Bryan Thompson: The Drive -In

October 26, 2007

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My popcorn was fresh and my convertible was fly. Under twinkling stars fog gently rolled in and I got all snuggly on red leather waiting for the movie to start. Ahhhhh! This old fashioned Drive-In experience could only be happening in.... Manhattan's Lower East Side. You read right. The jam-packed city finally made room for a genuine Drive-In Theater. Well, sort of. There is one screen, one car and technically the whole thing's indoors. It is arty, it is kooky and I love it!

Readers of my Bravo! Design Blog know how much I adore rooting out mind-blowing designs and awesome ideas. This one is Genius. You just gotta see the little Drive-In hiding in plain sight on Norfolk Street.

I got a big kick out of watching people walk by the giant windows of this gallery space and then do double takes when the saw the red taillights. The crazy glowing orbs are on a 1960's-era Ford Falcon.
Roomy and comfy, it is the perfect car for this! It is surrounded by real trees, artificial stars and a vintage popcorn popper that still works.

The soft blue glow of the the dash lights and sprawling bench seat will make you want to snuggle up with someone in leather jacket (John Travolta in "Grease" anyone?) Or someone with a beehive hairdo (John Travolta in "Hairspray" maybe?). I love REAL vintage drive-in theaters. I wrote about them before. (see previous entry here)

I am lucky I live in mid-century design inclined California, where you still find them. But now Manhattan truly has it all. From artistic and capitalistic standpoints this is such a no-brainer. Renting out the car with a group of friends costs only 75 bucks total. You get to choose one of three movies, and each nights offerings are arranged by
theme: Horror, 50's Sci Fi, Road Trip Movies and the list goes on.

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