#189: When we say "L.A.," what are we talking about exactly? The city? The county? One of the 88 cites within the county? Or how about the unincorporated areas? It's all pretty complicated. So how did it get to be like this? As it turns out, one of the answers is water. LAist's LA Explained reporter Caitlin Hernández joins us to help explain. Check out Caitlin's reporting: Do You Live In LA City, LA County Or Another City Altogether? Yeah, We’re Confused Too. Here Are Some Basics...
Nov 27, 2023•11 min•Ep. 189
#134: Some of you might be out shopping today. Or just chilling after a big Thanksgiving meal. But might we suggest you go for a walk? 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. Over the last year, we’ve asked listeners for some of their favorite places to hang out outdoors. Here are some of those suggestions: Greystone Mansion (Beverly Hills) Hunti...
Nov 24, 2023•10 min•Ep. 134
#188: Hey, How to LA listeners! We’re trying something new and hanging out with friends and colleagues from L.A. who are checking out interesting, fun, new happenings in the city. Guests: Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido and LAist visual journalist Samanta Helou Hernandez Here’s what each person pitched for YOUR social calendar: The Broad exhibition Desire, Knowledge and Hope (With Smog) Family Party: Diaspora Dialogues from producer Anita Herrera The John Waters exhibit Pope of Trash a...
Nov 23, 2023•16 min•Ep. 188
#187: Today were talking about one of our favorite subjects: food! And specifically, dinner party leftovers. Some folks even say el recalentado — a gathering where folks eat leftovers — is the most fun part of a holiday celebration. But the question remains: what to do with all that leftover food from Thanksgiving? Associate food editor for LAist Gab Chabrán joins us yet again with some hot tips from some local chefs for tasty dishes like empanadas, crunchy turkey carnitas tortas and mulled wine...
Nov 22, 2023•19 min•Ep. 187
#186: Erewhon is almost too L.A. not to be a parody. It's beautiful and organized and ridiculously expensive. Yet hoards of people shop there – and get the infamous Hailey Bieber smoothie – every day. We speak to the LA-based New York Magazine writer Kerry Howley who recently published a story about the store's history and why its developed such cult following in this city. How to LA host Brian de Los Santos also takes hist first trip to Erewhon with producer Megan Botel to try the smoothies and...
Nov 21, 2023•19 min•Ep. 186
#185: The rent freeze in Los Angeles is coming to an end, and residents in rent controlled apartments may find their rent going up by 4-6% after a recent city council vote. Brian De Los Santos talks to LAist housing reporter, David Wagner about why this rent hike is happening and what the long term effect may be on the city's residents and landlords. Guest: David Wagner , LAist Housing Reporter
Nov 20, 2023•13 min•Ep. 185
#184: It's almost officially "the holidays" with Thanksgiving coming up. Now the holidays hit everyone differently … maybe you love them. Maybe you don’t. You might be missing family, or not at all. However you feel, it’s nice to connect with folks and now we have an excuse to do it. There are a lot of transplants in LA, and for whatever reason, a lot of people can't be with family for this holiday. Insert: FRIENDSGIVING! Hear from the LAist crew over their own Friendsgiving party. We'll talk ab...
Nov 17, 2023•21 min•Ep. 184
#183: If there’s one thing Los Angeles has, it’s character. To really see the liveliness of the city, sometimes it takes an artist’s eye. In the latest episode of How To LA , podcast host Brian De Los Santos hops in a car with homegrown photographer Elon Schoenholz to talk about how he sees the city and how the city shows up in his art. It’s all a part of an occasional HTLA series centering on artists, mostly painters and photographers, who tell the story of Los Angeles through their works. Late...
Nov 16, 2023•23 min•Ep. 183
#182: Update: The freeway is open ---- The 10 Freeway is shutdown for a few weeks due to fire damage. The closure has disrupted the commute of hundreds of thousands of daily commuters...but people are adjusting. How To LA podcast host Brian De Los Santos traveled to the area near Alvarado where the freeway is closed to test the traffic flow himself and talk to folks who work around there and are feeling the impact. He also speaks to Marlon Boarnet, an urban planning professor at USC, about how t...
Nov 15, 2023•16 min•Ep. 182
#181: The historic Egyptian Theater in Hollywood officially reopened its doors after a three-year closure and extensive renovation. It's sale to Netflix in 2020 drew some criticism but moviegoers so far have been enthusiastic about it being able to sit in its seats once again to watch a film. The theater has a long history in Los Angeles. When Sid Grauman first opened it in 1922 it helped establish Hollywood as a destination and the city as a place for the movies. How to LA producer Victoria Ale...
Nov 14, 2023•15 min•Ep. 181
#180: Even if you are not a parent in the Los Angeles Unified School District, you are probably aware of its size and the challenges of managing a system of 14-hundred schools and 400,000 students from Sylmar to San Pedro, from Westwood to El Sereno. In many respects it’s like managing a small country. Now imagine having to configure EVERY classroom… EVERY year… for EVERY school based on an EXPECTATION that a certain number of students show up on the first day of school. You’re hiring teachers a...
Nov 13, 2023•11 min•Ep. 180
#179: After 118 days, the longest strike in the history of the Screen Actors Guild is over. The strike officially ended at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday after the union and the group representing film and television studios reached a tentative agreement on a new contract on Wednesday. There’s still a lot that isn’t known about the deal. And SAG members still need to vote on it. But regardless, its going to be a long road before things are back to normal, especially for those non-union Hollywood busines...
Nov 10, 2023•16 min•Ep. 179
#178: Fire and flood are ravaging Southern California like never before. Agencies like the Forest Service are allocating more and more resources towards fire management – but that leaves little time and money for trail rehabilitation. Enter volunteer groups like Lowelifes Respectable Citizen's Club. They work with the forest service to fill in the gaps, rebuilding trails destroyed in the Angeles National Forest. HTLA Producer Evan Jacoby and LAist climate emergency reporter Erin Stone recently j...
Nov 09, 2023•23 min•Ep. 178
#177: The devastating Woolsey Fire in Malibu – deemed an "unstoppable monster" – was five years ago today. The fire burned 97 thousand acres across the Santa Monica Mountains, killed three people and destroyed 1600 structures – a quarter of them were homes in the city of Malibu. But what did we learn? Today, HTLA speaks to LAist's science reporter Jacob Margolis about what happened, what we've learned...and what we haven't. Jacob also shares tips to keep you safe this fire season (which is happe...
Nov 08, 2023•16 min•Ep. 177
#176: The small, industrial city of Vernon in Southeast L.A. is home to a number of rendering companies that process animal parts and other waste. The processing has led to complaints from residents who have reported a terrible smell that has irritated people’s eyes and throats. A recent investigation by LAist reporter Julia Barajas including scores of interviews with longtime Southeast L.A. residents and workers – and data obtained through public records requests – shows that neighbors have com...
Nov 08, 2023•16 min•Ep. 176
#175: Today on How To LA, we’re talking about punk rock. Specifically, about the evolution of the backyard punk scene that sprouted up in East L.A. starting in the 1980s, and how backyard shows, rooted in Latino spaces in the city, influenced punk rock and made backyard gigs a thing in California. Guest: Journalist and producer Stephanie Mendez , author of the recent SPIN magazine article, “Ode to East L.A. Punk and the Backyard Gigs We Inherited." She was also featured in a documentary called "...
Nov 06, 2023•18 min•Ep. 175
Hey, L.A.! Here's a little heads up that TOMORROW How to LA will be streaming live from On Air Fest at the DubLab Collective. You can catch all the fun on Saturday starting at 2pm. If you want to join in person and meet me and Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido, the event is open to the public -- just RSVP. Our show is slated for 2:30pm PT. How To LA at On-Air Fest RSVP If you can't make and just want to listen, head over to DubLab.com and hit the "tune in" tab. To get you excited for On-...
Nov 03, 2023•36 min
#36: Daylight Savings is almost upon us, which means the sun is gonna start setting while most of us (including our team) are still working. I know, cue the seasonal depression music... But before that, let's catch some nice sunsets together, yeah? Today we're bringing back an oldie but a goodie - our episode about where to find LA's best sunsets. Sunsets are one of those few things that most Angelenos -- most people in general -- can agree on. When the sun goes down, and the sky changes colors,...
Nov 02, 2023•11 min•Ep. 36
#28: One of the first things to know about Día de los Muertos is that is NOT the Mexican Halloween. Brian sits down with Ofelia Esparza to talk about the true significance of the tradition for some Angelenos. Esparza is kinda like LA's matriarch for Day of the Dead and is the go-to artist to build an ofrenda in this town – the alter built to remember loved ones who had died. Guests: Ofelia Esparza, visual folk artist and teacher; Rossana Esparza Ahrens, artist and teacher This episode originally...
Nov 01, 2023•12 min•Ep. 26
#174: We collected more ghost stories from Angelenos to share with you this Halloween! Join host Brian De Los Santos as we hear about hundred-year-old haunts LAist listeners submitted from all over Los Angeles County, from Long Beach to K-Town to Pasadena.
Oct 31, 2023•9 min•Ep. 174
#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...
Oct 30, 2023•18 min•Ep. 173
#172: Día de los Muertos is right around the corner, and the traditional Mexican holiday has a LOT of representation in L.A. People gather with their families to celebrate the lives of loved ones who have passed away, and make altares y ofrendas with flowers, food, and other worldly comforts. Today, LAist food editor Gab Chabrán is taking host Brian De Los Santos on a cultural exploration of the holiday: its special treats, flavors, and of course, history. Check out Gab’s piece over on LAist.com...
Oct 27, 2023•20 min•Ep. 172
#171: Back in August, we met up with film location scout and manager Rick Schuler in downtown L.A. for a guided tour of filming locations that were either meant to stand in for other places (like New York City or Italy) or to look like Los Angeles of the past or future. Today, we’re heading out with Rick again, east of downtown, in South Pasadena and Pasadena to talk about what their neighborhoods have to offer to film location scouts. The long story short: a wide variety of single-family homes ...
Oct 26, 2023•24 min•Ep. 171
#170: Today, we’re talking about mental health — the stigma that exists around it and the barriers to accessing care for everyone, but specifically in this episode, for people who are undocumented. Guests: filmmaker Armando Ibañez , creator of the "Undocumented Tales" web series; Aimee Hilado, assistant professor at the University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice. *This story includes references to suicide and self-harm: If you or someone you know is in crisis ...
Oct 25, 2023•27 min•Ep. 170
In honor of The Biltmore Hotel's 100th birthday this month, we are bringing back an episode that delves into its history. This story's got movie stars, dignitaries and a whole lot of ghosts...just in time for Halloween. ---- #143: Today we’re exploring one of L.A.’s most historic landmarks: the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. It celebrates its 100th birthday in October, and since How to LA just turned one (!) we thought it'd be fitting to feature some of the most iconic spots in Los Ange...
Oct 24, 2023•22 min
Brian talks to LAist reporter Caitlin Hernandez about stories of queer joy in the face of difficult news this year about anti-trans bills and other negative rhetoric about LGBTQ rights. We also take a trip to a queer Quinceñera event to find community and joy. You can find a video of Caitlin's Queer LA Live event here: https://laist.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/queer-la-live-los-angeles-events-lgbtq Guests: Caitlin Hernandez, LAist Valentina, Drag Race Mexico Salina Estitties, RuPaul's Drag R...
Oct 23, 2023•22 min•Ep. 169
This is How To LA – the podcast that helps you navigate this city. I’m Brian De Los Santos. We’re back with the 4th episode from Imperfect Paradise: Nury & The Secret Tapes – an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the biggest political scandal in recent Los Angeles history. In the year since the L.A. City Council tape scandal, a lot has changed. Efforts are underway to reform the redistricting process. Nury Martinez and Gil Cedillo are gone from the council. Only Kevin De León remains. Progr...
Oct 20, 2023•36 min
#168: The news coming out of the Middle East over the past couple of weeks has been terrifying. There have been thousands of reported deaths in the region following Hamas’ attack on Israel, and Israel's retalitory attacks in Gaza. It can be hard to keep up with the new headlines of the day or the stuff we see on social media. It’s…. a lot… and it's heartbreaking. We know a lot of people in L.A. are hurting over this. The Jewish community in L.A. is the second largest in the U.S. after New York… ...
Oct 19, 2023•21 min•Ep. 168
#167: Over a thousand bills were sitting on Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk, and he had until last Friday to sign them. Now the results are in: 890 new laws, and 156 potential ones that got vetoed. A lot of these laws only involved minor tweaks to existing legislation, and some were things that only affect Sacramento, but some could have a big impact right here in L.A. — on issues like increased pay for healthcare and fast food workers, a path to more housing development, and increased abortion acc...
Oct 18, 2023•20 min•Ep. 167
We are half way to Halloween — time to get spooked, L.A.! We dug into the audio archives and found a few scary tales that were once told to a colleague long ago... (ok, like 2018). These stories span the decades and take us from Kagel Canyon to Koreatown to the L.A. Zoo. Oh, and you'll learn a little bit about the making of the Bradbury Building in Downtown LA. Enjoy!
Oct 17, 2023•12 min
