Shore Theatre
1301 Surf Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11224
1301 Surf Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11224
15 people
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New Exhibit: Inside the Shore Theater: Photographs by Charles Denson
Never-before-seen photos of the ornate interior of the Shore Theater Building by Coney Island History Project director Charles Denson are on view at our exhibition center through September 3rd. The new exhibit “Inside the Shore Theater: Photographs by Charles Denson” is open to the public on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 12 noon – 6pm. Admission to the Coney Island History Project is free of charge. The History Project is located at 3059 West 12th Street at the entrance to Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park, just a few steps off the Boardwalk.
“This purpose of this exhibit is to remind the public of the importance of the Shore Theater and the role it should play in the future of Coney Island,” said Mr. Denson. “With the latest round of proposals to build casinos and hotels in Coney Island, it’s easy to imagine a restored Shore Theater as the centerpiece of a year-round entertainment venue.”
The seven-story, neo-Renaissance style theater and vaudeville house and adjacent 14-story office building at the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues opened in 1925 and operated for half a century. Both structures have been closed and sealed up for decades. The theater’s facade was granted landmark status in 2010, but the interior is not protected and vulnerable to demolition. The images provide a rare glimpse of a Coney Island treasure.
http://www.coneyislandhistory.org/news/?p=950
Two photos posted on the History Project’s flickr photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27583836@N08/sets/72157630751139790/
Nice shot of the Loews Coney Island, Tinseltoes.
The Landmarks Commission’s report in support of the Shore’s designation has just been put on line and is linked below. (If the link does not work, you can access it via the Commission’s web site in NYC.GOV.)
Congratulations to all involved.
View link
The interior is in pretty bad shape. I have seen photos that were taken over 6-10 years ago, and back then it was already in pretty dire shape. Part of the plaster ceiling collapsed on one side of the proscenium for sure, and who knows how much more. Also, I am sure it hasn’t gotten better in the last 10 years either.
The building is for sale for $12 Million! The broker says there are prospective buyers.
Only the exterior is landmarked at this time. Elisabeth de Bourbon of the Landmarks Preservation Commission told ATZ that by law the commission may consider only those buildings which are “customarily open to the public†for interior designation.
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btw
Thank goodness it has been saved.
Per New York Post 12/16/10
Coney theater landmarked
A long-shuttered 85-year-old Coney Island theater that once hosted Al Jolson will be preserved as part of the city’s amusement-district revamp.
The Landmarks Preservation Commission yesterday unanimously approved designating the 2,500-seat, seven-story Coney Island Theatre building on Surf Avenue — renamed the “Shore Theater” in 1964 — a city landmark.
View link
WooHoo! Excellent news! I still wonder about the true condition of the interior.
GOOD NEWS! The Shore Theater will be landmarked today!
Once the building is landmarked, the City’s Demolition by Neglect laws could come into play. I would not be surprised if the City ended up acquiring the building
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Well if you ever find them, I would love to see them.
Maybe, but that person that posted them asked this site to remove them because the owner wanted them removed. I remember downloading them ages ago, but I don’t remember disc or drive they are on.
@William, thanks for the update… is there any possible way to get those photos elsewhere? Via email perhaps?
Whew! It’s a relief! The Real Deal had, in fact, used the wrong photo that showed the Shore Theatre. It was changed after I sent them an email asking why no mention was made of the efforts to landmark the Shore Theatre. It was only then, that they changed the photo.
So I assume this has nothing to do with the Shore Theater?
Hi William, It looks like they changed the photo after I sent them a e-mail asking about why the theater hadn’t been mentioned as part of the story.
The pictures from the article do not look like the former theatre building.
http://therealdeal.com/newyork/articles/31743
Wow! I hope you both are correct. The photo used in the news story was the one above. Hopefully, it was just sloppy reporting. Let’s cross our fingers!
Tinseltoes is correct. The Shore Hotel is a lowrise building on the same side of Surf Ave as Nathan’s.
Tinseltoes…It is the same building. Look at the photo. The theatre auditorium sticks out of the rear. The entrance/lobby is at the base and the hotel portion was above.
Ginge from your post of July 30, 2010, Mark W asked the webmaster here to remove pictures and links for this theatre. The buildings owner requested it tobe done.
That is terrible news LuisV,and whats up with building “temporary buildings” on the site?
Terrible news in today’s Real Deal. Apparently this building has been scheduled and approved by the city for demolition by Joe Sitt (the current owner). There is absolutely no mention of the historic theater which is sloppy journalism, but I just can’t believe how quickly this has changed. Here is a historic theater in an area with lots of foot traffic that is quickly developing after decades of decline and instead of restoring the theater they’re demolishing it? What happened with the landmarking process? Anyone know?
Here is the article:
Coney bank, Shore Hotel to be demolished
August 18, 2010 10:30AM
Bank of Coney Island (left) and the Shore Hotel Even inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places earlier this summer was not enough to save some of Coney Island’s oldest buildings from destruction. Demolition applications for the Bank of Coney Island and the Shore Hotel — both owned by Thor Equities — were approved last week, according to the city Department of Buildings, the Wall Street Journal reported. The pending demolition of these structures is the latest setback for community groups that tried to have the buildings preserved as landmarks. The Bank of Coney Island, built in 1923, has been vacant since 1997. The Shore Hotel, built in 1903, was operated as a hotel up until two years ago. Thor Equities, led by Joe Sitt, plans to replace the bank and hotel with temporary buildings that will be ready at the start of the 2011 summer season. Though Coney Island’s boardwalk was revitalized this summer with the opening of Luna Park, Surf Avenue and many of the neighborhood businesses continue to struggle and fear that they will be evicted. [WSJ]
Any chance of getting Mark W.’s 2004 interior photos re-posted somewhere? I would really love to see them.
Any chance of getting Mark W.’s 2004 interior photos re-posted somewhere? I would really love to see them.
Nice photo Tinseltoes.