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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.

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.
Listen 24:30

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Hey there! After 317 new episodes, the How to LA team is turning the page. We won't be producing weekly episodes anymore, but you'll hear our reporting on LAist 89.3 FM, on our website and on social media. Before we exited the party, we wanted to hang out with our homies, comadres and contributors one last time.

Thank you for lettings us in your homes, speakers and communities. Follow along at LAist.com/newsletters and Instagram.

Guests:
Gab Chabrán, LAist food editor

Cato Hernández, LAist reporter

Joshua Letona, LAist social media producer

Erin Stone, LAist reporter

Antonia Cereijido, LAist Studios host

Monica Bushman, LAist Studios producer

Victoria Alejandro, LAist Studios producer

Hasta luego, friends ❤️

Hey there! After 317 new episodes, the How to LA team is turning the page. We won't be producing weekly episodes anymore, but you'll hear our reporting on LAist 89.3 FM, on our website and on social media. Before we exited the party, we wanted to hang out with our homies, comadres and contributors one last time.

Thank you for lettings us in your homes, speakers and communities. Follow along at LAist.com/newsletters and Instagram.

Guests:
Gab Chabrán, LAist food editor

Cato Hernández, LAist reporter

Joshua Letona, LAist social media producer

Erin Stone, LAist reporter

Antonia Cereijido, LAist Studios host

Monica Bushman, LAist Studios producer

Victoria Alejandro, LAist Studios producer

Listen 13:37

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#145: Now that you've recovered from Taylormania and the Beyhive hitting LA and SoFi Stadium, football season is HERE. The Rams AND the Chargers now share a stadium in Inglewood and the regular season games kick off September 10. We get the lowdown on everything you need to know to get ready for the season of pro football in LA even if you don't count yourself as a big fan.

Guest: Sports Illustrated writer Gilberto Manzano.

So Is LA Officially A Football Town???

#145: Now that you've recovered from Taylormania and the Beyhive hitting LA and SoFi Stadium, football season is HERE. The Rams AND the Chargers now share a stadium in Inglewood and the regular season games kick off September 10. We get the lowdown on everything you need to know to get ready for the season of pro football in LA even if you don't count yourself as a big fan.

Guest: Sports Illustrated writer Gilberto Manzano.
Listen 13:27

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#144: Just a heads up there is some explicit language used towards the end of this episode. Please be advised.

There have been MANY government scandals that have been exposed in our city.

Just in the last year: Former LA Councilmember Mark Ridley Thomas was just sentenced to 42 months in prison plus 30-thousand in fines for corruption. Councilmember Curren Price was charged with multiple counts of embezzlement, perjury and conflict of interest earlier this summer. And last fall leaked racist tapes exposed councilwoman Nury Martinez, forcing her to resign.

When corruption like this pops up - it sparks outrage. There are usually protests and officials are fired and sometimes arrested. It can all be super disheartening. So, what can we do? How do we ACTUALLY hold our local officials accountable? Today, we speak with LAist’s Civics and Democracy reporter Brianna Lee, who recently wrote a guide on how to do just that.

Guest: Brianna Lee, Engagement Producer, Civics and Democracy for LAist

Read Brianna's guide on LAist here.

How To Watchdog Your Local Government

#144: Just a heads up there is some explicit language used towards the end of this episode. Please be advised.

There have been MANY government scandals that have been exposed in our city.

Just in the last year: Former LA Councilmember Mark Ridley Thomas was just sentenced to 42 months in prison plus 30-thousand in fines for corruption. Councilmember Curren Price was charged with multiple counts of embezzlement, perjury and conflict of interest earlier this summer. And last fall leaked racist tapes exposed councilwoman Nury Martinez, forcing her to resign.

When corruption like this pops up - it sparks outrage. There are usually protests and officials are fired and sometimes arrested. It can all be super disheartening. So, what can we do? How do we ACTUALLY hold our local officials accountable? Today, we speak with LAist’s Civics and Democracy reporter Brianna Lee, who recently wrote a guide on how to do just that.

Guest: Brianna Lee, Engagement Producer, Civics and Democracy for LAist

Read Brianna's guide on LAist here.
Listen 11:30

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#82: Happy Labor Day, Los Angeles. We hope you are able to enjoy the day off, but we realize many of you may have to work today. This holiday was created for the workers by the labor movement back in the late 19th century. So on this day we are resurfacing a conversation we had earlier this year about the role of organized labor today. Because, if you haven’t noticed, there’s been a LOT of picketing in L.A. this summer.

Guests: Jonathan Harris, professor, Loyola Law School; Diana Reddy, assistant professor at the UC Berkeley School of Law (she was a doctoral fellow when we spoke to her in March)

How Effective Are Strikes Anyway? - REDUX

#82: Happy Labor Day, Los Angeles. We hope you are able to enjoy the day off, but we realize many of you may have to work today. This holiday was created for the workers by the labor movement back in the late 19th century. So on this day we are resurfacing a conversation we had earlier this year about the role of organized labor today. Because, if you haven’t noticed, there’s been a LOT of picketing in L.A. this summer.

Guests: Jonathan Harris, professor, Loyola Law School; Diana Reddy, assistant professor at the UC Berkeley School of Law (she was a doctoral fellow when we spoke to her in March)
Listen 21:41

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#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 LA just turned one (!) we thought it'd be fitting to feature some of the most iconic spots in Los Angeles that are hitting the century mark (Others to come: the LA Memorial Coliseum and the Hollywood sign).

The Biltmore opened to the public in 1923 and it has such an interesting history, including becoming the place to be in prohibition-era Los Angeles, its role in the origins of the Academy Awards and its significance to the notorious Black Dahlia murder case. And that’s just the beginning.

Guest: journalist Hadley Meares, who's written about The Biltmore's history for LAist

The Biltmore Hotel Downtown Is A History-Lover's (And Ghost-Hunter's) Dream

#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 LA just turned one (!) we thought it'd be fitting to feature some of the most iconic spots in Los Angeles that are hitting the century mark (Others to come: the LA Memorial Coliseum and the Hollywood sign).

The Biltmore opened to the public in 1923 and it has such an interesting history, including becoming the place to be in prohibition-era Los Angeles, its role in the origins of the Academy Awards and its significance to the notorious Black Dahlia murder case. And that’s just the beginning.

Guest: journalist Hadley Meares, who's written about The Biltmore's history for LAist
Listen 16:35

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#142: We've talked a lot about Inglewood lately... and for good reason. The city is a booming scene for entertainment right now with SoFi, the Forum, the new Youtube Theater... not to mention, all the sports teams that call Inglewood home. Beyoncé is just the latest megastar to dominate the town with multiple concerts.

But with those changes come the good, the bad, and the ugly. And some people worry whether the new Inglewood will still have room for them.

So today, we hit the streets of Inglewood to talk to long-time resident AND mayor, James Butts, to get a better understanding of the city's trajectory.

Guest: Inglewood Mayor James T Butts, Jr.

Music in this episode composed by: D Smoke, Dexter Thomas, Evan, Mamman Sani, Modarchive, SiR

Discovering Inglewood's Past, Present & Future

#142: We've talked a lot about Inglewood lately... and for good reason. The city is a booming scene for entertainment right now with SoFi, the Forum, the new Youtube Theater... not to mention, all the sports teams that call Inglewood home. Beyoncé is just the latest megastar to dominate the town with multiple concerts.

But with those changes come the good, the bad, and the ugly. And some people worry whether the new Inglewood will still have room for them.

So today, we hit the streets of Inglewood to talk to long-time resident AND mayor, James Butts, to get a better understanding of the city's trajectory.

Guest: Inglewood Mayor James T Butts, Jr.

Music in this episode composed by: D Smoke, Dexter Thomas, Evan, Mamman Sani, Modarchive, SiR
Listen 17:05

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#141: Whitewater kayaking might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you picture the L.A. River. Too much concrete, right? Not enough water? Well, think again. Kayaking the L.A. River officially became legal in 2011 when the EPA declared it a "navigable waterway." And turns out... it's pretty fun!

Join How to LAhostBrian De Los Santos and producer Evan Jacoby as they paddle down a 2-mile stretch of river that does NOT have a concrete bottom and passes through the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Preserve.

Guests: Gary Golding, guide with LA River Expeditions & survivalist; Dennis Mabasa, COO of Friends of the LA River

There's a lot of local stewards of the river who are working to make sure that parts of it can be enjoyed by all of us Angelenos as well as the birds and resident critters. If you want to keep up to date on all the things going on with the river, make sure to follow FOLAR on social media or check out their website at folar.org

Also, you check out more info on the river on LAist.com/HowToLA.

Navigating the LA River – And Its Activist History – In a Kayak

#141: Whitewater kayaking might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you picture the L.A. River. Too much concrete, right? Not enough water? Well, think again. Kayaking the L.A. River officially became legal in 2011 when the EPA declared it a "navigable waterway." And turns out... it's pretty fun!

Join How to LAhostBrian De Los Santos and producer Evan Jacoby as they paddle down a 2-mile stretch of river that does NOT have a concrete bottom and passes through the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Preserve.

Guests: Gary Golding, guide with LA River Expeditions & survivalist; Dennis Mabasa, COO of Friends of the LA River

There's a lot of local stewards of the river who are working to make sure that parts of it can be enjoyed by all of us Angelenos as well as the birds and resident critters. If you want to keep up to date on all the things going on with the river, make sure to follow FOLAR on social media or check out their website at folar.org

Also, you check out more info on the river on LAist.com/HowToLA.
Listen 24:48

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#140: We're back with another segment of How I Got Started, the series where we bring you the stories of artists, community leaders, and all around cool people living and following their passions in LA.

Today, we're hanging out with Etienne Maurice. He’s an actor and filmmaker, a homegrown Angeleno, but he's also a community builder and a wellness leader. He's become widely known for is founding the group WalkGood LA. It’s a movement that's all about getting brown and Black folks outside and into their bodies.

WalkGood puts on yoga classes at Kenneth Hahn Park, hosts runs and walks in West Adams, hikes and other physical and mental health workshops — for free. The work is totally volunteer based.

The wellness space is soooo often seen as overwhelmingly white, so Etienne is working to make sure brown and Black folks connect with nature and wellness too.

It was born during a time of serious confusion and unrest. We were three months into the pandemic and George Floyd had just been murdered at the hands of police.

As Maurice tells us, he just wanted to create a space where people could breath. Take a listen to his story of how he –– and a movement –– got started.

Guest: Founder of WalkGood LA, Etienne Maurice

How I Got Started: Community Builder Etienne Maurice

#140: We're back with another segment of How I Got Started, the series where we bring you the stories of artists, community leaders, and all around cool people living and following their passions in LA.

Today, we're hanging out with Etienne Maurice. He’s an actor and filmmaker, a homegrown Angeleno, but he's also a community builder and a wellness leader. He's become widely known for is founding the group WalkGood LA. It’s a movement that's all about getting brown and Black folks outside and into their bodies.

WalkGood puts on yoga classes at Kenneth Hahn Park, hosts runs and walks in West Adams, hikes and other physical and mental health workshops — for free. The work is totally volunteer based.

The wellness space is soooo often seen as overwhelmingly white, so Etienne is working to make sure brown and Black folks connect with nature and wellness too.

It was born during a time of serious confusion and unrest. We were three months into the pandemic and George Floyd had just been murdered at the hands of police.

As Maurice tells us, he just wanted to create a space where people could breath. Take a listen to his story of how he –– and a movement –– got started.

Guest: Founder of WalkGood LA, Etienne Maurice
Listen 13:53

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#61: OK - with the summer heat back on our backs, it might be hard to remember that just a week ago we had a record-smashing storm. But all that rain had some of our listeners asking us... Where does all that rainwater go? Well the good news is, we did a whole episode answering that question this past winter. But the bad news is... a lot of that water still goes out to sea. But there's plans to try and change that. Take a listen.

-- --

Remember those intense storms in early January? L.A. County said it captured some 33 BILLION gallons of stormwater to use later and support about 800,000 households a year. It's an important step to help us get through the drought years.

But that awesome number is less than 20% of the total rain water. The other 80% washed right out to sea.

Today we're explaining why that is... and what the county is doing to improve. We're also checking out a success story in a neighborhood park in South LA, that might hold the answer to LA's water woes.

Guests: Erin Stone, LAist Climate Emergency reporter; Steve Frasher, public information officer for LA County Public Works; and Bruce Reznick, executive director of LA Waterkeeper

To learn more about this project, check out Erin's article: https://laist.com/news/climate-environment/how-capturing-more-stormwater-can-also-make-city-parks-better

The Future Of Stormwater Capture in LA - REDUX

#61: OK - with the summer heat back on our backs, it might be hard to remember that just a week ago we had a record-smashing storm. But all that rain had some of our listeners asking us... Where does all that rainwater go? Well the good news is, we did a whole episode answering that question this past winter. But the bad news is... a lot of that water still goes out to sea. But there's plans to try and change that. Take a listen.

-- --

Remember those intense storms in early January? L.A. County said it captured some 33 BILLION gallons of stormwater to use later and support about 800,000 households a year. It's an important step to help us get through the drought years.

But that awesome number is less than 20% of the total rain water. The other 80% washed right out to sea.

Today we're explaining why that is... and what the county is doing to improve. We're also checking out a success story in a neighborhood park in South LA, that might hold the answer to LA's water woes.

Guests: Erin Stone, LAist Climate Emergency reporter; Steve Frasher, public information officer for LA County Public Works; and Bruce Reznick, executive director of LA Waterkeeper

To learn more about this project, check out Erin's article: https://laist.com/news/climate-environment/how-capturing-more-stormwater-can-also-make-city-parks-better

Brian De Los Santos, Host
Victoria Alejandro, Producer
Megan Botel, Producer
Monica Bushman, Producer
Evan Jacoby, Producer
Aaricka Washington, Associate Editor
Megan Larson, Executive Producer

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