How To LA

#67: This episode originally aired on February 16, 2023. 

When people think Los Angeles, they don't exactly think soul food. But this city actually has a rich (and delicious) soul food scene mostly in South LA. In this episode, we explore the origins of this epic cuisine, and how it plays a huge role in preserving Black history and culture. We visit South LA soul food staples Serving Spoon in Inglewood, and Mama's Chicken in Hyde Park. 

Guests: Christopher Carter, food and racial justice professor and author of the Spirit of Soul Food; Karen "Mama" Whitman, owner of Mama's Chicken

#57: We're about halfway through the year (can you believe it?). So we're re-upping our new year's resolutions to find more zen. This episode first aired on January 24, 2023.

Whatever self improvement goals you've set for yourself this year, life is still stressful - work pressures, family commitments...not to mention natural disasters, political strife and world crises that you literally have no control over. Well, we want to offer a little respite. Los Angeles actually has a lot to offer in terms of quiet places to walk or meditate that could bring a little peace to a hectic day or week. We are not mental health experts so we are just making suggestions based on what we know we need from time to time to have a little zen in our lives. Host Brian De Los Santos checks out a few special places around the city that are accessible to anyone who is looking for a little calm, and gains a new understanding of the benefits of walking meditation. 

Guests: Diana Winston, director of mindfulness education at UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center; David Jaramillo, director of operations and customer care at The Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness

#113: Foraging doesn't just mean hightailing it to the Santa Monica mountains and looking through brush and wood for mushrooms. There's a whole world of wild, and not-so-wild foods growing all around us — in our Urban Forest. Los Angeles has so much to offer, whether you're looking for citrus or loquats or edible flowers. But it's a LOT to learn all by yourself.

So today, HTLA newsletter writer Aaricka Washington is taking Brian De Los Santos on an edible tour of those famous Silverlake stairs... you know, the ones with the hearts on them? She was out there recently with a BIPOC foraging group to learn how to forage for the first time, and now she's sharing what she learned — and the community she gained — with Brian.

Be sure to check out Aaricka's newsletter for photos and more information about the group she went out with:

Want To Learn How To Forage? There's An Inclusive Workshop Right Here In LA

Music in this episode composed by: Austin Cross, Mort Garson, Naran Ratan, & Woo

#112: On June 27, a special election will be held to choose the candidate who will replace former L.A. City Council President Nury Martinez.

You might remember that she resigned in the wake of a scandal last fall, having been caught making racist ands other ugly comments during a group conversation that was secretly recorded and made public.

Imelda Padilla and Marisa Alcaraz are both going after her seat in Council District 6, a 20-mile stretch of the city in the San Fernando Valley that includes neighborhoods like Sun Valley, Arleta, Van Nuys and Lake Balboa.

Padilla and Alcaraz were both raised in the area, with similar backgrounds, but they took different career paths. In this episode, we find out who these two are and why you should care about the outcome of this race, even if you don't live or vote in CD 6. 

Guest: Frank Stoltze, LAist Civics & Democracy Correspondent 

For more, read Frank's article:

The ‘Policy Nerd’ Vs. The Grassroots Organizer In LA City Council Race To Replace Nury Martinez

#111: Gloom or Glisten? It’s both... If you listen. The plants are loving these extra cloudy skies, even if some of us are missing that LA sun. And here's the question: is this SAD-inducing set of storms even that unusual for June, or is this the normal we've forgotten during these last years of drought? 

We've got LAist science reporter, Jacob Margolis, to explain all that and more. And for more info, check out his article unpacking June Gloom. Or if you're really in the mood to bundle up in your raincoat, he's got an article on this year's predicted El Niño, too.

#110: River Garza creates fascinating art through the lens of his Tongva and Mexican heritage. HTLA host Brian De Los Santos and River recently spoke at the Autry Museum of the American West, where River's work is currently showing. They spoke about how their cultural identities shape and inform how they show up in the world. 

If you want to check out any future events, make sure to hit up our events page at LAist.com/events

#109: It’s Pride Month, y’all! Throughout June, the LGBTQ+ community has a plethora of parties to choose from in Los Angeles. But, this Pride is finding people at a crossroads. It should be a time to celebrate and dance, but anti-LGBTQ+ headlines and legislation are also weighing heavy on queer hearts. This episode: a roundtable.

HTLA host Brian De Los Santos chats everything Pride related with three guests: Tre’vell Anderson, author of “We See Each Other: A Black Trans Journey Through TV and Film;” Kevin Al Perez from the nonprofit Somos Familia that puts on San Fernando Valley Pride; and Ricardo Sebastian, the executive director of OUTLOUD at WeHo Pride. And if you’re wondering where to look for Pride events this month, check out LAist’s guide by Caitlin Hernandez here.

#108: It's no surprise that homeless is a top concern among Angelenos. The best-available info at this point says there are more than 69,000 people experiencing homeless in L.A. County – a 4% rise from the last time the survey was conducted in 2020.

In a recent LAist survey of 4,339 people, two-thirds of respondents said it's the main thing L.A. Mayor Karen Bass needs to prioritize. One-third of folks says it causes them stress.

Mayor Bass seems to know this. In December she declared a state of emergency and pledged to put 17,000 unhoused people into a mix of interim and permanent housing. She also launched her signature program Inside Safe, which aims to give people living outdoors immediately housing in motels or hotels.

Elected officials and local advocates have been trying to address the issues that lead to homelessness for years, but we’re still here…and many are wondering…how did we get here? How did LA end up with the largest unhoused population in the country? Who’s in charge of what? And how do people ACTUALLY get help? In this episode we'll try to answer these questions. 

Guest: Nick Gerda, unhoused communities reporter for LAist

Wondering how you can help? Here are some tips from Nick's reporting on LAist: 

Request homeless outreach services for a particular unhoused person: Contact LAHSA’s Homeless Outreach Portal. But it could take a few days for an outreach team to show up “due to high demand,” according to LAHSA.

Volunteer and donate to organizations serving unhoused people. Here’s LAHSA’s list of volunteer opportunities by region in L.A. County. And the city’s volunteer referral program: VolunteerLA. You can also volunteer for next year’s point-in-time count at TheyCountWillYou.org.

Support new affordable housing development in neighborhoods: The shortage of affordable housing is widely considered the main driver of the homelessness crisis. Developing more housing — especially affordable and permanent supportive homes — through faster city approvals and support from neighbors — is considered key to addressing the issue. If you want to help these efforts you can speak at public meetings.

Lease to voucher holders: Property owners can lease their vacant properties to people who have federal and local housing vouchers. L.A. County’s program to support landlords is called LeaseUp (more info available here).

For more, check out Nick’s guide:

Your Guide To Understanding Homelessness In LA