Wednesday, April 13, 2011





The movie theater that was in the mall here closed for remodeling in the fall (I think) and it still hasn't reopened yet. But, as with many things that seem at first to be nothing but an inconvenience, it has definitely been a blessing in disguise. We're a family that loves going to the movies. That's not going to change, although with the cost of tickets these days I'm sure we'll have to be more careful about it. But the truly wonderful thing about this time without the big complex nearby is that we found something even better.

In the town of Lowville, which is maybe a 30 minute drive for us, there's an old theater that was at one time an opera house, a USO club, and a silent movie house. They show one or two movies a weekend, and the ticket and food prices are much lower than most cinemas as well. Plus, it's just so damn charming and lovely. And who doesn't love to support such a great, local, family-owned business, anyway?

Right across the street is a diner called Jeb's, where the food is good and the milkshakes even better (say the hellmonkeys). So we will often pass a wonderful Friday evening with a dinner there and then walk across the street to see a film. And we might not have discovered this option if the theater by us hadn't closed. But it did close, and we did discover it, and although I'm sure we will see movies at the newer place when it reopens, you can be sure we will always pick the Town Hall Theater in Lowville first.

There is so much charm to be found in the little places of this area, and having moved around a good bit, I feel that is true for everywhere. You just have to be willing to look for it. Sometimes it takes a closing to move us out of our comfort zone in order to find it, but it is always so worth it when we do.

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