Court Street isn't what it used to be. If you walk down the stretch between Atlantic Avenue and Bergen Street today, you’re greeted by the smell of expensive espresso and the sight of high-end retail. But for a massive chunk of Brooklyn’s modern history, the Court Street theater Brooklyn scene—specifically the United Artists Court Street 12—was the undisputed gravity well of the neighborhood. It wasn't just a place to see a movie; it was a loud, chaotic, popcorn-scented rite of passage for every teenager from Cobble Hill to Brooklyn Heights.
Then it closed.
The 2022 shuttering of the Regal UA Court Street struck a nerve. It wasn't just another business failing. It felt like the final death rattle of a specific kind of Brooklyn grit that hasn't survived the borough's hyper-gentrification. People have a lot of feelings about that building. Some hated the sticky floors and the legendary rowdiness. Others saw it as the last affordable "third space" in a neighborhood that was quickly becoming a playground for the ultra-wealthy. To understand why this theater mattered, you have to look at the weird, disjointed history of cinema in Downtown Brooklyn and how the "megaplex" model eventually ate itself alive.
Why the Court Street Theater Brooklyn Experience Was One of a Kind
When the United Artists opened at 106 Court Street in the late 90s, it was a behemoth. 12 screens. Massive escalators. It was built during the gold rush of the American megaplex, a time when developers thought the answer to the "death of cinema" was just making everything bigger and louder.
Honestly, the acoustics were never great. You could often hear the bass from a summer blockbuster vibrating through the floor of the theater next door while you were trying to watch a quiet indie flick. But that was the charm. It was a communal experience in the truest, messy sense of the word. You had families from the nearby housing projects sitting next to Wall Street lawyers who lived in brownstones. It was one of the few places where the socio-economic silos of Brooklyn actually collided.
The Shift from UA to Regal
Over time, the theater changed hands, becoming part of the Regal Cinemas empire. Regal tried to modernize it. They added the "luxury" recliners. They hiked up the ticket prices. But the building itself was aging poorly. The elevators were notoriously flaky. If you were catching a flick on the top floor, you basically had to budget an extra ten minutes just for the vertical commute.
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The real issue, though, wasn't the elevators. It was the rent. As the Downtown Brooklyn and Brooklyn Heights real estate markets exploded, a massive 12-screen theater became an inefficient use of space for a landlord. In a neighborhood where a two-bedroom apartment can go for $7,000 a month, a sprawling movie house that sits half-empty on a Tuesday afternoon is a target.
The 2022 Closure: What Really Happened?
When the news broke in early 2022 that the Court Street theater Brooklyn mainstay was closing its doors, people blamed Netflix. They blamed COVID-19. They blamed the "kids these days" not wanting to go out.
The reality is more boring and more brutal: Corporate bankruptcy and real estate.
Regal’s parent company, Cineworld, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. As part of that process, they began shedding "underperforming" leases across the country. The Court Street location was a prime candidate for the chopping block. Despite its heavy foot traffic, the overhead was astronomical. The lease was up for renewal, and the developers—specifically Madison International Realty—had much more profitable plans for the site.
The Aftermath and the "Movie Desert" Myth
For a while, residents panicked. "Where will we see movies?" became the refrain on local Facebook groups and subreddits.
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It’s not like Brooklyn is short on theaters, but they’ve become increasingly specialized. You have the Alamo Drafthouse at City Point, which is great if you want a $18 cocktail and a strict "no talking" policy. You have the BAM Rose Cinemas for the artsy crowd. You have Nitehawk in Prospect Park. But the Court Street theater was different. It was a "generalist" house. It was where you went to see the latest Marvel movie without feeling like you were at a curated "experience."
Losing it created a hole. It meant that for a standard, no-frills movie night, locals now have to trek to the Atlantic Center or over to Manhattan.
The Architectural Legacy of 106 Court Street
The building itself is an oddity. Designed in that late-20th-century "Postmodern Lite" style, it never quite fit the historic aesthetic of the surrounding blocks. It’s a box. A functional, somewhat ugly box.
But it sits on a site with deep roots. Before the megaplex, this area was the heart of Brooklyn's commercial district. In the mid-20th century, movie palaces like the RKO Albee and the Fox Theatre were the kings of the neighborhood. Those were grand, ornate cathedrals of cinema. The Court Street theater was a utilitarian successor, a "McTheater" built for efficiency rather than elegance.
What’s Coming Next?
The space isn't going to be a theater again. That ship has sailed. Current redevelopment plans for the site involve a mix of high-end retail and commercial space. There have been rumors of a major grocery chain or a flagship gym taking over the footprint.
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Basically, the neighborhood is getting more of what it already has—upscale amenities—at the expense of the one thing that brought everyone together. It's a classic New York story. You trade the soul for the "standard of living."
The Cultural Impact: More Than Just Popcorn
If you grew up in Brooklyn in the 2000s, you probably have a "Court Street story." Maybe it was your first date. Maybe it was the time a fight broke out during a midnight screening of a horror movie. Maybe it was just the refuge you found there on a blistering July day because the AC was legendary.
The Court Street theater Brooklyn was a barometer for the neighborhood's health. When it was thriving, it meant the streets were alive. When it started to look dingy, it signaled the transition of the area into a transitionary zone—a place people pass through on their way to somewhere else, rather than a destination in itself.
Comparison of Local Brooklyn Theaters
- Regal Court Street (RIP): 12 screens, populist vibe, cheap(ish), no-frills.
- Alamo Drafthouse (City Point): High-end food, strictly enforced silence, expensive, great for cinephiles.
- BAM Rose Cinemas: Historic, indie-focused, academic atmosphere.
- Cobble Hill Cinema: Small, local, charmingly dated, four screens.
Cobble Hill Cinema is still standing, thankfully. It’s just a few blocks away and offers a glimpse into what Court Street could have been if it had stayed small and independent. But the scale of 106 Court Street was its own beast. It was built for the masses, and the masses eventually moved to streaming.
Actionable Insights for Brooklyn Movie Lovers
The loss of the Court Street theater doesn't mean you're out of options, but it does mean you have to change how you approach "going to the movies" in the borough. If you’re looking for that lost communal feeling, or just want to support what’s left, here’s the move:
- Support Cobble Hill Cinema: It’s the last of the old-school breed on the Court/Smith corridor. If people don't go, it’ll be a Starbucks by 2030. They have "Bargain Tuesdays" and "Bargain Thursdays" where tickets are significantly cheaper.
- Use the MoviePass/Regal Unlimited Workarounds: Since the UA Court Street closed, many locals have switched their loyalty to the Regal UA Sheepshead Bay or the Regal Tangram in Flushing for that big-box experience, though it's a haul. If you’re staying local, the Alamo Drafthouse "Season Pass" is the only way to make movie-going affordable if you go more than twice a month.
- Explore the "Micro-Cinema" Scene: Places like Spectacle Theater in Williamsburg or Screening Room setups in Bushwick are filling the gap for weird, communal viewing that the big chains have abandoned.
- Check BAM for Blockbusters: People forget that the Brooklyn Academy of Music often plays major releases, not just subtitled French films. Seeing a blockbuster in those high-ceilinged theaters is a much better experience than Court Street ever offered.
The era of the Court Street megaplex is over. The building might still be there, but the energy has shifted. It's a reminder that in New York, nothing is permanent—especially not the places where we gather to sit in the dark together.