On a rainy Sunday afternoon, over 100 New Yorkers gathered outside AMC Kips Bay 15, a longtime cultural institution in Manhattan, to protest its impending closure. Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal stood in solidarity with the crowd, reciting Nicole Kidman’s iconic AMC Theatres ad in a heartfelt tribute to the beloved venue. Despite experiencing a record-breaking summer at the box office, the Kips Bay multiplex is expected to shut its doors by the end of this year.
Community Response to Theater Closure
“I’m a lifelong resident of Kips Bay, and I came out here to support my favorite theater that I’ve been going to since I was a child,” said Lucy Di Lorenzo, a Gen-Z attendee of the protest. The AMC Kips Bay, which is the chain’s second-largest multiplex in Manhattan, was privately acquired by NYU Langone over a year ago, leading to concerns within the community. According to city officials at the protest, many were not informed about the acquisition until after it had been finalized.
Local Leaders Call for Transparency
New York State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez expressed her surprise at the lack of community engagement from NYU during the acquisition process. “NYU is a neighbor, and we’ve worked with them in many different capacities, so it was surprising that we had to reach out to them to find out that they were the ones looking to acquire the land behind us,” she explained. “It’s not unreasonable to ask NYU to be proactive in engaging with the community.”
The Rally for Preservation
The “Save the Kips Bay AMC Theater Rally” was organized by the Eleanor Roosevelt Independent Democrats, a political club serving various communities across the Lower East Side, East Village, and Midtown East. Judith Gross, the club’s president, stated that her members are “devastated” by the news but remain hopeful that their efforts can sway both AMC Theatres and NYU Langone.
“I’m hoping AMC and NYU see what we’ve done here,” Gross commented. “This neighborhood is not a campus for NYU and its medical offices. We’re guiding the whole community to protest these takeovers of what little community space we have left.”
Support from Local Businesses
Several local businesses have joined the rallying cry, including Paddy Reilly’s Music Bar, a staple Irish pub just around the corner from the AMC Kips Bay. The bar promoted the protest on social media and offered a free drink to anyone showing a selfie from the rally. Desi Murray, who has owned Paddy Reilly’s for the past three years, emphasized the importance of the theater for local youth. “It would be a big loss for the community,” he noted.
Paddy Reilly’s is celebrating its 40th year in business, and patrons mourn the potential loss of the AMC, a community gathering space that has been part of the neighborhood even longer. “We’ve been here since ’73,” said a patron named Cesar, raising his Guinness in remembrance. “There has always been a theater here.”
A Larger Conflict
As locals discussed their favorite films, including the surprisingly comedic “Resident Evil” and Robert Pattinson’s portrayal in “Batman,” the fate of their cherished theater lingered in uncertainty. Gonzalez drew parallels between the local crisis and a larger issue occurring in Hollywood, referencing the recent Paramount-Warner Bros. merger that has stirred concerns about diminishing opportunities for creatives.
“We’re getting a big new partner coming in, potentially kicking this out, limiting options to see the movies in our neighborhood,” Gonzalez explained. “And all we’re asking for, whether it’s in Hollywood or right here in Pittsburgh, is for everyday people to be included and have our voices heard.”
