it finally hit, LA made Hip Hop its own. It's the late 1970s, disco is dead and funk is hitting the clubs in LA. Alonzo "Lonzo" Williams is at the center of it all — DJing, producing and bringing acts at his club, Eve After Dark in Compton. As a new genre borne out of funk and disco – hip hop – is taking over the East Coast, Will...
Aug 09, 2023•22 min•Ep. 132
#131: The double strike of SAG and WGA is rippling through the L.A. economy, affecting everyone from the creatives on the picket line to below-the-line workers to every business that all these folks rely on. From coffee shop owners to estheticians, we hear from a handful of people that have been impacted. Guests: Susanna Boney, art/construction department worker turned lifeguard trainee Sharōn, Esthetician, From Head to Toe, Los Angeles Pam Elyea, History For Hire Ames Miyako, actor and Everybod...
Aug 08, 2023•20 min•Ep. 131
BONUS: From LAist Studios, LA Made: The Barbie Tapes. In this episode, Ruth and Elliot Handler are gone, and the new Mattel team, led by a man who feared the volatility of the toy business, diversified the company and made a big gamble on electronics.It didn’t work. Fortunately, Barbie ends up in the sure hands of some trailblazing women executives, who could see that the culture was moving in a direction very compatible with Barbie’s persona. From the workforce to the workout, Barbie was a doll...
Aug 04, 2023•33 min
#130: Taylor Swift is coming to LA for an unprecedented SIX nights at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood... and she's bringing about half a million fans with her. That's a ton of people — and money — pouring into Inglewood, but it's also a ton of traffic, infrastructure headaches, and more. So today we're going to SoFi with one question: Is LA ready for Miss Swift? If you are going to the Eras Concert, here's how LA Metro is trying to get you there: https://laist.com/brief/news/arts-and-entertainment/tay...
Aug 03, 2023•12 min•Ep. 130
#129: Today's dual strike of WGA & SAG-AFTRA bears a striking similarity to the last time both unions joined on the picket lines: 1960. In both contract disputes, the main concern for writers and actors revolved around emerging technologies. Where today's union members are concerned about streaming residuals and AI, their forebears were concerned about their movies being rebroadcast on TV. The major studios may have changed, but in both cases workers are saying they are not receiving their f...
Aug 01, 2023•18 min•Ep. 129
BONUS: From LAist Studios, LA Made: The Barbie Tapes For Barbie, the cultural upheaval of the 60s and 70s incites one identity crisis after another as Mattel tries to make sure that their doll, who had revolutionized the toy industry, didn’t fall behind the times. By popular demand, Mattel creates Ken, and gradually adds new supporting players to Barbie’s world. In this episode, we investigate Ken's origin story, delve into the inner workings of Mattel, and hear how Barbie's inventor, Ruth Handl...
Jul 28, 2023•33 min
#128: Everyone loves a fresh concha – that warm, doughy center with the crunchy cookie shell on the top could send any Angeleno's heart a'flutter. Today, Brian's taking LAist food editor Gab Chabran on a concha crawl. We're exploring the history of this famous Mexican treat, and checking out Brian & Gab's favorite spots across LA. For more sweet-breaded goodness, check out Gab's article over on LAist.com Panaderias visited: Panaderia Coatzingo in South LA, Vallarta, y Gusto Bread in Long Bea...
Jul 27, 2023•22 min•Ep. 128
#127: Hollywood is at a standstill right now, with first screenwriters — and now actors — out on strike. SAG-AFTRA, the union that represents actors, is calling for a number of changes in their now stalled contract negotiations with the AMPTP, the organization that represents studios and streamers. They include inflation-based wage increases, protections against artificial intelligence, and a share in revenue for streaming content. Another contentious issue? Self-taped auditions, which became th...
Jul 26, 2023•13 min•Ep. 127
#126: It's summer! Time for all night, experimental ambient music gatherings....right??? Ambient music gatherings as a thing have been gaining popularity here in the LA area in the past few years. These immersive events combine elements of music, theater, dance, live visual art and poetry to create a really impactful experience meant to take you on a journey of sorts. And the roots of these events come from what’s known as “happenings” that trace back to 1960s loft parties in New York, and even ...
Jul 25, 2023•18 min•Ep. 126
BONUS: From LAist Studios, LA Made: The Barbie Tapes When Barbie arrives on the toy scene in 1959, her celebrity is instantaneous, and not just because of her controversial appearance. Worldwide, Barbie is still the best-selling doll of all time. But Barbie has always been more than just a doll - she's a cultural touchstone. This episode kicks off the origin story of Barbie as told by her creators in their own words. This podcast is supported by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe quality jour...
Jul 21, 2023•32 min
#125: Right now, we're undeniably living in a Barbie world. So, co-host of the LAist podcast "LA Made: The Barbie Tapes" Antonia Cereijido joins HTLA's Brian De Los Santos for a chat about Barbie's Los Angeles origin story. We also explore why Barbie continues to fascinate folks today, whether they like her or not.
Jul 20, 2023•17 min•Ep. 125
#124: If you’ve ever worked in a restaurant, or as a barista or bartender, you know that tips matter. But on the customer side, it’s gotten a lot more confusing in recent years. More and more businesses are asking for tips now, including fast food restaurants and online retailers — places that didn’t used to make that request. Why? To answer that question, we turned to NPR's Stacey Vanek Smith , to talk about her reporting on this. She's co-host of NPR's The Indicator from Planet Money . She's a...
Jul 19, 2023•13 min•Ep. 124
#123: We're continuing our summer of discover neighborhood series, but this time with something new... and what better than our first episode in the 818? HTLA host Brian De Los Santos is taking producer Evan Jacoby on a tour of his former home town of Sylmar - the northernmost neighborhood in LA City. Join the tour as they cruise around town, eat too much pasta, and learn about everything that makes Sylmar - and the valley - special.
Jul 18, 2023•15 min•Ep. 123
BONUS: We’re excited to share an episode of NPR’s Code Switch that highlights Brian’s “Finding Home, Con DACA” series that we published earlier this year. (You can check out those stories here on our feed.) Brian spoke to host Lori Lizzaraga about his time in Mexico as a DACA recipient, how he embraced being pocho and all those feelings that come along with being undocumented in this country. Links: Is "home" still home after 30 years away?...
Jul 14, 2023•38 min
#68: This week, we're revisiting some of our favorite episodes for a little adventure-inspiration. Today we're going to Angelino Heights. So get outside with us and get ready to see all the food, culture and history LA's different neighborhoods have in store. The How to LA team is checking out yet another neighborhood: Mid-City. Listener and TV producer Nisa Ahmad answered our call about what area of L.A. we should visit next and her love of this neighborhood lured us in. Officially, L.A.'s Mid-...
Jul 13, 2023•15 min•Ep. 68
#34: This week, we're revisiting some of our favorite episodes for a little adventure-inspiration. Today we're going to Angelino Heights. So get outside with us and get ready to see all the food, culture and history LA's different neighborhoods have in store. In our latest trip through one of LA's neighborhoods, we hook up with HTLA listener and reader Andrea Martinez Gonzalez to take a tour of Angelino Heights, one of the oldest areas in the city. It's got some of the coolest and most diverse a...
Jul 12, 2023•11 min•Ep. 34
