How To LA

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100 Years Ago In Pasadena, The Cheeseburger Was Born (Probably) Jan 24, 2024

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#223: The cheeseburger turns 100 this year - we're pretty, anyway. (There's a few conflicting dates here) But more convincing is its birth place: Pasadena, California. That's where The Rite Stop first slapped some cheese on a patty - and it's also where Cheeseburger Week is celebrated every year. And this year's Cheeseburger Week is extra special, since it's recognized as the cheeseburger's centennial!

We're learning all about it with Hadley Meares, over cheeseburgers and fries at Paasadena's famous Pie 'N Burger.

Make sure you check out her article for more: https://laist.com/news/food/pasadena-claims-to-be-the-home-of-the-cheeseburger-but-theres-beef
Guests: L.A. historian Hadley Meares and Rob Osborn, son of Michael Osborn, owner of Pie N' Burger.

Wanna Go Car-Free? Try The Bus Jan 23, 2024

Show notes

#222: LA actually has a pretty solid bus network. But how easy (and fast) is it to ride the bus in LA? Well - that definitely depends. With more than 100 routes traveling all over L.A. County, it can be a little intimating to figure out where to go but if you're looking to save a little green for your wallet AND the planet, it's worth trying out!
HTLA's Aaricka Washington recently rode her second-ever bus in LA, and she brought the team along with her for the ride. We go from Silver Lake to her home neighborhood of DTLA, and along the way we learn about what makes LA's bus network an imperfect jewel in the world of public transit, at least according to one regular user and self-described city explorer.
Guest: Eric Brightwell, neighborhood cartographer and avid bus-goer.
Need more of an explainer? Read Aaricka's step by step guide here: https://laist.com/brief/news/how-to-ride-the-bus-in-la

Spay And Neuter, Yes. But What Else Can You Do To Help Shelter Pets? Jan 22, 2024

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#221: Today, we’re talking about the state of shelter pets in our region and what we can do to help cats and dogs — and even some other kinds of critters — in need.

Guest: Dia DuVernet, president and CEO of Pasadena Humane

HTLA presents Imperfect Paradise: The Castle: Part 3 Jan 19, 2024

Show notes

This is How To LA, the podcast that helps you navigate this city. I’m Brian De Los Santos. This week, we're featuring Imperfect Paradise: The Castle: Part 3.

For the next few weeks, we’ll be dropping episodes every Friday.

Imperfect Paradise: The Castle takes us inside LA’s exclusive Magic Castle through the lens of a queer hobbyist magician, who pushed for more inclusion. Read and listen below.

Part 3: Carly Usdin is at risk of getting kicked out of the Magic Castle. Plus, after 2020, the Magic Castle makes changes to address issues of inclusion, including setting up a Diversity and Inclusion Committee. LAist Senior Producer Natalie Chudnovsky explores how the Castle’s promises to do better pan out, several years later.

For more, visit https://LAist.com/ImperfectParadise

What’s Up With The District Attorney Race? We Explain Jan 18, 2024

Show notes

#220: Back in 2020, when George Gascón was elected to serve as the top prosecutor in Los Angeles County, his win was considered a victory for the criminal justice movement. It was the height of the pandemic, and the racial reckoning that followed the police killing of George Floyd.

Gascón campaigned as a progressive alternative to incumbent Jackie Lacey, who local activists had criticized for years for her failure to prosecute police officers.

And he won.

But almost as soon as Gascón took office, he faced scrutiny for being “soft on crime," some from deputy D.A.’s within his own department, families of victims of violent crime, and from conservative news shows.

Now he’s up for reelection, and facing 11 challengers vying to be LA County’s next D.A.

They’re set to take the debate stage tonight (January 18th), so today we're digging into this race with LAist civics and democracy correspondent Frank Stoltze.

Are YOU Ready For The Big One? It's Coming: REDUX Jan 17, 2024

Show notes

#71: For the 30th anniversary of the deadly Northridge Earthquake, we are re-airing an episode about earthquake preparedness with a few updates.This episode originally aired on February 28, 2023.

L.A. could get get hit with a big earthquake any time within the next 30 years. Maybe even tomorrow. Preparing for such an event may seem overwhelming (or like the LAST thing on your to-do list) but we're here to show you it's not so hard to do (and might even be fun!). A trip to Smart & Final (or Costco or Wal-Mart) can set you up with what you need. Maybe REI for a few extras. Join How to LA host Brian De Los Santos and LAist science reporter Jacob Margolis on this survival shopping trip.

Guest: Jacob Margolis, LAist science reporter

For more about the earthquakes in our region, listen to The Big One: Your Survival Guide.

Metro Micro Eyeing An End To $1 Rideshares Jan 16, 2024

Show notes

#219:

Have you seen those Metro Micro vans around the city? Metro's pilot rideshare program has been offering $1 rides in eight zones around the city since 2020. This year, the fare may be rising.

In this episode, host Brian De Los Santos talks with LAist reporter Makenna Sievertson about the Metro Micro program and what she's been hearing from the public. We also hear from Metro about why they want to continue support to the Metro Micro. Public comment will be accepted until January 18th, with the Metro board set to vote on the fare on January 25th.

Read LAist's coverage here: https://laist.com/news/transportation/metro-micro-costing-more-the-transit-agency-wants-to-hear-your-thoughts

and learn more about the Metro Micro program here: https://micro.metro.net/

Thanks to artist Nat Center for sharing their thoughts on the program with How To LA.

Guests: LAist reporter Makenna Sievertson, Metro Operations Senior Executive Officer Joseph Forgiarini

HTLA, Live! At 'On Air Fest' Jan 15, 2024

Show notes

#218: Hey there How To LA listeners! Your host Brian De Los Santos here.
We are off today for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but we're still bringing you a fun chat. It's one I had back in November as part of On Air Fest's Open House at dublab here in L.A.

It was a very cool, day-long immersive sound and storytelling event, free and open to the public, and Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido and I were there to rep our LAist Studios podcasts.

I was excited to be joined by one of our wonderful past guests — photographer and homegrown artist Elon Schoenholz — for a live in-studio interview. You might remember him from episode #183. We took a dreamy drive around downtown L.A. with producer Victoria Alejandro and talked about how Elon captures L.A. in photographs, often taken from his car. But we started off the show with a taste of past How To LA episodes focused on L.A. neighborhoods.

HTLA presents Imperfect Paradise: The Castle: Part 2 Jan 12, 2024

Show notes

This is How To LA, the podcast that helps you navigate this city. I’m Brian De Los Santos. This week, we're featuring Imperfect Paradise: The Castle: Part 2.

For the next few weeks, we’ll be dropping episodes every Friday.

Imperfect Paradise: The Castle takes us inside LA’s exclusive Magic Castle through the lens of a queer hobbyist magician, who pushed for more inclusion. Read and listen below.

Part 2: Once inside the iconic members-only Magic Castle, queer hobbyist magician Carly Usdin starts to become disillusioned with the club. LAist Senior Producer Natalie Chudnovsky dives into how this comes to a head in 2020, when the Magic Castle faces allegations of racism and sexism.

For more, visit https://LAist.com/ImperfectParadise

Evicted From Little Tokyo - What's Next For Suehiro Cafe? Jan 11, 2024

Show notes

#217: Little Tokyo is losing legacy businesses, and the neighborhood gets a little less Japanese-American with each one. The latest to leave is iconic restaurant Suehiro Cafe - which opened in 1972. Second-generation owner Kenji Suzuki joins us to talk about his family's history with the restaurant, and what's next for them and for the rest of the Little Tokyo community.

Suehiro Cafe is now operating out of their new location at 400 Main St., a few blocks south of Little Tokyo.

Guests: Kenji & Tomoko Suzuki, owners of Suehiro Cafe; Mariko Lochridge, small business programs coordinator at Little Tokyo Service Center

Music in this episode composed by: cero, Dexter Thomas, Evan Jacoby, Frankie Reyes, Geir Sundstøl, 細野晴臣, Ill Considered, カシオペア, K. Leimer, ランプ, Maston, Roedelius, 高橋幸宏, Woo

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