After three decades of cinematic entertainment, the Concourse Plaza Multiplex Cinemas on 161st Street in the Bronx closed its doors for good.
The news has generated a wave of nostalgia among those who fondly remember the opening nights and the moments shared in the rooms of this cinema.
“This cinema has been here since 1991, I came here with my brothers, there were seven of us, with my mother and my father, we were always here,” said Verónica Méndez. “When I had my children, I brought them here so that they know that this is the theater that I came to when I was little, so that I also have the experience that I had when I was little, many of us came here because of the convenience of the train.”
The last screening was on Tuesday at 9:30 p.m., a moment that marks the end of an era for many who considered it a cultural pillar in the community.
“When I found out that they were going to close it, I said ‘I’m going to bring my children to see their last movie here,’ because it’s the last day and I wanted to have the experience here,” Méndez added.
Some express concern about the impact the closure will have on the local economy and the area’s cultural offerings.
“It’s sad because in the Bronx there aren’t many things like that so they would remove something here, that this one that has been there for so many years and maybe they’ll build a clothing store that we don’t need instead of leaving this here, for the children, the community is very sad,” Méndez said.
For years, the cinema has been a meeting place for families, friends and lovers of this art, leaving a significant void in the social life of the neighborhood.
“I always liked to come here with my friends and we had so much fun here and now we have to go so far, it’s not convenient for us,” said Ariela Florentino.
“It has been our pleasure to serve the Bronx community with great theater for many years,” the theater said in a statement. “We sincerely thank you for your dedicated support and hope you created special movie memories with us.”
The closure of this cinema leaves the Bronx county with only one, the AMC Bay Plaza Cinema 13 in Coop City, which means challenges for fans of the seventh art, who will have to travel further to see movies on the big screen.
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