Yes, the whole city does have to become a crappy mall. Rent is too high for most mom n pop shops to open up. There have been quite a few shops/restaurants to open in Brooklyn before opening a second location in Manhattan. And lots of places that have been in Manhattan for years are getting pushed permanently out. Thems the breaks these days. We have only ourselves and Giuliani to blame.

"Rent is too high"

and why is that? Rent is not some sort of divine law ordained form on high. Landlords have chosen to jack up their prices out of greed, not necessity.

A mom and pop store would be significantly handicapped opening up in that space because of the massive renovations required to convert it from a movie theater.

That chunk of the UWS needs a Buffalo Exchange not another goddamned Urban Outfitters. Does the whole city have to become a crappy mall?

" . . . they fell in love with this place because of its uniqueness."

That was said, no doubt, without an iota of ironical awareness.

Oh, COME ON, people.

In this economy and with so many empty mega blocks of retail sitting empty on upper Broadway, I'm excited that someone is actually going to preserve and use the space. I'd much rather see this space signed to a nice long-term lease than sitting empty.

It's also a nice F-YOU to the greedy landlords who actively pushed-out numerous long-time small businesses (Ivy's Books, Liberty House, etc.) in order to combine their spaces into mega blocks -- most of which are still empty.

I'd suggest to anyone who rails against chain stores to go out and do something about it -- by starting their own businesses.

FUCK YOU. I grew up on that block and still live there. I don't want an Urban Outfitters. Greedy landlords are the problem, not the solution. That space has been empty for years, not for want of potential businesses but because the landlord was holding out for more money. It's disgusting.

Aw, jeez. I grew up a few blocks away from the Metro, and I can remember when it was a porn theater. After that it became a revival house - I recall going there for a school friend's birthday party to see "National Velvet", which, though it sounds like a porno, is actually an insipid horse-and-girl movie. Gee, that still sounds like a porn movie. Anyway. The theater interiors were really beautiful. I also remember that after the revival era, it became a Cineplex Odeon theater. I guess it stopped showing movies after that?

The Olympia was pretty beat down by the time I went there as a kid. You could pretty much guarantee sticking to the floor if you let your feet rest for too long in one place. But I bet it used to be more majestic. There was also a Spanish-language theater, I think on 103rd, that had fantastic, bright posters all over the exterior.

It's funny, that first image in the video clip - that street looks mostly the same, unlike the rest of the neighborhood, which has changed.

Don't know where anyone gets the idea that the area is some kind of Mad Max-like badlands. It's a pretty quiet part of town. Even back when there were more crackheads, it was pretty quiet, at least on Broadway and west of that.

What a relief. I was wondering where I was going to buy my racist, fake-vintage, over-priced T-shirts.

I LOVE URBAN OUTFITTERS YAAAAAAY!!!!!111!!

Sad to see an old theater go, and because I hate Urban Outfitters and we don't need another one, but obviously it wasn't going to be a theater again so I'm glad to see it become something. It's good for the other businesses on the block...the dark, pigeon/bum-infested marquee and entrance is pretty gross and likely made a good number of people walk on the opposite side of Broadway.

"likely made a good number of people walk on the opposite side of Broadway."

Are you fucking kidding???

Okay, maybe an exaggeration. But still, the theater is nasty.

What's with the implications that 99th and Broadway is a war zone? Are you kidding me? Please stay in your sterile neighborhood in the East 70s.

oh I don't know, maybe it's the rash of beatings of columbian students and robberies.

Does the UWS really need a second Urban Outfitters?

Sub-Urban Outfitters.

Gentrifuckation.

the urban outfitters in ann arbor is in an old theater (the state theater). the state theater still operates in the upper portion of the theater - the balcony was split into 2 theaters, the urban outfitters is below. i wonder if a similar approach will be considered here.

That theater has been closed for a long time. At least something is going to open. Movies suck anyway so they could open another Duane Reade for all I care. What are we missing, another place to watch Tom Cruise pretend to be a nazi?