Nooooooooo....

[pat]

The Brattle's in danger?

The Brattle Theater was the place I first saw... everything. Hair. The Great Escape. 2001. Casablanca. The Birds. I didn't see Harold and Maude there, although I kept meaning to -- they showed it several times.

They show an eclectic mix of great not quite new movies and classic movies. And double features... nobody does double features, but the Brattle did -- and I see from looking at their current schedule, still does. (Vertigo and M? I am so there!)

I hope it doesn't go away. In an era of multiplexes, there needs to be places like the Brattle.

Comments

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

Last I heard, they've just about scraped together enough to secure the lease for another year. It's going to be touch-and-go -- the fundamental problem is that Harvard Square, as we know it, is going away. The Bow and Arrow Pub is gone. The Tasty is gone. Frickin' Wordsworth is gone -- and don't you know that THAT hurts like a stab through the eye.

Fundamentally, rents have gone up high enough to drive out most of the funky, independent stores that made Harvard Square vibrant, so foot-traffic has dropped quite a bit, and, just, in general, the whole square is in a death spiral. Independent, interesting stores are being replaced by bland chains. Hell, Upstairs at the Pudding is gone -- they lost their lease. I mean, the Hasty Pudding Club still exists, but they couldn't keep their clubhouse.

But, as Harvard Square spirals into mall-like insignificance, other neighborhoods are taking up the slack. Davis Square, in Somerville, is lovely, and has come to life, with galleries, used bookstores, really nifty idependent coffee shops with live music. Central square is no longer the habitat of druggies and muggers, but is rather a vibrant club scene. And, for that matter, Pandemonum Books (origianlly the Science Fantasy Bookstore), is moving from the Garage to Central Square, in a couple months.

There are a few Harvard Square landmarks that are still there. Cafe Pamplona is still reasonably healthy. So is Levett and Pierce (although they're suffering badly from the dropoff in smoking in general). Out-Of-Town-News is still there, although, again, suffering from societal chances -- in this case, that you can now get foreign newspapers online. But, in general, Harvard Square is largely dying. I hope the Brattle can either survive, or move.