Theaters for "event" movies

Where to walk the red carpet or experience 3-D IMAX.

By Aaron Hillis Mon Mar 1 2010

Best movie theaters in New York City

  • Clearview Cinemas Ziegfeld (Photograph: Roxana Marroquin)

  • Clearview Cinemas Ziegfeld (Photograph: Roxana Marroquin)

  • AMC Loews Lincoln Square IMAX (Courtesy AMC)

  • AMC Loews Lincoln Square IMAX (Photograph: Roxana Marroquin)

  • AMC Loews Lincoln Square IMAX (Photograph: Roxana Marroquin)

  • Regal Battery Park (Photograph: Caroline Voagen Nelson)

  • Paris Theatre (Photograph: Roxana Marroquin)

  • Paris Theatre (Photograph: Roxana Marroquin)

Clearview Cinemas Ziegfeld (Photograph: Roxana Marroquin)

1. Clearview Cinema’s Ziegfeld
One of the last remaining large-scale movie palaces in the country, this cavernous one-screen mecca for moviegoers offers the perfect way to transport back to a time of Hollywood elegance. 141 W 54th Street at Sixth Ave (212-307-1862, clearviewcinemas.com)

2. AMC Loews Lincoln Square IMAX
Whether it’s a nature doc or Avatar, Gotham’s only true IMAX screen (others throughout the city that claim to be IMAX are actually retrofitted and smaller) makes every film a jaw-dropping experience. Add 3-D, and you’ll feel like you’re inside the action. 1998 Broadway at 68th St (212-336-5020, imax.com)

3. Paris Theatre
Since Marlene Dietrich cut the ribbon for its 1948 opening, this historical cinema—with its plush seats, velvet walls and an ornate balcony—remains the swankiest venue for a movie premiere. 4 W 58th St at Fifth Ave (212-688-3800, theparistheatre.com)

4. Regal Battery Park Stadium 11
Annoyed that this weekend’s latest blockbusters are sold out everywhere? Then head way, way downtown and experience clean auditoriums, crisp sound and rarely a crowd. 102 North End Ave at Vesey St (212-945-3418, regmovies.com)

5. UA Court Street Stadium 12
With its unusually participatory crowds, Brooklyn’s rowdiest multiplex is the closest you’ll get to an old-school grindhouse experience in postgentrified New York, especially during midnight screenings. 106 Court St between Schermerhorn and State Sts, Brooklyn Heights (718-246-7459, regmovies.com)


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Best movie theaters in New York City

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