How To LA

Episodes

Listen • 50:06

Listen • 50:06

This Old House Radio Hour: Designing for Disaster: How Los Angeles Builds Back Smarter + Saving The Outsider’s House + Four DIY Fixes: Chimneys, Circuits, Ceilings, and Steam

This week on This Old House Radio Hour—what does it mean to rebuild not just homes, but entire communities?

Sunset Magazine editor-in-chief Hugh Garvey joins us to discuss the magazine’s special issue devoted to the rebuilding of Altadena and Pacific Palisades in the wake of January’s devastating wildfires. Sunset, a voice in California architecture for over 125 years, has assembled an extraordinary coalition of architects, planners, artists, and historians. Together, they offer not just a plan, but a call to action—for fire-resilient homes, culturally grounded design, and a West that can weather what’s coming.

Then we travel from the hills of Los Angeles to the streets of Tulsa, where Danny Boy O’Connor—from House of Pain—takes us inside his remarkable second act. After bottoming out, he bought a run-down house for $15,000... and it just happened to be the house from The Outsiders. What followed was a full restoration, a pilgrimage, and a new life. We take a tour of the Outsiders Museum and meet the community that made it possible.

Later, Cheap Old Houses is back—Ethan and Elizabeth Finkelstein spotlight a dreamy 1870s Victorian in Fredonia, Kentucky and an off-the-grid cabin on federal forest land in Snoqualmie Pass, Washington, both for under $100,000.

Plus, another round of House Rules, our listener-powered game that tests your home renovation know-how. And in The Simple Fix, we show you how to find a stud in your baseboard—without breaking the wall.

And as always, we’re taking your calls. Got a house problem, project hurdle, or just need a little advice? Call us at (877) 864-7460.

All that and more, coming up on This Old House Radio Hour.

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Listen • 19:49

Listen • 19:49

What Makes 'Bungalow Courts' So Special Ft Etan Rosenbloom

#254: The National Register of Historic Places is the federal government’s official list of locations it considers worthy of preservation. There are more than 98,000 places on the register, and about 600 of them are in L.A. County.
Angeleno Etan Rosenbloom is on a quest to visit them all. Since 2021, he's visted more than 200 spots in L.A., and he chronicles his journeys on his website and social media accounts, all titled "Etan Does LA."
We recently asked Etan to show us something on the National Register that we might not know about already, and when we said Pasadena, one of his first thoughts was: bungalow courts.
Listen

Listen

Revival House: The Highland Theatre says Goodbye

#245: Revival House is breaking format for this episode, and we’re saying goodbye to a historic first-run movie theater.

The Highland Theatre in Highland Park was one of the only movie theaters in Northeast LA. A designated historic cultural monument, the exterior will remain intact, but its future is uncertain.

In this episode, How To LA producer Victoria Alejandro chats with host Brian De Los Santos about community memories, the history of the theater, and what might be next…

Links we mentioned in this episode:

Eastsider LA

Los Angeles Theatres

Guests: Highland Park Independent Film Festival co-founder and executive director, Marita De La Torre; historian and film professor Ross Melnick, and local employee Denise Hernandez
Listen • 14:59
Listen • 14:59

The Best Hikes To See Wildflowers This Spring
#252: The rain is, we hope, behind us. Although it could bring us another big wildflower bloom like last year.

We all might know the popular – and overcrowded – spots to see the blooms, like Anza Borrego Desert State Park and Antelope Valley. But today, the How To LA team comes together to offer its take on best hikes to see wildflowers, and maybe even a waterfall.

P.S. Please use these tips wisely! Do not step on, or pick, the flowers, stay on the path and leave nothing but footprints behind. Be a good steward of the land!

How To LA Team recs:

Evan Jacoby, producer:
- The Backbone Trail, Santa Monica Mountains. Start at Mishe Mokwa Trailhead
Megan Botel, producer:
- Zuma Canyon Trail, short and sweet
- Zuma Canyon Loop Trail, long and hard
- Lily’s Malibu, amazing Mexican grub
Jens Campbell, production coordinator:
- Claremont Wilderness Park (includes info about the Claremont Loop & Thompson Creek Trail)
- Whittier Narrows
- Frank G. Bonelli Park
Megan Larson, executive producer:
- The Grato Trail, park at Circle X Ranch
- Escondido Falls
- Use Seek app with kids!
For an expert take, listen to the Theodor Payne Foundation's wildflower hotline:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/theodore-payne-foundation-wild-flower-hotline/id1676116861
Listen • 27:08

Listen • 27:08

REDUX: Composer And LAUSD Grad Kris Bowers On His 'Last Repair Shop'

#243: We're bringing you an encore presentation of our interview with composer Kris Bowers about the documentary short he co-directed called "The Last Repair Shop." The film won an Oscar this past Sunday. This episode originally aired on February 27, 2024.

Today we’re talking to pianist, film composer and LAUSD alumnus Kris Bowers. Bowers has composed the scores for films like "Green Book," "King Richard" and "The Color Purple," and streaming series like "Dear White People" and "Bridgerton."

But that LAUSD part of his resume is very relevant to one of his latest projects.

It’s a short documentary that Bowers co-directed (along with Ben Proudfoot) called “The Last Repair Shop." It's all about the technicians who work in a repair shop downtown, fixing and tuning the more than 100,000 instruments the district provides to students, free of charge.

In addition to an Oscar nod, the film has also inspired a $15 million capital campaign — to raise funds for the repair shop and for a student apprenticeship program.
Listen • 14:11

Listen • 14:11

REDUX: Everything You Need To Know About SoCal's Wildflower Bloom

#90: We're bringing back an episode from last wildflower season to kick off this one! Last year was a very wet winter, and this one was no different. This episode original aired on April 14, 2023.

Happy wildflower season! Have you seen all the wildflowers popping up around the city and beyond lately? Our very wet winter has paid off, and SoCal's spectacular array of wildflowers is our reward. Today, botanist Evan Meyer tells us all about SoCal's special bloom.

California is one of the few places in the world that experiences this explosion of color beginning each spring. Learn how the state's Mediterranean climate produces our unique wildflower seasons and – most importantly – how to responsibly enjoy the blooms without disturbing the delicate ecosystem.

Guest: Evan Meyer, executive director of the Theodore Payne Foundation
Listen • 18:11

Listen • 18:11

Down To Feast, with LA Try Guy: Westchester

#251: You know this podcast LOVES our food episodes, so we're teaming up with someone who loves LA's food scene as much as we do: Alex Cottrell, better known as LA Try Guy. In this new segment, Down To Feast, Brian and Alex show each other their favorite meal in the neighborhood. This first one is in Westchester, so next time you're going to LAX (or next time you're in the need of some ridiculously delicious Jamaican food) you've got some solid recommendations to choose from.

Best Chicken Sausage Sammich (Brian): The Coffee Company

Best Oxtail (Alex): Hungry Joes

Music in this episode composed by: Austin Cross, Cortex, Dexter Thomas, Makoto Matsushita, Moon Mullins, The Sweet Enoughs
Listen • 22:39

Listen • 22:39

Revival House: The Gardena Cinema's Fight to Stay Open

#250:

As we continue our series "Revival House," How To LA producer Victoria Alejandro is taking us to the South Bay of LA. We're checking out the Gardena Cinema, which pivoted to revival screenings relatively recently.

The theater has been owned by the Kim family since 1976, and is now a non-profit run by Judy Kim and a team of 40 volunteers. Kim has saved the cinema from closures a handful of times now, and has also built up an incredible community of folks dedicated to keeping the cinema running.

Join us as we explore this theater's past and future.

Guests: Theater owner Judy Kim and volunteers Adela Tobon, Bill DeFrance, Cifen, and Conor Holt.
Listen • 17:19

Listen • 17:19

For The Love Of Griffith Park

#249: Who needs Central Park when we have Griffith? Griffith Park is smack in the middle of LA - but did you know it's also central to LA's development as a city? The 4,200 acre park has a LOT of history, from 1960's social & political movements, to Spanish colony-era land deals, to Tongva villages.

Today we're walking along the park's historic Ferndell trail with LA Explained reporter, Caitlin Hernandez, to learn more about what makes this place so special.