How To LA

#174: We collected more ghost stories from Angelenos to share with you this Halloween! Join host Brian De Los Santos as we hear about hundred-year-old haunts LAist listeners submitted from all over Los Angeles County, from Long Beach to K-Town to Pasadena. 

#173: Marigolds – or cempasúchi as the Aztecs named them – have long been the flower of choice for Dia De Los Muertos celebrations. This time of year, you've probably seen these bright, orange flowers all around your local flower shops, farmers markets and grocery stores. But traditionally, they're used in the making of ofrendas, the alters set up to honor those who have died for the day of the da...

#172: Día de los Muertos is right around the corner, and the traditional Mexican holiday has a LOT of representation in L.A. People gather with their families to celebrate the lives of loved ones who have passed away, and make altares y ofrendas with flowers, food, and other worldly comforts. Today, LAist food editor Gab Chabrán is taking host Brian De Los Santos on a cultural exploration of the h...

#171: Back in August, we met up with film location scout and manager Rick Schuler in downtown L.A. for a guided tour of filming locations that were either meant to stand in for other places (like New York City or Italy) or to look like Los Angeles of the past or future. Today, we’re heading out with Rick again, east of downtown, in South Pasadena and Pasadena to talk about what their neighborhoods...

#170: Today, we’re talking about mental health — the stigma that exists around it and the barriers to accessing care for everyone, but specifically in this episode, for people who are undocumented. Guests: filmmaker Armando Ibañez , creator of the "Undocumented Tales" web series; Aimee Hilado, assistant professor at the University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice...

In honor of The Biltmore Hotel's 100th birthday this month, we are bringing back an episode that delves into its history. This story's got movie stars, dignitaries and a whole lot of ghosts...just in time for Halloween. ---- #143: Today we’re exploring one of L.A.’s most historic landmarks: the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.  It celebrates its 100th birthday in October, and since How to L...

Brian talks to LAist reporter Caitlin Hernandez about stories of queer joy in the face of difficult news this year about anti-trans bills and other negative rhetoric about LGBTQ rights. We also take a trip to a queer Quinceñera event to find community and joy. You can find a video of Caitlin's Queer LA Live event here: https://laist.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/queer-la-live-los-angeles-events-...

This is How To LA – the podcast that helps you navigate this city. I’m Brian De Los Santos. We’re back with the 4th episode from Imperfect Paradise: Nury & The Secret Tapes – an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the biggest political scandal in recent Los Angeles history. In the year since the L.A. City Council tape scandal, a lot has changed. Efforts are underway to reform the redistricting...

#168: The news coming out of the Middle East over the past couple of weeks has been terrifying. There have been thousands of reported deaths in the region following Hamas’ attack on Israel, and Israel's retalitory attacks in Gaza.  It can be hard to keep up with the new headlines of the day or the stuff we see on social media. It’s…. a lot… and it's heartbreaking. We know a lot of people in L.A. a...

#167:  Over a thousand bills were sitting on Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk, and he had until last Friday to sign them. Now the results are in: 890 new laws, and 156 potential ones that got vetoed. A lot of these laws only involved minor tweaks to existing legislation, and some were things that only affect Sacramento, but some could have a big impact right here in L.A. — on issues like increased pay...

We are half way to Halloween — time to get spooked, L.A.! We dug into the audio archives and found a few scary tales that were once told to a colleague long ago... (ok, like 2018). These stories span the decades and take us from Kagel Canyon to Koreatown to the L.A. Zoo. Oh, and you'll learn a little bit about the making of the Bradbury Building in Downtown LA. Enjoy! 

#166: Back in the late 1800s, California leaders got together to rewrite the state's constitution. It was proposed that all government documents should only be written in English and that official business only be spoken in English. That proposal was soon adopted, effectively banning Spanish for official use, despite promises made after the end of Mexican-American war to create space for the langu...

This is How To LA – the podcast that helps you navigate this city. I’m Brian De Los Santos.  To close out this week, we bring you the third episode from Imperfect Paradise: Nury & The Secret Tapes – an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the biggest political scandal in recent Los Angeles history. In this episode, Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido presses former L.A. City Council Presi...

#165: Pumpkin spiced lattes. Yoga pants. Uggs. Cozy blankets. Hot spiked cider... Today, How To LA is getting real basic, real fast by celebrating a true basic girl's favorite season: fall AKA the spooky season.  Follow along as host Brian De Los Santos and producer Megan Botel channel their inner fall basic girls and map out a festive, thematic, spooky SZN LA day that we should ALL try out.  Our...

#164: Today, we're joined again by friend of the pod Antonia Cereijido, host of the LAist Studios podcast Imperfect Paradise, to talk about Part 3 of their latest series: “Nury & the Secret Tapes.” It’s an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the L.A. City Council tape scandal that rocked Los Angeles, and became national news, a year ago. On the secretly recorded tapes, then-L.A. City Council...

#34: We're revisiting one of our favorite neighborhoods – deemed the best place to trick or treat in LA – in honor of Spooky Season. This episode first aired on November 15, 2022.  In our latest trip through one of LA's neighborhoods, we hook up with HTLA listener and reader Andrea Martinez Gonzalez to take a tour of Angelino Heights, one of the oldest areas in the city. It's got some of the coole...

#163: You know the saying...the rent is too damn high! No place is that truer than in L.A. In recent years there's been different measures happening in cities across the county to try and manage extreme rent hikes. It's a battle that goes back decades in the city of L.A., beginning with the onset of U.S. involvement in World War II. LAist's LA Explained Reporter Caitlin Hernández gets into the his...

This is How To LA  – the podcast that helps you navigate this city. I’m Brian De Los Santos. We’re back with the 2nd episode from Imperfect Paradise: Nury & The Secret Tapes – an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the biggest political scandal in recent Los Angeles history. To better understand the scandal and the painful issues of race and politics it raised, in this episode, Imperfect Parad...

#162: Bowling, bento & burgers, oh my! That's right, it's time for another Cheap Fast Eats, and you know what that means... LAist food editor Gab Chabran is taking Brian on a culinary tour of delicious (and wallet-friendly) meals and snacks. This time they're in Gardena, and they're hitting up everything from Hawaiian diner-slash-bowling alleys to walk-through burger windows.  Restaurants visi...

#161: I know it doesn’t really feel like it yet, but the colder months are coming. And sorry to say but that means more people getting sick – with colds, the flu, and COVID – in LA. That comes with spending more time indoors, and doing the whole holiday travel thing. Already there’s been a bump in reported COVID cases, especially as people return to the office in person.  To get a sense of what to...

#160: As we've told you, L.A. is the the epicenter of fast fashion in the US, but there's a lot of people here working to make the industry more sustainable. We'll talk about what sustainable fashion is, who is doing it and what is means for the garment district downtown. Today, How To LA host Brian De Los Santos and producer Megan Botel head downtown to chat with Mary Price, founder of the sustai...

#159: The Writers Guild of America strike came to an end last week. This week, members will vote to ratify the contract. That appears to be on course as — at first review — the deal seems to be a good one, with provisions on streaming residuals and limits on the use of AI. For a better understanding on where things go from here, How to LA brings back two writers we spoke to when the picketing bega...

This is How To LA , the podcast that helps you navigate this city. I’m Brian De Los Santos. I want to share with you another podcast from LAist Studios that I think you’ll really want to listen to: Imperfect Paradise: Nury & The Secret Tapes. For the next few weeks, we’ll be dropping episodes every Friday. Nury & The Secret Tapes is an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the biggest politi...

#158: Destination Crenshaw. It's the multimillion L.A. City project spearheaded by the non-profit of the same name. It aims to revitalize the historic Black community with new parks, more trees and millions of dollars infused into the area's arts and culture. But like with change in any neighborhood, there's the inevitable question of what else it will bring. Will it become overcrowded? Will it be...

#157: It’s been almost one year since a secret recording of four powerful Latino leaders in Los Angeles leaked to the public, setting off one of the biggest political scandals in L.A. history. Then-City Council President Nury Martinez, Councilmembers Gil Cedillo and Kevin De León, and labor leader Ron Herrera were caught on tape making racist, demeaning comments about Indigenous people, Black Ange...