When the Lincoln Plaza Theater closed in January of 2018, it was like a body blow to the Upper West Side, an area that historically housed a huge community of arts lovers who were educated, sophisticated and open to a wide variety of cinema experiences.
It wasn’t as if there weren’t alternatives. Film at Lincoln Center is one of the best curated art houses in the country. AMC has two large multiplexes that, in addition to playing the latest Hollywood movies, also squeeze in the occasional Focus, Searchlight, A24 or Neon film. But, with the passing of the Lincoln Plaza Theater, a stalwart community institution was gone.
The Upper West Side is desperately under-screened for the rabid art film audience that exists. Since the demise of both the Lincoln Plaza Cinemas and the Landmark 57, there are now only 3 full-time art screens plus 1 part-time screen north of 14th Street. This is in comparison to over 20 dedicated art screens that exist in downtown Manhattan, and a similar number in Brooklyn.
The neighborhood is also in need of an anchor destination and event space for the community.
The Plan
The Upper West Side Cinema Center (UWSCC) has been formed as a not-for-profit corporation, with the goal of creating a new facility dedicated to screening art film releases that currently have no home in the neighborhood, as well as classic films and special events. The facility will include an Education and Community Center and a Lobby Lounge/Cafe open to the street and available for events.
We are now in the process of trying to secure ownership of the former Metro Theater, on 99th Street and Broadway. The plan is to restore the facade and marquee to its original splendor and build a five-screen cinema within its walls. The venue will be renamed The Metro Cinema Center.
The organization plans to partner with other cultural institutions such as Film at Lincoln Center, the JCC of the Upper West Side, New Plaza Cinema, Woodstock Film Festival, BAM, MOMA and Columbia University School of the Arts among others to offer additional capacity for their existing programming. The Educational Center will be modeled on existing cinema organizations such as the Jacob Burns Center in Pleasantville, NY and the Coolidge Corner in Brookline, MA.
The Team
President/Treasurer: Ira Deutchman
Vice President: Adeline Monzier
Secretary/Community Liaison/Marketing: Beth Krieger
Architects: Voith & Mactavish Architects LLC
Audiovisual Design: Boston Light and Sound
Legal Consultant: Stephen Cohen, Esq.
Interim Fiscal Sponsor: Woodstock Film Festival
Impact
In July of 2024, the Art House Convergence, an organization representing art house theaters across the country, released the results of a survey of patrons with some startling results. Here is a summary:
74% of patrons report that their art house theater is “extremely” or “very” valuable to their overall quality of life, up from 66% in 2019. 43% of respondents have paid to be members of their local art house organization. 92% of respondents said that their art house cinema presents films that are profound, 83% agree that their art house exposes them to new ways of thinking, 82% believe that attending their art house cinema makes them a more well-rounded person, 75% say that it raises their consciousness of important issues and 67% say that attending their art house connects them with people with shared interests and beliefs.
Art houses serve as the backbone for the artistic, civic, and economic vitality of communities. 93% say their art house sparks art and culture, 90% agree that their art house is one of the best things about the community, 89% say that their cinema helps tell important stories that would otherwise not be told, 87% say their cinema is an anchor in their community and 77% say that their cinema enhances their community’s economic vitality.
The plan for the Metro Cinema Center is aimed at fulfilling exactly this function for the Upper West Side and for all of Manhattan above 14th Street. Arts institutions, in general, have proven to be an economic boom, bringing patrons to restaurants and retail establishments, creating pedestrian traffic and increasing real estate values. The Metro is perfectly situated to provide a huge multiplier to the neighborhood.
Ira Deutchman
Adeline Monzier