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It’s one of those winter days: no sunshine to be found, a damp chill that sits in your bones, a bitter wind that rips the will to live straight off your face. What’s a New Yorker with all the time in the world but little desire to be outside to do? Well, there are a few options, but going to the movies is more fun and easy than ever.
New York has always boasted the best selection of movies in the States — the indie movies open here first, and theaters regularly host series of classics and cult favorites. Now with the expansion of dine-in theaters and unbelievably cheap (think $10/month) monthly subscription services to a wide variety of theaters, going to the movies is accessible and preferable to staying in and streaming. Here are some of New York’s best theater experiences (*denotes that Moviepass works here).
This is the cinephile aesthete’s go-to theater. Located in the part of the LES that’s still super cool (you know, way south of Delancey, by Kiki’s, Dimes, Jajaja, etc.), the Metrograph is a stunner tucked away in an unassuming brick behemoth. The moment you walk in through the wrought iron-and-glass doors, it’s obvious that this is a special experience. The box office looks like it was ripped from the set of a Wes Anderson movie: beautifully monochrome, classic movie theater fonts, sparse, neat rows of colorful candy concessions set in the back. The weekly calendar cards they print up are equally twee, and show the wide range of cinematic choices that they thoughtfully curate — from contemporary, foreign, independent films to Hollywood classics, almost all shown in 35mm. They also have a stunning restaurant and bar (the food’s all right), book shop, and lounge. The theater itself is impressive, although don’t expect reclining chairs or, frankly, comfortable seats. But if you’re looking to see a movie you probably won’t find anywhere else in a unique venue, this is your spot.
The classic, Brooklyn dine-in boutique theater is, for now, only in Williamsburg, but a South Slope location (at the dilapidated Pavilion’s former location) is coming soon! This is the theater that started it all back in 2011, getting the law to change so liquor could be served in NYC theaters — and to them we are eternally grateful. First-run movies are projected in cushy theaters with in-seat dining options from their excellent bar and menu of comfort foods. They also host film series and an annual shorts festival!
You can easily just come here and chill with friends at their enormous bar while you wait for a table at nearby Roberta’s, but where’s the fun in that? Order from the full menu (burgers, shakes, cocktails, etc.) while seated in their theater, where they sell criminally cheap tickets ($3-$10) for current, classic, and cult movies. The current Oscars frontrunners all play for $7, while classics like All About Eve or a marathon of David Lynch’s films might only cost $3. It’s one of the best deals left in Bushwick.
Placed smack dab in the middle of rapidly-developing Downtown Brooklyn (we will never call it “DoBro”), the Alamo Drafthouse is the current stronghold in this part of town for a high-end theater experience. A national chain with roots in Austin, TX, there’s so much going on at the Alamo that its overt cowboy theme is one of the last things to take away from your experience. Showing blockbusters, independent movies, and the occasional retro screening, the Alamo’s pre-show entertainment is what sets them above their dine-in competitors — it’s created to specifically target the themes of the film you’re about to see, providing tongue-in-cheek context and proving the Alamo’s cinephile bonafides and sense of humor. They offer an excellent menu (the boozy shakes and fried pickles are real standouts), helpful staff, super comfortable seats, and very strict noise policies — so that obnoxious guy who picks up his phone will get the boot.
No-frills art house movie theater in the heart of Greenwich Village — get out at the correct W4th subway exit, and you’re right at the box office. The former Waverly Theater definitely isn’t providing high-end concessions or luxurious theaters, but they screen an amazing selection of old and new indie films at all hours of the day, and the location can’t be beat. DOC NYC, the US’ largest documentary festival, is held here, and throughout the year you can check out their awesome weekly documentary series and Queer/Art/Film series with LGBTQ film curators.
This is the theater for treating.yo.self.
The tickets are pretty pricey, but with that you can see the big box movies in plush comfort — reclining leather seats, and, of course, food and cocktails brought to your table during the movie, all with that luxe, moody lighting we associate we “premier” experiences (their marketing word, not ours.) It’s also fun to see the shiny, new South Street Seaport in the revitalizing Financial District.
A New York classic, this nonprofit theater’s been projecting contemporary American independent and foreign arts films in addition to curated repertory cinema since the ’70s (although the Houston St location is from the late ‘80s.) They operate largely by membership, but you can always pop by for a single ticket to any of their wonderful showings. It’s a barebones operation, but so much care is put into each selection, and it feels right to show support. Buy your standard box o’ popcorn and expect to be surrounded by some West Village old-timers.
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Photo credits: 1-3) Courtesy of Metrograph 4) Courtesy of Nitehawk 5) Courtesy of SyndicatedBK 6) Courtesy of IFC Center 7) Courtesy of Film Forum
