Austin's famed Alamo Drafthouse is gearing up to open shop with its first New York location, taking over the unused Metro Theater space on the Upper West Side.
Alamo Drafthouse is known for their cinema-eatery service, similar to Nitehawk Cinema in Williamsburg. But stepping it up a notch, crowds flock to the Alamo for the theater's unique dining experiences which in the past have included an epic, eight course "The Lord of the Rings" themed feast decked out with Hobbit inspired delectables.
The new venue is slated to open doors in 2013 and will feature five screens of both new releases and the Alamo's distinctly unique programming. We are New Yorkers, so we've never heard of this -- but apparently people are pret-ty excited about it.
Alamo founder Tim League said of the news, "My often-stated top priority for the Alamo Drafthouse has been to open a venue in New York. When we discovered the availability of the historic Metro theater, we immediately knew we had found the perfect location for our new Manhattan home."
The historic Metro Theater was erected in 1933 and, as The Observer recalls, went through several turbulent transformations including a brief period as a porn theater in the grimy 70's.
Metro eventually received landmark status in 1989, but sadly closed in 2005 with its interior subsequently gutted.
Fans of the former Art Deco theater can find comfort that the 2626 Broadway venue will once again attract moviegoers and never be turned into another Urban Outfitters, as was feared back in 2010.
Watch the executive chef of Alamo Drafthouse discuss his plans for the LOTR feast:
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