Drake Theatre

62-90 Woodhaven Boulevard,
Rego Park, NY 11374

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Showing 1 - 25 of 69 comments

Jeffrey1955
Jeffrey1955 on June 15, 2017 at 1:43 pm

Gone, gone, gone…and they don’t even bother mentioning it anymore. Queens Chronicle

jaysonD
jaysonD on January 2, 2017 at 3:30 pm

Joe Abbracciamentos restaurant occupied a space next to the Drake theater for many years…I thing he took over the theater to expand into a catering center of sorts….apparently it didn’t pan out…

jaysonD
jaysonD on January 2, 2017 at 3:28 pm

Its last hurrah was a distant shot used in the Howard Stern movie “ Private Parts” where he had to attend a movie screening

Kurt48
Kurt48 on October 18, 2016 at 6:02 am

The Drake has been demolished. pic here: https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RkwJz1iYW1o/WAW5Mz8KdBI/AAAAAAABAL0/O6QgjB4t9foiHVWTzehLX1qOnvmpvvKFQCLcB/s1600/carmen2.jpg

Jeffrey1955
Jeffrey1955 on September 1, 2016 at 2:51 pm

The property changed hands; demolition permit still in effect but nothing has happened. From an article in Queens Chronicle, Sept. 1, 2016, by Christopher Barca:

But while one block begins to blossom, the one that houses the former Abbracciamento’s Restaurant a short walk up Woodhaven Boulevard still sits dormant. Shortly after eatery owner John Abbracciamento closed the restaurant and sold the building — which included a handful of small businesses — for $9 million more than two years ago, plans to demolish the block and build a new apartment building in its place were filed. However, the site was sold again for $10.85 million in February 2015, just a few months before a permit allowing for the teardown was approved by the city. The only noticeable action taken since has been the removal of the building’s marquee, which remained after the site’s conversion from a movie theater into a restaurant. Graffiti has continued to accumulate on the sides of the structure and on the permanently closed window gates. However, city records show the demolition permit was issued to the owner, 62-98 Realty LLC, on Aug. 23. A Department of Buildings spokesman said it isn’t unusual for such a long time to elapse between permit approval and demolition beginning. “Most permits last about a year once they are pulled,” the spokesperson said. “Some developers wait until they are ready to do the work before they actually pull the permit.”

areacode212
areacode212 on May 11, 2015 at 4:44 pm

I was in a livery cab this afternoon that drove past the now-closed Abbracciamento Restaurant, and I thought it looked like an old movie theater. It hasn’t been demolished yet, but everything was boarded up.

robboehm
robboehm on April 10, 2015 at 6:44 pm

Demolished yet? Status is still closed. Uploaded a photo during it’s post theater life.

Jeffrey1955
Jeffrey1955 on April 17, 2014 at 5:03 pm

And so it goes…

Ed Solero
Ed Solero on April 17, 2014 at 4:55 pm

Ironic, and sad back to back comments – one with the text of an article announcing the construction of the Drake, the other a link to an article about it’s demolition.

cybermoz
cybermoz on April 17, 2014 at 3:40 pm

The former Drake building will be demo;ished to build condos. http://www.qchron.com/editions/central/demolition-on-the-menu-for-abbracciamento-s/article_1e8fbe82-727b-5248-a79a-c92bd9607b9b.html

johndereszewski
johndereszewski on January 17, 2014 at 11:15 am

Very interesting news Jeff. I guess the now “old” catering places are being supplanted by more trendy establishments. The same has apparently occurred with the Polonaise Terrace in Greenpoint, which also replaced a location previously occupied by a movie theater.

By the way, the map at the top of this page sites the Drake at a location far to the south where it actually was. The correct location is situated a few blocks north of St. Johns Cemetary while the map locates it at the cemetary’s south point, at Cooper Avenue. This is wrong and schould be corrected.

Jeffrey1955
Jeffrey1955 on January 17, 2014 at 9:19 am

The restaurant that expanded into the theater space is closing. You can see the former marquee in the photo. http://www.qchron.com/editions/queenswide/abbracciamento-s-closing-its-doors/article_516a1076-d460-5218-8f4d-fec1f045f13e.html#.UthaC3UVM4g

corlando52
corlando52 on July 8, 2010 at 7:21 am

I was born and raised in Forest Hills. My memory of the Drake, besides passing it on the way to the “M” train right next to Christ the King High School, was going to see The Deadly Spawn, a “B” horror film produced by a friend of mine. I actually worked on the movie and had one of the little creatures with me. During one of the bloodier scenes, I put it on the shoulder of a girl who was sitting in front of me. Man, did she SCREAM!
BTW, RobertR, I used to sneak into the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium to watch the concerts, too. I did get to see the Helicopter with The Beatles, but didn’t have tickets so I went home (69th Avenue between Olcott Street and Metropolitan Avenue) and could hear the girls screaming while I sat on my stoop!
I WAS there for the Monkees when Jimi Hendrics played and the crowd chanted “We want Davey…” and he stormed off the stage in his neon orange boots.
corlando52

corlando52
corlando52 on July 8, 2010 at 7:21 am

I was born and raised in Forest Hills. My memory of the Drake, besides passing it on the way to the “M” train right next to Christ the King High School, was going to see The Deadly Spawn, a “B” horror film produced by a friend of mine. I actually worked on the movie and had one of the little creatures with me. During one of the bloodier scenes, I put it on the shoulder of a girl who was sitting in front of me. Man, did she SCREAM!
BTW, RobertR, I used to sneak into the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium to watch the concerts, too. I did get to see the Helicopter with The Beatles, but didn’t have tickets so I went home (69th Avenue between Olcott Street and Metropolitan Avenue) and could hear the girls screaming while I sat on my stoop!
I WAS there for the Monkees when Jimi Hendrics played and the crowd chanted “We want Davey…” and he stormed off the stage in his neon orange boots.
corlando52

Bway
Bway on February 16, 2010 at 8:57 am

That’s too bad. Although I don’t remember it being anything special inside even when it was a theater.

NativeForestHiller
NativeForestHiller on February 15, 2010 at 9:12 pm

I attended a function there recently, and I was hard-pressed to think of its resemblance to its theater space. It has dropped ceilings and other finishes that strips it of its formerly Art Deco and modernistic interior appeal.

Bway
Bway on February 15, 2010 at 7:59 pm

It’s great seeing the old photos of the Drake! Just like I remember it….I remember seeing a couple movies there in the 1980’s.
What if anything of the interior remains on the inside of the now Catering hall?

NativeForestHiller
NativeForestHiller on February 3, 2010 at 9:23 pm

Vintage photos have been provided courtesy of Warren Harris. Thank you!

NativeForestHiller
NativeForestHiller on February 2, 2010 at 1:45 pm

This is the Drake Theatre photoset, courtesy of Rego-Forest Preservation Council:

View link

Please feel free to contact and send vintage photos and ads, which may merit inclusion. Thank you!

NativeForestHiller
NativeForestHiller on January 13, 2010 at 2:13 am

Hi Warren! If you can send me high-resolution photos of the ones you posted that are no longer available, as well as re-post them here for other members to appreciate, that would be great! Thanks!

NativeForestHiller
NativeForestHiller on January 13, 2010 at 2:12 am

I will soon post photos (wide angles and close-ups) in my flickr photoset for the Drake Theatre. If anyone would be interested in contributing some vintage photos or ads, or images from the “recent past,” please contact me at I will give you credit. We need to preserve the spirit of this former theater, which is a humble yet elegant example of Art Deco. It was the second most popular theater in Rego Park, besides the Trylon Theater, which can also be referred to as Forest Hills.

heffer
heffer on December 29, 2009 at 7:22 pm

The Drake was great for those one dollar movies (took a couple of cheap dates when I wasn’t making alot of money)followed by a dinner in Cooky’s Steakhouse in the mall (good steaks and the best salad bar for that type of restaurant.

johndereszewski
johndereszewski on April 18, 2009 at 8:38 am

Since it was converted into the catering hall soon thereafter, it seems pretty easy to assume that the movie house was closed by 1987.

By the way, some time last year, I noted that many years ago – no later than the late 1950’s – a bowling alley was situated in the basement of what I believe was the Drake. My parents bowled there as part of a league. The place closed rather suddenly, probably right after the Woodhaven Lanes opened. Does anyone remember the old bowling alley, and was it siuated in the Drake building or somewhere else? It would seem that only a building as large as the Drake could accommodate a bowling alley, but maybe not.

Bway
Bway on April 16, 2009 at 9:53 am

Was the Drake closed by 1987? It apperars there’s nothing on the Marquee.

robboehm
robboehm on February 28, 2009 at 1:28 pm

I wss never in the Drake but was impressed to read one time that the owners would close the theatre for a week or two each year and give it a really thorough cleaning. Must have been a mom and pop shop.