West Side Rag
  • TOP NEWS
  • OPEN/CLOSED
  • FOOD
  • SCHOOLS
  • OUTDOORS
  • REAL ESTATE
  • ART
  • POLITICS
  • COLUMNS
  • CRIME
  • HISTORY
  • ABSURDITY
  • CONTACT
West Side Rag
No Result
View All Result
Get WSR FREE in your inbox

Search the site

No Result
View All Result

AVAILABLE NOW!


HERE

Get WSR FREE in your inbox

Metro Theater to Reopen as Multi-Screen, Dinner-Theater

September 14, 2022 | 8:48 PM - Updated on September 16, 2022 | 2:25 AM
in NEWS, OPEN/CLOSED, REAL ESTATE
21

By Carol Tannenhauser

“God, please let this happen. Seriously, it’s a wonderful day!”

Those words, spoken by a member of the CB7 Business and Consumer Issues Committee at Wednesday night’s meeting, reflected the feelings of the entire committee as they responded one by one to the presentation of a team from “Metro Cinema,” there to apply for a liquor license and announce that the long-closed Metro Theater, on Broadway between 99th and 100th Streets, will be reopening as a multi-screen dinner-theater.

Tim League, the founder of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, explained that while the project is “largely funded by Alamo, we’re trying to establish a little bit higher-end brand. Alamo is pizza and salads, Metro will have some of those, but will also have more full entrees, a really nice wine list, and a small bar.”

League acknowledged that Alamo had disappointed the neighborhood once before. “Alamo came before you guys back in 2013 with the intention of opening a theater in this location, but, unfortunately, was never able to move forward with the project. We’re coming back and taking another swing at it.”

League couldn’t say for sure how many screens there will be, or when the theater will be ready, but said they are close to hiring a contractor and will begin shortly. He said there will be first-run movies, blockbusters, independent and foreign-language films, as well as documentaries shown. And he emphasized that the landmarked facade and marquee of the theater will be fully restored.

By the way, apparently, the marquee is missing the letter R in Metro. League said, “I’m in the market for an R.”

A happy committee. Tim League, bottom left.

The liquor-license application was approved by the committee. It must still go to the full community board and the State Liquor Authority.

Share this article:
guest

guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

21 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
adami
adami
4 months ago

just left this meeting. Sounds like a new Metro is really happening, in some sort of biz partnership with Alamo. Supposedly Alamo fell through last time due to construction costs expanding beyond their already thin margin. But this time they’ve got it figured out. Everyone agreed it can only improve that block. Was impressed by the board, who handled this and dozens of other issues efficiently. I may come back to future meetings, even if they’re not discussing movies and beer.

20
Reply
Sarah
Sarah
4 months ago

This would be wonderful news if it actually materializes.

5
Reply
joseph katz
joseph katz
4 months ago

Have one theater strictly for the drinkers and the pot smoker.

5
Reply
Karen
Karen
4 months ago

This is absolutely fabulous news.

4
Reply
wombatNYC
wombatNYC
4 months ago

Hoping this news will help clean up that area of Broadway. It’s dark and dangerous and this could be the shining light needed

7
Reply
Joe
Joe
4 months ago

Great news. Please let this happen.

3
Reply
Julia
Julia
4 months ago

I’m wondering if it could have an alcohol-free night. We would love to go but drink and don’t like being with a rowdy (even on wine) drinking crowd.

3
Reply
stacy
stacy
4 months ago
Reply to  Julia

It’s a movie theater that serves drinks., not a bar. Have you been to the Alamo in Brooklyn? Never had an issue.

1
Reply
Michael G
Michael G
4 months ago
Reply to  Julia

I’d check out one of their “family friendly” brunch-type shows downtown to see how rowdy it gets.

0
Reply
Keith
Keith
4 months ago
Reply to  Julia

Have you ever been to a movie theater that serves alcohol? The audience doesn’t get any rowdier than at a “regular” theater — the drinks are generally too expensive for people to be pounding them back like they’re at a bar.

11
Reply
eloise
eloise
4 months ago

this is fantastic news (if it comes true)!!!!!

3
Reply
Marc Margolius
Marc Margolius
4 months ago

A deep bow of gratitude and respect for the Friends of the Metro Theatre for persistence and creativity. May this come to fruition soon and, if it does, let’s all patronize this place like crazy. It could help lift the whole UWS.

13
Reply
Caly
Caly
4 months ago
Reply to  Marc Margolius

ITA, and I hope this will inspire someone to to put another multi screen theater in the old Lincoln Plaza Cinema spot. : )

5
Reply
Jean
Jean
4 months ago

Bring back the New Yorker.

3
Reply
Liz G
Liz G
4 months ago

As a movie lover and a beer sipper, this is pretty darn exciting! Just some words of wisdom, based on my experience at the Alamo ordering a brunch frittata, some food does NOT lend itself well to eating in the dark! Whoever is designing the “higher end” menu please consider this…

6
Reply
travelgalnyc
travelgalnyc
4 months ago

Fantastic news! The UWS needs something like this; fingers crossed things get off the ground. Yay!

1
Reply
karen
karen
4 months ago

I read elsewhere that the folks in charge of the project said the capacity is 176 people. If that wasn’t a typo, then the theater will certainly not last

0
Reply
Peter
Peter
4 months ago

This thing will never happen. There’s only so many people who care about seeing a movie while a bunch of strangers are eating full dinner around them. Math will never work with the capacity and margins at hand The idea that somehow this time they’ve figured it out – despite much higher construction and food costs, and generally lower interest in movie-going post-pandemic – strikes me as implausible.

1
Reply
Dani
Dani
4 months ago
Reply to  Peter

But they have so many other locations. Are those not making money?

2
Reply
Nicholas Dalby
Nicholas Dalby
4 months ago

Wow, I cannot believe this is going to happen. I can’t remember the last time I was there. It seems like 20 years, and it may have been more.

Last edited 4 months ago by Nicholas Dalby
1
Reply
Carolyn Cohen
Carolyn Cohen
4 months ago

Amazing news!!!! We can’t wait!

1
Reply

YOU MIGHT LIKE...

Garbage In, Garbage Out — Improvements on Upper Broadway
NEWS

Garbage In, Garbage Out — Improvements on Upper Broadway

January 28, 2023 | 10:12 AM
‘Back in the Hi-Life Again’!
ABSURDITY

‘Back in the Hi-Life Again’!

January 27, 2023 | 7:13 PM
Previous Post

Updated: Wait Till You Hear Why You Can’t Get Stamps at the 95th Street Post Office (Now You Can!)

Next Post

A Light at the End of the Scaffold on 74th Street?

this week's events image

Explore Your Favorite Subject

20th precinct 24th precinct american museum of natural history animals art bicycling bulletin central park closings columns community board 7 coronavirus crash crime development dogs events fdny fire food gale brewer helen rosenthal history jcc lincoln center monday bulletin morning bulletin nypd openings pedestrian safety photography photos politics public schools pupper west side real estate restaurants retail riverside park silver stars fitness snow sponsored subway upper west side uws

CITY NEWS

Brick Underground
City Limits
Eater
Gothamist
NY Daily News
NY Post
NY Times

LOCAL RESOURCES

Bloomingdale Neighborhood History Group
Central Park Conservancy
CB7
Community Education Council 3
Assembly District 67
The New York Historical Society
Riverside Park
West End Preservation

UWS Blogs

Bloomingdale History Central Park Blogger
North River Notes
Next Post
A Light at the End of the Scaffold on 74th Street?

A Light at the End of the Scaffold on 74th Street?

Openings and Closings: New Italian Restaurant, Goodwill, Chip City Cookies, Wafels & Dinges, Magnolia Bakery, New Seafood Restaurant

Openings and Closings: New Italian Restaurant, Goodwill, Chip City Cookies, Wafels & Dinges, Magnolia Bakery, New Seafood Restaurant

Updated: Photo of Alleged Assailant Released by Cops; Police Issue a Correction

Arrested: Alleged Assailant in 65th Street Punching Incident; Four More Assaults Followed

  • ABOUT US
  • CONTACT US
  • NEWSLETTER
  • WSR MERCH!
  • ADVERTISE
  • EVENTS
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • TERMS OF USE
  • SITE MAP
Site design by RLDGROUP

© 2023 West Side Rag | All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • TOP NEWS
  • THIS WEEK’S EVENTS
  • OPEN/CLOSED
  • FOOD
  • SCHOOLS
  • OUTDOORS
  • REAL ESTATE
  • ART
  • POLITICS
  • COLUMNS
  • CRIME
  • HISTORY
  • ABSURDITY
  • CONTACT US
  • WSR SHOP

© 2023 West Side Rag | All rights reserved.