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 • 16:28

Listen • 16:28

Metro Micro Eyeing An End To $1 Rideshares

#219:

Have you seen those Metro Micro vans around the city? Metro's pilot rideshare program has been offering $1 rides in eight zones around the city since 2020. This year, the fare may be rising.

In this episode, host Brian De Los Santos talks with LAist reporter Makenna Sievertson about the Metro Micro program and what she's been hearing from the public. We also hear from Metro about why they want to continue support to the Metro Micro. Public comment will be accepted until January 18th, with the Metro board set to vote on the fare on January 25th.

Read LAist's coverage here: https://laist.com/news/transportation/metro-micro-costing-more-the-transit-agency-wants-to-hear-your-thoughts

and learn more about the Metro Micro program here: https://micro.metro.net/

Thanks to artist Nat Center for sharing their thoughts on the program with How To LA.

Guests: LAist reporter Makenna Sievertson, Metro Operations Senior Executive Officer Joseph Forgiarini
Listen • 24:10

Listen • 24:10

HTLA, Live! At 'On Air Fest'

#218: Hey there How To LA listeners! Your host Brian De Los Santos here.
We are off today for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but we're still bringing you a fun chat. It's one I had back in November as part of On Air Fest's Open House at dublab here in L.A.

It was a very cool, day-long immersive sound and storytelling event, free and open to the public, and Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido and I were there to rep our LAist Studios podcasts.

I was excited to be joined by one of our wonderful past guests — photographer and homegrown artist Elon Schoenholz — for a live in-studio interview. You might remember him from episode #183. We took a dreamy drive around downtown L.A. with producer Victoria Alejandro and talked about how Elon captures L.A. in photographs, often taken from his car. But we started off the show with a taste of past How To LA episodes focused on L.A. neighborhoods.
Listen • 26:34

Listen • 26:34

Evicted From Little Tokyo - What's Next For Suehiro Cafe?

#217: Little Tokyo is losing legacy businesses, and the neighborhood gets a little less Japanese-American with each one. The latest to leave is iconic restaurant Suehiro Cafe - which opened in 1972. Second-generation owner Kenji Suzuki joins us to talk about his family's history with the restaurant, and what's next for them and for the rest of the Little Tokyo community.

Suehiro Cafe is now operating out of their new location at 400 Main St., a few blocks south of Little Tokyo.

Guests: Kenji & Tomoko Suzuki, owners of Suehiro Cafe; Mariko Lochridge, small business programs coordinator at Little Tokyo Service Center

Music in this episode composed by:cero, Dexter Thomas, Evan Jacoby, Frankie Reyes, Geir Sundstøl, 細野晴臣, Ill Considered, カシオペア, K. Leimer, ランプ, Maston, Roedelius, 高橋幸宏, Woo
Listen • 14:47

Listen • 14:47

Can LA's CARE Court Help Those Struggling With Mental Illness?

#216: As a society we’ve been talking about it a LOT in recent years. Some call it a crisis. And public officials have been taking up more initiatives to try to address this on a societal level.

In early December, a state-wide program launched in Los Angeles County aimed at helping those with severe and untreated mental illness: CARE Court. Last October it also opened in Orange County.

It allows family members, healthcare workers or first responders to petition a judge to step in with a proposed treatment plan for people who have struggled to get the help they need.

CARE Court has been championed by Governor Gavin Newsom and has its share of supporters. But it also has critics.

Guest: Robert Garrova, mental health reporter for LAist
Listen • 23:49

Listen • 23:49

Digging Into LA’s Past, Present and Future at La Brea Tar Pits

#215: How To LA is getting sciency! We're checking out 30,000 year old baby bison bones, extinct giant sloths and the jaws of American Lions.

L.A. might be more known its entertainment industry and beach weather. But the city is ALSO home to the only active urban fossil dig site in the world: La Brea Tar Pits.

These bubbling pools of asphalt coming out of the ground are the richest source of Ice Age fossils on earth.

Today, HTLA digs into the history of the Tar Pits and how it's continuing to serve the research community today with asst. curator Dr. Emily Lindsey.

Guests: Emily Lindsey, Associate Curator and Excavation Site Director, La Brea Tar Pits
Listen • 10:34
Listen • 10:34

How Did LA's Affordable Housing Shortage Get So Bad?
#214: Today we are gonna get into the idea of affordable housing – what it really means and where it came from.

If you’ve looked for a house or apartment in L.A. in recent years, you’re probably questioning if there is any affordable housing in the region. By some estimates, L.A. County has a shortage of half a million affordable homes.

There was a time when the government was a lot more involved in ensuring that housing was affordable for people. What happened?

Guest:
- L.A. Explained reporter Caitlin Hernández
Listen • 10:19

Listen • 10:19

The Largest Urban Oil Field In The Nation Is In LA. Its Days Are Numbered

#213: Did you know that here in Los Angeles we’ve got the largest urban oil field in the U.S.? The Inglewood Oil Field spans 1,000 acres and is largely overseen by Los Angeles County (and a portion by Culver City).

The oil field dates all the way back to 1924 when oil and natural gas resources were discovered there. But soon, the drilling could come to an end, following a milestone settlement that's part of a movement to phase out oil fields all over L.A.

Guest: LAist's climate emergency reporter Erin Stone
Listen • 15:43

Listen • 15:43

Will 2024 Be Another Wild Year For LA Politics?

#212: The past few years have been kind of a roller coaster when it comes to city politics in Los Angeles. Today, we’re talking about what could be in store for L.A. politics in 2024, and what you need to look out for this election year.

Guest: LAist Civics and Democracy correspondent Frank Stoltze