How To LA

#195: Unsheltered life in L.A. can be dangerous and even deadly — and there has been a massive increase in the death rate for unhoused people in the county over the last few years. There is work being done by the mayor's office to get people off the street and into temporary housing. But the promise of services —  whether in the form of housing, treatment for substance addiction, or mental health...

#194: Members of the Screen Actors Guild have now seen everything that is in tentative contract that union leadership negotiated with studios and streamers — and not everyone is happy with it.  The big sticking point? Artificial intelligence. Some union members don’t think the A.I. protections worked out in the contract go far enough , and are encouraging a “no” vote on the deal.  For many in the...

#193: It's Cheap Fast Eats time again, and that means LAist  food editor Gab Chabrán is hitting the streets with HTLA host Brian De Los Santos. Mid City is close to EVERYTHING...Museum Row, Park La Brea, Fairfax, West Hollywood. It's a good place to know some gems to get some cheap grubs. Locations: Qi Steam Kitchen, Del Mar Ostioneria, Burger She Wrote Guest: LAist food editor, Gab Chabrán  

#192: Each neighborhood of LA has its own electricity — meet a painter who brings city blocks to life in oil paints. In the latest episode of How To LA , podcast host Brian De Los Santos hears from producer Victoria Alejandro about Pasadena-based painter Justin N. Kim. Kim showed us his studio as he was preparing to show his work at The Other Art Fair earlier this year, and let us in on his proces...

#191: Today we're talking about heat and how it affects school kids – those in elementary, middle and high school to be specific — with LAist Associate Editor Aaricka Washington. Read Aaricka's reporting: "It’s Been More Than A Year Since LAUSD Pledged To Green Schools. But There’s Still No Finalized Plan In Place"

#190: It’s been almost a year since L.A. Mayor Karen Bass was sworn into office — and made a pledge to house 17,000 people experiencing homelessness. It was a big and bold promise. So we wondered: How's that going?  How To LA host Brian de Los Santos speaks with Brianna Lee, LAist engagement producer and reporter, and Nick Gerda, who covers unhoused communities in L.A. for LAist about their effort...

#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,...

#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 plac...

#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)...

#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...

#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...

#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  ...

#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 holida...

#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 art...

#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...

#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 establi...

#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 EXPECT...

#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...

#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 N...

#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...

#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. resid...

#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...

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...

#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 Ange...

#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 Espar...