A lot has changed since we did our first survey of where to sit in New York City movie theaters back in 2016. For starters, there was the pandemic, which closed down theaters for nearly an entire year, sending audiences to streaming services. I went from seeing more than 100 movies a year in theaters to just 12, total, in 2023. Yikes. But the city’s theaters didn’t just miraculously survive the pandemic — many of them have emerged with newer, better amenities. There have been some sad shutterings (RIP Landmark Sunshine), welcome renovations, expansions, and openings (looking at you, Alamo Manhattan). Today, most places have advanced-ticket seating maps online so you can see the layout of your theater before you spend money – is it playing on a big big screen or one that’s closer to flat-screen-TV size? So here’s a look at some of the best spots for movie viewing within each category: the big chains, the dine-ins, and the independents – as well as advice on which screens, and even which seats, within the multiplexes give you the most comfortable moviegoing experience and the biggest bang for your 20-bucks-and-up. Note also that there are still plenty of Oscar nominees out there right now, and you have several weeks before the big show on Mar. 10 to see them all. The big chains The big chains With its sheer variety of offerings, general plushness, and excellent picture and sound, the Lower East Side’s gigantic Regal Essex Crossing is the current king of the city. It opened on Delancey Street in April 2019 and boasts 14 screens with around 1,200 recliner seats. The four or five biggest screens are among the best in town, and here you’ll find excellent sightlines and ample legroom anywhere in the last three rows. Some theaters within the complex even have little two-seater nooks set aside in the back, which could be great for couples. Other noteworthy Regals around town: Regal Battery Park , where you can always snag a good seat at the last minute, even for the most popular new releases; Regal Union Square , which was renovated right before the pandemic and then went through an odd drama in 2023 when it was supposed to shut down but didn’t and is in fact still showing a full slate of movies; and Regal Tangram at the Flushing Mall, which opened in 2021 and features a 4DX experience screen, where your seat bucks and rocks and fog rolls in and fans blow “wind” in your face. But the most delightful theater these days — at least for big, new releases — is the AMC Lincoln Square 13 , particularly if you wind up in the enormous renovated Theater 1, which is quite luxe. The IMAX is the city’s most immersive – but make sure you’re in the last two or three rows, or your neck will feel it. And even if you get one of the jankier theaters in here – and there some pretty janky ones, with older seats through which you can sometimes feel the springs – Lincoln Square’s ability to create a feeling of moviegoing excitement is unmatched. That’s partly due to its sprawling, bustling lobby, which is a rarity these days. I saw “Barbie,” “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” (in IMAX), and “Mean Girls” here, all on their opening weekends, and the place was consistently electric and alive. The AMC Kips Bay 15 is another one of those nice, well-appointed theaters at which you can almost always snag a decent, last-minute seat; the AMC 19th Street East 6 was renovated in 2018 and still feels pretty fresh. While the AMC Magic Johnson Harlem 9 has lost some of its luster (only one screen has recliners), it remains one of Manhattan’s only options above 86th Street. The dine-ins The dine-ins Do you like being able to eat Buffalo chicken wings and Philly cheesesteaks in a dark theater while surrounded by strangers doing the same thing? Then the Alamo Drafthouse, which has three locations in New York City, is for you. It was big news when Alamo opened its first NYC location in Downtown Brooklyn back in 2016, at the City Point mall. It’s since opened two new locations: one in Manhattan’s Financial District in Manhattan (est. 2021) and another at a shopping center in Staten Island (est. 2022). Alamo is beloved (and sometimes scorned) for its strictly enforced no-phones policy, its strict age limit policies, its quirky shorts that play before the opening credits, and, of course, because you can have servers bring you full meals and glasses of beer while the movie plays. Of course, the dine-in movie pioneer here in NYC was the original Nitehawk in Williamsburg (it was also granted New York state’s first movie theater liquor license), which opened on Metropolitan Avenue in 2011. The novelty was charming for a while, but the screens are small and the seating isn’t great. Nitehawk Prospect Park , a gut renovation of the notoriously unkempt Pavillion that opened to much excitement in 2018, is better in terms of comfort. While Theaters 1 and 2 are the big stadium seating venues, even the smaller screens afford decent sightlines. As with the Alamo, all of the same pros (food and drinks can be fun during a movie) and cons (distracting servers, strong smells and general messiness) apply. Feeling fancy? When the iPIC Fulton Market at the Seaport opened in 2016 it was NYC’s most expensive movie theater – $32 a pop for a “premium plus” seat, housed in a little pod – though it’s since lowered prices somewhat, while others have raised theirs (the IMAX at AMC Lincoln Square is close to $30 with online ordering fees). Another luxe dine-in newcomer is the Look Cinema , which opened on West 57th Street in 2023, taking over (and extensively renovating) the Landmark. This is excellent news for locals, but not worth the trek for anyone else. The indies The indies Perhaps even more surprising than the big corporate chains surviving those first years of COVID, is the fact that the city’s independent movie theaters are also all still standing. The best of these, in terms of comfort alone, remains the IFC Center in the West Village – particularly the wide seats in the smallish Theater 3; and the back row of Theater 2. Both are pleasant perches from which to indulge in arty new stuff and various revivals. A word to the wise: Avoid the big Theater 1, unless you like craning your neck for two hours. However, the wide seats in the smallish Theater 3 and the back row of Theater 2 are both comfortable. The Metrograph on Ludlow Street exudes Hollywood Golden Age charm and Dimes Square cool-kid vibes – the lounge, the commissary (with booze), and the first-rate selection of candy and snacks are all so stylish! The straight-backed, little-legroom seating is a little less glamorous, however, and makes getting through the three-hour 1993 classic “Farewell My Concubine” more of a physical endurance test than a fun night out. Film Forum on West Houston Street used to be one of the most uncomfortable movie theaters in… well, all of history really, but after a full renovation in 2018, it’s now one of the best true indies in town. All 500 vinyl seats installed at the time, across all four screens, are nice and cushy. There’s also increased legroom throughout, and all theaters were renovated for much-improved sightlines. The Quad on East 13th also got a complete reno back in 2017, so the seats are much better than before. Unfortunately the screens remain too small, and the floor remains too flat, so if someone plops down right in front of you, you’re going to want to move. The screens are plenty big at BAM in Fort Greene (Cinema 4, with a capacity of well over 200, is the best of them), but you wouldn’t exactly call the place comfy. Get here early, too – you definitely want to sit in the center. Just make sure you hit the bathroom first; minimal legroom and long rows mean you’ll be squeezing past and annoying a lot of people if you have to take a mid-movie break. Finally, the Angelika remains a disaster and retains its title as NYC’s worst movie house. This place has it all: broken seats, hallway-like theaters, loud HVAC, terrible sightlines, sound leakage, tiny bathrooms and chaotic lines. And yet I’ve been to the Angelika literally hundreds of times over the years, because the movie selection is generally great. That’s life in the big city, baby!
This content was originally published here.
