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 • 17:50

Listen • 17:50

Hit pause and rewind! VHS is making a comeback

#299:

VCRs are buzzing again in the city...that's right! Watching a movie on VHS is back! But in 2024, with streaming and Blu-Ray, why watch something on tape? HTLA producer Victoria Alejandro spoke with VHS vendors, collectors, and other tape aficionados around the city (including filmmaker Vera Drew of "The People's Joker") to understand the subculture, the community, and let YOU know why tapes are back, baby!

Guests: Filmmaker Vera Drew, head of Altered Innocence Frank Jaffe, Michelle Halac and Alex Gootter of Hollywood Entertainment, Erik Varho and Jessica Gonzales from Whammy!, Eliana Oropeza from Aztec Pickers, Jackie Forsythe from AMIA
Listen • 20:21

Listen • 20:21

HTLA Presents: L.A. On The Margins - Jahmark, the soul shaker

We are back with another installment of LA on the Margins —USC student produced profiles of people in our community who are working through the many challenges life in the city can throw at you.

In this final episode, we meet a reggae artist who is trying to make it in this beautiful, complicated city... and supporting his art by driving for Uber.

Through reporter Yundie Li, we learn about his struggle with balancing the "city of the gig worker" with the "city of creativity."

Take a listen.
Listen • 26:17

Listen • 26:17

HTLA Presents: L.A. On The Margins - Mens Central Jail

We're back with another installment of LA On The Margins, a collection of stories produced by students at USC. This time, reporter Sophie Sullivan takes us to the largest jail in LA County — a jail considered by many to be uninhabitable, and which, in 2021, was ordered closed by L.A. County Supervisors due to "inhumane conditions." But the jail still stands today.

In this episode, we hear from families whose loved ones died while in custody of the jail and who now seek answers as to why.

A warning - this episode contains mentions of suicide and includes strong language.

This story was co-published and supported by the journalism non-profit the Economic Hardship Reporting Project.
Listen • 14:03

Listen • 14:03

Why 'kitten season’ is such a tough time for LA’s cat crusaders

#298: Did you know that we are in the middle of kitten season? It's a super busy time for shelter workers, cat rescues, and the many Angelenos who volunteer their time to help save cats.

Today we're talking about those folks and what’s being done in L.A. and OC to try to improve the lives of free-roaming cats in Southern California.

Guests: Marisol Ramos, Boyle Heights Cats; Dr. Kate Hurley, Koret Shelter Medicine Program at UC Davis; Meredith Kirby, OC Community Cats
Listen • 14:03

Listen • 14:03

Why 'kitten season’ is such a tough time for LA’s cat crusaders

#298: Did you know that we are in the middle of kitten season? It's a super busy time for shelter workers, cat rescues, and the many Angelenos who volunteer their time to help save cats.

Today we are talking about those folks and what’s being done in L.A. and OC to try to improve the lives of free-roaming cats in Southern California. According to L.A.'s Department of Animal Services, there’s about 960,000 of them in the city of L.A. alone.

Read more at LAist: ‘Kitten season’ sounds cute, but it’s one of the toughest times for LA’s cat crusaders
Listen • 19:22

Listen • 19:22

Our favorite beaches in LA to beat the heat

#297: Looking to escape the heat this summer? Well, look no further than LA's biggest swimming pool. We've got the team here with Brian in LAist's Studio B to share our favorite coastal recommendations, whether you're looking for a place to have quiet picnic or you're learning to tandem surf with your dog.

All summer we'll have more recommendations for more ways to spend your weekend, so keep an ear out!
Listen • 11:37

Listen • 11:37

This cooking class provides support for refugees and migrants

#296:

Flavors From Afar is a caterer and soon to be restaurant in East Hollywood. As part of the nonprofit TIYAA Foundation, Flavors From Afar also hosts a culinary training program for folks from all over the globe who are new to this city. Consisting of migrants and refugees resettling in L.A. and looking for work, it's an 8 week training program designed to teach aspiring chefs everything from knife skills to applying for licenses. Associate editor Aaricka Washington checked out a class and is on HTLA to tell host Brian De Los Santos all about it.

Check out their website for culinary sessions, catering and the Global Dinner Series here: https://www.flavorsfromafar.co/

And if you're curious, the next culinary session course for new participants will begin August 6th.
Listen • 57:26

Listen • 57:26

Announcing the OFFICIAL best burger in LA

BONUS: The Tournament of Cheeseburgers is over! And we have your winner. Read alll about it here: https://laist.com/news/food/drumroll-please-we-announce-the-winner-of-the-laist-tournament-of-cheeseburgers

This pop up joint along with some of the runner ups will be at Smorgasburg at The Row in DTLA this Sunday! Make sure to check out the free event and enjoy some excellent food.

RSVP here: https://laist.com/events/tournament-of-cheeseburgers-at-smorgasburg-la

To honor this delicious moment we are sharing again a great live event I co-hosted with LAist food editor Gab Chabrán earlier this year, featuring the one and only winner of the Tournament of Cheeseburgers and other amazing burger entrepreneurs and chefs LA.

Watch the event here: https://laist.com/events/culinary-connections-hamburger-fry