#263: When it comes to historical design, Los Angeles doesn't top a lot of people's lists. Compared to a San Francisco or New York, L.A. can feel a lot... newer. But we do have those cities beat in one category: our streetlights. Los Angeles has the most examples of historical designs of any city in the country . So today we're going on a Streetlight Safari... and we're doing it with India Mandelkern, author of the new book, Electric Moons: A Social History of Street Lighting in Los Angeles. Che...
Apr 08, 2024•19 min•Ep. 263
Part 4: Half a year after Star Garden reopens as a union club, the dancers are still negotiating a contract. LAist producer Emma Alabaster brings you the latest. Plus, some of the dancers have set their sights on a different dream: a worker-owned cooperative strip club. Here are some resources that informed our reporting: LA Co-op Lab U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives 2021 Worker Cooperative State of the Sector Report Yes, A Stripper Podcast For more resources Grow your business–no matter w...
Apr 07, 2024•34 min
#262: Hey, How to LA listeners! We’re back with another social calendar to talk about new and interesting happenings in the city. Guests: Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido and TV and podcast host Dexter Thomas Here’s what each person pitched : André 3000's flute album (or better yet, catching a live performance ) In the market for a flute of your own? Hit up Guillermo Martinez ( like André 3000 did ) Getting work done on the LA Metro (or your favorite library ) Relaxing at a Korean spa (...
Apr 05, 2024•25 min•Ep. 262
#261: Despite being a hub for all things film, Los Angeles doesn't have what could be described as a major film festival. But starting tomorrow, the brand new Los Angeles Festival of Movies is bringing festival highlights and world premieres to three independent venues around the city. Forget the cost of a pass, airfare and lodging in a town like Sundance -- folks in L.A. can attend screenings for just $20 a ticket. Today we're chatting with festival founders Sarah Winshall and Micah Gottlieb ab...
Apr 03, 2024•19 min•Ep. 261
#260: Tens of thousands of Vietnamese immigrants rely on nail salons as an economic powerhouse: a an attractive option that lets them work hard and express their creativity, all without needing to learn English. But worker pay can sometimes dip below minimum wage, depending on individual manicurists' client lists. This wouldn't be a legal problem if the manicurists were classified as "Gig Workers," and until recently that's exactly what most salons did. But advocates for salon workers – and even...
Apr 01, 2024•15 min•Ep. 260
Part 3: The Star Garden Topless Dive Bar reopens as a union strip club, but the fight doesn’t end there. What happens after the victory? LAist Producer Emma Alabaster has the story. Here are some resources that informed our reporting: Working It: Sex Workers on the Work of Sex (In particular, the essay "White Supremacy in Organizing" by Domino Rey) Yes, A Stripper Podcast Unequal Desires: Race and Erotic Capital in the Stripping Industry by Siobhan Brooks Tits and Sass: Service Journalism by and...
Mar 31, 2024•47 min
#259: Are you ready to get dancing, Los Angeles? Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, yes, that iconic New York dance company, will be hitting the Music Center's stage here in Los Angeles. But this is more than just a tour. It's a homecoming. In this episode, host Brian De Los Santos talks with HTLA's associate editor Aaricka Washington about her experience taking a community dance class with the company, and how it felt to be at the opening night of the Alvin Ailey company's 4 year L.A. residenc...
Mar 29, 2024•12 min•Ep. 259
#258: Los Angeles is spending nearly $4 million to clean up and fence off the Oceanwide Towers after the three abandoned buildings were covered with graffiti. Some people are glad to see the graffiti go, but others say they like what the murals represent, arguing that their removal is a bad use of tax dollars. Meanwhile, LAist reporting shows the company who owns the Oceanwide towers has been linked to bribery and money laundering investigations . With all this drama on our mind, we wanted to ta...
Mar 27, 2024•16 min•Ep. 258
#257: Today, we’re saying goodbye to a space with a storied legacy in this city – the Conga Room. The Latin nightclub opened in 1998, and brought in artists ranging from Celia Cruz and Tito Puente to Maluma and Bad Bunny. The club’s star studded list of investors included Jennifer Lopez, Sheila E., comedian Paul Rodriguez, and actor Jimmy Smits. This week, the Conga Room is closing its doors. The legacy of the club will live on through a non-profit called Conga Kids , a program bringing music an...
Mar 25, 2024•12 min•Ep. 257
#256: Today we’re gunna get moving! In our next installment of our series on How Not To Be Lonely in LA, we’re covering all the ways moving in synchrony together promotes closeness. Really, it’s just an excellent way to make friends. Luckily in LA, there are unlimited amounts of classes, courses, leagues and clubs one can join based on your particular interests. Whether it’s a dance class, sports league or a mixed martial arts training, there’s literally something for everyone. How To LA produce...
Mar 22, 2024•18 min•Ep. 256
#255: We're back with another episode of Revival House, but this time we're not heading to a 100 year old theater... The David Geffen and Ted Mann theaters at the Academy Museum of Motion Arts and Pictures are a new addition to L.A's revival programming. In this episode, we explore what the theaters, which only opened in 2021, have to offer our city's moviegoing landscape. And hopefully, we demystify what seeing a movie here is actually like! (Did you know that tickets are only $10? And no, they...
Mar 20, 2024•17 min•Ep. 255
#254: The National Register of Historic Places is the federal government’s official list of locations it considers worthy of preservation. There are more than 98,000 places on the register, and about 600 of them are in L.A. County. Angeleno Etan Rosenbloom is on a quest to visit them all. Since 2021, he's visted more than 200 spots in L.A., and he chronicles his journeys on his website and social media accounts, all titled " Etan Does LA ." We recently asked Etan to show us something on the Nati...
Mar 18, 2024•20 min•Ep. 254
Today on How To LA , we're dropping Part 2 of the latest Imperfect Paradise series Strippers Union. It's one of the hottest stories from last year's hot labor summer that features a North Hollywood strip club and its dancers' fight to unionize. Part 2: When the Star Garden strippers go public with their union campaign, they get pushback from the club’s management and a group they didn’t anticipate - other strippers. LAist Producer Emma Alabaster reports. Grow your business–no matter what stage y...
Mar 17, 2024•43 min
#253: Revival House is breaking format for this episode, and we’re saying goodbye to a historic first-run movie theater. The Highland Theatre in Highland Park was one of the only movie theaters in Northeast LA. A designated historic cultural monument, the exterior will remain intact, but its future is uncertain. In this episode, How To LA producer Victoria Alejandro chats with host Brian De Los Santos about community memories, the history of the theater, and what might be next… Links we mentione...
Mar 14, 2024•12 min•Ep. 253
#252: The rain is, we hope, behind us. Although it could bring us another big wildflower bloom like last year. We all might know the popular – and overcrowded – spots to see the blooms, like Anza Borrego Desert State Park and Antelope Valley. But today, the How To LA team comes together to offer its take on best hikes to see wildflowers, and maybe even a waterfall. P.S. Please use these tips wisely! Do not step on, or pick, the flowers, stay on the path and leave nothing but footprints behind. B...
Mar 13, 2024•15 min•Ep. 252
#243: We're bringing you an encore presentation of our interview with composer Kris Bowers about the documentary short he co-directed called "The Last Repair Shop." The film won an Oscar this past Sunday. This episode originally aired on February 27, 2024. Today we’re talking to pianist, film composer and LAUSD alumnus Kris Bowers. Bowers has composed the scores for films like "Green Book," "King Richard" and "The Color Purple," and streaming series like "Dear White People" and "Bridgerton." But...
Mar 12, 2024•27 min
#90: We're bringing back an episode from last wildflower season to kick off this one! Last year was a very wet winter, and this one was no different. This episode original aired on April 14, 2023. Happy wildflower season! Have you seen all the wildflowers popping up around the city and beyond lately? Our very wet winter has paid off, and SoCal's spectacular array of wildflowers is our reward. Today, botanist Evan Meyer tells us all about SoCal's special bloom. California is one of the few places...
Mar 11, 2024•14 min•Ep. 90
Today on How To LA , we're dropping Part 1 of the latest Imperfect Paradise series Strippers Union. It's one of the hottest stories from last year's hot labor summer that features a North Hollywood strip club and its dancers' fight to unionize. Part 1: In 2023, North Hollywood’s Star Garden reopened as the only unionized strip club in the U.S. LAist Producer Emma Alabaster tells us the behind-the-scenes story of the workplace conditions that pushed the dancers into action. CONTENT WARNING: This ...
Mar 10, 2024•43 min
#251: 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 Sausa...
Mar 08, 2024•18 min•Ep. 251
#250: As we continue our series "Revival House," How To LA producer Victoria Alejandro is taking us to the South Bay of LA. We're checking out the Gardena Cinema, which pivoted to revival screenings relatively recently. The theater has been owned by the Kim family since 1976, and is now a non-profit run by Judy Kim and a team of 40 volunteers. Kim has saved the cinema from closures a handful of times now, and has also built up an incredible community of folks dedicated to keeping the cinema runn...
Mar 07, 2024•23 min•Ep. 250
#249: Who needs Central Park when we have Griffith? Griffith Park is smack in the middle of LA - but did you know it's also central to LA's development as a city? The 4,200 acre park has a LOT of history, from 1960's social & political movements, to Spanish colony-era land deals, to Tongva villages. Today we're walking along the park's historic Ferndell trail with LA Explained reporter, Caitlin Hernandez, to learn more about what makes this place so special.
Mar 06, 2024•17 min•Ep. 249
#248: The primary is on, L.A.! You can still fill out your ballot and drop it off or go in person to a voting center until 8pm. And to check out where the closest one to you is go to LAVote.net . Now we all know turnout for local elections is not great in L.A., even if there’s a presidential candidate on the ballot. But why? And why should you participate? (One big reason: some races – including any with only two candidates – will be decided in today's election) Brianna Lee, Engagement Producer ...
Mar 05, 2024•11 min•Ep. 248
#247: The March primary is tomorrow, folks! But don't worry, we got you. LAist has a Voter Game Plan — it's super helpful voter guide with information on what’s on the ballot. It also includes shortcuts broken down by issues that really matter to Angelenos — like homelessness and the climate emergency. Today, we're talking about another one: public safety . Guest: Brianna Lee , Engagement Producer of Civics & Democracy for LAist...
Mar 04, 2024•9 min•Ep. 247
#246: Hey, How to LA listeners! We’re back with another social calendar to talk about the interesting, fun, new happenings in the city. Guests: Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido and Frank Shyong, LA Times columnist who writes about the diaspora, culture, politics. AND he shares great food content on his social channels with some of the most interesting spots to grub in LA. Here’s what each person pitched for YOUR social calendar: The Wiz at The Pantages in Hollywood until March 3. Or cat...
Mar 01, 2024•26 min•Ep. 246
#245 Neon! Mullets! Video stores! Relive the 80s with us... As we continue our series "Revival House," How to LA producer Victoria Alejandro is taking us to Eagle Rock to check out Vidiots. The iconic video store opened in Santa Monica in the 80s, and closed its doors in 2017. But, Vidiots reopened last year in the historic Eagle theater. And yes, all of its 60,000 DVDs made the move too. Vidiots has made renting a movie cool again – and you can check out any DVD in their massive catalog for jus...
Feb 29, 2024•23 min•Ep. 245
#244: For the next installment of our series on How to Not Be Lonely in LA, we're honing in on one demographic: Men. In all the conversations we’ve been having with people about loneliness and human connection...be it with experts or every day Angelenos …this theme kept coming up: In a nation in the midst of a loneliness epidemic, A LOT of people are lonely. But men, typically, are the loneliest. Today, How To LA producer Megan Botel speaks to experts in the male experience to unpack the reasons...
Feb 28, 2024•23 min•Ep. 244
#243: Today we’re talking to pianist, film composer and LAUSD alumnus Kris Bowers. Bowers has composed the scores for films like "Green Book," "King Richard" and "The Color Purple," and streaming series like "Dear White People" and "Bridgerton." But that LAUSD part of his resume is very relevant to one of his latest projects. It’s a short documentary that Bowers co-directed (along with Ben Proudfoot) called “The Last Repair Shop." It's all about the technicians who work in a repair shop downtown...
Feb 27, 2024•24 min•Ep. 243
#242: It’s an election year folks and Los Angeles has a primary coming up March 5th — that's fast! But don't worry, we got you. LAist has a new Voter Game Plan . It's a super helpful voter guide with information on what’s on the ballot and it includes short cuts broken down by issues that really matter to Angelenos — like homelessness and the climate emergency. Today, we're talking about another one: affordable housing . Guest: Brianna Lee , Engagement Producer of Civics & Democracy for LAis...
Feb 26, 2024•13 min•Ep. 242
Happy Friday, y'all! W're taking a sick day, but we didn't want to leave you without something fun for the weekend. So we're bringing you a recording of an awesome event last month at the Crawford: Queer Joy with Caitlin Hernandez. It's an hour of live music and Q&A with the artists. And if you wanna catch the next event in person, make sure to sign up for alerts at LAist.com/events
Feb 23, 2024•1 hr 3 min
#181: Revival House – our weekly love letter to vintage and indie theaters across LA – will be back next week. Today, we're revisiting the episode from last fall that inspired the series, profiling the recently reopened Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. Original episode description below. 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 enthus...
Feb 22, 2024•15 min•Ep. 181
