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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 11:17There are 1,900 monkeypox cases in Los Angeles County. Transmission rates are falling but this week the L.A. County Public Health Department confirmed the first death caused by the virus. Information about monkeypox is changing fast so host Brian De Los Santos checks in on the where things stand now -- and what people in high risk categories should know.
Guests:
Jackie Fortier, LAist Senior Health Reporter
Eric Pham, Palos Verdes resident
Janay Tate, Hollywood resident
There are 1,900 monkeypox cases in Los Angeles County. Transmission rates are falling but this week the L.A. County Public Health Department confirmed the first death caused by the virus. Information about monkeypox is changing fast so host Brian De Los Santos checks in on the where things stand now -- and what people in high risk categories should know.
Guests:
Jackie Fortier, LAist Senior Health Reporter
Eric Pham, Palos Verdes resident
Janay Tate, Hollywood resident
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Listen 7:15Alma Backyard Farms in Compton is a lot of things to a lot of people. It grows fresh produce to sell to its neighbors, trains formerly incarcerated people to work the land, and teaches kids to garden and eat healthy meals. It brings the community together. During the dog days of summer, Brian De Los Santos and team went to see how it all works... and pick up some tomatoes.
Guests:
Erika Cuellar and Richard Garcia, co-founders of Alma Farms
Alma Backyard Farms in Compton is a lot of things to a lot of people. It grows fresh produce to sell to its neighbors, trains formerly incarcerated people to work the land, and teaches kids to garden and eat healthy meals. It brings the community together. During the dog days of summer, Brian De Los Santos and team went to see how it all works... and pick up some tomatoes.
Guests:
Erika Cuellar and Richard Garcia, co-founders of Alma Farms
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Listen 10:18Pacoima is one of the hottest neighborhoods in Los Angeles so some homegrown environmental activists are trying something new to mitigate the extreme heat: painting the pavement.
Guests:
Erin Stone, LAist Climate Emergency Reporter
Melanie Torres, Community Organizer with Pacoima Beautiful
Eliot Wall, General Manager for Street Bond-GAF
Pacoima is one of the hottest neighborhoods in Los Angeles so some homegrown environmental activists are trying something new to mitigate the extreme heat: painting the pavement.
Guests:
Erin Stone, LAist Climate Emergency Reporter
Melanie Torres, Community Organizer with Pacoima Beautiful
Eliot Wall, General Manager for Street Bond-GAF
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Listen 10:46#6: Hungry and looking for some inexpensive grub? Come along with HTLA host Brian De Los Santos and LAist food editor Gab Chabrán as they go in search of cheap, fast eats in communities all over LA County. First up: some old school eateries in Pasadena.
Locations: Burrito Express, Sandwiches By Connal, Roma Market
Guest: Gab Chabrán, food editor at LAist.
#6: Hungry and looking for some inexpensive grub? Come along with HTLA host Brian De Los Santos and LAist food editor Gab Chabrán as they go in search of cheap, fast eats in communities all over LA County. First up: some old school eateries in Pasadena.
Locations: Burrito Express, Sandwiches By Connal, Roma Market
Guest: Gab Chabrán, food editor at LAist.
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Listen 10:33For its size, Los Angeles is lacking in parks and other green spaces compared to other major cities. Meet one man who is on a mission to make a difference in some of L.A.'s most underserved neighborhoods - one tree at a time.
Guest: Aaron Thomas, Director of Urban Forestry for the non-profit Northeast Trees.
Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.
For its size, Los Angeles is lacking in parks and other green spaces compared to other major cities. Meet one man who is on a mission to make a difference in some of L.A.'s most underserved neighborhoods - one tree at a time.
Guest: Aaron Thomas, Director of Urban Forestry for the non-profit Northeast Trees.
Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.
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Listen 11:09It's hot, Los Angles. We hear how people dealt. Plus, Chinatown is a food desert. The neighborhood is home to a lot of low income seniors and there is no local grocer that serves them. The new LA River Farmers' Market that opened up in nearby the LA State Historic Park hopes to fill some of the void.
It's hot, Los Angles. We hear how people dealt. Plus, Chinatown is a food desert. The neighborhood is home to a lot of low income seniors and there is no local grocer that serves them. The new LA River Farmers' Market that opened up in nearby the LA State Historic Park hopes to fill some of the void.
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Listen 9:28LA Metro's long-awaited K Line will soon be ready to ride. Seven stops will open later this year, taking folks from Crenshaw to Inglewood and Westchester (sorry but that LAX stop will take a minute). We get the tea from residents and business owners who've been waiting on this train for a few years. Next stop: Mar Vista -- to go shopping at the farmer's market, one of more than 100 in the county.
LA Metro's long-awaited K Line will soon be ready to ride. Seven stops will open later this year, taking folks from Crenshaw to Inglewood and Westchester (sorry but that LAX stop will take a minute). We get the tea from residents and business owners who've been waiting on this train for a few years. Next stop: Mar Vista -- to go shopping at the farmer's market, one of more than 100 in the county.
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Listen 10:14California is in a drought -- again. L.A. has been facing water restrictions since June, and Angelenos have been a doing a pretty good job at conserving. The thing is, we gotta do more. It won't be easy, but we meet up with one long-time resident who shows us how it's possible.
Guest List: Erin Stone, Climate Emergency Reporter, LAist
Lynetta McElroy, Leimert Park resident and water conservationist
California is in a drought -- again. L.A. has been facing water restrictions since June, and Angelenos have been a doing a pretty good job at conserving. The thing is, we gotta do more. It won't be easy, but we meet up with one long-time resident who shows us how it's possible.
Guest List: Erin Stone, Climate Emergency Reporter, LAist
Lynetta McElroy, Leimert Park resident and water conservationist
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