Patio Theatre
6008 W. Irving Park Road,
Chicago,
IL
60634
6008 W. Irving Park Road,
Chicago,
IL
60634
43 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 50 of 267 comments
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/realestate/20140714/CRED03/140719944/patio-theater-in-portage-park-goes-up-for-sale
In this part of the city, the trend has been to take major intersection corner properties and convert them to either Walgreens or CVS stores. Maybe the Patio owner has been offered a deal to good to refuse?
I was out this way to shoot some pool about a month ago at the Chicago Billiard Cafe. I haven’t stopped in this neighborhood in years. First I had to pay $2.00 to park my car on the street at 8 P.M. on a Tuesday. Then on my way home some gizmo on a lamp post flashed at me as I went by Portage Park. It was about 10:30 P.M. and I was going about 34-36 MPH with the flow of traffic on Irving Park. Now I’m expecting a violation in the mail and judging by the $100 parking ticket I got last month it is bound to be obscene.
I thought it looked like Irving & Austin has taken a step down in the last ten years. Having to run a gauntlet of fees to take my business out there doesn’t make me enthusiastic about going back.
GFeret, I hope you are wrong. But that would explain why the grant never came to be. It is hard to believe the city would not try and keep this corner alive & open for business and not add to the vacant stores. One only has to travel down the street and see what a closed Portage theatre can do to the vacancy rate!
the recent article about Patio closing is worded more like the theatre’s closing for good, not just for summer. The air conditioning needing repair (more accurately complete replacement I think) while certainly a major issue seems to me to be covering for other matters. The theatre owner makes claims he really wants for the Patio theatre to return to operation, but his actions show nothing of the kind, only avoidance and delays. Chicago Ald. Cullerton got a city grant to pay for the needed new AC system, but the owner ignored it. The appearance is the grant came w/ provisions he didn’t like. My strong suspicion is the owner has distinct other plans for his building, and unless Patio theatre management is placed into the hands of somebody else with movie bacground we have seen the end (or will be seeing the end during these final 2 April weekends) of films @ the Patio
The Patio is changing from a sub-run to a revival policy, featuring films from the 60s, 70s and 80s, starting this September. The Patio will also continue to host the Northwest Chicago Film Society.
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2013/08/21/the-northwest-chicago-film-society-and-the-patio-theater-are-both-alive-and-well
I thought the Portage was THE place to see a classic film. No more. The Patio is THE place to see a classic film and the people that run the programs are the best. Always great pre-show attractions and very interesting stories behind the scenes. These three people know what they are doing…BRAVO !!
Thanks Broan, Good News.. There was a very good audience for Monday night and the theater looked beautiful.
It’ll be open for some special events however. Another Northwest Chicago Film Society screening is scheduled for Wednesday. I imagine this will continue as weather permits.
I know the city doesn’t set rates, but didn’t the city just announce meters will be in use to 10pm nitely? What a killer for businesses……
The Portage was closed by the owner. He could have remained open with the liquor license in limbo but chose not to. The city does not set the meter fees, Daley sold the meters to a private company.
Another blow to Irving Park theaters, the Portage Theater was closed indefinetly by the City of Chicago today over liquor license problems with the new owners. This is bad news for the Portage. Theater was doing very well with the classic film series every week. So many factors are in play to keep these beautiful theaters open and running. It is a real uphill battle. The city really doesn’t give a damn or they would find ways to keep the area from becoming so blight. They are too busy trying to increase the parking meter fees so nobody wants to pay the insane high fees to attend a local movie house. No wonder so many empty storefronts surrounding these movie theaters. What a pity!!
Theater will be closed for the summer due to a broken air conditioning system. DNAInfo story here.
Take a look at “The Cost of History” featuring the Patio Theatre. Go to the CT home page and click on “Latest movie theater videos”.
Here’s a memorial tribute to Mr. Alex Kouvalis, who I was fortunate to meet shortly after he took over the PATIO. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pi&GRid=104918232 Comments and tributes are welcome.
The digital projector has been in since November. Check the website.
Digital projectors are in now from what I understand.
True. Parking is free after 9pm where there is a paybox. What is insane is they have to be fed on Sunday. No wonder so many vacant storefronts on city streets. Why pay when suburbs are so easily gotten too. Sorry Rahm, this should have been overturned.
Pearselives is correct, many pay zones are free after a certain time of night.
You can’t park free anywhere in the city where there is a box on the street. No more free nights, no more free Sundays, no parking holidays.
A conversation with Patio owner Demetri Kouvalis about the digital conversion here.
I love this place. As far as the parking goes, most people do not know that you can park on Irving for free after 9 on Fridays and Saturdays. There may be other days, but I’m not exactly sure. The paybox will say if payment is required or not. We always go to the later show and never have any issue parking directly across the street. There is usually plenty of parking in the neighborhood and on Austin as well. Just make sure that you aren’t in a permit area and come expecting a little bit of a walk just in case.
I surely hope the former Norridge patrons will discover the Patio. A real deal and not sky high prices for popcorn & drinks and a beautiful screen!! The attraction board is blank today at the Norridge and the Loews Theaters sign is removed.
Wouldn’t you think that would have been done during the first year of operation? At least not the bank but maybe the church, somewhere. Parking is a must in todays movie business. No parking=loss of future patrons. Portage has a deal with Sears big lot. Who wants to pay for Chicago’s high street parking fees. Outrage and insane idea…
They have tried that in the past and it didn’t work out, but then again the bank may be under new management.