While it is absolutrly true that NY has destoyed a huge amount of its Movie Palaces, it is also true that it remains the home of the greatest collection of remaining palaces in the country. The losses are huge because NY had a mind numbing amount to begin with (arguably the world’s greatest), but look at what remains: The New Amsterdam, Radio City, The Ziegfeld, The Hollywood, The Beacon, The Paris, The Apollo, Loews 175th St, Loews Paradise, Loews Valencia, Loews Kings (now being restored), Loews Canal, The St George, Brooklyn Paramount, The Ridgewood, The Elmwood, The Jackson, RKO Keiths Richmond Hill and RKO Keiths Flushing, not to mention that many of today’s legit Bway theaters also showed films for significant parts of their past. I’m sure I have forgotten some and I have also omitted several theaters in Brooklyn which have been converted to churches but are still restored and very much with us today. Honorable mention goes to Loews Jersey and The Stanley just acreoss the Hudson in Jersey City which practically counts as NY. So yes, much has been lost, but when many cities have but one of two palaces remaining, NY can still hold its head high for what has been saved; the latest being the Loew’s Kings.
Chicago is justly proud of it’s architectural history and legacy and it truly is a shame that this theater (The Uptown) has not been restored, but what has happened at The Kings gives me hope that Chicago will be able to finally do the right thing. Few people ever though the Kings would be saved, especially in these economic times, but miracles do happen.
The theater continues to be marketed as a retail space. We probably will not hear more about the restoration of this theater until someone rents it and they decide how the retail concept will mesh with any theatrical restoration. I wish that they would turn it back to a movie theater that would play “special event” movies, opening nights, corporate events, etc.
I have much more faith in NY City’s government than Chicago’s. The city has been working for years to find the right buyer and has backed it with lots of tax breaks and grants, I don’t think that Chicago has done the same, so I am very confident that the Kings will come to fruition.
Just passed by this theater today and it is still for sale. There is a big “For Sale” sign on the marquee. I have to say it looks pretty sad. A 450 seat theater that gets cut up into 4 theaters? It’s got to be terrible. I didn’t get to go in but I did peek in through the doors and it just didn’t look the least bit interesting architecturally.
The Landmarks Preservation Committee has a hearing set for March 23rd to designate the exterior of the Shore Theatre as a landmark. Chances appear quite good that this will happen! I’ll keep everyone posted!
Time Out New York just named the Kew Gardens Cinema as one of New York’s best movie theaters!!!
Not bad for an outer borough former porno house! Though I grew up in South Ozone Park and lived in Kew Gardens for several years, I have never been to this gem. (Since it was a porno theater at the time) Someday soon, I will make the journey from Manhattan to see a film here to experience it for myself.
Thanks Saps for the lyrics! I remember how thrilling it was for me to see the revival of 42nd Street at the Hilton Theater which actually IS on 42nd Street. I saw the original back in the early 80’s. It’s a great musical and it’s great to see actual Street back to being a great thoroughfare once again!
Al, with all due respect, you don’t know what you’re talking about. The Nederlander has just been fully restored. It was done after Rent moved out. Rent was there for at least 7 years and it happended only after 42nd Street was brought back from the dead by Disney and city subsidies. No one wanted it before. The Conde Nast building, Reuters and Ernst & Young buildings do not have large blocks of available space. As a matter of fact, they are doing better than Manhattan as a whole. 11 Times Square is not yet complete, however, Proskauer Rose is close to signing a lease for several hundred thousand square feet of space and the aquarium is also close to leasing the entire first 7 floors. Regarding your point about money losing shows: Guess what? Most Broadway shows lose money! So What? The theaters, however, still get paid. Guess what? Spiderman is still paying rent on the Hilton even though they are not ready. They want to keep this theater! The Hilton is quite successful. I love how you call 41st street a dump, but wax poetic over the sleaze that was Times Sqaure from the 70’s to early 90’s. When you talk about 42nd Street YOU ARE talking about all of Times Square. You don’t have one without the other. Without the revitalization of this street, you would not have had the incredible turnaround of this neighborhhood into the vibrant and successful area that it has become. What is truly astounding is that you seem to think it would have been better if we had left it all alone. It just defies all logic. Detroit, East St. Louis, Cleveland, the Tenderloin in San Francisco all have the atmosphere you seem to crave.
Thanks Bway…I forgot to add that a deal is very near to place an urban Aquarium on the first 7 floors of the new office tower at 11 Times Square; right next to the Empire AMC 25. An Aquarium! On 42nd Street! A new Intercontinental hotel is opening next month on 8th Avenue! An Intercontinental! On 8th Avenue! Oh wait, according to AlAlvarez there is no profit or economic activity in the New Times Square. Times Square is flourishing like it hasn’t since the 30’s and 40’s.
Oh, and as for “personality”, I remember W. 41st Street between 7th and 8th Avenue was a no man’s land. A barren, desolate spot that few dared to walk alone. In the middle of that block stood the Nederlander Theatre; empty and abandoned for I don’t know how many years. No one would take it. Not even a disco, which had temporaily saved such iconic theaters as Henry Miller (Xenon), Academy of Music (Palladium), Loews Commodore (The Saint) and the Forum (Club USA). But once 42nd Street (Thanks to Disney and the New Victory) started the ball rolling, “Rent” moved in and the rest is history! Now the Nederlander has been fully restored thanks to a rejuvenated 42nd Street.
Wow! I couldn’t disagree with you more! The Hilton is currently dark only because the prodcution of Spiderman has been delayed but they ARE paying rent. So while it is dark, it is spoken for. Same for the American Airlines theater. it is operated by a non-profit that puts on productions generally for limited perids, but it IS successful. There are virtually NO empty storefronts on 42nd street save for the Times Square theater (again only due to the difficulties currently experienced by Mark Ecko who had to back out). The street is always thronged with people. The Theater District as a whole is thriving! As a residential neighborhood, Hell’s Kitchen has never been better. Retail rents in the Times square area are the only ones that have not declined. Where is the evidence of economic decline that you speak of? new office towers continue to rise (11 Times Square) and new residential towers as well (Related’s new behomoth at 10th Avenue) This will bring even more people and dollars to the area.
Oh, dirt, crime, prostitution, drug addicts and abandoned buildings do not qualify as “great personality”. If they did, Detroit and Cleveland would be the greatest cities in America. I will never understand people who would actually prefer to have all of that back.
Wow! AlAvarez, I can’t believe that you are pining away for the Times Square of the 70', 80’s and early 90’s. That period was a cancer for New York that threatened the entire city. The gentirfication of 42nd rejuvenated Times Square as a whole and enabled the resurgence of Hell’s Kitchen as one of New York’s great neighborhoods in which to live, work and play!
I am a life long New Yorker and I say good riddance to the eviction of the old theater owners on 42nd Street. We lost nothing, but crime and filth. Would we have the HQ for Conde Nast at 42nd and Bway and the NY Times on 41st and 8th without the new 42nd St? Of course not!
The Hilton and American Airlines Theaters white elephants? What nonsense. Few theaters have long term runs, but you forget that 42nd Street (the musical) did have a long run there. That said, the theater does well on rental income. The producers may not, but the theater does.
You want character, go visit the Tenderloin District of San Francisco. That is eerily similar to the old Times Square. It is filthy, dangerous, there is open drug use on the street, lots of bums congregating and decayed theaters. it was eerie! It’s also a shame, and they would do well to copy New York’s program to gentrify that area as well.
I do too! I assume though that the Loews name can no longer be officially used as the name is now “owned” by AMC. I do wish they will allow it for historical buildings but I understand that they would not want to be seen as having an interest in theaters that don’t belong to them. Though Loews is now owned by AMC, the Loews storied name still graces many operating theaters including the multiplex that pays great tribute to the old palaces of New York: Loews Lincoln Square.
With all due respect to Tinseltoes, there is no comparison between a high school auditorium and a full fledged movie palace designed by Rapp & Rapp; one of the country’s premier theater architects! This is also not an either/or situation. Brooklyn Tech is one of the city’s premier public high schools, but it is a PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL, not a theater. While the photo linked makes the space look handsome, the Kings French Renaissance design is truly spectacular. Great architecture needs to be saved for future generations to enjoy and marvel at. Are you OK losing the original Penn Station, because we had a lovely Grand Central? Should we have torn down Saarinen’s TWA Terminal at JFK simply because it had outlived it’s original intended purpose? Of course not! Here we have the opportunity to save this incredible structure and have it be productive at the same time. Kudos to the NYEDC to make this happen. It took a long time, but everyone will agree that it will have been worth it when it is all done!
None of the old movie palaces can survive on movies alone. That is why none of them still operate as such. They require grants, tax breaks, community support, fundraisers, and the ability to serve multiple purposes and constituencies.
That said, it was amazing to find out that a high school has an auditorium of that size. I would love to see more photos of it and see more of the detail. I wonder if it is the largest high school auditorium in the country.
The Loew’s Kings Theatre in Brooklyn has finally been saved! This 3,000+ seat palace has been sitting abandoned for over 30 years, just like the Uptown. It is one of the country’s most ornate, but unrenovated theaters, just like the Uptown, and it is located in a non central city location, again like the Uptown. The renovation will cost about $70MM largely paid for with with city grants and tax breaks. The project will take four years, employ 500 people during restoration and 50 permanent after opening. It is expected to host over 200 events a year, though it is not clear movies will be among them. A new marquee (styled after the original) will be installed in addition to a brand new blade, as it originally had! This is incredible news for all theater lovers across the country and hopeful news for fans of The Uptown. IT CAN BE DONE!
Now, the Loews Shore Theatre is up for Landmarking at Coney Island! It’s amazing that in these tough economic times, we see the stirrings to truly save theaters like the Loews Kings, Loews Shore, Loews Canal, The Ridgewood, the Staten Island Paramount, and hopefully the RKO Keiths Flushing and Brooklyn Paramount.
Still slumbering, but probably the best preserved of them all is the RKO Keiths Richmond Hill.
I don’t see any information on the Clearview site about West Side Story OR Funny Girl. What are the exact dates? It should not be this hard to find information. It is not rocket science.
This WILL happen. The city has been working on this since 2006. I was present for two of the tours that the city conducted while soliciting RFP’s for the restoration and though there is a lot of damage, it is in much better condition than The New Amsterdam was when Disney undertook its restoration into the spectacular theater we have today. NY1 (a local cable news channel) had a live on site interview this morning with the head of the NY Economic Develpment Corporation. He said it was fully funded and will employ up to 500 people through the resoration period and 50 permanently after it’s done.
The surrounding area is a middle class area primarily consisting of private houses and low rise apartment buildings (6 stories). It is primarily West Indian I believe, but Flatbush Avenue is a thriving retail strip though the retail tends to be lower end. However, there are few empty storefronts, except of course, for the eyesore of the Kings. Sears has a store about 2 blocks away.
This will be a great catalyst for this neighborhood.
NY1 had a live report from the Loews Kings this morning, interviewing the head of the EDC. He said that the project is fully funded and that the company selected (ACE)has a solid record of restoring theaters, having recently completed one in Chicago and currently working on a resotration in New Orleans. They did not mention any names. They showed the same graphics that the NY Times did on their website; showing that the old marquee will be stripped away in favor of a new one styled on the original plus the resoration of a Blade though it was not clear what the blade would say. It also said up to 500 people will be employed during the restoration with 50 permanent employees after completion in 2013. Great news all around!
Because it is NOT trivial, even remotely comparatively. The city has been working for YEARS on getting this done. They did the same thing for the New Amsterdam and that was the catalyst that 42nd street needed. No one is comparing Flatbush Avenue to the Great White Way, however, the Kings IS comparable to the New Amsterdam architecturally and that is very high praise.
There is a built in audience for this type of venue. in a “city” of 2.6MM there is precious little in the way of performing arts spaces. No disrespect to BAM, but there is room for much more. This is an investment in the future of this city, like the 2nd Avenue Subway, the Brooklyn Bridge Park and Hudson and East River waterfronts, Hudson Yards, Atlantic Yards, Willets Point, etc. In these tough times….this is when you make these investments!
Yes, I forgot to include The Apollo where I saw Dreamgirls in December! I loved it! Right down the street, The Victoria is just sitting there as well, though I have little hope for this theater.
While it is absolutrly true that NY has destoyed a huge amount of its Movie Palaces, it is also true that it remains the home of the greatest collection of remaining palaces in the country. The losses are huge because NY had a mind numbing amount to begin with (arguably the world’s greatest), but look at what remains: The New Amsterdam, Radio City, The Ziegfeld, The Hollywood, The Beacon, The Paris, The Apollo, Loews 175th St, Loews Paradise, Loews Valencia, Loews Kings (now being restored), Loews Canal, The St George, Brooklyn Paramount, The Ridgewood, The Elmwood, The Jackson, RKO Keiths Richmond Hill and RKO Keiths Flushing, not to mention that many of today’s legit Bway theaters also showed films for significant parts of their past. I’m sure I have forgotten some and I have also omitted several theaters in Brooklyn which have been converted to churches but are still restored and very much with us today. Honorable mention goes to Loews Jersey and The Stanley just acreoss the Hudson in Jersey City which practically counts as NY. So yes, much has been lost, but when many cities have but one of two palaces remaining, NY can still hold its head high for what has been saved; the latest being the Loew’s Kings.
Chicago is justly proud of it’s architectural history and legacy and it truly is a shame that this theater (The Uptown) has not been restored, but what has happened at The Kings gives me hope that Chicago will be able to finally do the right thing. Few people ever though the Kings would be saved, especially in these economic times, but miracles do happen.
The theater continues to be marketed as a retail space. We probably will not hear more about the restoration of this theater until someone rents it and they decide how the retail concept will mesh with any theatrical restoration. I wish that they would turn it back to a movie theater that would play “special event” movies, opening nights, corporate events, etc.
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Thank you so much for this update Bruce1! This is incredibly exciting news. Please keep us posted on any additional info you come across.
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I have much more faith in NY City’s government than Chicago’s. The city has been working for years to find the right buyer and has backed it with lots of tax breaks and grants, I don’t think that Chicago has done the same, so I am very confident that the Kings will come to fruition.
Just passed by this theater today and it is still for sale. There is a big “For Sale” sign on the marquee. I have to say it looks pretty sad. A 450 seat theater that gets cut up into 4 theaters? It’s got to be terrible. I didn’t get to go in but I did peek in through the doors and it just didn’t look the least bit interesting architecturally.
The Landmarks Preservation Committee has a hearing set for March 23rd to designate the exterior of the Shore Theatre as a landmark. Chances appear quite good that this will happen! I’ll keep everyone posted!
Time Out New York just named the Kew Gardens Cinema as one of New York’s best movie theaters!!!
Not bad for an outer borough former porno house! Though I grew up in South Ozone Park and lived in Kew Gardens for several years, I have never been to this gem. (Since it was a porno theater at the time) Someday soon, I will make the journey from Manhattan to see a film here to experience it for myself.
Thanks Saps for the lyrics! I remember how thrilling it was for me to see the revival of 42nd Street at the Hilton Theater which actually IS on 42nd Street. I saw the original back in the early 80’s. It’s a great musical and it’s great to see actual Street back to being a great thoroughfare once again!
Al, with all due respect, you don’t know what you’re talking about. The Nederlander has just been fully restored. It was done after Rent moved out. Rent was there for at least 7 years and it happended only after 42nd Street was brought back from the dead by Disney and city subsidies. No one wanted it before. The Conde Nast building, Reuters and Ernst & Young buildings do not have large blocks of available space. As a matter of fact, they are doing better than Manhattan as a whole. 11 Times Square is not yet complete, however, Proskauer Rose is close to signing a lease for several hundred thousand square feet of space and the aquarium is also close to leasing the entire first 7 floors. Regarding your point about money losing shows: Guess what? Most Broadway shows lose money! So What? The theaters, however, still get paid. Guess what? Spiderman is still paying rent on the Hilton even though they are not ready. They want to keep this theater! The Hilton is quite successful. I love how you call 41st street a dump, but wax poetic over the sleaze that was Times Sqaure from the 70’s to early 90’s. When you talk about 42nd Street YOU ARE talking about all of Times Square. You don’t have one without the other. Without the revitalization of this street, you would not have had the incredible turnaround of this neighborhhood into the vibrant and successful area that it has become. What is truly astounding is that you seem to think it would have been better if we had left it all alone. It just defies all logic. Detroit, East St. Louis, Cleveland, the Tenderloin in San Francisco all have the atmosphere you seem to crave.
Thanks Bway…I forgot to add that a deal is very near to place an urban Aquarium on the first 7 floors of the new office tower at 11 Times Square; right next to the Empire AMC 25. An Aquarium! On 42nd Street! A new Intercontinental hotel is opening next month on 8th Avenue! An Intercontinental! On 8th Avenue! Oh wait, according to AlAlvarez there is no profit or economic activity in the New Times Square. Times Square is flourishing like it hasn’t since the 30’s and 40’s.
Oh, and as for “personality”, I remember W. 41st Street between 7th and 8th Avenue was a no man’s land. A barren, desolate spot that few dared to walk alone. In the middle of that block stood the Nederlander Theatre; empty and abandoned for I don’t know how many years. No one would take it. Not even a disco, which had temporaily saved such iconic theaters as Henry Miller (Xenon), Academy of Music (Palladium), Loews Commodore (The Saint) and the Forum (Club USA). But once 42nd Street (Thanks to Disney and the New Victory) started the ball rolling, “Rent” moved in and the rest is history! Now the Nederlander has been fully restored thanks to a rejuvenated 42nd Street.
The Hilton is still a SPECTACULAR theater and one of Broadways best! It’s a wonderful addition to New York’s theater world.
Wow! I couldn’t disagree with you more! The Hilton is currently dark only because the prodcution of Spiderman has been delayed but they ARE paying rent. So while it is dark, it is spoken for. Same for the American Airlines theater. it is operated by a non-profit that puts on productions generally for limited perids, but it IS successful. There are virtually NO empty storefronts on 42nd street save for the Times Square theater (again only due to the difficulties currently experienced by Mark Ecko who had to back out). The street is always thronged with people. The Theater District as a whole is thriving! As a residential neighborhood, Hell’s Kitchen has never been better. Retail rents in the Times square area are the only ones that have not declined. Where is the evidence of economic decline that you speak of? new office towers continue to rise (11 Times Square) and new residential towers as well (Related’s new behomoth at 10th Avenue) This will bring even more people and dollars to the area.
Oh, dirt, crime, prostitution, drug addicts and abandoned buildings do not qualify as “great personality”. If they did, Detroit and Cleveland would be the greatest cities in America. I will never understand people who would actually prefer to have all of that back.
Wow! AlAvarez, I can’t believe that you are pining away for the Times Square of the 70', 80’s and early 90’s. That period was a cancer for New York that threatened the entire city. The gentirfication of 42nd rejuvenated Times Square as a whole and enabled the resurgence of Hell’s Kitchen as one of New York’s great neighborhoods in which to live, work and play!
I am a life long New Yorker and I say good riddance to the eviction of the old theater owners on 42nd Street. We lost nothing, but crime and filth. Would we have the HQ for Conde Nast at 42nd and Bway and the NY Times on 41st and 8th without the new 42nd St? Of course not!
The Hilton and American Airlines Theaters white elephants? What nonsense. Few theaters have long term runs, but you forget that 42nd Street (the musical) did have a long run there. That said, the theater does well on rental income. The producers may not, but the theater does.
You want character, go visit the Tenderloin District of San Francisco. That is eerily similar to the old Times Square. It is filthy, dangerous, there is open drug use on the street, lots of bums congregating and decayed theaters. it was eerie! It’s also a shame, and they would do well to copy New York’s program to gentrify that area as well.
I do too! I assume though that the Loews name can no longer be officially used as the name is now “owned” by AMC. I do wish they will allow it for historical buildings but I understand that they would not want to be seen as having an interest in theaters that don’t belong to them. Though Loews is now owned by AMC, the Loews storied name still graces many operating theaters including the multiplex that pays great tribute to the old palaces of New York: Loews Lincoln Square.
With all due respect to Tinseltoes, there is no comparison between a high school auditorium and a full fledged movie palace designed by Rapp & Rapp; one of the country’s premier theater architects! This is also not an either/or situation. Brooklyn Tech is one of the city’s premier public high schools, but it is a PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL, not a theater. While the photo linked makes the space look handsome, the Kings French Renaissance design is truly spectacular. Great architecture needs to be saved for future generations to enjoy and marvel at. Are you OK losing the original Penn Station, because we had a lovely Grand Central? Should we have torn down Saarinen’s TWA Terminal at JFK simply because it had outlived it’s original intended purpose? Of course not! Here we have the opportunity to save this incredible structure and have it be productive at the same time. Kudos to the NYEDC to make this happen. It took a long time, but everyone will agree that it will have been worth it when it is all done!
None of the old movie palaces can survive on movies alone. That is why none of them still operate as such. They require grants, tax breaks, community support, fundraisers, and the ability to serve multiple purposes and constituencies.
That said, it was amazing to find out that a high school has an auditorium of that size. I would love to see more photos of it and see more of the detail. I wonder if it is the largest high school auditorium in the country.
The Loew’s Kings Theatre in Brooklyn has finally been saved! This 3,000+ seat palace has been sitting abandoned for over 30 years, just like the Uptown. It is one of the country’s most ornate, but unrenovated theaters, just like the Uptown, and it is located in a non central city location, again like the Uptown. The renovation will cost about $70MM largely paid for with with city grants and tax breaks. The project will take four years, employ 500 people during restoration and 50 permanent after opening. It is expected to host over 200 events a year, though it is not clear movies will be among them. A new marquee (styled after the original) will be installed in addition to a brand new blade, as it originally had! This is incredible news for all theater lovers across the country and hopeful news for fans of The Uptown. IT CAN BE DONE!
Now, the Loews Shore Theatre is up for Landmarking at Coney Island! It’s amazing that in these tough economic times, we see the stirrings to truly save theaters like the Loews Kings, Loews Shore, Loews Canal, The Ridgewood, the Staten Island Paramount, and hopefully the RKO Keiths Flushing and Brooklyn Paramount.
Still slumbering, but probably the best preserved of them all is the RKO Keiths Richmond Hill.
I don’t see any information on the Clearview site about West Side Story OR Funny Girl. What are the exact dates? It should not be this hard to find information. It is not rocket science.
This WILL happen. The city has been working on this since 2006. I was present for two of the tours that the city conducted while soliciting RFP’s for the restoration and though there is a lot of damage, it is in much better condition than The New Amsterdam was when Disney undertook its restoration into the spectacular theater we have today. NY1 (a local cable news channel) had a live on site interview this morning with the head of the NY Economic Develpment Corporation. He said it was fully funded and will employ up to 500 people through the resoration period and 50 permanently after it’s done.
The surrounding area is a middle class area primarily consisting of private houses and low rise apartment buildings (6 stories). It is primarily West Indian I believe, but Flatbush Avenue is a thriving retail strip though the retail tends to be lower end. However, there are few empty storefronts, except of course, for the eyesore of the Kings. Sears has a store about 2 blocks away.
This will be a great catalyst for this neighborhood.
NY1 had a live report from the Loews Kings this morning, interviewing the head of the EDC. He said that the project is fully funded and that the company selected (ACE)has a solid record of restoring theaters, having recently completed one in Chicago and currently working on a resotration in New Orleans. They did not mention any names. They showed the same graphics that the NY Times did on their website; showing that the old marquee will be stripped away in favor of a new one styled on the original plus the resoration of a Blade though it was not clear what the blade would say. It also said up to 500 people will be employed during the restoration with 50 permanent employees after completion in 2013. Great news all around!
Now, how about the Loews Canal????? :–)
Because it is NOT trivial, even remotely comparatively. The city has been working for YEARS on getting this done. They did the same thing for the New Amsterdam and that was the catalyst that 42nd street needed. No one is comparing Flatbush Avenue to the Great White Way, however, the Kings IS comparable to the New Amsterdam architecturally and that is very high praise.
There is a built in audience for this type of venue. in a “city” of 2.6MM there is precious little in the way of performing arts spaces. No disrespect to BAM, but there is room for much more. This is an investment in the future of this city, like the 2nd Avenue Subway, the Brooklyn Bridge Park and Hudson and East River waterfronts, Hudson Yards, Atlantic Yards, Willets Point, etc. In these tough times….this is when you make these investments!
Yes, I forgot to include The Apollo where I saw Dreamgirls in December! I loved it! Right down the street, The Victoria is just sitting there as well, though I have little hope for this theater.
Radio City still has an occassional film and the Ziegfeld (which I count as a movie palace) is still showing movies regularly.