California City
LAist Studios
4.8
(5)
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.
13 Listeners
4.8
(5)
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Top 10 California City Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best California City episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to California City for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite California City episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Turning Desert Dust Into Gold
California City
07/13/20 • 47 min
In 2017 Ben Perez goes to a Mojave Desert resort for a free vacation and ends up signing away his life savings. Turns out Ben is one of tens of thousands to believe a version of this dream over the past 60 years.
10 Listeners
1 Comment
1
How I Found Out About California City
California City
07/09/20 • 6 min
It was supposed to be a simple story about the California drought. Instead, reporter Emily Guerin became obsessed with the bizarre history of a sprawling, half-built desert city.
5 Listeners
The Tragedy That Occurred
California City
08/03/20 • 22 min
Ken Donney is a hero to some, but most people would call him a villain.
California City is a limited series with 8 episodes. Show support by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts.
California City sponsors include:
Sun Basket is offering $35 off your order when you go right now to SUNBASKET.com/calcity and enter promo code calcity at checkout.
This LAist Studios podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp and our listeners get 10% off their first month of online therapy at BetterHelp.com/LAist
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.
4 Listeners
Soldiers of the Sale
California City
07/27/20 • 38 min
Nat builds an army of salespeople to sell his dream. And then, then Ralph Nader intervenes.
California City is a limited series with 8 episodes. Show support by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts.
California City sponsors include:
Sun Basket is offering $35 off your order when you go right now to SUNBASKET.com/calcity and enter promo code calcity at checkout.
This LAist Studios podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp and our listeners get 10% off their first month of online therapy at BetterHelp.com/LAist
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.
4 Listeners
A Man with a Dream
California City
07/20/20 • 38 min
The vision that Ben Perez was sold in 2017 began in 1958, with one man's dream to build a utopian desert city from scratch.
This LAist Studios podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp and our listeners get 10% off their first month of online therapy at BetterHelp.com/LAist
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.
4 Listeners
1 Comment
1
Open Secret
California City
08/17/20 • 30 min
Fear, rumors, and looking the other way. How salesmen have sold the fantasy of California City for so long.
California City is a limited series with 8 episodes. Show support by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts.
California City sponsors include:
Sun Basket is offering $35 off your order when you go right now to SUNBASKET.com/calcity and enter promo code calcity at checkout.
Try SimpliSafe today at SimpliSafe.com/CALCITY. You get free shipping and a 60-day risk free trial. There’s nothing to lose.
3 Listeners
The Hunted Becomes The Hunter
California City
08/10/20 • 28 min
Emily confronts the owner of Silver Saddle and walks away doubting herself. Plus, Ben becomes part of Silver Saddle's sales machine.
California City is a limited series with 8 episodes. Show support by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts.
California City sponsors include:
Sun Basket is offering $35 off your order when you go right now to SUNBASKET.com/calcity and enter promo code calcity at checkout.
Try SimpliSafe today at SimpliSafe.com/CALCITY. You get free shipping and a 60-day risk free trial. There’s nothing to lose.
This LAist Studios podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp and our listeners get 10% off their first month of online therapy at BetterHelp.com/LAist
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.
3 Listeners
The Reckoning
California City
08/24/20 • 35 min
Silver Saddle gets shut down and accused of fraud. Will the company - and the dream Ben Perez believed - survive?
California City is a limited series with 8 episodes. Show support by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts.
California City sponsors include:
Sun Basket is offering $35 off your order when you go right now to SUNBASKET.com/calcity and enter promo code calcity at checkout.
Try SimpliSafe today at SimpliSafe.com/CALCITY. You get free shipping and a 60-day risk free trial. There’s nothing to lose.
3 Listeners
Bonus Episode: Cashing In On The Desert
California City
09/11/20 • 51 min
For decades, Californians have been obsessed with trying to profit off desert land. In this bonus episode of California City, host Emily Guerin, the Desert Oracle’s Ken Layne, and artist and curator Kim Stringfellow explore the myths of the Mojave Desert as "wasteland," failed schemes and utopias, Instagram-driven tourism and coronavirus refugees. The audio was recorded during a live virtual event on September 3, 2020 and presented by LAist Studios and KPCC in partnership with The Autry Museum of the American West.
California City sponsors include:
Sun Basket is offering $35 off your order when you go right now to SUNBASKET.com/calcity and enter promo code calcity at checkout.
Simplisafe: Try SimpliSafe today at SimpliSafe.com/CALCITY. You get free shipping and a 60-day risk free trial. There’s nothing to lose.
Korea Tourism Organization: Visit Korea and experience delicious food, vibrant cities, and natural beauty. Please visit https://www.visitkorea.com.my/
Caltech: Cal Tech Science Exchange provides trustworthy answers, clear explanations, and fact-driven conversation on critical topics in science and technology. Please visit scienceexchange.caltech.edu
1 Listener
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FAQ
How many episodes does California City have?
California City currently has 100 episodes available.
What topics does California City cover?
The podcast is about News and Podcasts.
What is the most popular episode on California City?
The episode title 'Turning Desert Dust Into Gold' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on California City?
The average episode length on California City is 35 minutes.
How often are episodes of California City released?
Episodes of California City are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of California City?
The first episode of California City was released on Jul 9, 2020.
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