Main Street Cinemas

Please update, theatre will be closed as of September 6, 2022.

A selection of images taken by patrons of the current Main Street Cinemas can be viewed here

Fred1: I saw a lot of movies here when I was a kid in the 1970’s. They used to run old Disney films here in the summer. I saw “Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo” here as well as “Follow Me, Boys!”, “Gus”, “The Apple Dumpling Gang” and so on. I think I also saw “The Blues Brothers” here about five times in 1980. Haven’t been there in at least 20 years now but whenever I’m on Main Street, it seems very busy.

I grew up in the neighborhood where this theater is and remember when it used to be a single-screen theater with a balcony. I can’t believe its been sixplexed without having been expanded. The balcony theaters must be tiny.

You’re welcome! Several generations of my family came from Forest Hills. What were some of your favorite theaters in Middle Village? As a Forest Hills resident, do you go to the Main St Cinemas? I do occasionally, and wish it would be restored properly, as well as maintained. The occasional graffiti on the aluminum-siding facade is an eyesore!

The following is a Daily News article on the Cinemart from March 2006: View link I have been corresponding with the owner in regard to possible restoration plans for the interior (as a start), but nothing materialized due to the owner’s lack of time. In spring 2006, he added Bay Ridge’s Alpine Theater to his holdings, to prevent it from becoming a chain store. I am proud that the Cinemart has been in existence since the 1920s, since neighborhood theaters rank high amongst the “ultimate public institutions.”

I also take pride that the owner is passionate about keeping neighborhood theaters open, but some theatergoers (including myself) weren’t so enthusiastic that the facade’s bricks, brick patterns, and terra cotta which adorned the central window, were concealed with stucco in 2002-2003. That was prior to my involvement in preservation. If I knew, I would have tried to convince the owner to apply for funding to restore the facade in an historically appropriate context. I am still hoping he will have some time to work with me, and remove the generic ceiling panels that conceal the ornate coffered ceiling in the inner lobby, and repaint the coffered ceiling in the outer lobby in its original colors. Grants may be available through one of the NY Landmarks Conservancy’s funding programs, National Register of Historic Places if the State Historic Preservation Office deems the property eligible for placement, or through my own fundraiser. I understand his time constraints though.

Whenever I think of the Cinemart, the long summer walks to the theater with my mother, or both my parents, and a friend, come to mind. After the screening, we would treat ourselves to homemade ice cream in Eddie’s Sweet Shop around the corner, and its distinctive early 20th century ambiance would add to the spirit of an afternoon/evening well-spent!

Since 2006, I am founder & Chair of Rego-Forest Preservation Council, which advocates for potential Individual Landmarks & Historic Districts in Rego Park and Forest Hills. Forest Hills only has 2 official landmarks since the Landmark Preservation Commission’s founding, and Rego Park has none. Both areas do have potential in terms of landmarking, fundraisers for restoration & adaptive reuse, etc. We occasionally expand our advocacy work beyond our immediate area. Our group operates on a voluntary basis & pure passion… no membership fees at this time.

I am primarily interested in greater architectural examples which could become endangered in years to come: Midway Theater, Forest Hills Theater (even though it’s a Duane Reade/Staples since ‘99 with a restored facade), Drake Theater in Rego Park (now a catering hall, but may be sold to developers), the distinctive Art Moderne facade of the '39 Trylon Theater (mosaic & terrazzo floor is sadly concealed since 2005, but can’t be let out of our scope), the Fair Theatre in Jackson Heights, Ridgewood Theater (the oldest extant theater in operation in Queens), the great Terra Cotta facade of the former Bellerose Theater (now a Karate studio minus its marquee), as well as some others.

How long have you lived in Forest Hills?

Thank you very much for the update and the photo. I don’t think it’s necessary to file a complaint at this time. It sure is great having independent neighborhood theaters around! At some point, they really should remove all of the aluminum siding that’s obscuring the Art Moderne facade, but there are other theaters that could use our efforts as preservationists first.

You really don’t want to see them

I live in Forest Hills, and pass by the Main St Cinemas pretty frequently. Is it just me, or does the marquee look like it’s about to collapse?

That theater is very profitable now. A lot of families live in Kew Gardens Hills and there are no video stores in the area anymore. Whenever I’m in KGH, the theater is usually pretty busy. I haven’t seen a movie there (or anywhere else for that matter, since I have three little kids) for many years.

Does anyone know what digital sound systems they have. Which has Dolby EX and which has dts. They claim their all digital

I imagine the C/O numbers the theaters differently than they are numbered on site. Perhaps because the balcony theaters were kept in the same configuration as when when it was a quad, the C/O considered the new theaters to be those carved from the older ones on the 1st floor, hence 5 and 6 on the ground floor.

Anyway, thanks for the clarificationm, RCDTJ. So, “back third” means the rear of the auditorium closest to the lobby and “front 2/3” means closest to the screen? Either way, I presume you have 2 theaters with entrances right off the lobby and then a foyer leading to the other 2 theaters on the ground floor. Sounds sort of like how they carved up the Cinemart (though, there was no balcony at the Cinemart).

The notification system for comments seems to be out of whack, lately. I recently noticed that I wasn’t getting any notifications for comments being made in theaters I haven’t made comments in for a while. But now this morning, I had no notifications at all, yet find new comments here on this page as well as on the RKO Keith’s page where I commented only yesterday (and clicked the notification box).