North Park Theatre
1428 Hertel Avenue,
Buffalo,
NY
14216
1428 Hertel Avenue,
Buffalo,
NY
14216
6 people
favorited this theater
Originally part of the Shea’s chain, the North Park exemplified a spacious comfortable neighborhood theatre. While certainly not a movie palace like the Shea’s Buffalo (now the Shea’s Performing Arts Center), it’s grand by today’s expectations. The theatre building (and the theatre itself) have that solid look and feel that’s almost impossible to reproduce with modern architecture.
The beautiful wooden entry doors and marble entryway represent sharp contrast to the multiplexes. The marquee is impressive and although the theatre is a little worn it’s kept tidy. Even more important, it’s kept adequately warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
I don’t think I’d catagorize the North Park as an art house but they tend to show only semi-mainstream and some foreign films. I’ve seen several good films at the North Park. Their popcorn is good and the neighborhood hosts many excellent reasonably priced restaurants.
A trip to the North Park Theatre and Hertel Avenue is an enjoyable experience.
Contributed by
Richard Grows
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Recent comments (view all 61 comments)
Here are some 1980s photos of the North Park
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I found two Shea’s movie palaces that operated in the Pittsburgh area. One is the Fulton Theater, in Downtown Pittsburgh, still in operation and Shea’s Orpheum, in McKees Rocks, which is still standing, but dark.
What a theater!!! I went there last Saturday to see “City Island”. There was large attendance, I wonder if the locals support the place? Went there 40 years ago and I forgot how large the inside of the show is. Now that is the way a movie should be seen. Shame on our society for allowing so many theaters like this to disappear. Glad the North Park is still around.
I’m told that this is one of the few theatres still using a carbon arc projector which projects a superior quality of film.
Sorry. Carbon arc is disabled. Lamphouses there, but they are using Xenon.
Sorry. I was misinformed. Are there any theatres still using carbon arc.
The Riviera Theatre, The Capital Theatre in Rome, NY, The Shea’s Buffalo and others…
The Riviera in North Tonawanda, by the way, seems to keep it a big secret and tries to dismantle them from time to time. Big mistake. The public should be well aware of how important carbon arc is and help to maintain those systems.
Carbon rods are available all over Asia since it is the primary method in India and other countries.
i just went there again on 4/17/11 to see, “Kill The Irishman”. Wish we had more like the North Park. They had a good size crowd for Sunday afternoon. They don’t light the dome at the matinees only on weekend evenings. Still neat to sit there and watch a movie. The man in the boxoffice selling the tickets, is the nicest man!! Unlike the kids selling tickets at the Regal. The man selling the refreshments is great as well.
http://www.buffalotreasures.com/north-park-theater/