Best movie theaters for date nights

Clearview Ziegfeld

• Critics choice

The crème de la crème of single-screen theaters, this old-school movie palace is so impeccably designed (dig those ceiling arches and that deco lobby!) that you'll feel as if you've stepped back in time and entered a bygone era. More important, it's also one of the best place to see a blockbuster in New York City, thanks to its mega-huge screen and top-notch sound system. Accept no substitutes: If you have to see Hollywood's latest attempt at turning a popular toy line or videogame into a big-budget franchise, this is the only place to do it.

Kew Gardens Cinemas

Queens Museum of Art

Located on the grounds of the 1939 and 1964 World’s Fairs, the QMA holds one of the area’s most amazing sights: a 9,335sq ft scale model of New York City, featuring Lilliputian Gotham landmarks, created for the 1964 event. In early 2007, a long-overdue upgrade was unveiled: an updated lighting system now mimics the arc of the sun as it passes over NYC, while a 13-minute multimedia presentation explores the Panorama’s construction and spotlights various NYC attractions. Contemporary and outsider art exhibits have grown more bold and inventive here, garnering increasing acclaim.

French Institute Alliance Française, Tinker Auditorium

The French Institute Alliance Française, a not-for-profit language and cultural center, is dedicated to French history and art, and offers an extensive array of theater, dance, music and performances throughout the year. Tinker is the smaller of the institute's two performance/screening theaters.

Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Symphony Space

Funded by Mr. Spock himself, this renovated theater was once host to foreign and art-house cinema. As part of Symphony Space, it still screens films and also plays host to several chamber performances a month.