There is a photo of Manhattan Ave near Greenpoint Ave from 1928 at this link: View link
If you look carefully at the right side of the photo is a movie marquee with the words “Not For Publication”. This is where The Chopin stood. IMDB does show that there was in fact a 1927 movie by that title.
There is a link to Grennpoint photos on an earlier posting to show a 1931 photo of The Meserole. On the same page is another photo of Manhattan Ave near Greenpoint Ave from 1928. View link
If you look carefully at the right side of the photo is a movie marquee with the words “Not For Publication”. This is where a theater that I knew as The Chopin stood. IMDB does show that there was in fact a 1927 movie by that title.
I just went to Eddie’s last Sunday. Homemade ice cream and whipped cream in a great atmosphere. This is the way it ought to be. I’m also happy to see that the Cinemart is still there and still going well. That’s another place I would go to see movies once in a while in the 1980’s.
That name (Jerry Yellin) does not sound familiar. I’m a little bit younger (born in the early 1960’s), but have been in the neighborhood my whole life.
That’s definitely something that my brother would say. It is always fun to check out what is going on out here. Things have changed so much with DVD’s and all of that, but I do appreciate how much the theaters meant to our neighborhoods.
Strange thought – I don’t remember ever going to The Meserole with my brother. I do remember going to The Arion to see The Deerhunter with him.
The Rainbow was on Graham Avenue near Montrose. There is a lenghty discussion on this website for the Rainbow. Friends of our family that were close enough to be thought of as “aunt” and “uncle” actually ran the luncheonette on the block of the Rainbow in the mid-1960’s.
I recently was at St. Sebastian’s. Saturday morning masses are held in the chapel instead of in the main church, so I did not see the interior. However, it is obvious that the exterior has some features that are more theater-like than church-like, such as the lack of exterior windows. I have heard that the seats still have the theater slope to them and that the ceiling is wonderful.
I do live in the neighborhood and a typical route to work includes going past the Grand (McDonald’s), Graham (Medical Center), Republic (Shell Gas Station) and the Commodore (closed and looking more abandoned as time goes on) as I go to take the train over the Williamsburg Bridge. I have to check, but I do believe that my aunt may have either worked at or ran the luncheonette near the Rainbow Theater for a brief period of time in the mid 1960’s. I enjoy neighborhood history of any kind and I know that in the pre cable, VCR, and DVD times, the movie houses were an important part of people’s lives.
Thanks. I wasn’t sure originally if the book that was mentioned was fiction or non-fiction, but after viewing the excerpt and the author’s website, it is his telling of a real event and some really interesting historical information.
Thank you Lost Memory for the info and thank you Ken Mc for the NY Times link. I am not a TimesSelect member, but I may upgrade. I’m hoping that someone out there has some links to some pictures, especially near the end of the theater’s time. Right now, there is an empty lot where it used to be. It is next to a landromat and across the road from a restaurant called The Hub that does most of its business at its ice cream windows. (The Hub is currently for sale and has not opened for the season yet in 2006).
The next time I am in the area, I may try to visit the Roeliff Jansen Historical Society (which covers the area) to see if they have any info. In the meantime, it would be good to hear more about this theater.
I believe that it is still used as some kind of synagogue. I saw a building on that block that I thought had some very theater-like qualities on the outside. Now I will need to go back and take a closer look to make sure that the address matches.
I pass this by almost every day. It is a rather large Shell station with some space for parked cars and some wasted space. I do not remember it as a theater (but I do remember hearing about it) so it must have been torn down by the early 1960’s. I do remember its namesake bagel place across the street, which did sell great hot bagels. If I remember right, they only sold by the (bakers)dozen, but my Dad and I would each eat a hot salt bagel on the way home (even better than soft pretzels).
The building where the chicken take-out place stands could very well have been an entrance area and it does meet the address criteria. This must have been a small theater. I am guessing that it extended back to something that may have later served as a car dealership based on an advertisement painted on the building (I thought it said “show”, but looked closer and realized it was “showroom”). A porion may also have been either demolished or rearranged as part of a car wash.
I would like to point out that there is a great article in the current issue of BLOCK Magazine (a Williamsburg based giveaway) on “The Tragic Tale of Brooklyn Theaters”. There is some interesting info on theaters in Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Bushwick, and Ridgewood. The Ridgewood is mentioned as “the longest continuously running cinema in New York and a contender for the second longest in the hemisphere.” There is a photo captioned as “Unknown Theater on Havemeyer” that looks like it sais “Aster” on the markee.
I know the building that was referred to earlier. It is on the corner and some of the exterior stonework could be considered theater-like. I will have to take a closer look. It is now several storefronts, including the already mentioned chicken take-out place.
In answer to Bway’s question about the Chopin, the Chopin was on Manhattan Avenue near Greenpoint Avenue – a couple of blocks away from the Meserole. It was diagonally across the street from a catering hall called The Polynaise, which at one point I belive had the same owner (hence the classical music connection in the names). The Polynaise has remianed a very nice catering hall and has been upgraded through the years (my wedding reception was there in 1991). The Chopin closed quite a few yeares ago (the last movie I saw there was Back to the Future). It was gutted for the Burger King. I will look closer the next time I am in there, but I do not recall any recognizable features of the movie theater.
Peter K.– I am not Bob Dunas, but I do have a connection to the St. Francis Prep Class of 1973. I am the brother of Rich Dittus. I’m still in Greenpoint/Williamsburg and have seen the neighborhood go through many changes through the years. With the current crowd bringing in a new wave of restaurants and cafes, I wouldn’t be surprised if a movie theater could possibly reappear in this neighborhood that once had many and now has none. The Commodore was the last to be open in either Greenpoint or Willimasburg but it was closed after some political attempts to try to keep it open. It now looks like something is trying to be done to it, but I gather that it wasn’t extrremely well maintained in its later years.
As for the comments on the Oasis, I had acutally forgotten about that theater and I don’t think I was ever in it except for its current incarnationas a CVS. It is definitely a totally different structure. I had been to the Arion (now an Eckerd’s) the Chopin (now a Burger King), and the Elmwood (now sort of empty – or is it some kind of church?), the Cinemart (still going), and the Drake (now part of a restaurant). I probably went to the Meserole or for the short bus ride to the Arion for most movies that I saw groing up.
I remember going to the Meserole in the mid-1970’s to see the Disney summer matinee double features. This included such “notable” fims as “The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes” (starring Kurt Russell) and “The Apple Dumpling Gang” (starring Don Knotts and Tim Conway in roles they would both probably rather forget). The Meserole was always a good neighborhood theater.
As was mentioned, it has gone through a couple of changes, first as the roller disco, then as the Liquidators (which was really sad to see) and now as an Eckerd’s (which bought out all of the Genovese stores a couple of years ago). One thing that I must say is that it is still obviously a former theater on the inside. Not only is the outline of the big screen still there (behind the cosmetics counter), they are actually now showing Eckerd’s promo pictures on it. The ceiling is recognizable (and also includes the mirrored ball from the roller rink days). Anyone familiar with the layout of the Meserole can still picture themselves walking along a wall of posters of coming attractions as they go to the checkout counters or maybe even catch themselves asking the pharmacist for popcorn and a coke. :)
The Meserole was in another picture on the same page:
View link
Here is the link to the entire page of photos:
View link
The building that I mentioned in the May 13th post is definitely the Chopin, which is now a Burger King.
Yes. I used to go there all the time (almost every Friday) when the previous owners were there.
Bway – Yes it does, but it has been altered so much that it is not recognizable, unlike the nearby Meserole.
There is a photo of Manhattan Ave near Greenpoint Ave from 1928 at this link:
View link
If you look carefully at the right side of the photo is a movie marquee with the words “Not For Publication”. This is where The Chopin stood. IMDB does show that there was in fact a 1927 movie by that title.
There is a link to Grennpoint photos on an earlier posting to show a 1931 photo of The Meserole. On the same page is another photo of Manhattan Ave near Greenpoint Ave from 1928.
View link
If you look carefully at the right side of the photo is a movie marquee with the words “Not For Publication”. This is where a theater that I knew as The Chopin stood. IMDB does show that there was in fact a 1927 movie by that title.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0142704/
I just went to Eddie’s last Sunday. Homemade ice cream and whipped cream in a great atmosphere. This is the way it ought to be. I’m also happy to see that the Cinemart is still there and still going well. That’s another place I would go to see movies once in a while in the 1980’s.
That name (Jerry Yellin) does not sound familiar. I’m a little bit younger (born in the early 1960’s), but have been in the neighborhood my whole life.
That’s definitely something that my brother would say. It is always fun to check out what is going on out here. Things have changed so much with DVD’s and all of that, but I do appreciate how much the theaters meant to our neighborhoods.
Strange thought – I don’t remember ever going to The Meserole with my brother. I do remember going to The Arion to see The Deerhunter with him.
Great photos of the Meserole in its current usage as an Eckerd’s Store, showing how niceley preserved the ceiling and some external features are:
View link
The Rainbow was on Graham Avenue near Montrose. There is a lenghty discussion on this website for the Rainbow. Friends of our family that were close enough to be thought of as “aunt” and “uncle” actually ran the luncheonette on the block of the Rainbow in the mid-1960’s.
I recently was at St. Sebastian’s. Saturday morning masses are held in the chapel instead of in the main church, so I did not see the interior. However, it is obvious that the exterior has some features that are more theater-like than church-like, such as the lack of exterior windows. I have heard that the seats still have the theater slope to them and that the ceiling is wonderful.
I do live in the neighborhood and a typical route to work includes going past the Grand (McDonald’s), Graham (Medical Center), Republic (Shell Gas Station) and the Commodore (closed and looking more abandoned as time goes on) as I go to take the train over the Williamsburg Bridge. I have to check, but I do believe that my aunt may have either worked at or ran the luncheonette near the Rainbow Theater for a brief period of time in the mid 1960’s. I enjoy neighborhood history of any kind and I know that in the pre cable, VCR, and DVD times, the movie houses were an important part of people’s lives.
Thanks. I wasn’t sure originally if the book that was mentioned was fiction or non-fiction, but after viewing the excerpt and the author’s website, it is his telling of a real event and some really interesting historical information.
Thank you Lost Memory for the info and thank you Ken Mc for the NY Times link. I am not a TimesSelect member, but I may upgrade. I’m hoping that someone out there has some links to some pictures, especially near the end of the theater’s time. Right now, there is an empty lot where it used to be. It is next to a landromat and across the road from a restaurant called The Hub that does most of its business at its ice cream windows. (The Hub is currently for sale and has not opened for the season yet in 2006).
The next time I am in the area, I may try to visit the Roeliff Jansen Historical Society (which covers the area) to see if they have any info. In the meantime, it would be good to hear more about this theater.
I believe that it is still used as some kind of synagogue. I saw a building on that block that I thought had some very theater-like qualities on the outside. Now I will need to go back and take a closer look to make sure that the address matches.
I pass this by almost every day. It is a rather large Shell station with some space for parked cars and some wasted space. I do not remember it as a theater (but I do remember hearing about it) so it must have been torn down by the early 1960’s. I do remember its namesake bagel place across the street, which did sell great hot bagels. If I remember right, they only sold by the (bakers)dozen, but my Dad and I would each eat a hot salt bagel on the way home (even better than soft pretzels).
The building where the chicken take-out place stands could very well have been an entrance area and it does meet the address criteria. This must have been a small theater. I am guessing that it extended back to something that may have later served as a car dealership based on an advertisement painted on the building (I thought it said “show”, but looked closer and realized it was “showroom”). A porion may also have been either demolished or rearranged as part of a car wash.
I would like to point out that there is a great article in the current issue of BLOCK Magazine (a Williamsburg based giveaway) on “The Tragic Tale of Brooklyn Theaters”. There is some interesting info on theaters in Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Bushwick, and Ridgewood. The Ridgewood is mentioned as “the longest continuously running cinema in New York and a contender for the second longest in the hemisphere.” There is a photo captioned as “Unknown Theater on Havemeyer” that looks like it sais “Aster” on the markee.
I know the building that was referred to earlier. It is on the corner and some of the exterior stonework could be considered theater-like. I will have to take a closer look. It is now several storefronts, including the already mentioned chicken take-out place.
In answer to Bway’s question about the Chopin, the Chopin was on Manhattan Avenue near Greenpoint Avenue – a couple of blocks away from the Meserole. It was diagonally across the street from a catering hall called The Polynaise, which at one point I belive had the same owner (hence the classical music connection in the names). The Polynaise has remianed a very nice catering hall and has been upgraded through the years (my wedding reception was there in 1991). The Chopin closed quite a few yeares ago (the last movie I saw there was Back to the Future). It was gutted for the Burger King. I will look closer the next time I am in there, but I do not recall any recognizable features of the movie theater.
Peter K.– I am not Bob Dunas, but I do have a connection to the St. Francis Prep Class of 1973. I am the brother of Rich Dittus. I’m still in Greenpoint/Williamsburg and have seen the neighborhood go through many changes through the years. With the current crowd bringing in a new wave of restaurants and cafes, I wouldn’t be surprised if a movie theater could possibly reappear in this neighborhood that once had many and now has none. The Commodore was the last to be open in either Greenpoint or Willimasburg but it was closed after some political attempts to try to keep it open. It now looks like something is trying to be done to it, but I gather that it wasn’t extrremely well maintained in its later years.
As for the comments on the Oasis, I had acutally forgotten about that theater and I don’t think I was ever in it except for its current incarnationas a CVS. It is definitely a totally different structure. I had been to the Arion (now an Eckerd’s) the Chopin (now a Burger King), and the Elmwood (now sort of empty – or is it some kind of church?), the Cinemart (still going), and the Drake (now part of a restaurant). I probably went to the Meserole or for the short bus ride to the Arion for most movies that I saw groing up.
Bob D.
I remember going to the Meserole in the mid-1970’s to see the Disney summer matinee double features. This included such “notable” fims as “The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes” (starring Kurt Russell) and “The Apple Dumpling Gang” (starring Don Knotts and Tim Conway in roles they would both probably rather forget). The Meserole was always a good neighborhood theater.
As was mentioned, it has gone through a couple of changes, first as the roller disco, then as the Liquidators (which was really sad to see) and now as an Eckerd’s (which bought out all of the Genovese stores a couple of years ago). One thing that I must say is that it is still obviously a former theater on the inside. Not only is the outline of the big screen still there (behind the cosmetics counter), they are actually now showing Eckerd’s promo pictures on it. The ceiling is recognizable (and also includes the mirrored ball from the roller rink days). Anyone familiar with the layout of the Meserole can still picture themselves walking along a wall of posters of coming attractions as they go to the checkout counters or maybe even catch themselves asking the pharmacist for popcorn and a coke. :)
Bob D. – Greenpoint/Williamsburg