Washington Heights locals want to save movie theater
Jeff Hoppa still remembers taking his 5-year-old son to his first movie at Coliseum Cinemas in Washington Heights last year. They took pictures inside and enjoyed the Easter Bunny-starring movie, ‘Hop.’
Several months later, Hoppa walked by the W. 181st St. theater and noticed it was closed.
Now, he’s leading a group of local residents who want to see the space reopened as a movie theater or even as a performing arts and cultural center.
“I definitely want a movie theater,” said Hoppa. “There’s no movie theater north of 125th St.”
The shuttered theater, which sits on the bustling corner of W. 181st St. and Broadway, was originally opened in 1920 showing live performances, including the Marx Brothers, W.C. Fields and Eddie Cantor and Bob Hope.
The theater closed late last year amid financial struggles, and Hoppa was determined to do something about it.
So he started a Facebook group called ‘Save the Coliseum!’ It’s already racked up nearly 350 members.
“It’s kind of taken on a life of its own,” he said of the group, that is collectively known as Washington Heights Arts and Movies - or WHAM.
Hoppa initially just wanted to see a movie theater return to the space - but the Facebook group has sparked other ideas.
“Beyond [the movie theater] there is a hunger for so much more,” said Hoppa, 48, a visual artist who has lived in Washington Heights since 2001.
Some residents, like Melissa Fendell Moschitto, have bigger plans for the former movie theater.
“I would like a performing arts and cultural center; a cultural hub,” said Moschitto, 31, a theater director and writer.
“There isn’t a lot of cultural space...We deserve a BAM uptown,” she said, referring to the performing arts center Brooklyn Academy of Music.
Moschitto, Hoppa and others will discuss plans for the theater at a meeting Thursday at 8 p.m. at Le Cheile at 839 W. 181st St.
Hoppa has also contacted uptown elected officials.
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A Discount Shopping Guide to New York City | Washsington Heights
By Jerome Baladad
Leading a frugal life here in New York City, I’ve learned how to best maximize my hard earned dollars while using my acquired skills in discount shopping. A lot of friends, mostly women, and other caring acquaintances have shared me some wonderful tips on where to do discount shopping here in NYC. As such, I suggest you ask first the locals where they do their shopping here, before you venture into your own. You will have more savings (and more cash to spend on your other activities, of which NYC has a lot to offer).
There’s still no WALMART anywhere in the city, but if you need to get into one, just CROSS THE RIVER TO GET TO NEW JERSEY, where a few branches can be found. However, there are at least 2 big COSTCO stores located in NYC, where you find some interesting items to meet your discount shopping needs.
“99 Cents Stores & the BODEGA” We start with “99cents store,” which any shopper in the city may have been into at least once. Most are run by Asians, (primarily Koreans, Chinese), Hispanics, Eastern Europeans, and Middle Eastern people. Some friends have told me that 99 cents stores in other states have more variety, though. Almost every neighborhood in NYC has a 99-cent store found in it, that is almost always near the residential buildings where people live. Try to hold on to your dollar for anything that you think you need; check out first the prices from these discount stores just for comparison. Chances are, you’ll get a better deal. The most prominent among these 99-cent stores is “Jack’s 99 Cent Store,” that has at least 3 branches in Manhattan (as far as I have checked out). It even has a store in a building that has at least 3 floors somewhere along 32nd Street between 6th and 7th Avenues, close to the Penn Station, and that’s less than 2 blocks away from the original store of Macy’s (where, as you may have known, you see goods sold, most times, at more regular prices). You will be surprised at the variety of merchandise found here.