The Roosevelt Theater

Up Route 9, North of Marist College, there is a small movie theater: The Roosevelt.  If you don't know that it's there, the chances of driving right by it are pretty high. It's set back into the landscape a bit, there is no big flashy sign with neon lights, and it's pretty mundane. The building itself is old and nothing remarkable...quite different from the way modern movie theaters look. However, as many Marist students may know, if you are looking for a reasonably priced movie, this is definitely the place to go!

Today, general movie tickets at my hometown movie theater are usually around $10.50 (upwards of $13.00 for 3D)...almost as much as I'm going to wind up paying to buy and own the movie when it comes out on DVD. This makes me pretty upset, and from what I've heard from friends, there isn't anyone who is really pleased with the price of movies these days. But honestly, what's our other option? There isn't one. Or so people who don't know about The Roosevelt think.

This theater offers prices that actually keep the joy in seeing a movie. Adults pay $7.50, children pay $5.00 (as do seniors). If you are a student with a valid college ID (hint hint Marist community) the tickets are dropped $6.00. This has just saved you $4.50...which as a college student can get you pretty far, it's two cab rides or a meal. You can't beat that.

 

However, these low prices do mean that your viewing experience may be a bit diminished from what you are used to. The tickets that you receive look like someone printed them off of a computer at home...not really the most up-to-date tickets. The theater is, as I said, old which shows as soon as you walk in; the lobby and theaters are a little out-dated. The seats and walls of the theater are definitely old but, luckily, really comfortable still. And if you are worried about annoying pre-show commercials, ads, or previews...worry no longer! The Roosevelt has silent advertisements while you wait for movie to come on (most of them look like photographs of business cards) and they only show one movie preview before the movie starts. This is an added benefit to only paying $6.00 for a ticket. However, it does mean that the common, "It's okay if we're late! They still need to show the previews!" is no longer applicable...trust me...I've made this mistake before.

The Roosevelt also offers a movie theater that is not likely to be packed wall to wall. Although the theater space is small, in my four years of seeing movies there, I have never once experienced a packed movie theater. I think the closest it ever got was half full, still leaving plenty of seats to pick from.

So, if you can get over the outdated visuals of the theater, you are guaranteed to have a quiet, pleasant movie viewing experience for a fantastic price. I would strongly recommend this to anyone who, like myself, has had enough of overpaying to see a movie.

For a list of their movie times you can visit their website: http://www.fandango.com/rooseveltcinemas_aajtl/theaterpage

Jelly Belly Deli...The Best Deal in Town

There is a deli on Washington Street, Poughkeepsie that will change your life: the Jelly Belly Deli. When driving, you may pass the sign and assume (due to the rather lack luster outside) that the little hole in the wall deli is now shut down...the sign is old, the building looks to be falling apart, and--quite frankly--it looks flat out sketchy. However, if you are privileged enough to know the wonders that await you when you walk in, you know that the outside is extremely deceiving. I guess it goes back to that cliche saying: you can't judge a book by its cover...or a deli by the building...Either way, when you enter Jelly Belly, you are greeted with the smell of breakfast. The menu has a list of breakfast sandwiches and platters that may not appear to be anything special at a first glance. Your taste buds will tell a different story.

Anything that you order at Jelly Belly Deli is guaranteed to blow your mind, from the Bacon Egg and Cheese Sandwich to the full platter of pancakes. The service allows you to sit and pick from a wide variety of drinks while the chef cooks and delivers your food to you at your table. The delicious food is only made better by their out of this world prices. Some of their prices are: Ham Egg and Cheese Sandhich $2.25, Sausage Egg and  Cheese Sandwich $2.60, a breakfast platter (3 eggs, 2 pieces of toast, coffee, and home fries) 3.99. Honestly, you can't find better prices. They beat out the prices (and taste, in my opinion) of any diner, and the food is WORLDS better than McDonalds...the only other place that breakfast is this inexpensive.

In addition to the delicious breakfast options the deli offers, they are also open for lunch and dinner. For these meals they have a full-fledged deli with hot and cold sandwich options. They also have cheeseburgers and fries. Again, you can't beat the prices. A cheeseburger goes for $1.99 and the Cheeseburger Combo (2 burgers and fries) is just $5.00. They make super heroes for parties...yeah...those subs that are 3, 4, and 5 feet long and packed with meat. The greatest part about this deli is that they deliver. Yes, you read that correctly. You can get any of this amazing food delivered right to your doorstep if you don't feel like battling the weather, other drivers, or you're just feeling that lazy that day.

So, whether you are in the mood for breakfast on a regular day, lunch during a work day, or that necessary comfort food after a night of college drinking, Jelly Belly is the place to go. And trust me when I say that the outside is not at all reflective of the delicious food that awaits you inside.

Welcome to Poughkeepsie Underground!

Welcome to Poughkeepsie Underground! As a student in Poughkeepsie, New York, I know the reputation that circulates about the surrounding area: there is nothing to do, there is nowhere for a college student to go to have fun, etc. Put these thoughts together with those of a college student...I have no money, there's nothing to do on campus, we always do the same thing...I figured that I could help solve both of these problems at once. After being a student here for four years, I have come to learn of little "gems", as I call them. These are places that surrounding college students--and Poughkeepsie residents--can get to easily and that cost little to nothing. Through the course of this last semester of my college career, I hope to catalog my favorite places as well as new places I seek out during these upcoming weeks. Hopefully this blog can help those who read it to gain a better appreciation for the town and the many unrecognized places it has.