How To LA

#82: Last week, more than 60,000 workers and teachers in the nation's second largest school district went on strike. It was led by SEIU Local 99 — members of the Service Employees International Union, representing about 30,000 essential workers in Los Angeles Unified. These are LAUSD's bus drivers, teachers’ aides, custodians food service workers and other school workers – and they're among the lo...

#81: Cheap Fast Eats is back with it's first ever late-night extravaganza. And where else but Koreatown? The historic neighborhood features delicious foods from a variety of cultures, from Korean to Oaxacan, and everything in between. Join Gab Chabrán and Brian De Los Santos as they eat their way through LA's late-night neighborhood. Featured Restaurants: Love Hour, Guelaguetza, and Two Hands Corn...

#80. For many Latino kids in the 2000s in L.A., the party crew scene was it. There were "underground" parties happening in places all over the SGV and Eastside neighborhoods that provided spaces to make friends, have fun and escape the pressures of immigrant parents and the harsh realities of the world. But there were risks. There were shootings and police raids. Many adults saw the scene as gang-...

#79:  The winners of the 38th annual LA Marathon. were elite runners Stacy Ndiwa, with a time of 2 hours and 31 minutes, and Jemal Yimer with a time of 2 hours, 13 minutes and 13 seconds. In total, about 20,000 people completed the race on Sunday, including our very own newsletter writer, Aaricka Washington, who ran that 26.2 miles in a little over 6 hours. It was the first time she's run a marath...

#78: L.A. is the music capital of the world. It's where all the big studios are, almost every famous musician lives here, there are major concerts every night of the week. BUT, with huge price tags for concerts these days (and soaring ticketing platform fees...) it can feel hard to find places to see live music that are actually accessible (i.e. free or cheap).  Today, HTLA producers Evan Jacoby a...

#77: Lots of Angelinos live without a car – and hundreds of thousands of people here don't use a car in their daily commute. But... it is definitely NOT the norm. HTLA Producer Evan Jacoby recently joined the car-less when he switched to a bike last fall.  Today, he's showing fellow producer Megan Botel his work commute. And they're talking with people across LA about how limiting their car use, o...

#76: L.A. loves its lawns. And while a whole lotta you have transitioned to more drought-tolerant yards, there is still a lot of grass in front of most homes out there. Statewide, about half of household water usage goes to outdoor landscaping. AND to stay looking nice and green….lawns require more irrigation than any other agricultural crop. But how, in this desert climate of ours, did lush, gree...

BONUS: The Oscars are Sunday and, as an L.A.-focused show, we gotta get into it somehow, right? Our friends with LAist Studios' Academy Museum pod are gonna help us out.  This episode looks back at the historic night in 2002 when Halle Berry became the first - and still only - Black woman to win the Academy Award for best actress. The category has been one of the least diverse acting categories in...

#75: LAX may feel like one of the more frustrating airports out there, but it really is the front door to this city. Yes, it's always jammed, always under construction... And getting out of there on a Sunday night can feel impossible. But today, we're gonna explore some of the things that make this airport an integral part of our home. LA Explained reporter Caitlin Hernandez is taking you to the a...

#74: At this point, we’re all well aware that climate change is an ever-growing threat to our lives and our environment. We’ve seen the mounting evidence over the years. All the scientific reports just seem be getting worse. The future — at times — looks grim. All this can lead to a phenomenon called “climate doomism.” It’s the narrative that the damage to our environment has been done and, really...

(Update) #25: Alright folks - Brian's out for a couple weeks on a trip of a lifetime. Check out the last episode in the feed if you want to hear all about it. Don't worry, we're gonna have two full weeks of fresh new episodes for y'all. But to kick the week off, we're revisiting an episode from last fall that is just as relevant now as it was then... With a new special election to replace Nury Mar...

BONUS: Hey everyone, this is Brian De Los Santos. We want to introduce you to a new podcast from our colleagues at LAist Studios: California Love - K-Pop Dreaming. It’s all about the rise of K-pop and its told through the lens of the Korean diaspora in LA, so we know you’ll love it. K-pop Dreaming is hosted by Vivian Yoon, a Korean American actress and writer. Take a listen. If you want more, take...

#73: California is home to around 2 million undocumented people. And in Southern California, roughly 80,000 of them have DACA, Deferred Action Childhood Arrival (although some stats put that number higher). It allows people to get a work permit, to pay in-state tuition, and to get a drivers license. But there are a lot of freedoms it doesn't grant, like freely traveling outside the US. HTLA host B...

#72: There's nothing quite like al fresco dining on a warm L.A. day. Ever since the pandemic, we've got a ton of places to do that all around the city, thanks to some restaurant hustle and quick action from the city to turn parking spaces into outdoor dining areas. But now our beloved parking lot patios are at risk – IF a proposed city ordinance is passed. How To LA's Brian De Los Santos talks to...

#71: The devastating quake in Turkey was a stark reminded - yet again - that the Big One is coming. L.A. could get get hit with a similarly sized quake any time within the next 30 years. Maybe even tomorrow. Preparing for such an event may seem overwhelming (or like the LAST thing on your to-do list) but we're here to show you it's not so hard to do (and might even be fun!). A trip to Smart &...

#70: L.A. is bracing itself for a serious cold front, with temperatures 10 to 20 degrees below normal. There's gonna be hail, tons of rain, and even snow.  The mountain ranges could get as much a 7 feet but it's expected to snow at much lower elevations than usual. But don't worry - as the temperature drops, the HTLA team has you covered with a bunch of great take-out options to keep you feeling n...

#69: We're back with another edition of How I Got Started – the segment where L.A.'s movers and shakers join us to demystify exactly how they got to where they are in their field. This time, Brian De Los Santos is sitting down with a legit changemaker: Yolanda Davis-Overstreet. She's a mobility justice strategist responsible for getting crosswalks and bike lanes installed in her neighborhood of We...

#68: 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-City region is bound by Pico and the 10 Freeway to the north and south, Crenshaw and Robertson to the east and west. Still, the EXACT area is a little squi...

#67: When people think Los Angeles, they don't exactly think soul food. But this city actually has a rich (and delicious) soul food scene mostly in South LA. In this episode, we explore the origins of this epic cuisine, and how it plays a huge role in preserving Black history and culture. We visit South LA soul food staples Serving Spoon in Inglewood, and Mama's Chicken in Hyde Park.  Guests: Chri...

#66: On certain holidays – like Valentine's Day and Mother's Day – flower vendors are out in force on the streets of LA, selling all sorts of goodies on corners, major boulevards or at the end of freeway off ramps. But what does it take to make that hustle happen? How did they get there? And do they make much money doing it? HTLA host Brian De Los Santos and the team spent the day finding out.  

#65 It's not easy to find love in the big city but it DOES happen. In this episode we hear from YOU, Angelenos who found love in LA -- love for their partner, love for their friends and, most of all, love for this wild and expansive place we call home. Take a listen.      

#64: It's HTLA's first live special! Brian De Los Santos is teaming up with LAist food editor Gab Chabran at the Crawford Family Forum to interview some of their favorite Cheap Fast Eats chefs from the downtown episode. They'll explore what it's like to run a kitchen in downtown LA, how they survived the pandemic, their favorite things to cook, and much more. Don't miss the next live event! If you...

#63: Ever wonder why certain things in LA work the way they do? Well, we've got you covered. This is our new segment, LA Explained, with Caitlin Hernández. They'll be joining us to answer YOUR questions about this city. Up first: How do LA's streets get their names? Guests: Caitlin Hernández, LA Explained reporter for LAist; Mark Tapio Kines, writer of LA Street Names. Check out Mark's website: LA...

#62: If you’re like a LOT of California residents, you spent way too much on your natural gas bill for January. The price to heat your home has been kind of out of control… like three times what people typically pay each month. Governor Gavin Newsom is actually calling for an investigation into why it's been so high.  Now, the good news is the price spike is expected to fall for February. But pric...

BONUS: Hey, How To LA listeners, this is Brian De Los Santos. We're doing something a little different and bringing you an episode of the NPR podcast Code Switch . My colleague Josie Huang is talking to one of their hosts about the mass shooting in Monterey Park, California, and what it says about the dark side of the Asian American dream. I hope you like it.