Lotus Moment: Rainy Night In Newark

Why This Is Awesome: One warm, rainy night in Newark this past summer, I returned to my car after an event at a popular location along Halsey St. When I arrived at my little sedan, I couldn't help but feel taken aback by the scene you see above.

As if I had stepped into an Hollywood film noir, Newark's Halsey St. came alive with the perfect mix of shine, grit and promise you'd find in the patina-slicked concrete and outdated lampposts of every major city in the Atlantic region of the U.S. A look often duplicated with mixed results, filmmakers have tried to create the same backdrop that lay before me on a serene and unassuming night most would never mistake for downtown Newark. I'm glad I took a moment to pause and capture the scene -- if not only to share with you, then to remind myself to take more time to pause and appreciate.