If New York City has a Broadway and its stretch of theaters, Manila had (take note foks, it’s “had”) Rizal Avenue or Avenida Rizal (nicknamed Avenida) with its strip of movie theaters. It was also a pretty long strip that ran from Blumentritt up north all the way down to Plaza Lacson. (or Plaza Goiti as it was called in the old days) One can imagine what the avenue looked like in its heyday, seeing a long stretch of neon signs, especially of movie theaters that lighted up the way. Being the movie theater hub of Manila back then, Avenida was also home to some of the most prominent movie theater structures one can find in the city, designed by some of the country’s most renowned architects of that period.
One of those prominent theaters was Avenue, designed by National Artist Juan Nakpil in the 1930s. This art deco theater used to be the exclusive home for films of Paramount Pictures. After falling into hard times in recent years, the theater was demolished in 2006 to give way to a parking lot cum bar and commercial space, something that has been met with public outcry and condemnation.