South Bay Cinemas
495 Montauk Highway,
West Babylon,
NY
11704
495 Montauk Highway,
West Babylon,
NY
11704
3 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 166 comments
When it opened in 1967 seating was at least 1,000. When I was there in 2005-2012 the seating was 420 in theatre 5, theatre in the backstage was 350 when it was a Trio and then 170 when it was split in half with 175 in each one when it was a quad. Along the side of theatre 5 was a narrow theatre which had 230 seats as a trio and this was split to make it a five-plex with one theatre 150 seats and the other 60 seats directly behind the 150 seats. The theatre numbers also changed to #1 & #2 (backstage), theatre #3 and #5 were the narrow theatre along side #4. The large theatre remained at 420 and became theatre #4. The theatre was very busy after the Lindenhurst closed and then busier when Babylon closed. Weeekends especially Friday, with the horror movies were always sellouts in #4 with shows cancelled in either #1 or # for the over flow from #4. It was basically a Disney and Horror house, the bread and butter always playing in theatre #4. All seats were $5. before 6 P.M. is the reason of its success! Theatres today are very small with the average screen at 100 seats. At $20. a ticket, you have sell a lot of tickets in these modern theatres. I wish them good luck!
Please update, total seats 441
Theatre 1 80
Theatre 2 85
Theatre 3 30
Theatre 4 158
Theatre 5 88
https://greaterlongisland.com/showtime-south-bay-cinemas-reopens-in-west-babylon/
It definitely opened, first day of operation, please not reopened on July 26, 2024
Saw someone I follow on Twitter has posted that the theater is for sure open with pictures. It can be officially confirmed as reopened if it wasn’t already.
ridethetrain - saw the same information as you. Phone isn’t working for additional confirmation. I don’t actually live in the area, and will not be passing through for a couple of weeks, so I can’t physically confirm at this time. Never thought it would happen. Closed since 2016. Wonder if people will even go at this point with so many changes in viewing habits due to the closing of so many theatres.
It looks like the theater reopening today. Robboehm could you verify. Found showtimes on there facebook page. photo in photos section
The three doors on the eastern wall, from the parking lot, are 2,5,4.
Standard sized doors are now labeled as emergency exits. There is also a green light above each. The one for Theatre One faces the parking lot and is at the eastern corner of the building. Three more doors are on the eastern wall of the theatre about 12 feet from the parking lot and are almost adjacent to each other. ??? I presume the doors on the building facing Montauk Highway, which are not labelled, will service all five auditoriums.
At the rate this is going, the theatre will reopen one month before the lease ends.
Apparently this is still not a dead issue. The landscaping in front of the theatre has been refreshed for Spring. Handicapped parking spaces have been outlined by the entrance with appropriate signage attached to the building.
Wonder when the lease is up. May happen before the theatre finally reopens.
from Newsday June 30 A West Babylon movie theater that was slated to reopen in time for the summer season may not start screenings until fall — or possibly ever — after town inspectors found numerous safety violations.
South Bay Cinemas owner Jay Levinson spent $1.3 million on a renovation to the property, which has been closed since 2016, and had planned to open by mid-June, Newsday previously reported.
But the theater didn’t pass an inspection by Town of Babylon building, engineering and fire officials in early June, according to Assistant Chief Fire Marshal Anthony Cardali.
“If you went in there and saw the whole thing as a totality, you would say this isn’t even close to being finished,” he said.
Levinson, 69, who also owns the Bellmore Playhouse, said he has hired an attorney to question some of the town’s findings.
“They want me to do all these things that would cost me money that could cause this theater not opening ever,” he added.
The fire marshal’s office found 22 items that need to be addressed, ranging from removing construction debris to labeling exit doors to correcting “severe damage” to flame retardant curtains. The building department issued a list of 14 necessary fixes while engineering officials found six problems.
Cardali said because the building has an occupancy load of more than 500 people, fire safety is the overarching concern for the town.
“We take fire safety in public assembly extremely seriously,” Cardali said. “The life hazard here is tremendous based on the occupancy load.”
Cardali said problems include “major electrical violations,“ and the partial installation of fire stops — which prevent smoke and heat from moving from one area to another.
In addition, the electrical system in the projection area is in “extremely poor condition" with signs of water intrusion or rust from age, according to the fire official. The inspection also revealed wires hanging out of electrical connections and boxes throughout the theater, Cardali said.
Levinson said he has run out of money and needs a loan for the repairs, but hopes to resolve everything by September or October.
“It’s caused me a lot of agita,” he said. “To me, it feels like they’d rather have an empty building there.”
Babylon Village resident Gary Weiner, 56, said he is “tremendously disappointed” the theater won’t open this summer because he had looked forward to seeing movies there with his teenage daughter.
“But things like electrical safety, that’s not a negotiable thing,” he said.
Article in June 30 issue of Newsday said all sorts of permitting issues found during inspection, and reopening delayed indefinitely.
Opening delayed pending approvals by the Town Board and the Fire Marshall.
I was looking for a site ParkingLotTreasures but couldn’t find one.
(Parking will not be an issue.)
There is no signage anywhere that limits parking for movie theatre patrons to any portion of the parking lot. I can’t imagine they will start towing cars without any warnings that some parking is off limits. As it was before, it looks like shared parking between the theatre, the supermarket, Starbucks and the other tenants.
This sounds really great but there is only parking for about 30 cars. With 550 seats I would guess you need 100 car parks. If you park on the car parks of the adjacent shopping center with huge costs for taxes, security, snow removal you will be towed UNLESS the new theater has entered into a car park agreement! Has it done that? Or do you go to the new theater by Uber?
From Newsday
By Denise M. Bonilla
The sticky floors are now smooth, the seats cushy and the screens no longer dimpled with rips, but enough hasn’t changed that longtime patrons of South Bay Cinemas in West Babylon may feel nostalgic when they step inside next month.
Closed since 2016, the movie house has undergone a $1.3 million renovation under new ownership, and news of its impending opening has people not only recalling the good old days, but hoping to make new memories.
“I’m very excited, and we’ll be there,” said Babylon Village resident Gary Weiner, who plans to check out the theater with his daughter, Aurora, 14. “If they bring it back to a quality level, that’s going to be our go-to theater.” Weiner, 56, remembers the place as “certainly rundown, but a fun, cheap way to go the movies” and “a great way to kill a lazy summer afternoon with my daughter.”
New owner Jay Levinson, who also owns the independent Bellmore Playhouse, said the theater “was a real rat’s nest” when he took over but he loved the experience 30 years ago when he frequently saw movies there.
“I always had my eyes set on that theater because there’s not too much competition in the area,” said Levinson, 69, of East Meadow, noting the closest options are in Deer Park and Farmingdale.
He said it took two years to come to a lease agreement with the landlord and the renovations were delayed for years because of the pandemic and supply chain problems.
There are five new screens in the theater, which has 550 seats. The floors have been replaced and there are luxury recliner seats where patrons can “push a button, lean back, fall asleep and miss the whole movie,” Levinson said.
The facility meets accessibility standards under the American with Disabilities Act, and new bathrooms and draperies have been added as part of the renovation, along with other design touches from an interior decorator Levinson hired for the project.
Perhaps the biggest change that may will greet moviegoers is a full-service bar and lounge — Levinson said his liquor license application is pending. The lobby also will feature the usual food and snacks for sale and video gaming stations.
“In movie theaters today, you make your money in concessions and you actually lose money with the box office,” Levinson said.
He is promising lower prices than chains like AMC and Regal, with prices topping out at $10 for adults and seniors at $7.50 — along with planned bargain days such as Terrific Tuesdays where $6 will get anyone a seat. The theater also will host birthday parties and other events, Levinson said.
A film buff with a theater screen in his home, Levinson has operated theaters in Huntington, Queens and Westchester and calls the South Bay renovation his “last hurrah” in the business.
“A lot of theaters are having a tough time right now,” he said. “But you have to be reasonable and you have to be consistent and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Fans of the theater have expressed their excitement about the reopening on social media — both for entertainment and employment opportunities.
A recent job fair Levinson held attracted 130 applicants for 20 jobs. He hopes to open by June 16.
South Bay Cinemas by the numbers
First opened in 1967 Reopening expected by June 16 Features 550 seats Has 1 large, 2 medium and 2 small movie screens
THEY LOST THE RIGHT TO USE THE LAND OF THE ADJUACENT SHOPPING CENTER. THEY MUST LEASE SOME LAND FROM THE CENTER FOR MOVIE PARKING.
The theatre has been there for decades. So that should not be an insurmountable problem.
THE ADJACENT HUGE SHOPPING CENTER OWNS ALL THAT PARKING, MAINTAINS IT AND PLOWS OFF THE SNOW AND HAS SECURITY GUARDS. WITHOUT A WRITTEN AGREEMENT MOVIE PATRONS CANNOT PARK THERE AND WILL BE TOWED AWAY. ONE WOULD ASSUME THE MOVIE THEATER OWNER IS ATTEMPING TO REACH AGREEMENT.
SOUTH BAY ONLY OWNS A SMALL AMOUNT OF CAR PARKING IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING AND SEVERAL CAR PARKS BEHIND IT.
There is a tremendous amount of parking behind the theatre before you get to the stores which are part of the shopping center. Also a lot adjacent to the side by the box office. Someone previously indicated parking would be restricted. I don’t see how that would be possible.
Anyone have external screen shots ideally showing the parking available for this theater?
Did this venue ever screen anything in 70mm other than that one-week run of “Lawrence of Arabia” back in 2006?
Renovations look nice. Those look like Bellmore Playhouse seats & operated by the same people