Even as home streaming continues to threaten the existence of the movie theater, these resilient art-house cinemas in New York are proving that there’s still magic to be found in a dark room full of strangers.
Metrograph
The newly opened Deco theater on the Lower East Side features a selection of cult classics, archival prints shown on high-end 35 mm projectors, and newer independent films. Also: buttoned-up ushers, recherché popcorn, and hard-to-find candies. The Commissary, Metrograph’s 1920s throwback restaurant, offers a menu inspired by old-time Hollywood studio cafeterias. 7 Ludlow St.; 212-660-0312; metrograph.com.
Nitehawk Prospect Park
When it opens in the fall, Nitehawk’s second Brooklyn location, in Park Slope, will offer the same three-course dinner as the original, in Williamsburg. Furtive servers will deftly deliver craft cocktails and seasonal fare to and from tables while movies—niche independent films, campy classics, and well-curated wide releases—screen above. 188 Prospect Park West; nitehawkcinema.com.
Quad Cinema
When the Quad Cinema closed its doors in 2015, Greenwich Villagers feared that New York’s oldest multiscreen theater was done for. Instead, the beloved art house underwent a major renovation and will reopen in the spring, with one screen dedicated to classics and three screens playing new independent and foreign films. 34 W. 13th St.; 347-566-5949; quadcinema.com.
Alamo Drafthouse
The Austin-based dine-in theater chain opened its first location in New York City in October, bringing both studio and independent films (and a no-nonsense no–cell phone policy) to downtown Brooklyn. Alamo’s executive chef, Fernando Marulanda, previously of Danny Meyer’s Blue Smoke, created the menu. 445 Albee Sq. West; 718-513-254; drafthouse.com.
