How To LA

#277:  Jacqueline Valenzuela is a 26-year-old interdisciplinary artist and lowrider car club co-founder who often features women in the lowrider community in her art. We met up with her at the Kolor Studio, the studio/auto body shop where she works with her fiancé in the City of Industry.

Japanese American Incarceration. The Third World Liberation Front. The 1992 Los Angeles Uprising. What you think you know isn’t always the full story.  Inheriting  is a show about Asian American and Pacific Islander families that explores how the past is personal. Hosted by NPR’s Emily Kwong, we go deep with families on how their most personal, private moments are part of history. How can I suppor...

#276: Merrick Morton is one of the first people to document Chicano gang culture in L.A. He also photographed women in prison, Latinas at kickbacks, and people on death row. Almost all of his photos capture something that you might not expect: a tenderness, a realness. We meet up with Merrick at the Eastern Projects gallery in Chinatown, where an exhibit of his work titled "Un-Rehearsed" is on dis...

#275: Go back to the movies with us! It's heating up in the city, so Revival House continues with a classic of spring and summertime in L.A. — a film at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Run by Cinespia, you can picnic and catch a revival film on the iconic grassy knoll. What keeps people coming back year after year? What's the history of it all? Listen along to find out. Learn more about the cemete...

#223: Announcing The Tournament Of Cheeseburgers! Vote for your favorite burger in LA at this link: https://laist.typeform.com/to/Eq4UczlJ?typeform-source=www.google.com#campaign=xxxxx The top three burgers will be crowned at a special Smorgasburg event at The Row in DTLA on July 7. Here are the details: https://laist.com/events/tournament-of-cheeseburgers-at-smorgasburg-la   To get us in the burg...

#274: L.A. is often called the street vending capital of the country, and for good reason. Our street food has so much diversity, whether it's served out of a truck or a puesto. And it's not just food — people sell sunglasses, clothes, groceries... It can a great hustle for people who want to be their own boss, but it's also a LOT of work. To get a sense of what's involved, we're hanging out with...

#273:  Leslie Liao is an L.A.-based stand-up comedian, actress and writer who went from working at Netflix (in the HR department) to now being  on Netflix. For a long time she was juggling both her corporate job and stand up, but she went full time with comedy this year. She was featured in the streamer’s series called "Verified Stand-Up," she’s been on "The Tonight Show," and she’ll be performing...

#272: We're back with another episode in our How Not To Be Lonely in L.A. series.  Brian is out but, today, How To LA producer Megan Botel takes over the mic and explores these questions: What does it mean to connect to yourself, and why is it important for warding off feelings of loneliness? How do you do it? And in a group setting?  One way is to do the things you loved as a kid and connect with...

#271: We love LA over here, but perhaps no one is a bigger fan of our city than Evan Lovett, the guy behind the LA history and discovery show: "L.A. in a Minute!" Today, How to LA host Brian De Los Santos sits down with Evan to talk about how he stumbled into his career as a content creator, what truly makes L.A. special AND some of his favorite spots around town that really reflect the city's fla...

#270: Today, we’re coming to you once again from the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, where we had the chance to speak with some local authors about their work. In this episode: Michael Arceneaux, the New York Times-bestselling author of “I Can’t Date Jesus,” “I Don’t Want To Die Poor,” and his latest book, “I Finally Bought Some Jordans"; and Amy Price , former general manager of the Cecil Ho...

#269: Today, we’re coming to you from the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, where we had the chance to speak with some dope local authors about their work, about Los Angeles, and how it all connects for them. In this episode, my conversation with Héctor Tobar, the Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and novelist.

#268: HTLA is checking out some more movie history with a spotlight on the world tour, The Art of the Benshi, coming to L.A. on April 19-21. In this episode, HTLA producer Victoria Alejandro comes on to chat Japanese silent cinema and L.A. history with host Brian De Los Santos.  Benshi were the narrators of Japan's silent film era. These artists introduced films and also provided live narration, p...

#267: This is our second episode exploring downtown L.A. — part of our series on L.A. neighborhoods. Last time (episode #266), we covered some of the history of the area, and the ups and downs it's experienced over the years. Today, we’re looking at its present and possible future, largely through Oliver Alpuche's story. Oliver has lived in downtown L.A. for 16 years and he's a sort of ambassador...

#266: It’s been a minute since we explored a L.A. neighborhood on How To LA. We’ve been to Little Tokyo, West Adams and Sylmar before. Now, we’re in downtown. But we’re not going to try to boil down the entire area in one episode.  Today, we’re going to get into the history of the ups and downs the area has seen over the years, and learn a lot from a walking tour of downtown put on by the Los Ange...

#265: It's time for another Food Fridays! And that means Gab Chabrán is hitting the streets with HTLA host Brian De Los Santos to grub on our favorite food: PIZZA. LA is going through what many artisans are calling a pizza renaissance right now. Hundreds of gourmet pizzerias have popped up around L.A. in recent years, taking advantage of the abundance of fresh produce in the region and marrying un...

#264:  Go back to the movies with us! We're still profiling LA's repertory theaters in Revival House cause there are SO MANY to check out! In this episode, we explore a cool space with some deep, messy history. Fashion label Brain Dead has taken over a site that some would consider....a little cursed. Originally opened in the 1940s as The Silent Movie Theater on Fairfax, the venue was home to prem...

#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 Mandel...

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...

#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 Andr...

#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...

#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,...

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 a...

#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...

#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 link...

#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.  T...