California City

California City

Deep in the Mojave Desert, there is a little town with a big name and a bizarre history: California City. For decades, real estate developers have sold a dream here: if you buy land now, you’ll be rich one day. Thousands of people bought this dream. Many were young couples and hard-working immigrants looking to build a better future. But much of the land they bought is nearly worthless.  In this new podcast from LAist Studios, host Emily Guerin tells a story of money, power and deception. 

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Episodes

174-

Imperfect Paradise: After two years of progress, homelessness went up in LA. Why?

07 Aug 2026
173-

Imperfect Paradise: Can a city built by the oil industry stop drilling for good?

31 Jul 2026
172-

Imperfect Paradise: Who gets due process? Inside the fight over immigration bond hearings at Adelanto

24 Jul 2026
127-

Where Dreams Go To Die

22 Dec 2020
126-

Bonus Episode: Cashing In On The Desert

11 Sep 2020