This time of year always feels like it takes forever to end. With winter behind us, the days are longer but still cold. Roads riddled with fresh potholes and speckles of dried salt. The warmer spring/summer days feel like they’re never going to arrive. The car life hibernation is almost done, yet not really anywhere near. We all patiently wait for nature to run its course. While many owners are rebuilding or starting something new, one of my favorite things to do is reminisce.
Today we’re sharing a throwback post of a secret meet we put together on a summer night, under the BQE. Back then, a group of car life locals gathered to snap a few shots for a special feature in USDMFREAX Magazine. You’ll notice some familiar faces and cars. Some of which are either now gone or have changed quite a bit since that night.
Since we didn’t have a huge number of cars and weren’t acting like fools, we were able to chill for quite a while. No heat from the police or some annoying entitled hipster neighbors. The perfect Brooklyn summer evening vibe.
The setting is a graffiti filled underpass. You would think this is something we scouted for days, but honestly, this is just how Brooklyn and other parts of NYC look. I find it interesting how at times commercials and movies have these massive budgets simply for preparing locations. As natives, it’s very easy to take this for granted. The daily rawness of the outer boroughs makes everything special standout. That rawness, in turn, stands out as well.
I always wonder if anyone can recognize any of these cars when we gather like this. Imagine walking down a random street and suddenly seeing this group. Are those two EVOs you see or just two regular sedans? Other than a car being bright yellow, can a random passer-by tell that’s a Varis Arising kit? Can they notice that GS is actually an Aristo? Most likely not, but that’s okay.
As for the cars, some of the best came out to Brooklyn that night. A weeknight summer drive to a chill session with good friends is always the right choice. As you can see in the images, the many categories of car tuning were present. Some of the best examples in NYC were out with us. I never know how Pravan can effortlessly snap photos of this caliber while people are chatting him up. Man is a true pro at this.
Of course, it’s always the people that make these gatherings. Cars are great but lasting relationships with communities based on common interests are key. Nothing dope would exist otherwise. Perfect lighting made for some great photos of humans.
Once summer arrives, it feels like it’s going to be here forever. Then, in the blink of an eye, it’s gone again. Lets make sure we all enjoy it a bit more this year. Hope you enjoyed this throw back!
Hope you enjoyed this throw back!
Photos by Pravan