Laura M.
Yelp
I originally heard about Row House Cinema from my lab manager, who spends more time in Lawrenceville--and is way cooler--than me. Enthralled with the idea of a cinema that plays nothing but classics and cult movies--and in the awesome neighborhood of Lawrenceville, no less--I had to check it out. Last Sat., the opportunity to do so presented itself, since rain forced CM and I to change our plans to visit a park, so I suggested it. As usual, he was game, so off to L-Ville we went.
Row House organizes its showings by unifying theme, which can pertain to content, genre, actors/directors, etc. Last week's theme was graduation, and I was excited to see that two of the offerings--The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Adventureland--were filmed and set in PGH. Having seen and enjoyed both of these movies at home, I was excited at the prospect of seeing them on the big screen. Of the two, CM chose Perks, which I preferred slightly. Because the showing we attended was before 5pm, we were able to see it for matinee pricing ($6), and CM received an additional $1 student discount.
Having browsed the other Yelp reviews, I suggested that we head over to Atlas Bottle Works to snag some hard cider to sip during the showing, and CM obliged. Per the suggestion of an employee, I picked up a bottle of ginger-infused Scottish cider called Thistly Cross, and CM picked up a bottle of Crispin cider. CM's cider was conveniently found in the refrigerator, but mine needed to be chilled, and the friendly employee did so in under 5 min. We then headed into the theater to enjoy our drinks and the show.
When I surveyed the theater, I was instantly impressed at how well-appointed it is, esp. for a theater of such a small size. Despite its size, the theater has stadium seating similar to that standard in cineplexes, providing all moviegoers with a great view of the screen. Unlike most cineplexes, however, the floor was immaculately clean, and not sticky or messy at all. I found this particularly impressive considering that many customers buy adult beverages at Atlas to consume during showings, which indicates that the employees must really keep up with the cleaning. The seats were also more spacious and comfortable then standard cineplex seats, though they weren't as plush as those of the Manor Theater in Squirrel Hill.
During our showing of Perks, there were only 2-3 other customers, which meant that we effectively had the theater to ourselves, which was amazing. We both enjoyed the show very much, him for the first time and me on the big screen. When the show ended, I chatted with the woman working the concession/ticket counter, and she told me that Row House is currently offering a Groupon for two admissions and popcorn. I also noticed that, unlike any other movie theater I've been to, Row House offers kale chips, and she told me that they procure them from a nearby cafe by the bowling alley down the street.
Overall, CM and I greatly enjoyed Row House, and were quite impressed with its facilities and offerings. We hope to return to see another great movie in this awesome setting soon!