How To LA

#102: The federal COVID-19 emergency officially ended last week, but California still has another 6 months of protections. So... What does that mean, and what happens next? And are we really ready for this emergency declaration to sunset?  To find out more, we're talking to LAist's senior health reporter, Jackie Fortier. She's got several guides on what all this means for you:  The Federal COVID H...

#101: We've all heard everyone's hot takes in recent months about AI, ChatGPT and other developments in machine learning. AI has also been a key point in negotiations between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. AND one of the many reasons writers have been on strike since the start of May. But can AI really write the next critical hit?  Today,...

#100: Silver Lake and hipsterdom may go hand in hand, but tucked between the murals, high-end shops and corporate chains, there are some stellar, chef-driven eats to be found at a bargain. The HTLA team is celebrating 100 episodes by eating their way down Sunset... joined yet again by LAist food editor, Gab Chabrán. Check out his write-up to find his full list of neighborhood knock-outs: Cheap Fas...

#99: I’m sure you’ve noticed... fast fashion brands have become super popular over the past 30 years. Before fast fashion hit the market – beginning with Zara in the 70s and Forever 21 in the 80s –  fashion brands produced clothes seasonally. Most Americans purchase new clothing only a few times a year. These days, Americans buy a new piece of clothing on average every five days. And in more recen...

#98: Today we're diving deep into the history of Queer LA. Our LA Explained reporter, Caitlin Hernández, is taking us back in time to explain how West Hollywood became recognized as a mecca for LA's gay community. It's part of their research for the LAist series, Queer LA, where Caitlin's highlighting the joy, culture, and history of queerness in this city. You can find more of their reporting at...

#97: "The writer's room is completely being decimated. It's no longer a big room with professional writers. Now it's mini rooms. It's like, you know, four to six people expected to do all the work that 10 to 12, 13 people used to do in the past." - TV writer Rafael Agustin Being a Hollywood writer these days isn't quite what it used to be. Writers say everything started to change with the rapid ri...

#96: Hollywood writers are officially on strike. The Writers Guild of America failed to reach a deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on Monday night, forcing the walk out. The two sides were negotiating over things like pay and residuals, which have decreased significantly with the onset of streaming services like Netflix, Amazon and Apple. Today we’re gonna talk about...

#95: HTLA host Brian De Los Santos has been sharing his experiences living with DACA – and returning to Mexico for the first time ever – in our special series, Finding Home con DACA. If you haven't heard those yet, that'd be a good place to start. The series was intended to be three episodes long... But, as is often the case with this kind of wide-scoped project, we found more threads to pull on a...

(Update) #2: Despite all the rain and snow, LA still has its water restrictions in place from June of 2022. Angelenos have been a doing a pretty good job at conserving... But even though it might look like we're sitting on a major water surplus, all that rain and snow only covers our water needs for about a year. So... what DO you do with a water surplus? Well, you save it. Last fall, HTLA host Br...

#42: We're celebrating Earth Week by bringing you some of our favorite outdoor episodes. This episode first aired on December 1, 2022.  Southern California has more wild food than you might expect. There's a long history of foraging in and around Los Angeles. These foods have been everything from staples for indigenous communities, to delicacies for high-end chefs. (and, of course, food for critte...

#94: Are you all composting at home? Well, you should be, because we're now kind of required to by law! California’s landmark composting mandate went into effect in January of 2022. It states that all residents and businesses must separate “green waste” from other trash. To comply, LA developed a new composting program called “organics recycling,” but roll out has been complex, especially for mult...

#93: How to LA host Brian De Los Santos arrived in the U.S. from Mexico at the age of 2. He found out as a teenager that he was undocumented. Then he got DACA - deferred action childhood arrivals. He was able to get a driver’s license, qualify for in state college tuition and establish a path to a good career. But even under DACA Brian wasn’t able to the leave the county... until he qualified for...

#92: The Bob Baker Marionette Theater is a legit L.A. institution. It opened in 1963 in Echo Park and, after the first building was sold to a real-estate developer, it reopened in Highland Park in 2019. Now, it might not seem like an obvious place to connect with Latino and LGBT communities in L.A., but you might be surprised! When HTLA producer Victoria Alejandro took our host Brian De Los Santos...

#91: There's all sorts of things we probably want to change about our neighborhoods. Maybe it's a desire for speed humps or public trash cans ...or fewer parties at the Airbnb down the street. Whatever it is, those issues probably can be addressed with the help of your neighborhood council - it's a volunteer group made up, most likely, of your neighbors. There's roughly 99 of them in the city and...

#90: Happy wildflower season! Have you seen all the wildflowers popping up around the city and beyond lately? One of the wettest winters on record has paid off, and SoCal's spectacular array of wildflowers is our reward. Today, botanist Evan Meyer tells us all about this season's special bloom, which, due to the rain, will continue for months to come in what is called a "constant" bloom. Californi...

#89: How to LA host Brian De Los Santos arrived in the U.S. from Mexico at the age of 2. He found out as a teenager that he was undocumented. Then he got DACA -- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. It let him get a driver’s license, get a work permit and helped him build a successful career as a journalist. But even with DACA, Brian wasn’t able to the leave the county to visit even visit famil...

#88: Since 2019, several Black women have founded literary spaces in Los Angeles that hold more than just books; they offer places where people can gather and find community. There’s Salt Eaters in Inglewood, Reparations Club near West Adams, the Radical Hood Library — home to the No Name Book Club — near Jefferson Park. Last month Octavia’s Bookshelf opened in Pasadena, named for beloved science...

#5: To celebrate the sun shining and being outdoors, we want to bring you one of our first episodes, highlighting the real need for more trees and parks is Los Angeles. This episode first aired on September 7, 2022.  For its size, Los Angeles is lacking in parks and other green spaces compared to other major cities. Meet one man who is on a mission to make a difference in some of L.A.'s most under...

BONUS: This week we're dropping an episode from California Love: K-Pop Dreaming. There’s no better place to experience K-Pop fandom in all of its passion and glory than KCON. In the span of a decade, the annual fan convention has grown to a nationwide event drawing hundreds of thousands of fans. And just like many things K-Pop-related in the US – the extravaganza started right here in Southern Cal...

#87: Brian is surprised by a letter from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. It’s his Advance Parole document. He can travel to Mexico – his country of birth – for the first time in 30 years. The days ahead become a sprint to prepare and make travel plans. He only has a month to return to the U.S., or he could lose DACA and be denied reentry. "Finding Home con DACA" is a special three-part...

#86: HTLA is exploring another neighborhood - this time Montecito Heights. You may be thinking, where the heck is that? (Don't feel bad, so were we!). It's a tiny town in Northeast L.A., just across from better-known Mount Washington, adjacent to the famous Debs Park. We talk to the unofficial town mayor, Hans Maas, an 81-year-old fashion designer who makes clothing for Taylor Swift, Pharrell Will...

#85: We’re back with another segment of How I Got Started, highlighting dope Angelenos in different fields. From the arts, to entertainment, to advocacy – we're talking to people who are doing cool things you should know about. Gina Young wears a bunch of hats: theater director, musician, songwriter, DJ... But there’s a common thread in their work: they create community, and foster spaces that LA'...

BONUS: For many LA Latinx teens coming of age in the 2000s, flier parties and the party crew scene were an escape from the pressures from immigrant parents and the harsh realities of the world. From VICE and LAist Studios as part of the My Cultura Podcast Network, a series that explores what happens when your safe space isn’t always safe. Hosted by Janice Llamoca. Support Party Crews and other LAi...

#84: COVID-era eviction protections for renters are set to expire on March 31. This time, there are no more extensions. What can renters and landlords expect? What ripple effects might this have on the county? How To L.A.'s host Brian De Los Santos speaks with LAist's David Wagner and Julia Barajas about the policies at play and who is most affected. You can find more of David's and Julia's report...

#83: Homelessness will be a major challenge for whoever wins the special election to fill the seat once occupied by disgraced former L.A. City Council President, Nury Martinez. The area she used to represent, Council District 6, has the highest concentration of unhoused people in the San Fernando Valley. And in District 6, that means more than 500 people living in about 400 vans and RVs that line...