US 101 North (CA), Hollywood Freeway, Downtown LA to North Hollywood

[lemonrind]

This video is fun and exciting!

[platformusa2]

Do you ever rent cars to do your video's. I know your based out of California but you have videos in Florida, New York and even Canada. You take your car across the country.

[blissful2012]

i get to drive this freeway often when i need to jet up to the valley or ventura, 101 is beautiful and fun between downtown and where it meets 405, but it all depends on what time of day you drive it, and whether or not an orange truck has overturned again.

[louierperez]

amazing mr.Brent from pasadena ,your videos what can i say ,cool!!! L.A. is tha place to be

[SossarHatarSverige]

The road is in really bad shape at few places, such an important road should get higher priority.

[steverock13]

Cool Video! Right now Los Angeles looks pretty good since I'm freezing my butt off in Minnesota. Well today it's going to warm up to 40 degrees so that will be nice.

[GeorgeVreelandHill]

Great video.

Liked the way you detailed everything with captions.

You should do a video with the song, Freeway Of Love, by Aretha Franklin.

George.

[americanfanof201130e]

I Love L.A

[aflutes1706]

Great video!! great music by the way

[KennedyKrazee]

What's the name of the song that is playing?

[FreewayBrent]

@KennedyKrazee: Hey there, just got around to reading this now. I actually feature every song artist and title at the end of my videos, just for future reference. For this particular video, the artist is Milky feat. Guidy, and the song name is "Just The Way You Are" (Extended Mix). Thanks for watching!

[tigerbullseye]

i can tell u love to drive, so im just curious, what car do you drive? :P

[FreewayBrent]

@tigerbullseye: Hey there. :-) I used to drive a 2009 Corolla, but decided that I no longer wanted to keep making payments, so I got rid of it, and now drive a trustworthy and well-maintained 1992 Honda Accord.

[madrecka]

North Hollywood is a cool place to live. I enjoy it!!! Nothing beats SoCal.

[FreewayBrent]

@madrecka: Yeah, definitely some cool stuff going on in the NoHo Arts District. Almost rented an apartment there, but ultimately decided on a place, about 10 miles west.

[derrickwoodard1]

I love this! Moving to NoHo Soon!

[FreewayBrent]

@derrickwoodard1: Cool, man. Really glad you enjoyed! I almost considered moving to NoHo too, since it's a pretty central location.

[colder47]

brilliant

[FreewayBrent]

@colder47:  Thanks!

[jmantra623]

ha ha it's at 101 likes

[FreewayBrent]

@jmantra623: lol, hey, I didn't even notice that fact, until I read this just now.

[UnitedJetSetter]

I love driving in LA! The drive down the PCH is amazing.

[FreewayBrent]

@UnitedJetSetter: PCH is definitely great. I recently uploaded a video of the stretch from East Malibu to Santa Monica.

[UnitedJetSetter]

@FreewayBrent Oh cool! You should get a video driving up near the Hollywood sign! That steep narrow winding road is crazy!!

[deangmoxon]

f*** ing brilliant !

great song

great speed ups and slowdowns

crystal clear @round the 4:49 mark there is a dip ending in a slow down it looks like they are floating ! so cool

every road in North America baby !!!

some day...

[chessinfantry]

@deangmoxon god plz shutup, your lame

[deangmoxon]

@chessinfantry why so negative ?its not cool to be such a buzz kill.

[chessinfantry]

@deangmoxon negativve?....lame

[FreewayBrent]

@deangmoxon: Hey man, thanks a lot for checking in. Glad you enjoyed the ride, thru my own perspective. I definitely put some time into the editing process, in order to make it an overall enjoyable video for people to watch.

[IntuneGames]

This is my favorite video out of all freeway brents drives other than virgin river gorge

[FreewayBrent]

@IntuneGames: Cool, man! Thanks for checking in, dude. 

[Einhander49]

Not feeling you on this song, man. It sounds like something a teenage girl would listen to while driving to the mall.

[FreewayBrent]

@Einhander49: Sorry you didn't like the song, but I *do* appreciate the honesty. I was just trying to find something that sounded "positive" and upbeat, since this video was more of a celebration about both the history and popular culture, regarding the Hollywood Freeway. 

[mellamojasono5]

Ya lol. I lose my patience when I go down there and especially the part with the truck merging onto the 101 before he misses SR 110 And I 110. That always happens to me when I'm there!

[FreewayBrent]

@mellamojasono5: I just do my best to leave 2 to 3 seconds of space, and that seems to take care of most of the merging problems (and takes out a lot of the stress of driving). A bit tricky to leave that much space and keep up with the flow of traffic, but I seem to manage it just fine.

Speaking of CA 110, that actually might be my very next video. Stay tuned...

[mellamojasono5]

Even watching driving in LA still gives me road rage

[FreewayBrent]

@mellamojasono5: Haha, that bad, huh? I'll admit that driving in L.A. is certainly not the most relaxing experience that one could have.

[Seriloin]

Last comment I'll make: I like the tunnel effect at around 1:39. The transition from being in traffic to the skyline just appearing out of nowhere is breathtaking.

[FreewayBrent]

@Seriloin: Yes, I'll agree with you on that point. I really only started driving that stretch on a regular basis about 4 years ago, when I used to work down in Orange County, but made frequent trips up the 5 to Hollywood. A great way to approach downtown L.A.

[Seriloin]

The music fits the freeway well and I love the scenery. I also chuckled a little at you annotating the West Hollywood exit with the pride flag. That made my day.

[FreewayBrent]

@Seriloin: lol, you're definitely not the first person to laugh. While I'm heterosexual, I have several gay and bi/lesbian friends (I've been asked to be the "wingman" on numerous occasions), so I know West Hollywood pretty well. Thanks for watching.

[Seriloin]

@FreewayBrent Heh. I like your videos since they allow me to see parts of our country I would probably never really get a chance to see... especially in the state that I at least want to visit.

[luigicamp69]

Thanks for the video. I miss NoHo, I used to drive from LA to Valley Village, exit Burbank Blvd (right next to the 7/11 & Mobil). Good times!!

[FreewayBrent]

@luigicamp69: Awesomeness. It's one of my favorite rides in the Greater Los Angeles area, even when it's congested (which is pretty much most of the day, at least thru the heart of Hollywood). This isn't going to be the only video of "The 101" that I'll be featuring, either. Stay tuned for a new release, coming in the next day or two...

[miguelfelipedias]

are u from L.A.?

[FreewayBrent]

@miguelfelipedias: I live down here on a part-time basis. When I'm not living down here, I'm either at home with my parents (about 1 hour northeast of Sacramento), or in the Bay Area (20 minutes south of San Francisco).

[miguelfelipedias]

@FreewayBrent man, you're lucky to live there

[FreewayBrent]

@miguelfelipedias: It's definitely a fascinating place; there's perhaps no place in the world that epitomizes, "living in the moment", more than the Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area.

[miguelfelipedias]

ok man, thanks.

I LOVE L.A.

[xxxxLetsRidexxxxx]

Reminds me of Cruisin USA "LA Freeway" level.

[FreewayBrent]

@xxxxLetsRidexxxxx: lol, never even considered the idea of my videos being like that of Cruisin USA. That's a fun game, by the way.

[Cozybop]

@xxxxLetsRidexxxxx Lol yeah it does.

[b800ful]

@xxxxLetsRidexxxxx I miss playing that game.lol

[tall32guy]

Freeze at 3:46. The exits for the two most iconic streets in Los Angeles. :)

[Jiltedin2007]

Only one thing comes to mind to me when making this drive. HOLLYWOOD!

[tall32guy]

According to a webpage I just found, the 405 interchange on this freeway is the #1 most "bottlenecked" highway in America. Interesting... :) I will consider avoiding it if at all possible if I ever visit the Los Angeles area. :)

[FreewayBrent]

@tall32guy: In my opinion, the worst direction of congestion, the NB I-405 approach to the interchange, was significantly improved when Caltrans added a 6th lane approaching the interchange in the mid 2000's. Before that lane addition, the entire northbound ride used to be take up to 2 1/2 hours to drive along a 14 mile stretch. The other 3 approaches to the interchange are bad, but none rank among the top 5 worst, when factoring in average speeds.  Bad, yes, but not gridlocked.

[tall32guy]

@FreewayBrent Yeah that's what I figured! Wondered where that webpage got their information! LOL So I gather from all these Los Angeles videos that you live there? Or at least around it??

[FreewayBrent]

@tall32guy: I do on an on-and-off basis. I'm gone for the summer to help my father around the house, but I'll most likely be returning before the end of September.

[jbmorr03]

@FreewayBrent Got any camera suggestions? My camcorder is old and cheap. I used to shoot road videos would like to again

[FreewayBrent]

@jbmorr03: I filmed this with a Flip Ultra 8GB 3rd Generation camcorder, which will give you 2 hours of recording time. They're probably still available at Best Buy for $129, since they're not longer being produced. Make sure to purchase an extra battery pack (usually those go for $25). I have my laptop with me so that when the memory fills up, I just spend a few minutes uploading the footage, then continue on my way.

[FreewayAndrew]

Great route, never been to LA. Did you go on any freeway during the 405 carmageddon?

[FreewayBrent]

@FreewayAndrew: I'm actually staying with my parents for the summer, about 90 minutes from North Lake Tahoe. Looking forward to getting back down south soon; LA's a very fun city.

[GeoffJennyOliver]

.. hey Brent you have every right to add a heap of tags here - hollywood, LA, "LA skyline" etc etc .. that should really get the counter going ..

[FreewayBrent]

@GeoffJennyOliver: I added quite a few when I first put this video up. I think there's a limit to how many tags you can add? Otherwise, I could type up a whole page of tags, just for this one video, lol.

[GeoffJennyOliver]

@FreewayBrent .. I think there is a limit - but I know YT allows tags that are specific to the video - its when people add tags like "You Tube" et al that one can get into problems - so I think for the sake of getting people to see your great vid you should add those really obvious ones ( I know I would) - sites that are looking for such a vid as yours (car dealerships in LA etc) might add them to their home page for example and the way they find them is through those tags ..

[spurnout]

This is BS! During the day and no traffic!?!?!?

[FreewayBrent]

@spurnout: Haha, perhaps I should have mentioned that this was recorded on a Sunday morning at 9:30. :-)

[grvk]

btw excellent job and choice of music too !

[grvk]

Nice to see this famous place ! Thanks for posting this.

[FreewayBrent]

@grvk: Thanks for watching!

[TaGaMeMNoN1983]

to what exactly directs the pride flag at Exit 7 on Hollywood Freeway?

i liked the video

[FreewayBrent]

@TaGaMeMNoN1983: Haha. I knew the rainbow flag would get the attention of some of the viewers of this video. West Hollywood is the epicenter of the LGBT community in Los Angeles, so it was an appropriate acknowledgement for the folks out in "WeHo", as West Hollywood is most commonly referred to.

[FreewayTitan]

Awesome, awesome, awesome! I'll be out there in Feb.

[CAMINOANDALUZ]

Liked the video, especially the soundtrack .. Thumbs up!!

[FreewayBrent]

@CAMINOANDALUZ: Thank you, brotha!

[garysmithsbreasts404]

good job. fun to watch. you should do some in downtown parts of city. do some more east coast roads (DC, baltimore)

[FreewayBrent]

@garysmithsbreasts404: Not sure if you're aware, but there's also FreewayJim, Cosmophotography and Eluko79 with videos from the Midwest and East Coast. Feel free to check 'em out and subscribe.

[bigM10231]

the road seems to be in rough shape in one part

[FreewayBrent]

@bigM10231: It could definitely use a repaving, but I've seen much worse in our state.

[RedroomStudios]

A fun little flashback of sorts for me... I've only driven the section north of Sunset Blvd. On the other hand I've driven most of it between there and San Francisco!

[FreewayBrent]

@RedroomStudios: Well that's definitely interesting. 101 in California is such a bad ass drive; not your typical high-speed route.

[Bryant5493]

Beautiful scenery along the Hollywood Freeway. Nice video, Brent. Very well done.

[FreewayBrent]

@Bryant5493:  Thanks, Bryant!

[litrojan]

Another awesome video, Brent! Great mix of music with beautiful scenery! California is just too nice.

[FreewayBrent]

@litrojan: California is indeed awesome. So much variety in its geography, and the roads that traverse the state.

[mark99k]

Smiling wide at the no-comment rainbow flag at the West Hollywood exit!

[FreewayBrent]

@mark99k:  LOL. I figured somebody might get a laugh out of it. Also representing the gay and lesbian friends that I have who live in or around West Hollywood (for the record, I'm straight).

[casmatori]

Great video, excellent music!

[GeoffJennyOliver]

. great job Brent - luv the views - appreciate the work with the music too - thanks ..

[bsdpowa]

music fits perfect, thanks for another CA video, can't get enough

[FreewayBrent]

@bsdpowa: Glad you enjoyed! Never quite sure how my subscribers will react to the songs I use.

[aswchris]

2:35 unused collector lane, possibly for a once planned Glendale Freeway interchange?

[TheDeen114]

How did you add the purple subtitle bar? sony vegas?

[rockersk08]

This feels like a completely new video, not just an improvement of the previous one. The music here was better and conveyed a mood that matches the drive, yet it's something I can't express. The views were impressive and the bridge architecture was more notable than normal. It's a drive I have yet to experience. Well done FreewayBrent!

[FreewayBrent]

@rockersk08: Yeah, I completely wanted to distinguish the two videos as being anything but the same. I referred to some of the information in the old annotations, but no two-annotations are alike between the old and new version. I really had to dig deep in my hard drive to find this song; I hadn't listened to it in 3 years. And yeah, you don't see too many architectural gems for freeway overpasses in California. All in all, I'm glad with how this video turned out. Thanks for watching!

[IntuneGames]

Awesome video of north hollywood very nice coming from the man of freeway videos

[FreewayBrent]

@IntuneGames: Thanks, bro!

[g1cast]

thanks for the ride. we have not been to this part of the freeways.. but I figured it has to be the same as the other fast L.A. freeways in terms of excitement for people who are not from the area. :) Also I noticed, you don't actually see everything when you are the one driving. So it is fun to watch videos of our own drive.

[FreewayBrent]

@g1cast: Haha. Yeah, driving around L.A. can be a thrill, as well as a pain...sometimes simultaneously. The Hollywood Freeway definitely stands out for its history, some of the neat architecture of its overpasses, and it's still relatively modern design (how many 8 lane freeways with full acceleration ramps existed in the early 1950's/??).

[eluko79]

Some of those bridges look like they came out of Cincinnati. Great video Brent! I like the addition of the mile marker sign.

[FreewayBrent]

@eluko79: Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. I love the architecture of some of those bridges around Cincinnati. Pittsburgh's got some GREAT ones, too. 

[kitme]

Go show! My favorite LA freeway.

[FreewayBrent]

@kitme:  It's arguably my favorite freeway in LA, too!

[interstateruler]

That is awesome Brent, I bet the traffic is heavy. In your opinion, what city have you been that has the most traffic?

[FreewayBrent]

@interstateruler: Thanks! I filmed this around 9:30 a.m. on a Sunday, to minimize the chances of getting stuck in traffic. The Hollywood Freeway is usually slammed with cars, all day long. I'd say Greater LA takes the cake for traffic. NYC is horrible too, but at least you don't have to focus on 5, 6, 7, 8+ lanes of traffic in each direction. Chicago is pretty awful, too. The SF Bay Area used to have notoriously bad traffic too, but ... (read part 2 of this response)

[FreewayBrent]

...(continued from Part 1) a lot of road improvements over the past decade have really cut down on the worst of the congestion. Same can be said with Seattle. Portland is often cited as a mass-transit success, but you don't want to be stuck on any freeway in that region during rush hour. Of course, Toronto's congestion cannot be discounted either (and it's not just the notorious 401 or the Don Valley Parkway that suffers from congestion, either).

[interstateruler]

@FreewayBrent You sure know a lot about freeways. I bet the Big Cities are known to heavy traffic

[ScrewdUPClickV2]

Awesome work. Enjoyed the ride. I never got to drive the freeway northbound so i appreciated the video very much.

[FreewayBrent]

@ScrewdUPClickV2: I think the southbound ride is better (and more climatic), but I've *never* had an opportunity to record it without severe traffic in good lighting conditions, and that includes Sunday late afternoons.

[BabyBang17datruth]

Cool! It's been 4 yrs since I visited LA. This video bring back memories of Sunset Blvd, Universal City, and the Hollywood sign. And the skyline also looks much more clearer. The buildings were hiding behind the smog when I was on the Hollywood Mt.

[FreewayBrent]

@BabyBang17datruth: Yeah, you know what? In the past 2 or 3 years, the air quality around L.A. has gotten A LOT better. More and more anti-smog regulations continue to be approved. I think it was about 3 years ago that a law was passed, requiring all truckers who drive into or out of the LA and Long Beach ports to upgrade their rigs to cut down their emissions by something like 90% by 2014? I suggest you watch my I-210 West video to get an idea how blue the skies normally are, these days.

[mayi360]

i love the way you edit your videos and the music you put in is phenominal man:)

great job!!:)

[FreewayBrent]

@mayi360: I'm truly appreciative that the time I put into these videos allows casual viewers like you to really enjoy a freeway ride on YouTube. Thanks a lot!

[wipandco]

I started to watch it in 480, then after some 15 sec thought it deserves to be watched in HD. Great video. Relaxing music. Did you shoot this on a sunday morning? There's not much congestion.

[FreewayBrent]

@wipandco: Hey, thanks bud. I had to dig far into my archive of songs to find that song. And yup, I shot this around 9:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning. There's no way I would have been able to film this without congestion on any of the other days (Saturday's included).

[TVisawesome432]

Awesome

[FreewayBrent]

@TVisawesome432: Glad you enjoyed. :-) :-)

[CosmoPhotography]

LOL at your decision to put the rainbow flag in the video to represent WeHo! Great video and music!

[FreewayBrent]

@CosmoPhotography: LOL. Hey, I figured it was only appropriate to include the flag. Glad you enjoyed, man. 

[Theo76150]

Los Angeles <3

Superbe vidéo !

[FreewayBrent]

@Theo76150: Thank you very much!

[superdevins]

another great scene Brent!!! great job and choice on the song!!!

[FreewayBrent]

@superdevins: Thank you! I forgot I had that song on my hard drive; hadn't listened to it in about 3 years.