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 • 1:03

Listen • 1:03

American Cinematheque's Year Round Film Fest

Celebrating their 40th anniversary this year, screening 1500 movies a year in three iconic theaters across Los Angeles, the American Cinematheque has a movie for everybody, every night of the week. In this episode, How To LA producer Victoria Alejandro jumps into the history of these movie theaters and this programming group to shine a light on a little L.A. moviegoing history and spotlight the future of the American Cinematheque in this city.

Check out our deep dive into the Egyptian Theatre's history and reopening here: https://omny.fm/shows/howtola/revival-house-the-egyptian-theater-redux
Listen • 1:04

Listen • 1:04

Here's Your Chance To See Classic Films In LA's Movie Palaces

The Los Angeles Conservancy is hosting its annual film series, “Last Remaining Seats,” starting June 1 and running through June 15.

They’ll be screening classic movies like Marilyn Monroe’s “The Seven Year Itch” or Bond favorite “From Russia With Love.” But what makes this fest special is that they are all showing in some of LA’s oldest and most opulent theaters…all along Broadway in downtown.

We spoke with the Conservancy's director of education, Sarah Lann about opening up this movie theater opulence to the public.
Listen • 19:51

Listen • 19:51

Cheap Fast Eats #13: West Valley

#284: Gab. Brian. Food. You know the drill — Cheap Fast Eats is back! This time, LAist food editor Gab Chabrán is taking HTLA host Brian De Los Santos to some of the best spots west of Sepulveda Blvd in the 818.
A century ago Wheat and Lemon were the undisputed kings of LA's San Fernando Valley, a spill of land that existed almost exclusively to be farmed. But in the 1950's, as a post-war Los Angeles was flirting ever so closely with car-culture, the first strip malls of suburbia were born.
Today we know these strip malls as the humble homes of the best food the Valley has to offer. Join us to hear about Gab's favorites.
Restaurants visited: Cupid's Hot Dogs, Ay Papa Que Rico, New York Chicken & Gyro
Music in this episode composed by: E Ro 3, Troye Sivan, Herb Ellis, Dexter Thomas, Slumberville, The ModArchive, Makoto Matsushita, Austin Cross
Listen • 24:48

Listen • 24:48

Getting Proud And Loud With VINCINT

#283: WeHo Pride is THIS Weekend! The three-day event celebrating everything LGBTQ will feature drag artists, gay pop icons, and lots and lots of glitter. To get a head start on the festivities, HTLA host Brian De Los Santos sits down with OUTLOUD festival founder Jeff Consoletti, and pop artist VINCINT, to talk about Pride at West Hollywood, and about what it means to be a queer icon.
Listen • 1:49

Listen • 1:49

Looking for Community? Go Find Your 'Church'

For decades, Americans relied on their church, temple or mosque, or other religious institutions, for a sense of built in community. But with more and more people disaffiliating from organized religion in recent decades — particularly since the 90s — we, as a society, haven't really found a replacement for those spaces, and the community and sanctity that comes with them.

Today, producer Megan Botel speaks to USC professor of religion Diane Winston about what has been lost on a personal and community level in the decline of religiosity. She also explores the Pico Union Project, a non-denominational church in L.A. that might offer a solution to some who are looking to find a place to gather with people and share in some sense of spirituality.
Listen • 22:44

Listen • 22:44

The Best Conchas In LA

#128: Happy Memorial Day! The team is off - but we still have a treat for you. (Get it? Because conchas are so sweet?) Ok. Jokes aside, we're replaying this episode because it was recently nominated for a James Beard award, and the team is really excited about that.

But here's the thing... We can't make episodes like this without your help. If you value our flavor of journalism, please donate to keep us going strong.

LAist.com/joinHTLA

This episode originally published on July 7, 2023. Original description below.

Everyone loves a fresh concha – that warm, doughy center with the crunchy cookie shell on the top could send any Angeleno's heart a'flutter. Today, Brian's taking LAist food editor Gab Chabran on a concha crawl. We're exploring the history of this famous Mexican treat, and checking out Brian & Gab's favorite spots across LA.

For more sweet-breaded goodness, check out Gab's article over on LAist.com

Panaderias visited: Panaderia Coatzingo in South LA, Vallarta, y Gusto Bread in Long Beach.

Got a favorite we didn't mention? Send us a DM! instagram.com/LAistofficial

Music in this episode composed by: Aaron Copland, Austin Cross, Haruomi Hosono, Radio Jarocho, Quetzal, Masayoshi Takanaka, The ModArchive, Dexter Thomas, Woo, Yeahman
Listen • 27:48

Listen • 27:48

What It's Like To Cover Your Own Campus Protest

Today we’re putting a spotlight on journalists at Southern California colleges who’ve been covering protests on their campuses. Protesters have been calling for an end to Israeli attacks on Gaza and for their schools to divest from companies tied to Israel and weapons manufacturing.
We heard from students at USC, UC Riverside, CSU Long Beach, and UC Irvine about what this time has been like for them, juggling their roles as journalists and college students.
Check out the story on LAist: What's It Like To Cover Your Own Campus Protest? Here's What Student Journalists Told Us
Listen • 19:52

Listen • 19:52

Revival House: American Cinematheque's Year-Round Film Fest

#281: Revival House says goodbye for now with a look at one of the biggest programming groups in town, the American Cinematheque.
Celebrating their 40th anniversary this year, screening 1,500 movies a year in three iconic theaters across Los Angeles, the American Cinematheque has a movie for everybody, every night of the week.

Check out our deep dive into the Egyptian Theatre's history and reopening here.

Guests: Professor and historian Ross Melnick, American Cinematheque artistic director Grant Moninger, Programmers Imani Davis and Cindy Flores, Senior Film Programmer Chris Lemaire