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Popcorn not included: Westhampton Beach cinema listed

Twin-screen movie theater on the market for $1.1M

2 Brook Road in Westhampton Beach (iStock, Google Maps)
2 Brook Road in Westhampton Beach (iStock, Google Maps)

Buying a house in Westhampton Beach for $1.1 million is a challenge. A movie house, on the other hand? Very possible.

The twin-screen theater at 2 Brook Road in Westhampton Beach was recently listed at that price, Behind the Hedges reported. The Hampton Arts Cinema is being marketed as a “prime retail opportunity” by Cushman & Wakefield.

The 8,500-square-foot building sits on a 10,000-square-foot parcel. The movie theater has been closed and cleaned out since 2020, when the pandemic forced it to shutter like so many other theaters across the country. Its last private owner, Harvey Kaylie, died in 2018, and it is owned by a limited liability company tied to him.

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Kaylie bought the property in 2003 for $575,000. Kaylie once told the New York Times he was going to use the property in conjunction with Hampton Synagogue, according to Behind the Hedges, but those plans never came to fruition.

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The property has a history fit for film. Originally known as the Hampton Star Theatre, it was built by Harry Nugent in 1927, the publication reported. The building also housed the Westhampton Beach Village office and a candy and ice cream business.

A fire destroyed the property in 1933 and it wasn’t reopened until about 1947. Ron Rawson started the Westhampton Playhouse there in 1951, hosting theatrical groups and performers, including Broadway star Paula Laurence and film actress Kay Francis.

Community events have also been held at the theater, from model airplane contests to Methodist church concerts. The theater recently served as the home for several Jewish film festivals, according to Behind the Hedges.

Most people paying big bucks to enjoy the Hamptons are not inclined to go to an old-time cinema, but in fairness, such venues have struggled in many U.S. towns.

Only three movie theaters remain on the South Fork — in East Hampton, Hampton Bays and Sag Harbor. The North Fork has theaters in Mattituck and Greenport, although the latter’s venue is temporarily closed.

[Behind the Hedges] — Holden Walter-Warner

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Commercial Real EstateHamptonsMovie TheatersWesthampton