AMC Loews Bay Terrace 6
211-01 26th Avenue,
Bayside,
NY
11360
211-01 26th Avenue,
Bayside,
NY
11360
4 people
favorited this theater
This six screen multiplex opened December 1993 as part of the expansion of the busy Bay Terrace shopping Center in the northeastern Queens neighborhood of Bayside. It was intended as a replacement for the two screen (originally a single screener) Loews Bay Terrace Theater, a free standing theater opened in the early-1960’s at the corner of 26th Avenue and Bell Boulevard just a few hundred feet to the east. As part of the shopping center expansion, the older theater was converted to retail space and currently houses the chain restaurant Applebee’s and a Victoria’s Secret women’s apparel store.
The new theater was built on some seven acres of vacant land along the western edge of the shopping center that had previously been speculated at various times for condominium and town house development. The structure is actually two stories high, with single story wings built in a U-shaped configuration facing the shopping center. The lower floor is occupied by a variety of shops and eating establishments, representing at the time an increase of 67,000 square feet of retail space for the center. The theater is located in the upper portion of the building and faces its own separate parking lot away from the center. Due to the natural grade in the landscape, the theater’s parking lot allows for convenient entry at the second floor level. Patrons actually traverse a short foot bridge from the parking area that spans the loading bay access area for the retail shops on the lower level.
The two-window box office is located flush along the exterior wall of the theater with entrance doors on either side. The doors lead into an atrium lobby that feels a little smaller than it actually is due to the large circular candy counter that occupies most of the space. There are coming attraction display cases against either wall of the lobby along with a couple of small benches and video games for ticket holder convenience. Facing the lobby along the back wall are the rest rooms, which are along the foyer that runs the length of the building and leads to three auditoriums in either direction. Posters from older movies (older as in the 1980’s and 1990’s) line the foyer walls.
The ticket taker is usually stationed at the mid-point of the wide threshold from the lobby into the foyer, with the rest of the entryway cordoned off to ensure only ticket holders are permitted. Of course, this means you have to negotiate with the ticket-taker if you need to make a bathroom trip before your theater is ready for seating. The auditoriums are layed out symmetrically, with the two largest screens (302 seats each) at the far end of the foyer and the smaller rooms (140 seats) more towards the center. It’s been a while since I attended, but I don’t recall that any of the theaters feature stadium style seating, though the rocking chairs are quite comfortable. None of these rooms were constructed for 70mm presentation (since the format was well into its death throes at the time the multiplex was conceived) nor do I think there has been any digital installation.
Interestingly, as with the original 1960’s Bay Terrace Theater, Loews is a tenant in the building, rather than an owner all buildings in the shopping center are owned by Cord Meyer Development, the company that first opened the mall in 1960. The entire expansion project including the new theater was budgeted at $20 million when it was announced in May of 1992. I found the original article online at the NY Times website, along with a related article from 1994 about the rising cost of admissions. At the time, Manhattan theaters topped out at $8 for adults, while tickets at the Loews Bay Terrace Sixplex had risen 50 cents to $7.50 as of May 1994.
Adult ticket prices are currently $9.50 with discounts to $7.50 available Monday and Thursday until 6PM and Friday and Sunday (plus Holidays) until 4PM.
Contributed by
Ed Solero
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Recent comments (view all 62 comments)
MarkP, the girl told me the bulb would cost about $1800 but that didn’t count the mirrors or other parts of the equipment. Yesterday they said the picture was indeed running but they could be running it on a smaller screen, maybe cancelling a lesser performing picture. If they were doing that my guess would be “What’s Your Number” which opened weak last week. Since they are selling advance tickets to “Footloose” for next week I presume this flic is gone. I remember a few Christmas seasons back every time one wanted to buy a ticket for the Adam Sandler film “Spanglish” performances were always cancelled, different days too. I finally saw it on the 3rd or 4th attempt there.
Went to see “Puss in Boots” here today and they jumped the price of 3D pictures to $4 extra. Why is this when it is becoming obvious that more people are choosing the 2D version. You can even tell by the theater’s showings with at least the last 3d films there, “Dolphin Tale”, “Three Musketeers” and this one having alternate 2D and 3D showings. AMC’s Fresh Meadows which had 3D first charged initially $4 additional then dropped it back to $3. Wasn’t this after some people in the city were being charged $20 total at some AMC theaters to see the 4th Shrek film?
Another low for this theater; they bring back 2 old pictures they got rid off, Real Steel for a 4th week (5 weeks out)after getting rid of after 3 and Moneyball for a 5th (7th overall) after playing the first 4 weeks here. No new pictures here, maybe we’ll be a second run house. Does anyone else who writes here ever visit this theater.
I haven’t been to this theater in at least 5 or 6 years, perhaps longer. Even when I lived in Bayside, I much preferred the stadium seating at the College Point Multiplex.
They added 3 movies this week, Mission Impossible. Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and War Horse but have not changed the marquee or I should say sign at the front of the shopping center since any of them open. Driving by you would think no new pictures are playing, none of the new ones listed.
Now the marquee is just showing a Loews sign (they are AMC now) and it’s blank on the other side. They told me last week that the only guy who was brave enough to go up on the sign had been on vacation but now it’s covered up, if not covered blank.
Sounds like this place is on the way out. They don’t get the product and when they do they don’t publicize it.
The phone number for this theater is no longer in service.
Shocking they still change the marquee regularly – I’ve seen many AMC and Regal locations that permanently put up a message saying something like “For tickets and showtimes call … or visit www…..to me this screams cheapness and a lack of showmanship – but I understand the winter months it might be dangerous. Then again AMC Theaters are all about cutting corners and jacking up prices where they can lately, while harassing you about the stubs program at nearly every interaction with an employee (either to join or renew your card).
Went by the theater today and they say they are staying open and they gave me a different phone number for the theater which they do answer. Noticed that too,the people selling tickets and concessions holding up the lines pitching the Stubs cards.