Upper West Side, Broadway between 100th and 99th Streets

Mary Sargent © 2007 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

When I moved to West 110th Street in 1982, this theater (built in 1933, but reduced to showing porn in the 70s) had just been renovated and reopened as the Metro, a revival theater with one giant screen playing double bills that changed every day. It took me 10 minutes to get there walking fast and I got there often, sat in the front row, and got my movie education (this is in the olden days, kids, when the giant screen came to the floor and you could sit in the front row without straining your neck). The first movie I saw there on October 24, 1982 was Days of Heaven by the great director Terrance Malick.

The 80's were paradise for movie lovers, probably the 60's and 70's were, too, but I wasn't here. Great theaters all over town showing all kinds of stuff, prices low. Times changed, people started watching videos at home, and the theaters started closing. I don't remember the year the Metro chopped its beautiful interior in half and put two small screens in and started showing first run movies, but I remember it happening. I saw the last showing on the single screen and now I can't think what it was. An old silent film.

And now look. Store for Rent.

See map.