Riverdale Twin Cinema
5683 Riverdale Avenue,
Riverdale,
NY
10471
5683 Riverdale Avenue,
Riverdale,
NY
10471
1 person
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Please update, total seats 453. Theatre 1 154 (Balcony) and Theatre 2 299 Source NYC DOB
Twinned In August 1986, Closed In September 1997.
The Riverdale Cinema opened on April 24th, 1964 with “America America”. Grand opening ad posted.
I remember the Utopia theater in Fresh Meadows Queens had vending machines. They did not have a concession stand
I only remember being in this theater once. My grandparents took me there to see Oliver. I specifically remember a coin-operated popcorn machine in the theater — put in 25 cents and get a tall, narrow cup of popcorn. I have never seen that in any other theater.
I lived outside of Parkchester in 1990 and remember the American in Parkchester was showing Blue Steel with Jamie Lee Curtis. Instead I travelled up to the Riverdale twin for thew only time to see the same picture because you also got to see a sneak preview of Pretty Woman. This was back in 1990.
I began seeing flicks at the Riverdale Cinema in 1968, after my family moved to Riverdale from Washington Heights late that year. It was a small theater, but its atmosphere was cozy and generally quiet—-no rowdy kids. Some early memories: THE NIGHT THEY RAIDED MINSKY’S, WATERLOO, THE LAST PICTURE SHOW, LAST SUMMER, MANHATTAN, many more, even Chaplin’s THE GOLD RUSH. Went there with many a date, too, as well as my wife; I believe the last film we saw in the Riverdale was MR. HOLLAND’S OPUS, in 1996. The theater’s clientele was, as I have said, a quieter crowd, mostly a lot of mature couples, so I assume kids went to the more “happening” theaters in the Westchester malls. But in terms of providing a couple hours of escapism, the Riverdale Cinema, and later the Twin, did its job very well. It is much missed.
I remember the last film I saw there was 1997’s “The Lost World: Jurassic Park” and shortly after that it was closed. The building by then was “old” to today’s standards and even by the 90’s with the multiplexes booming. The area is predominantly for retails like supermarkets and Kosher restaurants and markets. I can see why it was closed down. The Westchester multiplexes are around a 30 minute drive, closer to going to Manahattan. One could take the Bee-Line buses to the nearby Cross-County multiplex in a short time so there’s no need to keep that theater. Brings back old memories but not enough to keep it open in today’s economics.
It is offcial. Today the former Riverdale Twin Cinema begins its new life as Noah’s Kosher Market. Not a trace remains to indicate the former cinema. Treasure your memories if there are any of the former movie house. Perhaps someday, mid-21st century 2050’s say, future planners will again create an entertainment venue like a Phoenix rising anew.
From what I imagine it’s possible the grosses weren’t enough to pay the extremely high property taxes. A work certificate in one of the windows now indicates that “refrigeration” work is being done for an incoming “food market”. Neighbors think a kosher meat market or kosher grocery may be coming in to serve the raising Orthodox Jewish population. A revival as a movie theatre no longer seems possible for this site. Chalk it up to history.
This theatre did good grosses, does anyone know why it closed?
As of the present 3/25/05 there is a work crew currently working on the cement floor. The back of the building is covered with graffiti. The windows are so covered with dirt and grime you can hardly see in. The days of when this building was a theatre now seem a long distant dream.
As I pass by the building daily it is still a mess. Inside workers are toiling laboriously drilling and ripping up the concrete floor for what who knows? The workers refuse to discuss what is going on.I heard rumors that the theatre may come back.
Unfortunately, since much of the east bronx is more suburban, many residents drive to Bay Plaza, or Whitestone, as well as many nearby Westchester theatres. The more cosmopolitan west Bronx residents usually hail a taxi, bus or ride the subway into nearby Manhattan which is only minutes away. Some even venture out by foot. There have been proposals to turn the old Kingsbridge Armory into a multiplex theatre and retail venue. This would be ideal. The building is one of the largest armories in the country and has an underground tunnel that leads all the way to upper Manhattan.
Those are the only operating Bronx theatres, Dave; it’s shocking that an area with so large a population could have so few movie houses (not counting the veritable boot hill of shuttered venues from the mid-‘80s into the '90s – the Paradise, the Dale, the Valentine, and the Riverdale, just to name a few).
This theatre has recently been gutted.
In the whole Bronx, there are only 4 operating movie theatres left – Concourse, Whitestone, American and Bay Plaza, or did I miss something.