Peter, I have absolutely no problem with your modest borrowings from my testimony. Imitation is, as we all know, the highest form of flattery. Besides, your comments regarding your personal experiences at the Ridgewood – from Captain Morgan and beyond – were absolutely priceless. Finally, as a Most Holy Trinity grad, I am extremely happy to be contribute my wisdom to our poor St. Francis Prep associates.
If it is true that the owner will develop the new retail along Cypress Ave., this makes a virtue of the fact that only a narrow part of the theater opens on the main street. This contrasts with the Forest Hills, where the very wide street frontage provided an open invitation to total alteration. On the other hand, I wonder if the old real estate dictum of “location, location, location” will ultimately trump the “wisdom” of focusing the retail development on the “side street”. Only time will tell.
Finally Peter, the Zorro like unmasking of you as both PKoch and PeterK reminds me of a passage in an old Woody Allen New Yorker short story. In presenting the origins of the Russian Revolution, he noted that the peasants revolted when they realized that the Tsar and the Czar were the same person!
LM, I think the intent of the owner is to create new entrances for the retail space on Cypress Ave. This could result in directing retail use away from the Myrtle Ave, entrance and, hopefully, allowing the lobby to escape radical transformation. At least that’s how I read the article. See it once it goes on-line.
In the Times Weekly page one article of this subject – which should go on-line in a week – the current owner noted that they want to convert the Cypress Ave. portion of the Ridgewood, which basically concerns the converted theater area, for retail space. This raises the possibiliy that the Ridgewood’s lobby, which is not situated next to Cypress Ave., might be spared redical alteration. In any event, it provides the preservation community with an opprtunity to push for the lobby’s preservation.
So, this could provide us with an opportunity to preserve the lobby. Do you agree?
Bway, I was also surprised that this old theater has been off Cinema Treasures' radar screen, with only a handful of comments being registered. Perhaps the church fathers did such a good job of making the Woodside look like a church that no one thought that it could have been anything else. As my previous comment noted, the use of Romanesque architecture in converting the site really made it look authentic.
I hope you agree with my assessment when you make your visit. (The church is situated only 2 blocks from the #7/LIRR Woodside station.) A few pictures of the current exterior would really help provide a more complete profile of this fascinating place.
I strongly agree with you Luis. While not a perfect solution, these conversions are far preferable to the alternatives of demolition or radical alteration.
To your list of successful conversions let me add the old Woodside, which now functions as St. Sabastian’s RC Church. Both the the exterior and interior of this lovely building are certainly worth a look.
This is really good news, Frequently, landmark designation occurs over the owners strong opposition. The one hope that I would have here is for the owner to develop the retail space in conformity with the lobby, and not just gut it. The Meserole Theatre model may, hopefully, come into play here.
Warren, this is very interesting. The location of the marquee would appear to conform to that of the old theater, which was situated closer to Meserole Ave than was the Meserole Theatre.
The date of the photo – 1931 – creates a problem since, as noted above, the Garden met its cinematic demise in 1929. A possible explanation could be that Gerke (the correct spelling incidently) may have retained the marquee for a time to advertise the catering hall after the Garden closed. As witnessed by the Richmond Hill Keith, this is not an unusual practice.
On my way to attending a walking tour in Greenpoint, I stopped in at the Starbucks situated in the Chopin’s former lobby. It is actually rather nice. They stripped back the walls to its solid brick base – something even the movie theater did not do – and mounted a number of old movie posters on the walls, I am sure as a kind of an homage to the old movie house. This made for a rather atmospheric and pleasant touch. The fact that the movies selected were rather arty – the antithesis of the American/Chopin’s regular fare – did not seriously blunt the sincerity of the intent. (As I noted previously, the Chopin would have served as a terrific indy theater if it had been able to survive for a few more years and benefited from Greenpoint’s gentrification.)
Thanks, ECR, for catching that terrible typo. (Damn Spellcheck!!) I guess if had been a time of urban delay – as opposed to urban decay -things would not have gone so badly – or not.
Peter, while I am flattered that you intend to pattern your testimony after mine, the area that you can really make a contribution is in relating what the Ridgewood Theatre really means to Ridgewood. As a non-resident who never set foot in the theater, I could not adequately convey that point. But this is precisely the area where you can make a huge difference.
Peter, while I did not initially intend to attend the hearing, I will now try to drop in, since I know you will be there.
Thought you might be interested in reading the testimony that I submitted to the Landmarks Commission. Here goes.
Chairperson Tierney and members of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, I am pleased to offer the following testimony in support of the designation of the historic Ridgewood Theatre as a New York City landmark.
I am a current resident of Forest Hills who grew up in Greenpoint, two of Ridgewood’s neighboring communities. I am also an enthusiastic supporter of the preservation of community based public architecture. During the 1970’s, I served as the District Manager of Brooklyn’s Community Board #4, which represents the adjacent community of Bushwick. During my time in Bushwick, the last of Ridgewood’s other movie showplaces, the palatial RKO Madison, closed its doors for good during a period of profound urban delay. It now stands as a much defaced shadow of its former glory. Yet the Ridgewood survived and continued to serve this community until only one year ago. Hopefully, the Commission’s actions will not only preserve this wonderful edifice but encourage the realization of a future cinematic and theatrical history for the Ridgewood.
The fact that the Commission has moved so positively and expeditiously in calendaring this item is commendable and underlines its commitment to historic preservation that is neither Manhattan-based nor of “high†social status. Such actions only enhance the Commission’s role as a truly City-wide guardian of New York’s many historic treasures.
Strictly as an architectural entity, the Ridgewood has much to recommend it. An early work by the renowned creator of movie palaces, Thomas Lamb, the Ridgewood boasts an impressive façade consisting of Indiana limestone and terra cotta. Though the design, at first glance, appears to be quite simple, further inspection reveals a highly intricate and consistently impressive geometric design pattern. This is clearly the work of a budding master.
In addition to this â€" and somewhat ironically – the fact that Lamb patterned the Ridgewood’s design after that of his now long lost and greatly missed Strand Theatre in Times Square will provide future generations of architectural scholars and cinematic enthusiasts with the opportunity to revel in both the glories of this still extant show place as well as the memory of Time Square’s long forgotten past â€" if the Ridgewood is allowed to prevail as a designated landmark.
The fact that this is “only†an early work â€" and, concededly, not one of Lamb’s most elaborate creations – should not work against the Ridgewood’s designation. To the contrary, early works by great masters frequently shed valuable, and often essential, light on the mature masterpieces to come. This should emphatically be the case for Thomas Lamb, who is to movie palaces what Stanford White and Cass Gilbert are to the more stately forms of public architecture.
Finally, the sad fact that all too much of Lamb’s work â€" including some of his most accomplished â€" has been lost for all time though demolition and irreversible alteration increases the Ridgewood’s historic and architectural value exponentially â€" and makes a truly compelling cases for preservation.
When one turns to the Ridgewood’s historic and social role in its host community and the extraordinary impact it had has upon Ridgewood’s past and current residents, the case for designation becomes even more profound. From the date it helped usher in the Christmas season of 1916, the Ridgewood has played a central role in the community’s cultural, entertainment and economic life. This remained the case despite major changes in the community’s ethnic and economic make up, as the Ridgewood adapted itself to meet differing needs and preferences. This is a key reason why the Ridgewood was able to maintain itself â€" until last year – as the longest continuously operated movie theater in the country.
While I realize that only the exterior of the Ridgewood is currently being considered for designation, I also believe that the approval of this action will create strong incentives for the voluntary preservation of additional portions of the old theater, particular the distinguished and largely intact lobby. In addition, landmarks preservation might also encourage the future cinematic and/or theatrical utilization of at least a portion of this theater. While this possibility might be something of a long shot, it would be far less likely â€" and probably doom the Ridgewood to share the fate of the Madison – without this designation.
For these reasons, I congratulate the Commission for scheduling this item for consideration and strongly urge that you promptly act to make the landmarks designation of the Ridgewood Theatre a reality.
Howard, while I’m sorry that you had a problem with my link, I think the issue involved your computer rather than the link. In any event, like ECR, I did not have a problem when I assessed it.
Luis, although you can’t make it to the hearing, you should consider sending in some written testimony at the address noted in Michael Perlman’s recent post. This is exactly what I did yesterday. Given your extensive knowledge of this issue – and your highly articulate manner of expressing it – testimony from you should prove highly valuable.
Since the Landmarks Commission pays very great attention to the written record, the submission of substantive testimony will, if anything, prove of greater value than simply attending the hearing. Clearly, written statements from Peter Koch, Bway and others that highlight the historic importance of the Ridgewood will be worth their weight in gold. And, simce the Commission leaves the record open to accept testimony submitted even after the hearing date, time is not of the essence – but quality is.
And, if you have not yet signed the petition, please do so now!
It seems as if the drug store that replaced the Arion is now gone for good. (The link comes from the Queens Crapper blog, which you should access in case it doesn’t come out here.)
Wow, the Ridgewood page has gone unattended for six whole days! This must be something of a record. Anyway, does anyone have any new news about the landmarking campaign? I have not seen any articles in the local papers about this in the past few weeks. In particular, I would be interested in seeing how local Queens CB 5 is responding to this. Also, Michael, have you submitted any requests for support to either CB 5 or the local politicos? If yes, have received any responses?
Warren, you are absolutely right about the lack of cars in depression era Greenpoint. When my father was growing up during the 1930’s, he told me how automobile free the streets were when he and his friends played punch and stick ball. In fact, many horse drawn carts were still making deliveries at that time. (So I guess they had to duck horse manure instead of parked vehicles!) Also, since such a high percentage of the people who had jobs worked in the neighborhood, an automobile was a superfluous item even for those who could afford one.
By the way, did you catch the tiny “Norman Avenue” street sign in the foreground. You would probably need a pair of binoculars to read it unless you were right on top of it! And the partially obscured Anderson’s furniture sign, located on the building just south of the Meserole, depicted a store, housed in that building, that only closed its dors within the past decade. (I bought my first furniture sets there.) That building was recently converted into luxury condos, giving the one-time movie palace an upscale neighbor.
Warren, thanks so much for this picture. It seems to have been taken in 1931, after the Garden movie house had closed across the street but before Fox went bankrupt. Most of the buildings pictured here are still intact, although some of the larger buildings on the next block appear to have been replaced by decidedly smaller structures. (I would love to see an enlarged copy of this photo!)
Thanks so much for the photo, Warren. I guess the “American” sign disappeared pretty early – and it did clutter the pristine view of the American eagle at the roof! This sign was history way before my time.
The broad view of the adjacent building now situated at the McDonald’s restaurant site, which once hosted an American Legion Post, confirms my previous note that both buildings were architectually very compatible and were probably built at the same time.
I just visited the site yesterday. While some construction has begun, it seems to have really bogged down. Seeing what I could through cracks in the wood fence, I saw some foundation work that had not been touched in quite a while. Even though the most recent building permit has not expired, I would not expect to see anything built here for a very long time. In the meantime, you can enjoy viewing a very old and hardly visible painted advertisement sign on the adjacent building’s wall.
If my father had not told me that a movie house stood on this site, I would never have known of the Midway. It was the first of Greenpoint’s theaters that survived beyond the silent era to close. Since I was born in 1950, a demise date of about that time seems about right.
The fact that a movie theater could have been situated at the extreme north end of this neighborhood – and in one of Greenpoint’s poorer districts – just underlines how localized the movies were in that now distant era. Even though that portion of Manhattan Ave. was busier when the Vernon Blvd. Bridge (now replaced by the Pulaski) linked it directly to Queens and what would become McGuinness Blvd. was a cobble stoned street, this was still far from the center of town.
While this does not relate to the Ridgewood, I thought it would make sense to place this here since (1) it is certainly on movie house topic and (2) this is a very popular page.
In researching a walking tour that I will be conducting on March 28, I came across a reference to a movie theater on the southwest corner of Flushing and Bushwick Avenues. The reference appeared in Eugene Armbruster’s “Brooklyn’s Eastern District”, which is a definitive guide to this neck of the woods and was written to reflect conditions in the mid 1920’s. The problem is, there is absolutely no reference to a theater at this location anywhere in Cinema Treasures. (I checked all possible zip codes.) The closest site is the Echo Theater, which was situated at 368 Bushwick Ave. – if that was the correct address – near the once busy Moore St. intersection. (Since some doubt was raised of the Echo’s corect address, this could be a possible candidate.)
So my question is: do any of my fellow cinema enthusiasts have any information regarding a movie house at this location? This might make for an interesting detective story.
Thanks for this lesson into Polish cinematic history, LM. Both your comments, my previous experience and a perusal of the web page strongly underline the strongly secondary role that cinema presentation plays at the Warsaw. Whether it is enough to merit its continued partcipation on this site is a very close question and one that I, at least for the time being, would answer on the side of inclusion. But I am certaily open to hearing opposing arguments.
Just passed by the place while riding on a bus yesterday. The “Cinema Warsaw” sign is still there and is advertising something called “Zabawa”, which, I guess, refers to something cinematic. (Despite my name, I hardly know any non-profane Polish words, and certainly not “Zabawa”. If anyone can make something of this word, please pitch in.)
In smaller print below “Zabawa” are references to food and drink services, which, as previously noted, strongly suggests that more than a movie showing is presented here.
So, while the place cannot reasonably be described as “Closed”, as noted at the top, what it is actually “Opened” for – and how much of a role cinema plays here – remains unclear.
Peter, the Times Newsweekly that I was referring to is the current edition that hit the newsstands yesterday. It should go on-line in about a week.
By the way, I have seen several e-mail messages signed by a certain P. Koch printed in recent editions of that paper that evoked the glories of old Ridgewood. It would be a good idea for this person to send a similar message on behalf of saving the Ridgewood. I am suggesting this not only because the message would almost certainly be pursuasive but also because it is really becomming necessary to drum up grassroots support on behalf of landmarks designation. This support needs to be generated by either people who actually live in Ridgewood and Bushwick or, like you, have strong ties to the hood.
Thanks Michael for the article. Hopefully – and despite its title – it will help built support for the campaign. An item regarding this topic also appears in the current Times Newsweekly.
One interesting thing that I noted in the article was George Miller’s recollection that the Ridgewood had hosted dish nights during the 1940’s. This conflicts with other remembrances on these pages indicating that only the second and third run theaters, such as the Parthenon and the Wyckoff, conducted these promotions. It also conflicts with my experience in Greenpoint where, similarly, only the second level theaters like the American/Chopin and Winthrop held dish nights. Perhaps the economic crunch that occurred during the war years in the 1940’s compelled certain first run theaters like the Ridgewood to adopt the practices of those movie houses situated further down the cinematic food chain. Anthow, does anyone else remember “dish night at the Ridgewood”?
Peter, I have absolutely no problem with your modest borrowings from my testimony. Imitation is, as we all know, the highest form of flattery. Besides, your comments regarding your personal experiences at the Ridgewood – from Captain Morgan and beyond – were absolutely priceless. Finally, as a Most Holy Trinity grad, I am extremely happy to be contribute my wisdom to our poor St. Francis Prep associates.
If it is true that the owner will develop the new retail along Cypress Ave., this makes a virtue of the fact that only a narrow part of the theater opens on the main street. This contrasts with the Forest Hills, where the very wide street frontage provided an open invitation to total alteration. On the other hand, I wonder if the old real estate dictum of “location, location, location” will ultimately trump the “wisdom” of focusing the retail development on the “side street”. Only time will tell.
Finally Peter, the Zorro like unmasking of you as both PKoch and PeterK reminds me of a passage in an old Woody Allen New Yorker short story. In presenting the origins of the Russian Revolution, he noted that the peasants revolted when they realized that the Tsar and the Czar were the same person!
Talk soon.
A good article in yesterday’s NYT, featuring our Peter Koch, in case you missed it.
View link
Wonderful job Peter.
LM, I think the intent of the owner is to create new entrances for the retail space on Cypress Ave. This could result in directing retail use away from the Myrtle Ave, entrance and, hopefully, allowing the lobby to escape radical transformation. At least that’s how I read the article. See it once it goes on-line.
In the Times Weekly page one article of this subject – which should go on-line in a week – the current owner noted that they want to convert the Cypress Ave. portion of the Ridgewood, which basically concerns the converted theater area, for retail space. This raises the possibiliy that the Ridgewood’s lobby, which is not situated next to Cypress Ave., might be spared redical alteration. In any event, it provides the preservation community with an opprtunity to push for the lobby’s preservation.
So, this could provide us with an opportunity to preserve the lobby. Do you agree?
Bway, I was also surprised that this old theater has been off Cinema Treasures' radar screen, with only a handful of comments being registered. Perhaps the church fathers did such a good job of making the Woodside look like a church that no one thought that it could have been anything else. As my previous comment noted, the use of Romanesque architecture in converting the site really made it look authentic.
I hope you agree with my assessment when you make your visit. (The church is situated only 2 blocks from the #7/LIRR Woodside station.) A few pictures of the current exterior would really help provide a more complete profile of this fascinating place.
I strongly agree with you Luis. While not a perfect solution, these conversions are far preferable to the alternatives of demolition or radical alteration.
To your list of successful conversions let me add the old Woodside, which now functions as St. Sabastian’s RC Church. Both the the exterior and interior of this lovely building are certainly worth a look.
This is really good news, Frequently, landmark designation occurs over the owners strong opposition. The one hope that I would have here is for the owner to develop the retail space in conformity with the lobby, and not just gut it. The Meserole Theatre model may, hopefully, come into play here.
Congratulations Michael!
Sorry I could not make it to the hearing, since a conflict at work came up. So I will have to stand on my submitted testimony.
By the way, how did he hearing go? Who came out in support and did anyone – particularly the owner – oppose designation?
Finally, since the record is still open, you can still submit testimony if you have not already done so,
Warren, this is very interesting. The location of the marquee would appear to conform to that of the old theater, which was situated closer to Meserole Ave than was the Meserole Theatre.
The date of the photo – 1931 – creates a problem since, as noted above, the Garden met its cinematic demise in 1929. A possible explanation could be that Gerke (the correct spelling incidently) may have retained the marquee for a time to advertise the catering hall after the Garden closed. As witnessed by the Richmond Hill Keith, this is not an unusual practice.
On my way to attending a walking tour in Greenpoint, I stopped in at the Starbucks situated in the Chopin’s former lobby. It is actually rather nice. They stripped back the walls to its solid brick base – something even the movie theater did not do – and mounted a number of old movie posters on the walls, I am sure as a kind of an homage to the old movie house. This made for a rather atmospheric and pleasant touch. The fact that the movies selected were rather arty – the antithesis of the American/Chopin’s regular fare – did not seriously blunt the sincerity of the intent. (As I noted previously, the Chopin would have served as a terrific indy theater if it had been able to survive for a few more years and benefited from Greenpoint’s gentrification.)
Thanks, ECR, for catching that terrible typo. (Damn Spellcheck!!) I guess if had been a time of urban delay – as opposed to urban decay -things would not have gone so badly – or not.
Peter, while I am flattered that you intend to pattern your testimony after mine, the area that you can really make a contribution is in relating what the Ridgewood Theatre really means to Ridgewood. As a non-resident who never set foot in the theater, I could not adequately convey that point. But this is precisely the area where you can make a huge difference.
Peter, while I did not initially intend to attend the hearing, I will now try to drop in, since I know you will be there.
Thought you might be interested in reading the testimony that I submitted to the Landmarks Commission. Here goes.
Chairperson Tierney and members of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, I am pleased to offer the following testimony in support of the designation of the historic Ridgewood Theatre as a New York City landmark.
I am a current resident of Forest Hills who grew up in Greenpoint, two of Ridgewood’s neighboring communities. I am also an enthusiastic supporter of the preservation of community based public architecture. During the 1970’s, I served as the District Manager of Brooklyn’s Community Board #4, which represents the adjacent community of Bushwick. During my time in Bushwick, the last of Ridgewood’s other movie showplaces, the palatial RKO Madison, closed its doors for good during a period of profound urban delay. It now stands as a much defaced shadow of its former glory. Yet the Ridgewood survived and continued to serve this community until only one year ago. Hopefully, the Commission’s actions will not only preserve this wonderful edifice but encourage the realization of a future cinematic and theatrical history for the Ridgewood.
The fact that the Commission has moved so positively and expeditiously in calendaring this item is commendable and underlines its commitment to historic preservation that is neither Manhattan-based nor of “high†social status. Such actions only enhance the Commission’s role as a truly City-wide guardian of New York’s many historic treasures.
Strictly as an architectural entity, the Ridgewood has much to recommend it. An early work by the renowned creator of movie palaces, Thomas Lamb, the Ridgewood boasts an impressive façade consisting of Indiana limestone and terra cotta. Though the design, at first glance, appears to be quite simple, further inspection reveals a highly intricate and consistently impressive geometric design pattern. This is clearly the work of a budding master.
In addition to this â€" and somewhat ironically – the fact that Lamb patterned the Ridgewood’s design after that of his now long lost and greatly missed Strand Theatre in Times Square will provide future generations of architectural scholars and cinematic enthusiasts with the opportunity to revel in both the glories of this still extant show place as well as the memory of Time Square’s long forgotten past â€" if the Ridgewood is allowed to prevail as a designated landmark.
The fact that this is “only†an early work â€" and, concededly, not one of Lamb’s most elaborate creations – should not work against the Ridgewood’s designation. To the contrary, early works by great masters frequently shed valuable, and often essential, light on the mature masterpieces to come. This should emphatically be the case for Thomas Lamb, who is to movie palaces what Stanford White and Cass Gilbert are to the more stately forms of public architecture.
Finally, the sad fact that all too much of Lamb’s work â€" including some of his most accomplished â€" has been lost for all time though demolition and irreversible alteration increases the Ridgewood’s historic and architectural value exponentially â€" and makes a truly compelling cases for preservation.
When one turns to the Ridgewood’s historic and social role in its host community and the extraordinary impact it had has upon Ridgewood’s past and current residents, the case for designation becomes even more profound. From the date it helped usher in the Christmas season of 1916, the Ridgewood has played a central role in the community’s cultural, entertainment and economic life. This remained the case despite major changes in the community’s ethnic and economic make up, as the Ridgewood adapted itself to meet differing needs and preferences. This is a key reason why the Ridgewood was able to maintain itself â€" until last year – as the longest continuously operated movie theater in the country.
While I realize that only the exterior of the Ridgewood is currently being considered for designation, I also believe that the approval of this action will create strong incentives for the voluntary preservation of additional portions of the old theater, particular the distinguished and largely intact lobby. In addition, landmarks preservation might also encourage the future cinematic and/or theatrical utilization of at least a portion of this theater. While this possibility might be something of a long shot, it would be far less likely â€" and probably doom the Ridgewood to share the fate of the Madison – without this designation.
For these reasons, I congratulate the Commission for scheduling this item for consideration and strongly urge that you promptly act to make the landmarks designation of the Ridgewood Theatre a reality.
Howard, while I’m sorry that you had a problem with my link, I think the issue involved your computer rather than the link. In any event, like ECR, I did not have a problem when I assessed it.
Luis, although you can’t make it to the hearing, you should consider sending in some written testimony at the address noted in Michael Perlman’s recent post. This is exactly what I did yesterday. Given your extensive knowledge of this issue – and your highly articulate manner of expressing it – testimony from you should prove highly valuable.
Since the Landmarks Commission pays very great attention to the written record, the submission of substantive testimony will, if anything, prove of greater value than simply attending the hearing. Clearly, written statements from Peter Koch, Bway and others that highlight the historic importance of the Ridgewood will be worth their weight in gold. And, simce the Commission leaves the record open to accept testimony submitted even after the hearing date, time is not of the essence – but quality is.
And, if you have not yet signed the petition, please do so now!
This was just posted in the BushwickBk, com web site.
View link
It seems as if the drug store that replaced the Arion is now gone for good. (The link comes from the Queens Crapper blog, which you should access in case it doesn’t come out here.)
View link
Wow, the Ridgewood page has gone unattended for six whole days! This must be something of a record. Anyway, does anyone have any new news about the landmarking campaign? I have not seen any articles in the local papers about this in the past few weeks. In particular, I would be interested in seeing how local Queens CB 5 is responding to this. Also, Michael, have you submitted any requests for support to either CB 5 or the local politicos? If yes, have received any responses?
Talk soon.
Warren, you are absolutely right about the lack of cars in depression era Greenpoint. When my father was growing up during the 1930’s, he told me how automobile free the streets were when he and his friends played punch and stick ball. In fact, many horse drawn carts were still making deliveries at that time. (So I guess they had to duck horse manure instead of parked vehicles!) Also, since such a high percentage of the people who had jobs worked in the neighborhood, an automobile was a superfluous item even for those who could afford one.
By the way, did you catch the tiny “Norman Avenue” street sign in the foreground. You would probably need a pair of binoculars to read it unless you were right on top of it! And the partially obscured Anderson’s furniture sign, located on the building just south of the Meserole, depicted a store, housed in that building, that only closed its dors within the past decade. (I bought my first furniture sets there.) That building was recently converted into luxury condos, giving the one-time movie palace an upscale neighbor.
Warren, thanks so much for this picture. It seems to have been taken in 1931, after the Garden movie house had closed across the street but before Fox went bankrupt. Most of the buildings pictured here are still intact, although some of the larger buildings on the next block appear to have been replaced by decidedly smaller structures. (I would love to see an enlarged copy of this photo!)
Thanks so much for the photo, Warren. I guess the “American” sign disappeared pretty early – and it did clutter the pristine view of the American eagle at the roof! This sign was history way before my time.
The broad view of the adjacent building now situated at the McDonald’s restaurant site, which once hosted an American Legion Post, confirms my previous note that both buildings were architectually very compatible and were probably built at the same time.
I just visited the site yesterday. While some construction has begun, it seems to have really bogged down. Seeing what I could through cracks in the wood fence, I saw some foundation work that had not been touched in quite a while. Even though the most recent building permit has not expired, I would not expect to see anything built here for a very long time. In the meantime, you can enjoy viewing a very old and hardly visible painted advertisement sign on the adjacent building’s wall.
If my father had not told me that a movie house stood on this site, I would never have known of the Midway. It was the first of Greenpoint’s theaters that survived beyond the silent era to close. Since I was born in 1950, a demise date of about that time seems about right.
The fact that a movie theater could have been situated at the extreme north end of this neighborhood – and in one of Greenpoint’s poorer districts – just underlines how localized the movies were in that now distant era. Even though that portion of Manhattan Ave. was busier when the Vernon Blvd. Bridge (now replaced by the Pulaski) linked it directly to Queens and what would become McGuinness Blvd. was a cobble stoned street, this was still far from the center of town.
Bway, thanks for that terrific picture.
While this does not relate to the Ridgewood, I thought it would make sense to place this here since (1) it is certainly on movie house topic and (2) this is a very popular page.
In researching a walking tour that I will be conducting on March 28, I came across a reference to a movie theater on the southwest corner of Flushing and Bushwick Avenues. The reference appeared in Eugene Armbruster’s “Brooklyn’s Eastern District”, which is a definitive guide to this neck of the woods and was written to reflect conditions in the mid 1920’s. The problem is, there is absolutely no reference to a theater at this location anywhere in Cinema Treasures. (I checked all possible zip codes.) The closest site is the Echo Theater, which was situated at 368 Bushwick Ave. – if that was the correct address – near the once busy Moore St. intersection. (Since some doubt was raised of the Echo’s corect address, this could be a possible candidate.)
So my question is: do any of my fellow cinema enthusiasts have any information regarding a movie house at this location? This might make for an interesting detective story.
Thanks for this lesson into Polish cinematic history, LM. Both your comments, my previous experience and a perusal of the web page strongly underline the strongly secondary role that cinema presentation plays at the Warsaw. Whether it is enough to merit its continued partcipation on this site is a very close question and one that I, at least for the time being, would answer on the side of inclusion. But I am certaily open to hearing opposing arguments.
Just passed by the place while riding on a bus yesterday. The “Cinema Warsaw” sign is still there and is advertising something called “Zabawa”, which, I guess, refers to something cinematic. (Despite my name, I hardly know any non-profane Polish words, and certainly not “Zabawa”. If anyone can make something of this word, please pitch in.)
In smaller print below “Zabawa” are references to food and drink services, which, as previously noted, strongly suggests that more than a movie showing is presented here.
So, while the place cannot reasonably be described as “Closed”, as noted at the top, what it is actually “Opened” for – and how much of a role cinema plays here – remains unclear.
Peter, the Times Newsweekly that I was referring to is the current edition that hit the newsstands yesterday. It should go on-line in about a week.
By the way, I have seen several e-mail messages signed by a certain P. Koch printed in recent editions of that paper that evoked the glories of old Ridgewood. It would be a good idea for this person to send a similar message on behalf of saving the Ridgewood. I am suggesting this not only because the message would almost certainly be pursuasive but also because it is really becomming necessary to drum up grassroots support on behalf of landmarks designation. This support needs to be generated by either people who actually live in Ridgewood and Bushwick or, like you, have strong ties to the hood.
So, give it a go.
Thanks Michael for the article. Hopefully – and despite its title – it will help built support for the campaign. An item regarding this topic also appears in the current Times Newsweekly.
One interesting thing that I noted in the article was George Miller’s recollection that the Ridgewood had hosted dish nights during the 1940’s. This conflicts with other remembrances on these pages indicating that only the second and third run theaters, such as the Parthenon and the Wyckoff, conducted these promotions. It also conflicts with my experience in Greenpoint where, similarly, only the second level theaters like the American/Chopin and Winthrop held dish nights. Perhaps the economic crunch that occurred during the war years in the 1940’s compelled certain first run theaters like the Ridgewood to adopt the practices of those movie houses situated further down the cinematic food chain. Anthow, does anyone else remember “dish night at the Ridgewood”?