When Coolness Wears Off

The Sandy Starships Theater opened December 1980. It was a four-screen theater in a strip-mall in Sandy, Utah. The theater had a futuristic design, as if it were a spaceship, and even had a robot mascot. The Sandy 9 theatres became the dollar scene and patrons stood in line on the lit up “space station” floor waiting in line for the new releases that were shown at the Sandy Starships theater.

Starships closed after its 20-year lease expired in November 2000.  But long before it closed, the once hip full price theatre tapered off to dollar prices.  The coolness had worn off. The starship had lost its appeal before it was even a decade.  What was once prestige had earned “junkie”, “dirty” and “cheap”. The Starship failed though Sandy 9 remains.

There are several landmarks that seem aged and run down – either the land has shifted or our desires have.  We find something better, more satisfying, less costly – or perhaps it’s just the economy that rips us apart.

Recently Kayla posted to facebook the closing of Hollywood Connections – which I recently mentioned in this post.  Roland and Jenna had gone there to skate and then Jenna went upstairs to play the arcades.  The selection of prices was pathetic. 

When we left, Roland asked if I wanted to go miniature golfing.  It was almost 9:00 – I was getting tired.  Jenna had school in the morning.  I thought that we could return the following week.  Had I known that the facility would close in just four days, I would have gone ahead and played.

Kayla had expressed sadness over the loss.  She and Bill had gone there on their first date.  I am not surprised to see them close.  Their cliental has decreased drastically over the years – or so it appears.

The first couple of times we had taken Jenna, it was crowded.   We waited in line to get on the rides.  Even the theatres were doing better when we first moved to West Valley.  But over time, the crowds thinned out.  Not all of the rides were open.  The dragon coaster has been out of operation at least since September.  We know because it was Jenna’s favorite ride.  Vanished. 

Megaplex took away a lot, I would imagine.  It is the new hot thing - and I wonder if maybe one day it too will be a relic as people move on to another discovery, another coolness.  And all that we have will be memories.