Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Crouch End Picturehouse Signals Opening with Launch Party
With the opening planned for this Friday, the Picturehouse Crouch End showed its first film this evening at its pre-opening a launch event.
The main foyer with its bar and cafe - here in party mode
The cinema stands on the former site of the 'Perfect Picturehouse' which was open for just four years between 1925 and 1929. More recently it was the offices of the now defunct Hornsey Journal*.
The new incarnation has a total of just over 600 seats across five screens ranging in size from just 12 to over 100.
It doesn't take long to appreciate the seating at the Picturehouse. It's not only comfortable, you can slide the seat part forward and recline the back. And, if you're going as a couple, grab one of the double sofa seats.
In addition to the ground floor bar / cafe area, there's also a bar on the first floor.
First Floor bar
First Floor bar
On the top floor, as well as the nifty 12 seat screen 5, there's a community room. From what manager Tom was telling there are plenty of community events and talks planned. So I'm sure it'll be getting good use.
I liked the feel of the place and I'll certainly be going back. (Oh and by the way, Bridge of Spies is well worth seeing!).
Colourful stairways take you to the upper screens and the Community Room
* See correction update on this in comments below
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on
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Busses stop seconds away.
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Permalink Reply by Jeremyb on
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As Hugh says, the Picture House is on the site of an earlier cinema-called, believe it or not, The Picture House, which opened in 1911- Crouch End's first purpose built cinema. Later it was renamed the Perfect, between 1919 and 1929, and then the Plaza. It closed soon after the outbreak of World War II, in 1940, and was then badly damaged in an air raid and never re-opened. Curiously, Crouch End's other cinema- the Hippodrome- also closed during the war, in 1942, due to a fire. (Information from my book " Cinemas of Haringey" available from Hornsey Historical Society (Ideal Christmas present, etc, etc...)
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Permalink Reply by Azeem Ali Khan on
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I was massively unimpressed with the Arthouse when I went. Virtually west end prices for a REALLY crappy seat. It was in the front row and we were looking up at a 45° angle (it may have been even higher). It was easily the worst seat I've ever had in a cinema (and the cinemas in Karachi in the early 70s weren't great!). It's completely unacceptable to expect anyone to pay that much to sit in such an awful seat (I'd say the second and third rows would also be below even the minimum standard).
We also found the service pretty shambolic and the upstairs bar not very well thought through. It's all very well being local and small scale, but if you can't even get the basics right you don't deserve to prosper.
Incidentally, two other friends of mine have reported similarly unsatisfactory experiences at the Arthouse, both of whom are, like me, instinctively well disposed to such a non corporate enterprise
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I believe they just changed their seating in response to customer dissatisfaction, if that helps....
v
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The booking area of their website flags up that the front row seats are c. 3 metres away from the screen, too.
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Not negating your experience, Azeem, but the Arthouse was voted London’s best cinema by Time Out readers in 2014, so it would seem that many people disagree with you.
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Permalink Reply by John D on
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How do you define " best " cinema ?
Meaningless.
I'm sure it's very nice, but is it " better " than the Curzon, Mayfair for example ?
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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It means most voted for in a vote open to TO readers. You have to take these TO readers' vote things as you find them.
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hmm...given that TO readers are not the demographic they once were, I'd have to agree...it's just a freebie rag now....
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Having been a PictureHouse member for years, I can't believe one is finally opening up so nearby just as I'm about to move out of the area...! Great news for Crouch End.
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