Easton Prepares to Demolish Perkins, Marquis

When I moved to the Lehigh Valley in 2001, one of the things that clinched Easton for me was Cinema Paradiso.

Not the Italian film from the '80s, but the now-long-gone movie theater on Third Street.

"An arthouse theater!" the 24-year-old me said to himself. "That settles it, I'm living HERE."

And for a few months, it was pretty great. I saw Memento about 30 times, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, The Deep End, Made. Then Cinema Paradiso closed. The Marquis Theater came along a few years later, showing first run movies.

Then it closed, although the , complete with movie titles. It was a little embarassing, actually, seeing them up there long after the theater closed. I imagined someone visiting Easton and thinking "They're just getting King Kong NOW?"

And now, that building -- along with the Perkins next door, also long-closed -- are about to be demolished to make way for . Some prep work has begun, and a fence surrounds the property. Actual demolition work should follow soon.

I'm certainly not saying that the loss of these buildings is a bad thing. The last thing a city wants is too giant vacant properties on its main drag. But it will be strange, watching the view I'd nearly every day for the last decade gradually change.