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How To LA
How To LA helped curious Angelenos connect with others, discover the new, navigate the confusing, and even drive some change along the way. Host Brian De Los Santos brought you stories about L.A., for L.A., by L.A. — with your help — from August 2022 to July 2025.
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Episodes
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Listen 50:06This 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 SteamThis 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 24:30Hey 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
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Listen 13:00#61: 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
#61: 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
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Listen 11:37#60: It's been a little more than a week since a shooter killed 11 people at the Star Dance Studio in Monterey Park. The grief and the sense of shattered security won’t go away easily – if ever – but the healing process has begun. At vigils and Lunar New Year Festivals, communities of the San Gabriel Valley came together to mourn those who died and to celebrate life. So we were there...to capture and understand this healing process from the community level.
#60: It's been a little more than a week since a shooter killed 11 people at the Star Dance Studio in Monterey Park. The grief and the sense of shattered security won’t go away easily – if ever – but the healing process has begun. At vigils and Lunar New Year Festivals, communities of the San Gabriel Valley came together to mourn those who died and to celebrate life. So we were there...to capture and understand this healing process from the community level.
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Listen 14:41#59: The deadline for ending COVID-era eviction protections got pushed...and pushed again. Now the deadline is at the end of March. Unless, of course, L.A. County officials punt it one more time. There's been a lot of confusion out there about what's going on. Landlords are angry. Tenants are scared. Brian De Los Santos talks to LAist Housing Reporter David Wagner about how we got to this point, and what might happen next. If you are looking for some answers, we got some here. Plus, David has written a handy guide, including everything renters need to know about this process: https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/los-angeles-county-city-eviction-guide
#59: The deadline for ending COVID-era eviction protections got pushed...and pushed again. Now the deadline is at the end of March. Unless, of course, L.A. County officials punt it one more time. There's been a lot of confusion out there about what's going on. Landlords are angry. Tenants are scared. Brian De Los Santos talks to LAist Housing Reporter David Wagner about how we got to this point, and what might happen next. If you are looking for some answers, we got some here. Plus, David has written a handy guide, including everything renters need to know about this process: https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/los-angeles-county-city-eviction-guide
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Listen 15:56#58: LAist Food Editor Gab Chabran and HTLA Host Brian De Los Santos are at it again, eating everything in sight that's good and cheap. This time they're hitting up Culver City - a city steeped in moviemaking history that is very much part of LA but with its own personality. It's kinda like where urban meets suburban, and where there is a lot of good grub.
Featured restaurants: Empanadas Place, Jasmine Market & Deli, Sexy Beans.
Check out Gab's full article here: https://laist.com/news/food/slurpable-asian-noodles-rustic-empanadas-and-sexy-beans-welcome-to-cheap-fast-eats-culver-city
#58: LAist Food Editor Gab Chabran and HTLA Host Brian De Los Santos are at it again, eating everything in sight that's good and cheap. This time they're hitting up Culver City - a city steeped in moviemaking history that is very much part of LA but with its own personality. It's kinda like where urban meets suburban, and where there is a lot of good grub.
Featured restaurants: Empanadas Place, Jasmine Market & Deli, Sexy Beans.
Check out Gab's full article here: https://laist.com/news/food/slurpable-asian-noodles-rustic-empanadas-and-sexy-beans-welcome-to-cheap-fast-eats-culver-city
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Listen 12:04#56: Following the mass shooting in Monterey Park, a lot of focus has been placed on the mental health of people in the larger Asian American Pacific Islander community. The realization that the suspected shooter in this case -- and in another recent incident in Half Moon Bay -- was an older Asian man, a senior citizen, has brought about a closer examination of the generational divide in the AAPI community when it comes to one's mental health and a willingness to see help. How to LA host Brian De Los Santos explores that divide and what's being done to help elders in the AAPI get what they need in terms of services.
Guest:
Myron Dean Quon, Chief Executive Officer at Pacific Asian Counseling Services.
#56: Following the mass shooting in Monterey Park, a lot of focus has been placed on the mental health of people in the larger Asian American Pacific Islander community. The realization that the suspected shooter in this case -- and in another recent incident in Half Moon Bay -- was an older Asian man, a senior citizen, has brought about a closer examination of the generational divide in the AAPI community when it comes to one's mental health and a willingness to see help. How to LA host Brian De Los Santos explores that divide and what's being done to help elders in the AAPI get what they need in terms of services.
Guest:
Myron Dean Quon, Chief Executive Officer at Pacific Asian Counseling Services.
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Listen 14:11#57: New Year, New You, right? 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
#57: New Year, New You, right? 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
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Listen 14:38#55: A mass shooting sent shockwaves through the Asian American community of Monterey Park on the eve of Lunar New Year. Eleven people have died, and more are still being treated for their injuries. The tragedy left residents wondering how such a horrible event could happen in an otherwise idyllic example of what an immigrant enclave can be.
Today on HTLA, we want to take some time to talk about the history and cultures of Monterey Park.
Guests: Josie Huang, Asian American communities reporter for LAist; Yong Chen, professor of history at University of California, Irvine
#55: A mass shooting sent shockwaves through the Asian American community of Monterey Park on the eve of Lunar New Year. Eleven people have died, and more are still being treated for their injuries. The tragedy left residents wondering how such a horrible event could happen in an otherwise idyllic example of what an immigrant enclave can be.
Today on HTLA, we want to take some time to talk about the history and cultures of Monterey Park.
Guests: Josie Huang, Asian American communities reporter for LAist; Yong Chen, professor of history at University of California, Irvine
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Listen 13:57#54: The City of Angels is made up of some pretty exciting people, from all sorts of backgrounds with all kinds of interests. This year, we're putting the spotlight on some folks we think you should know about... and demystifying how they got to where they are in life. From musicians and writers to changemakers and activists, we’re sitting down with some dope Angelenos and getting INTO it in our new segment, “How I Got Started.”
This first chat is with the fabulous Ashley Ray. She’s a stand-up comedian, podcast host, TV writer, and television critic. Find her on Twitter @theashleyray, or her website Theashleyray.com
#54: The City of Angels is made up of some pretty exciting people, from all sorts of backgrounds with all kinds of interests. This year, we're putting the spotlight on some folks we think you should know about... and demystifying how they got to where they are in life. From musicians and writers to changemakers and activists, we’re sitting down with some dope Angelenos and getting INTO it in our new segment, “How I Got Started.”
This first chat is with the fabulous Ashley Ray. She’s a stand-up comedian, podcast host, TV writer, and television critic. Find her on Twitter @theashleyray, or her website Theashleyray.com
Support & Credits
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