UA Lynbrook 6
321 Merrick Road,
Lynbrook,
NY
11563
321 Merrick Road,
Lynbrook,
NY
11563
13 people
favorited this theater
Showing 76 - 100 of 207 comments
Mike(Saps) One reason for a theatre being ‘updated’ is the change of the main photo on the page. Photos change due to the number of ‘hits’ each one receives.
This theater is on the “updated” page but I don’t see hide nor hair of any difference in the listing.
How do theaters get on the updated list when they don’t seem to be actually updated?
Truth, Mike. Only new seats in the building are those in the two newest rooms – the stage area auditorium, and the tiny auditorium up front in the former retail space. In the 4 main rooms, are the same creaky red seats I remember sitting in for films like “1941,” “Rocky II,” “The Muppet Movie,” and “Dawn of the Dead” back in 1979!
Meanwhile, the seats that were installed by Mr. Calderone himself haven’t been changed since, and the floors are extra sticky because there are still no cup holders. In 2013. At a first run Regal theater.
Yet they continue to charge full price, plus extra for 3D.
Way back when when UA owned the theater the intention was to demolish it and start over. The problem was long tern tenants who could not be displaced. The saga of the Lynbrook is like the LIRR going to Grand Central Terminal and the completion of the Second Avenue Subway. At least they’re working on the latter two but the dates keep getting pushed away. Those two are 50 years in the making. The Lynbrook is only 20.
Here is a direct link to a page on the Lynbrook Village website, where one can open minutes from previous Board meetings. If one were to click on the link for the 8/12/2013 meeting (the latest meeting at this time), a PDF document will open. At the bottom of page 5, are the following minutes:
“Special Village Counsel Jack Libert introduced Regal Theatre/Bluenfled Development Group (RTBDG) to discuss their intended redevelopment of the Lynbrook Movie Theater at 325 Merrick Road. David Blumenfeld and Jerry Grewe, representing Regal Cinemas, discussed the existing condition of the Theatre. Mr Grewe indicated that the proposed project would encompass all parcels owned by Regal, and provide 15 screens with modern theatre amenities. Chris Robinson of RMS Engineering, representing RTBDG, advised that the existing structure would be demolished, and a new structure would be constructed having a front entrance facing east on Hempstead Avenue, a drop off traffic lane in Patrick Henry Park, and parking provided off site utilizing available spaces on streets and in municipal parking lots.”
After listing those who commented (with no details as to what those comments may have expressed), the minutes go on to read:
“Mr Grewe added that the existing theater has 1700 seats, and the porposed theatre would have 3150 seats, take 12 months to construct, have staggered movie times to minimize traffic congestion, and possible reprogramming of pedestrian crosswalk times on Merrick Road by Nassau County. The Mayor thanked all for their comments and requested that the applicants advise Jack Libert regularly on the status of filing of a formal application.”
So, we now know that the intention is to demolish and construct an entirely new structure. We also know that this is still pretty early in the process, although, it would appear that Regal has a finalized vision for the redevelopment. I wonder how the discussion went, between all those who commented. It might not have even been a discussion, merely various points of view from various Chamber of Commerce representatives and, perhaps, a few local business owners and/or citizens. I can’t imagine they would have been too happy with the projects proposal to utilize only off-site parking.
There really isn’t much by way of convenient street parking in the immediate vicinity. The municipal lot on Forrest Avenue, which serves the storefronts on Atlantic Avenue, would probably bear the brunt of the load – thus necessitating the reprogramming of pedestrian crosswalk lights. Crossing Merrick Avenue at that intersection has always been a tricky proposition.
Point of note: On the Regal website ,there’s no metion of the explansion and RPX under “grand openings”
We’ve heard this before. Any link to the article?
Since Green Acres closes, this has become my new movie destination. I saw “The Pink Panther 2”, “Winnie the Pooh”, “Wreck-It Ralph”, “Monsters, Inc. 3D” and “The Croods” there.
Movieman… bring some clorox wipes along with you.
I have been up to the left balcony auditorium twice in the last 6 months or so, most recently for “Django Unchained,” and I noticed that there is some sort of housing in front of the screen that noticeably cuts a small notch a few inches deep and several feet wide along the bottom edge of the image – dead center, too! Wonder what this is and why it was so poorly placed with respect to the audiences sight lines towards the screen?!
I wonder when thir currnt lease will expire. I don’t think there will be a renewal.
right now the theater is different because they have metal platforms for handicapped people.
Deadline.com is reporting that Regal is spending $191M to acquire the Hollywood Theaters chain. Link to article. This is the comment I posted in Deadline’s comments section:
Since Regal has so much money to spend, I hope they can throw a couple of dollars at their Lynbrook sixplex, which has plenty of broken seats and doesn’t even have cup holders. They’ve been “planning” to rebuild for over a decade and so have spent very little on repairs and maintenance. Since their new purchase is expected to be “accretive to cash flows” I hope some of that cash flows this way.
I wonder if the Woodbay Construction Co. is still in business. The did so many theater conversions, I’d love to see their files.
All theatres are Sony 4K Digital except the upstairs theatres don’t have suround sound. Don’t pay to see 3D in theatre 4 and pay extra with no surround sound. The surround sound works very well in Theatre 1 and Theatre 2. YES, I think they are the same seats from 1982 when I saw the “The Wiz” when I was 12 years old. Also, If you go when it’s sold out, the head in front will block the view of the screen.
RichD… posted some info that might interest you over on the Rivoli Theatre page.
Just remembered that I also saw “Nighthawks” with Sylvester Stallone at the Rivoli (also the 2nd time seeing that movie) and the theater was still a single at the time – which was in the Spring of 1981 (imdb.com lists a premiere date of April 4th). I’ll try and do some research, Rich, and will report back on the Rivoli’s CT page.
Rich… If you go to the Rivoli page, the introduction states the theater was twinned in December, 1981. The theatre was definitely a single when “Dawn of the Dead” played there in early 1979 and I can also tell you from personal experience that it was still a single screen when I saw “1941” (another Lynbrook connection) in January 1980 and “Flash Gordon” in December of 1980. I have newspaper clippings from March of 1982 that clearly indicate the theater had already been twinned, so the date in the introductory comments would seem to be pretty well supported.
Ed, it’s funny you mentioned the Rivoli in connection to “Dawn of the Dead”. The first time I saw “Dawn” was at the Lynbrook, and the second time was a few weeks later at the Rivoli!
Now, Tinseltoes, I have a question for you…I know I saw “Dawn” there before the Rivoli was cut into twins, but my memory is that “Dawn of the Dead” was the last movie shown there before the conversion. Do you (or anybody else) know if that’s true?
In some circles the original seats are a plus. The Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center reupolstered the seats originating from the time the theatre originally opened in the 1930s. The place is such a jewel box that anything else would be out of place.
Rich… I should revise my comments to read “where I saw PART OF ‘Dawn of the Dead’”… Being a couple of years under 17, and unable to convince the box office girl that we were of age, we purchased tickets to “Rocky II” or someother PG-rated film and then snuck into “Dawn…” Within about 15 minutes, this dorky usher came in looking to see our ticket stubs and tossed us out to the curb! Finally saw the flick in its entirety a couple of weeks later at the Rivoli Theatre in Times Square – where age requirements were taken a little less seriously.
But those seats, with the black painted metal backs and fixed wooden arm-rests, definitely date back to the Lynbrook’s quartet days!
YES! That is most certainly the auditorium I saw “Dawn of the Dead” in as well! And they sure look like the same old seats to me as well!
Well… the articles I posted about date from January and April and there has been no movement since – not even news of ongoing discussions between the village and Regal. I have a feeling patrons of this theater (however many that may be) will continue to suffer the gnats, broken A/C, falling ceiling tiles, rain flooded hallways (those last two complaints per reader comments posted in the Lynbrook Patch) and lousy sound system for at least a few more years to come. And I will continue to take my moviegoing business away from Lynbrook and into Westbury or Rockville Centre.
I mean just look at the shabby condition of the auditorium depicted in the photo at the top of this page! Looks like the room on the right side of the old orchestra level (would that be theater 2)? This would be the auditorium where I saw “Dawn of the Dead” in 1979 and I swear those are the very same seats my friends and I sat in 32 years ago!