Fig City News reports that the West Newton Cinema has established a non-profit foundation.
Last month, the West Newton Cinema Foundation was formed. According to its website, the founders hope to update the theater while maintaining its unique character, making it accessible, and creating gathering areas that would serve as a community and reception space. They hope that “with the right model of programming and support, it could easily become a cultural destination for all of Newton, the surrounding towns, and the Boston/Cambridge arts community. Additionally, it would revitalize the immediate West Newton neighborhood, serving as an anchor that would attract people to nearby restaurants and shops.”
When the West Newton Cinema building was sold to Mark Development, the developer agreed to give them some time for a nonprofit to try to buy the building back, at the same price. WGBH also has an article discussing this, which says that the Cape Cinema in Dennis, is trying something similar and discusses other theaters such as the Brattle and Coolidge Corner that have made this move successfully.
Here’s hoping the fundraising campaign is a success and West Newton Cinema can remain as a revitalized part of the Newton community.
you forgot to mention
mark development
has applied for
a demo permit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(figcitynews)
Mark said they started the application process because it takes a long time and they want to have it set up if WNC doesn’t manage to raise the money to do the buy back. I don’t see anything wrong with that.
I wish the West Newton Cinema Foundation well. But preserving this theatre is an extremely difficult and costly endeavor. I think the better move would be negotiating with the developer for a new performance space. Personally, I think an outdoor amphitheatre that could comfortably seat 150 people would make a great centerpiece for West Newton Square.
This could potentially be exciting. I think it would be great if they broadened their focus and in addition to movies start having concerts, classes etc. I don’t know how many they could seat if it had a performing arts space but I get jealous of places like TCAN, The Spire in Plymouth etc. Having live performances would be great for the neighborhood businesses. But it’s a tough endeavor. I’d love for them to pull it off.
MMQC – You should check out the Allen House. Its just a few blocks away on Webster St. It seats roughly 100 and they’ve been hosting music events and theater. I just saw a great show by Catie Curtis there a few months ago. Its a beautiful venue, nice lively acoustics, great ventilation – all in all a great new performance space.
Just as they were finishing the historic restoration, Covid hit so they’ve had a slow ramp up but they’re looking forward to hosting a lot more in the coming year.
This weekend you could see this on Friday or Saturday night. We still have tickets available.
I had no idea that things had picked up there! That is exciting.
Exchanged email a while back with one of the Allen House organizers about the prospects of a regular series of concerts, especially of the folk/acoustic variety. Seems like a fair number of Greater Boston-area coffeehouses (i.e., dedicated performance venues as opposed to cafes and restaurants that offer entertainment) have been slow to return – or haven’t returned at all – as the pandemic has lessened. This means less opportunities for the “evenings-and-weekends”-type performers to play out in public. Judging from Porchfest, there is quite a lot of musical talent in Newton, so maybe Allen House can provide a showcase for it.
I’d like to give them money, it’s a cause I support.
But first I want to know what happens to the donations if & when they don’t meet the required amount to buy back the theater. I asked that question of them on Facebook, and so far, crickets.
If it remains a theater, they need to abide by the ADA and offer closed captioning. The old theater was in violation of the law. In addition, after buying tickets and expecting some form of access to closed captioning, when they told us they had none, meaning that my daughter could not access the film, they still refused to refund our money.
Melissa C,
You should have filed a lawsuit against them to force them to purchase the equipment and add it to their already low attendence showings. Nothing like sticking it to struggling small businesses huh
I’m sad to hear that. It’s wrong that they wouldn’t refund your tickets.
One could argue you are being insensitive to struggling small businesses. Certainly, its within your right to file a lawsuit to force them to purchase equipment and reserve what little timeslots they have for closed captioning…. but don’t be surprised if you put them out of business
but yes, they should have refunded your $, assuming you asked nicely
The theater has been decayed and not fit for purpose for over a decade now, and it never really had the community presence that Coolidge Corner’s had before their successful fundraising rounds. I can’t really see the appeal/need here.
Taxi – Coolidge Corner is a great theater with a beautiful (and huge) main screen downstairs and several small screens upstairs, some of which are very tiny. It also has fun programing like “Science and the Theater” and “Big Screen Classics.” Coolidge Corner is a 10 out of 10 and we are very lucky to have it.
West Newton Theater is more like an 8 out 10, with two mid size screens downstairs and smaller screens upstairs. It is clean, does NOT have missing seats, has a good mixture of art/children’s/mainstream films, and great popcorn. It’s also nearby, next to restaurants, and is far more relaxing than Chestnut Hill and the Framingham 16. And, with the closure of Waltham’s Landmark Theater, it’s the closest movie theater for many of us.
To say that something is either the very best or it’s useless, is so …….. Newtony. I hope the West Newton Cinema survives and that people start going more often. Because, Taxi, in the words of your fellow Big Yellow Taxi, “you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone.”
Wow Bugek, what an insensitive ableist comment. Clearly you’ve never struggled with a disability.
The Fig City News article has been updated to include the Community Information Meeting that West Newton Cinema will host on Tuesday, April 11, 7PM-8:30PM at the Cinema. Registration is required for the event.
It was totally thriving on weekends until a few years ago. It had an older dressed up crowd that would pack the place on Friday and Sat. Night. My Mother moved to the South End 30 years ago and I remember joking with her that she lives in Downtown Boston and but will drive out to Newton to go to the movies.
@Mike, not only would the crowds pack the theatre, people would dine at W. Newton’s restaurants before and after shows and shop in the local stores. The loss of these crowds has had a devastating impact on W. Newton Square’s small retail businesses.
@Debra Waller: in fact, the Landmark in Waltham is being renovated and will be a Performance Center, possibly showing movies.
Good to hear, and I hope the new Landmark version is successful and does eventually show movies. For now though, I think we should also try to preserve the West Newton Cinema.
I wanted to mention that West Newton Cinema used to be cash only and did not have online ticket sales. That has changed. Visitors can now pay by card at the theater or ahead of time online at http://www.westnewtoncinema.com/, with both sales methods featuring good senior discounts.
WNC also has 3 newish restaurants within a one block radius – Flora’s wine bar (light fare), the Bluebird Bar (full menu and a fairly quiet booth section in addition to the bar area), and Blue Salt. This is addition to the older and more casual Blue Ribbon BBQ, Sweet Tomatoes, and others. [Not sure why there are three “Blue” places, in addition to the police station, but check it out.]
Also a shout out to Burke’s Alewerks. Food menu is small but the beer is excellent, they have trivia and some local acoustic music and the owner is friendly as can be. I’ve gone a bunch. It hasn’t been crowded there any of the times I’ve gone but I really hope they succeed. They’re where The Local was. Oh and also they have board games to play.
Debra – that is pretty funny!!!
Especially your inclusion of NPD HQ!!!