College Plaza Twin Cinemas

A drive-by confirmed what I suspected from looking at the aerial shot; the theatres were at the left side of the shopping center.

I don’t know why the opening synopsis usually has inaccuracies on this site, but here we go again. This theater closed in the mid 1980’s, and the location remained empty for a long time. I know it closed in the 80’s, because I remember getting off work at the Bay Shore Drive In (closed in 1990), and having to go Farmingville to assist in the closing (basically, get UA’s stuff out of the building). I can say this for certain, the manager Lee L., who went over to UA Babylon after the closing, was one of the best theater managers that I’ve ever met. Any theater she was at was so clean, you could eat off the floor. While I’m at it, her husband Joe was a hell of a manager also. Mr. L. we miss you- RIP.

It’s interesting that this one stretch of road Horseblock/Portion housed this twin, the current multiplex, the Ronkonkoma and Lakeside Cinema (aka Jerry Lewis). You can’t say they didn’t keep trying. Gee Broadway I’m sorry I didn’t see your posting yesterday, I deliberately did the Horseblock/Portion expanse to get the addresses of the Ronkonkoma and Lakeside for the site.

I just moved into the neighborhood just behind this shopping center and just knowing that it was once a movie theater makes me sad. I honestly hate newer theaters like Island 16. Sure stadium seating is pretty cool, but for some reason it just doesn’t feel as special as those older theaters felt. I remember going to this theater with my dad back in ‘84 to see the Neverending Story. I don’t remember a thing about the movie, but I remember everything about the theater and just the overall excitement of the movie going experience.

This was a typical “shopping center” theater that was quite popular back then.

that was a nice twin theater, I remeber seeing the hills have eyes there. and white line fever.

You are close B'Way, it’s at the Intersection of Waverly and Horseblock. Today the shopping center has a Compare Foods, an Eckerd, and a Family Dollar. It was where the Family Dollar is. The Marquis is still there touting the store in the center, but you are off by about a mile. The shopping center is across from the Tofu Chinese Restaurant.