re: NOLANOLA's Memory Lane... Weekend plans in NOLA 1988 Edition

In the 80s Joy cinema 6 on veterans in Kenner was our theater. Until General Cinema opened at the Esplanade and United Artists at Pavillion.

Joy became a dollar show and is now Ray Brandt Toyota.

Anyone remember Movie Pitchers? Great little theater in New Orleans with couches and full bar and food service.
Only had small run movies. Last movie I saw there was Orgasmo.


Nola used to have a ton of one or two screen cinemas. I think Prytania is the last one left.

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Anyone remember Movie Pitchers? Great little theater in New Orleans with couches and full bar and food service.
Only had small run movies. Last movie I saw there was Orgasmo.

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Movie Pitchers was off Bienville. I saw Clerks and a comedy show there in the mid 90's.

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My most vivid memory of going to the WOW was one time in the very late 1970s or very early 1980s, i was about 5 or 6 yrs old- and the celebrity they had that year was BOSS HOGG

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I was there too! It was glorious!

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They had to raze several residential blocks for the site, and there was a lot of public opposition.

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Pretty sure that the "residential blocks" were an undeveloped area that was zoned residential (maybe even multifamily residential, like the adjacent Gatehouse Apartments) and I think with some 'paper' streets that were not built yet.

You are right, there was a LOT of opposition mostly from Metairie residents in the immediate area south of the Galleria worried about height (skyscrapers looming over their neighborhood) and traffic concerns. I remember a lot of yard signage back then with the simple phrase, "Galleria - NO!".

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Original concept included six towers, but was pared down to just the one.

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If I remember correctly (I was in college at the time) the whole six tower development plan WAS approved by the Parish, but the oil bust in the late 80s put the kibosh on full-build out of the project.

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I remember reading about the other buildings. If you look at it from interstate you can clearly see how the garage was never completely finished off.

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That portion has ALWAYS bugged me. Don't mind the back portion being developed as small scale Residence Inn type motels, as no one sees them from the interstate. But that front side on I-10 just looks BAD. Instead of putting on glass panels to match the east and west sides, it's stucco painted with gray and black stripes to (sort of) match.

I still have hope the owners can build that northern-most phase on the empty land in front of the garage, or at least a free-standing building high enough to hide it.

By the way, I can see the Galleria tower in the distance from a certain angle in my back yard, and think it's pretty cool that I can.

Of these, I saw the following in theaters in 87/88:

Dirty Dancing
Good Morning Vietnam
Three Men and a Baby
She's Having A Baby
Broadcast News
Wall Street
Fatal Attraction

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Anther Metairie memory. Slick Track go karts. On the I 10 service road next to the Times Picayune office in Metairie.

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Used to love the arcade they had in that little wooden shack.

Another thing no one has mentioned is the trampoline park just east of bonnabel. I remember them wetting and soaping them down. If they had that today it would be an injury lawyers wet dream.