There\u2019s one less place to turn a shopping trip to Bloomingdale\u2019s into dinner and a movie. <\/p>\n
Cinema 123 by Angelika, the Upper East Side movie theater<\/a> that entertained New Yorkers for more than six decades, has permanently closed.\u00a0The three-screen cinema at 1001 Third Avenue, between East 59th and East 60th Streets, held its final screenings on Thursday, October 29. <\/p>\n A farewell notice from the theater confirmed that the closure took effect on\u00a0October 30.\u00a0\u201cAs our final credits roll, we thank you for being part of our story,\u201d the announcement reads.<\/p>\n RECOMMENDED:\u00a0Four NYC movie theaters were just ranked among the world\u2019s best cinemas<\/a><\/p>\n For neighborhood moviegoers, that\u2019s a particularly unwelcome plot twist. The uptown theater opened in 1962 as Cinema I & II and later added a third screen in the 1980s. Over the years, its programming spanned independent, foreign and mainstream films.\u00a0<\/p>\n The closure follows plans to sell the property. In September, owner Reading International agreed to sell Cinemas 123 for $41 million to a buyer identified as 1001 Third Avenue LLC, according to MarketWatch<\/a>. The company said at the time that it expected the transaction to close on or around October 30.\u00a0That agreement followed an April listing with an asking price of roughly $50 million. Reading had said selling the property would help reduce interest expenses and provide additional liquidity.<\/p>\n What happens to the site next remains unclear. Per Crain\u2019s<\/a>, marketing materials promoted its location directly across from Bloomingdale\u2019s and its potential for a mixed-use luxury development. That\u2019s a sales pitch, though, rather than confirmation of what will replace the popcorn counter.<\/p>\n The loss also comes as another East Side cinema faces its own uncertain final act. AMC Kips Bay 15 is slated to close by the end of the year<\/a>\u00a0after NYU Langone acquired its building. Residents and elected officials have pushed to preserve the multiplex, while AMC has proposed alternatives that would allow some theater space to remain.<\/p>\n