Saturday, January 6, 2024

The Demise of Movie Theaters in Queens Comes to This Generation

 


When I was growing up in Rego Park in the 1960s there were several movie theaters within walking distance or a short bus ride.  Back in those days, there were no multiplexes.  The following theaters have closed over the years:

  • Elmwood
  • Trylon 
  • Drake
  • Forest Hills
  • Continental (changed its name to Brandon)
Only the Midway stands today.  It now has 9 screens.

In the 1980s after I was married I moved to northern Queens where the following movie theaters eventually closed:
  • RKO Keiths
  • Prospect
  • Quartet
  • Bayside (at Bell Blvd. and 39th Avenue)
  • Whitestone
The AMC Bay Terrace with six screens still stands

In 1999 the College Point Multiplex with 12 screens was built at the intersections of the Whitestone Expressway and Linden Place.  It was nice to have a movie theater within walking distance for all these years. 

The Bayside Times reports today that the College Point Multiplex will likely close since the Jamaica Multiplex Cinemas will shut down in June.  The parent company closed several theaters in the past year.  I must have seen hundreds of movies in that multiplex since it opened in 1999.  It was always nice to have a movie theater in the neighborhood.  Sadly, movie theaters have become dinosaurs as people would prefer to stay home and watch movies on streaming services such as Netflix.

Nothing in this world stays the same.  I guess movie theaters are going the way of the landline telephone.

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