North Park Theatre
2891 University Avenue,
San Diego,
CA
92104
2891 University Avenue,
San Diego,
CA
92104
4 people
favorited this theater
The North Park Theatre opened as a 1,200-seat theater in 1928 and was a popular movie house for over sixty years. It closed in 1989. After more than a decade of laying dormant, the theater was reopened as an 800-seat live performance venue on 30th September 2005 by the Lyric Opera San Diego .
The city had owned the North Park Theatre since 1990 and sold the old movie house to its redevelopment agency in order to complete a $900,000 structural and seismic retrofitting. After completion, the theater was then sold to a developer for $1 who were responsible for organizing a $2.5 million renovation and restoration project.
Contributed by
William Gabel
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Recent comments (view all 20 comments)
The North Park Theatre space is alive and well! On 25 July 2007, I ate dinner in the restaurant that now occupies the trapezoidal space that once was the entry to the theatre. Not only is this the current incarnation of a favorite restaurant, but a fine use of part of the space that was my late mother’s (and aunt’s) neighborhood theatre. On the night I visited, the actual performance area was “dark.” We were able to see the vestibule area, however, as well as the bar. Original architectural details, especially the ceiling over the bar are once again alive and full of color. The next time I am in San Diego I hope to combine dinner and a performance.
Now if only someone would be so kind to my childhood theatre, “The Hillcrest” (later “Guild”) on Fifth Avenue in Hillcrest. It is in sad shape these days. While never an opulently decorated theatre, it certainly had it’s own comfortable neighborhood ambiance.
jruthg
Gaithersburg, MD
This website has a few photos of the North Park Theater.
More vintage photos can be seen here.
Birch North Park Theatre website
Here is a 1983 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/d4mxnn
2010 photo of the North Park Theatre.
View link
A replica of this theater’s original vertical sign was recently installed: View link
I am trying to finf out what Theatre I saw the first run 70mm res. seat showings of West Side Story and King of Kings plus the 1st run of The Music Man in SanDiego.
The first run of WEST SIDE STORY was at the Capri (aka Park) in 1962.
KING OF KINGS had its 70mm run at the California in Downtown San Diego.
MUSIC MAN didn’t have a 70mm run, but its first run was at the Fox (aka Copley Symphony Hall), also in Downtown.
70mm Presentations in San Diego