I never gave a second thought to attending any of the nabe theaters at night (Crossbay, Lefferts, Casino). Ozone Park and South Ozone Park were extremely safe neighborhoods to grow up in in the 70’s and early 80’s. Jamaica was a different story!
I always thought twice about going to the Valencia or the Alden in Jamaica. While the theater itself was worth the trip, the area was, to put it mildly, dicey. I never attended a movie in Jamaica at night. It was always a weekend afternoon outing. Once you were inside the theater I never recalled any problems. The 2 films that I distinctly recall seeing at The Valencia were “The Omega Man” and a reissue of “The Ten Commandments” both starring that gun nut Charlton Heston! My Junior High School graduation (JHS 202 in Ozone Park) was also held at The Valencia in 1973.
Hey J.D. I agree! I grew up in South Ozone Park by Lefferts Blvd and my main 3 theaters in that time were The Lefferts, The Casino and The Crossbay. I must have seen dozens of movies there over the years, but only remember 2 specific movies: The Go Ape marathon at the Crossbay and opening night (in wide release) of The Godfather at The Casino. None of these theaters had anything (that I remember) notable in their architectural designs even though they were all built in the 1920’s. Warren actually found a clipping that claimed that The Lefferts was the “Most Beautiful Theater” on Long Island when it opened! I can’t imagine it was even the most beautiful theater in Richmond Hill! Unless it opened before the RKO Keiths Richmond Hill; then maybe. Apparently, The Lefferts had an organ and a goldfish pond in the lobby. These were long gone before I started attending in the early 70’s.
I have no recollection of the interior of the Crossbay and have not seen anyone post any pictures. I think the best part of this theater was the facade which included two urns. I believe this has been preserved when it was converted into a Modells. The best part of the Lefferts, by far, was its marquee which had a beautiful cursive script spelling out Lefferts in yellow blinking lights. Tragically, this was lost in its transformation into a Rite Aid.
I didn’t have the same appreciation for architecture as a young man that I do today and so I may have missed some beautiful elements that remained in these old theaters. Nonetheless, when I went to a true movie palace, like The Valencia, Radio City, RKO Keiths Flushing and The Elmwood, you didn’t need to have an appreciation of architecture to notice that they were truly beautiful and special buildings.
Wow Bruce, what a great story! I’m always on the lookout for what might have been former theaters. Whenever I see one I look on this site to see what info is available. Many of the theaters of my youth have been converted into other uses. The Lefferts, Casino, RKO Alden, Crossbay, and many others. The buildings are still there. From what I’ve read on many other theater sites on CT, there are quite a few retail spaces where, if you know where to look or who to ask, you can see parts of the theater that are not being used for retail. I believe this applies to Loew’s Canal and RKO Alden among others.
I don’t think any experience though will surpass the one I had when I toured The Kings last year when the EDC had their tour. It was an experience I’ll never forget. I never attended the Kings when it was showing films as I was only 17 at the time and lived in Queens. Back then, there was no way I would ever go to Brooklyn to attend a movie. I would have considered it way to dangerous. Times have changed!
Tomorrow, I’m attending a show for the first time at The St. George in Staten Island. I’m very excited about it. I hope one day to be able to say “I’m going to see a show at The Kings!”
The Staten Island walking tour was pretty interesting. Unfortunately, too little time was spent at the St. George. I’m attending Joy Behar’s act at The St. George tomorrow night so I’m very excited to see this theater for the first time.
I forgot to mention in my earlier post that I would consider the Kings (even in its current decayed state) among the top 5 most beautiful movie palaces remaining in NYC. Fully restored, I think it would move into the top 3!
Bruce1…my sentiments exactly. A big tax credit coupled with some seed money (from Marty Markowitz’s earmark budget) to at least fully restore the marquee for example. I agree that the actual restoration work could take years under a similar setup that The Loews Jersey has in place. Though I live in Manhattan, I would gladly do volunteer work to help the Kings get back on its feet.
I’m glad that you think that the Kings is the most beautiful theater still standing in New York. My personal vote would be The New Amsterdam, followed by The Hollywood and Radio City. I have not yet had the opportnity to see the restored jewels of The Paradise in The Bronx and Loews 175th St. in Washington Heights, but from the photos that I’ve seen they would be top contenders as well. I will be atteding a show at The St. George in Staten Island this weekend and, from what I hear, they’ve done an incredible restoration with this theater. The Valencia, in Jamaica, has had its interior repainted in garish colors, though the theater itself is spectacular. Have I missed any other major candidates for best movie palace still standing?
TonyM…It was incredibly beautiful even in its decayed state. If you scroll up above to the comments from October/November of ‘06 you’ll find my post of the my experience on the tour. This theater is in way better shape than the New Amsterdam was at its nadir.
Bruce1, with all due respect, I was present at The Kings developer site tour when Markowitz regaled us with his memories of The Kings and how he vowed he would make this project happen! As I mentioned in an earlier post, all Borough Presidents have discretionary funds to apply to pet projects in their districts. Why has he not applied a significant sum to The Kings if he truly wants this project to happen. It WAS the EDC’s job to find a developer. They are the ones with the contacts and the access to all of the info that a developer would need to put a proposal together. We do not have those resources at our disposal. The fact that they were unable to broker a deal speaks volumes.
This means one thing and one thing only. The Borough, the City and maybe even Bloomberg himself have got to put together a financial subsidy signifcant enough to make this project financially feasible. This is what was done for The New Amsterdam and that is when Disney pulled the trigger. On the city’s part, it was money very well spent.
I’m very saddened by the article in The News this morning. I do fault Markowitz. He said on MANY ocassions that he would get the restoration off the ground. Each Borough President has a budget to “earmark” projects within their jurisdictions. If there ever was a project that Markowitz should fund, it is the restoration of The Kings. He keeps talking about how passionate he is to this project. let him put his money where his mouth is! Yes, it is going to cost a lot of money. The Borough and City will have to subsidize its development just as they did for The Amsterdam theater on 42nd St. in Manhattan.
People forget that the New Amsterdam’s restoration on 42nd St. was heavily subsidized by the city as well. 42nd was a desolate cesspool in the early 90’s and there was no guarantee that this project would be a financial success. Today, it is (in my opinion) the single most beautiful theater in New York. A fully restored Kings would easily be in the top three.
There are many worthy projects in New York, but the Kings should be on the top of the list for both Brooklyn and Manhattan. It truly is one of New York’s architectural jewels and the only one of the five Wonder Theaters that has not been restored. Many might argue that the Kings was the best of them all, which makes its current state all the more trajic.
I also don’t buy the argument that because the neighborhood around the Kings is “lower middle class” that any project wouldn’t be viable. If you create a class project the people will come. The Jersey is in Journal Square for god’s sake; hardly a high end nabe. The Paradise is in the Bronx; the newly restored St. George on Staten Island is in the gentrifying (I’m being kind) neighborhood of Stapleton and that theater is doing great!
Brooklyn has almost 2.5MM people. Surely, it can support a preformang arts center that would complement the Brooklyn Academy of Music and the forthcoming Barclay Center. There is ample room for all three.
Thanks Ron! That description does make it sound just like a moderist box, however, if one was to look at The Ziegfeld in New York (which I believe opened around 1968) you would think the same. Instead, the interior of The Ziegfeld (in my opinion) fully qualifies this theater as a movie palace. I believe it is the last “Palace” built in New York. I hope that the city has the wisdom to landmark The Ziegfeld when it hits its 50th anniversary.
Since drumrboy above actually went to services in this theater he might be able to shed light as to what the interior of this theater looks like.
There is no mention on this thread as to the style this theater was constructed in. There are no photos posted. Why was Loews so proud of this opening? What made is special? Another poster states that the building is “meticulously maintained”. What exactly is being maintained? Any info would be appreciated.
I saw the Radio City documentary and though I did very much enjoy it, I was disapointed that too much of the focus seemed to be on The Rockettes and not enough on the theater itself. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Rockettes, but I would have loved to have seen video of the lounges, the back stage areas, how the orchestra comes out of the pit and glides accross the stage; how they can create an ice rink on stage, etc. I would have liked to hear more about the actual history of the theater through the years as well. They did do that to a degree; I just wanted more.
I’m also more than a little surprised that an effort wasn’t made previously to landmark the interior of this restauarant. It was over a hundred years old and was quite beautiful. Perhaps an effort was made. Landmarking a retail establishment without the owner’s support would be very difficult. Queens has very few landmarked properties in comparison to the rest of the city and losing this is truly a shame.
Panzer, thanks so much for that link! I really enjoyed seeing the old place again after so many years. Regarding my earlier question as to the price of the kitchen sink in 1977: If the price in 2006 was $43 then a $20 price in 1977 doesn’t sound too outrageous. For 8 people that would have been $2.50 per person though I’m sure we had many more than that that night.
Has Jahn’s been gutted? Unlike the Keith’s next door which pretty much sits mothballed…waiting…I assume someone will buy the fixtures of Jahn’s. I can’t imagine a high end restaurant or bar opening in that space. I don’t think the neighborhood would support it. Has the Triangle Hofbrau restaurant been replaced as well or is it just sitting there as well?
Oh No!!!! Jahn’s is closed??!!! I have great memories of the place. First the RKO Keiths, then The Triangle Hofbrau and now Jahns! I think I remember the sign on the marqee saying that it originally opened in 1896. I believe this was the last one remaining. At one time, I believe there were as many as 7 of them. I haven’t lived in the area in decades, but back in the 70’s, when I was in high school, this is where we came for Ice Cream. The Keith’s next door had already shut its doors for good. I remember going there after Senior Day (June 1977)at John Admas High School. On that day all seniors went to school and all classes dressed in costume (like Halloween). I wonder if that tradition still holds? Afterwards, many of us went to Jahn’s and ordered “The Kitchen Sink”. I could be wrong, but I think the price was $20 back in 1977. It was a really, really big bowl of Ice Cream with all kinds of fixins, but maybe $20 sounds like a lot. Does anyone else remember?
I’ve never come across any interior photos of this theater. Does anyone know of any? I noticed that the theater style noted at the banner is “Art Moderne”. I don’t have any recollection of the theater style at all. What made it Art Moderne?
Wow Gene, I don’t remember the gold fish so my guess is they were long gone by the time I started attending there! The only theater that I clearly remember having a goldfish pond/fountain was at Loew’s Valencia. That was a true palace. I remember the Lefferts being kind of a dump though it might have been something back in the 40’s and 50’s when it supposedly had an organ and apparently, a fish pond!
I do remember paying about $20 to see on one of the Harry Potter films in Leicester Square about 5 years ago. Now I thought THAT was expensive. $36? I’d rather spend twice that and get a half price ticket to a Broadway Show. However, I did spend $25 at The Ziegfeld for the Dreamgirls engagement and it was worth every penny! So, I guess I would just become very selective over what I went to a theater to see. Does anyone know if “Sweeney Todd” is going to run in a similar rollout as Dreamgirls?
Peter, thanks for the schedule above. I think it’s very informative. However, I have one big question. If the average ticket price in $6.58 per ticket and many metropolitan areas are paying almost $12, where in the country are movie ticket prices $5 or less to average out at $6.58? I travel quite a bit and rarely see prices under $7 or $8.
The only restaurant that I clearly remember was Karp’s which was more of a fancy diner than a restaurant or at least what I thought was fancy back then. :–) It was between Lefferts and 120th St on the North Side directly opposite Kresge’s where they had the luncheonette counter with the balloons that you popped if you ordered a banana split. You paid the price in the balloon.
Sounds to me like Jeff S. needs to open up his own theater and charge $6 admission to all and $ dollar soft drinks and candies for everyone. We’ll see how long that theater stays in business. :–)
Remember, that this is a business. In some cases, we have city and county governments subsidizing theater restorations and operating expenses. Sometmes, a local family takes over an old palace, as was the case of The St. George in Staten Island. That theater ha been beuatifully restored, but it rarely shows movies. To pay the bills it has become a live theater/concert venue and the results ve been amazing.
We can all argue as to whether The Ziegfeld is run properly, but at the end of the day, this theater, like all of the others, has to be profitable to remain in business. I have no problem paying $12 to see a film at this theater or $10 or $11 at any other Manhattan theater.
Ed, thanks so much for your comments. Believe it or not, in spite of my comments above, I agree with a lot of what you have said. I do hate that we have a Starbucks next to a Duane Reade, next to a Commerce Bank in what appears to be a never ending cycle. I do miss the sense of adventure when we went to clubs in the “scary” parts of town. That was part of the fun. Now that I’m older now (I’m 48) I look at things a little differently from back then. I grew up in South Ozone Park, a great neighborhood where we frequently left our doors unlocked. However, most people in the neighborhood were terrified about going into “the city”. No one ever rode the subway after 7PM. I remember going to the Museum of Natural History on a school trip and being forbidden to cross Columbus Avenue to the west because the neighborhood was too dangerous! Can you imagine?!
I don’t know what the answer is in terms of balance. All I can say is that I feel that the city, overall, is infinitely in a better position today than it was back then. We can’t pick and choose the pieces we want to keep from the past and which to let go.
I just moved into a new condo in the Financial District. The building was converted from a technologically obsolete office building into residential. My building is one of scores of conversions and new construction downtown. We recieved a tax abatement which means that the developers contributed to a fund that builds affordable housing elsewhere. Is it enough? No, but there is a lot going on nonetheless. I feel very proud to be part of a new and growing residential neighborhood. I guess we’ve gone off topic. :–)
Anyway Ed, I think our feelings are more similar than different. We both love this city. If we were in charge, things might be different. But…….we’re not. :–)
I never gave a second thought to attending any of the nabe theaters at night (Crossbay, Lefferts, Casino). Ozone Park and South Ozone Park were extremely safe neighborhoods to grow up in in the 70’s and early 80’s. Jamaica was a different story!
I always thought twice about going to the Valencia or the Alden in Jamaica. While the theater itself was worth the trip, the area was, to put it mildly, dicey. I never attended a movie in Jamaica at night. It was always a weekend afternoon outing. Once you were inside the theater I never recalled any problems. The 2 films that I distinctly recall seeing at The Valencia were “The Omega Man” and a reissue of “The Ten Commandments” both starring that gun nut Charlton Heston! My Junior High School graduation (JHS 202 in Ozone Park) was also held at The Valencia in 1973.
Hey J.D. I agree! I grew up in South Ozone Park by Lefferts Blvd and my main 3 theaters in that time were The Lefferts, The Casino and The Crossbay. I must have seen dozens of movies there over the years, but only remember 2 specific movies: The Go Ape marathon at the Crossbay and opening night (in wide release) of The Godfather at The Casino. None of these theaters had anything (that I remember) notable in their architectural designs even though they were all built in the 1920’s. Warren actually found a clipping that claimed that The Lefferts was the “Most Beautiful Theater” on Long Island when it opened! I can’t imagine it was even the most beautiful theater in Richmond Hill! Unless it opened before the RKO Keiths Richmond Hill; then maybe. Apparently, The Lefferts had an organ and a goldfish pond in the lobby. These were long gone before I started attending in the early 70’s.
I have no recollection of the interior of the Crossbay and have not seen anyone post any pictures. I think the best part of this theater was the facade which included two urns. I believe this has been preserved when it was converted into a Modells. The best part of the Lefferts, by far, was its marquee which had a beautiful cursive script spelling out Lefferts in yellow blinking lights. Tragically, this was lost in its transformation into a Rite Aid.
I didn’t have the same appreciation for architecture as a young man that I do today and so I may have missed some beautiful elements that remained in these old theaters. Nonetheless, when I went to a true movie palace, like The Valencia, Radio City, RKO Keiths Flushing and The Elmwood, you didn’t need to have an appreciation of architecture to notice that they were truly beautiful and special buildings.
There used to be a bowling alley across the street from Radio City?
Wow Bruce, what a great story! I’m always on the lookout for what might have been former theaters. Whenever I see one I look on this site to see what info is available. Many of the theaters of my youth have been converted into other uses. The Lefferts, Casino, RKO Alden, Crossbay, and many others. The buildings are still there. From what I’ve read on many other theater sites on CT, there are quite a few retail spaces where, if you know where to look or who to ask, you can see parts of the theater that are not being used for retail. I believe this applies to Loew’s Canal and RKO Alden among others.
I don’t think any experience though will surpass the one I had when I toured The Kings last year when the EDC had their tour. It was an experience I’ll never forget. I never attended the Kings when it was showing films as I was only 17 at the time and lived in Queens. Back then, there was no way I would ever go to Brooklyn to attend a movie. I would have considered it way to dangerous. Times have changed!
Tomorrow, I’m attending a show for the first time at The St. George in Staten Island. I’m very excited about it. I hope one day to be able to say “I’m going to see a show at The Kings!”
The Staten Island walking tour was pretty interesting. Unfortunately, too little time was spent at the St. George. I’m attending Joy Behar’s act at The St. George tomorrow night so I’m very excited to see this theater for the first time.
I forgot to mention in my earlier post that I would consider the Kings (even in its current decayed state) among the top 5 most beautiful movie palaces remaining in NYC. Fully restored, I think it would move into the top 3!
Bruce1…my sentiments exactly. A big tax credit coupled with some seed money (from Marty Markowitz’s earmark budget) to at least fully restore the marquee for example. I agree that the actual restoration work could take years under a similar setup that The Loews Jersey has in place. Though I live in Manhattan, I would gladly do volunteer work to help the Kings get back on its feet.
I’m glad that you think that the Kings is the most beautiful theater still standing in New York. My personal vote would be The New Amsterdam, followed by The Hollywood and Radio City. I have not yet had the opportnity to see the restored jewels of The Paradise in The Bronx and Loews 175th St. in Washington Heights, but from the photos that I’ve seen they would be top contenders as well. I will be atteding a show at The St. George in Staten Island this weekend and, from what I hear, they’ve done an incredible restoration with this theater. The Valencia, in Jamaica, has had its interior repainted in garish colors, though the theater itself is spectacular. Have I missed any other major candidates for best movie palace still standing?
TonyM…It was incredibly beautiful even in its decayed state. If you scroll up above to the comments from October/November of ‘06 you’ll find my post of the my experience on the tour. This theater is in way better shape than the New Amsterdam was at its nadir.
Bruce1, with all due respect, I was present at The Kings developer site tour when Markowitz regaled us with his memories of The Kings and how he vowed he would make this project happen! As I mentioned in an earlier post, all Borough Presidents have discretionary funds to apply to pet projects in their districts. Why has he not applied a significant sum to The Kings if he truly wants this project to happen. It WAS the EDC’s job to find a developer. They are the ones with the contacts and the access to all of the info that a developer would need to put a proposal together. We do not have those resources at our disposal. The fact that they were unable to broker a deal speaks volumes.
This means one thing and one thing only. The Borough, the City and maybe even Bloomberg himself have got to put together a financial subsidy signifcant enough to make this project financially feasible. This is what was done for The New Amsterdam and that is when Disney pulled the trigger. On the city’s part, it was money very well spent.
Markowitz must do more!
I’m very saddened by the article in The News this morning. I do fault Markowitz. He said on MANY ocassions that he would get the restoration off the ground. Each Borough President has a budget to “earmark” projects within their jurisdictions. If there ever was a project that Markowitz should fund, it is the restoration of The Kings. He keeps talking about how passionate he is to this project. let him put his money where his mouth is! Yes, it is going to cost a lot of money. The Borough and City will have to subsidize its development just as they did for The Amsterdam theater on 42nd St. in Manhattan.
People forget that the New Amsterdam’s restoration on 42nd St. was heavily subsidized by the city as well. 42nd was a desolate cesspool in the early 90’s and there was no guarantee that this project would be a financial success. Today, it is (in my opinion) the single most beautiful theater in New York. A fully restored Kings would easily be in the top three.
There are many worthy projects in New York, but the Kings should be on the top of the list for both Brooklyn and Manhattan. It truly is one of New York’s architectural jewels and the only one of the five Wonder Theaters that has not been restored. Many might argue that the Kings was the best of them all, which makes its current state all the more trajic.
I also don’t buy the argument that because the neighborhood around the Kings is “lower middle class” that any project wouldn’t be viable. If you create a class project the people will come. The Jersey is in Journal Square for god’s sake; hardly a high end nabe. The Paradise is in the Bronx; the newly restored St. George on Staten Island is in the gentrifying (I’m being kind) neighborhood of Stapleton and that theater is doing great!
Brooklyn has almost 2.5MM people. Surely, it can support a preformang arts center that would complement the Brooklyn Academy of Music and the forthcoming Barclay Center. There is ample room for all three.
Thanks Ron! That description does make it sound just like a moderist box, however, if one was to look at The Ziegfeld in New York (which I believe opened around 1968) you would think the same. Instead, the interior of The Ziegfeld (in my opinion) fully qualifies this theater as a movie palace. I believe it is the last “Palace” built in New York. I hope that the city has the wisdom to landmark The Ziegfeld when it hits its 50th anniversary.
Since drumrboy above actually went to services in this theater he might be able to shed light as to what the interior of this theater looks like.
There is no mention on this thread as to the style this theater was constructed in. There are no photos posted. Why was Loews so proud of this opening? What made is special? Another poster states that the building is “meticulously maintained”. What exactly is being maintained? Any info would be appreciated.
I saw the Radio City documentary and though I did very much enjoy it, I was disapointed that too much of the focus seemed to be on The Rockettes and not enough on the theater itself. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Rockettes, but I would have loved to have seen video of the lounges, the back stage areas, how the orchestra comes out of the pit and glides accross the stage; how they can create an ice rink on stage, etc. I would have liked to hear more about the actual history of the theater through the years as well. They did do that to a degree; I just wanted more.
I’m also more than a little surprised that an effort wasn’t made previously to landmark the interior of this restauarant. It was over a hundred years old and was quite beautiful. Perhaps an effort was made. Landmarking a retail establishment without the owner’s support would be very difficult. Queens has very few landmarked properties in comparison to the rest of the city and losing this is truly a shame.
Panzer, thanks so much for that link! I really enjoyed seeing the old place again after so many years. Regarding my earlier question as to the price of the kitchen sink in 1977: If the price in 2006 was $43 then a $20 price in 1977 doesn’t sound too outrageous. For 8 people that would have been $2.50 per person though I’m sure we had many more than that that night.
Has Jahn’s been gutted? Unlike the Keith’s next door which pretty much sits mothballed…waiting…I assume someone will buy the fixtures of Jahn’s. I can’t imagine a high end restaurant or bar opening in that space. I don’t think the neighborhood would support it. Has the Triangle Hofbrau restaurant been replaced as well or is it just sitting there as well?
Oh No!!!! Jahn’s is closed??!!! I have great memories of the place. First the RKO Keiths, then The Triangle Hofbrau and now Jahns! I think I remember the sign on the marqee saying that it originally opened in 1896. I believe this was the last one remaining. At one time, I believe there were as many as 7 of them. I haven’t lived in the area in decades, but back in the 70’s, when I was in high school, this is where we came for Ice Cream. The Keith’s next door had already shut its doors for good. I remember going there after Senior Day (June 1977)at John Admas High School. On that day all seniors went to school and all classes dressed in costume (like Halloween). I wonder if that tradition still holds? Afterwards, many of us went to Jahn’s and ordered “The Kitchen Sink”. I could be wrong, but I think the price was $20 back in 1977. It was a really, really big bowl of Ice Cream with all kinds of fixins, but maybe $20 sounds like a lot. Does anyone else remember?
I’ve never come across any interior photos of this theater. Does anyone know of any? I noticed that the theater style noted at the banner is “Art Moderne”. I don’t have any recollection of the theater style at all. What made it Art Moderne?
Wow Gene, I don’t remember the gold fish so my guess is they were long gone by the time I started attending there! The only theater that I clearly remember having a goldfish pond/fountain was at Loew’s Valencia. That was a true palace. I remember the Lefferts being kind of a dump though it might have been something back in the 40’s and 50’s when it supposedly had an organ and apparently, a fish pond!
I do remember paying about $20 to see on one of the Harry Potter films in Leicester Square about 5 years ago. Now I thought THAT was expensive. $36? I’d rather spend twice that and get a half price ticket to a Broadway Show. However, I did spend $25 at The Ziegfeld for the Dreamgirls engagement and it was worth every penny! So, I guess I would just become very selective over what I went to a theater to see. Does anyone know if “Sweeney Todd” is going to run in a similar rollout as Dreamgirls?
Peter, thanks for the schedule above. I think it’s very informative. However, I have one big question. If the average ticket price in $6.58 per ticket and many metropolitan areas are paying almost $12, where in the country are movie ticket prices $5 or less to average out at $6.58? I travel quite a bit and rarely see prices under $7 or $8.
By the way, I don’t remember any goldfish display. I started going to this theater in 1970. Was it a pond? A bowl?
The only restaurant that I clearly remember was Karp’s which was more of a fancy diner than a restaurant or at least what I thought was fancy back then. :–) It was between Lefferts and 120th St on the North Side directly opposite Kresge’s where they had the luncheonette counter with the balloons that you popped if you ordered a banana split. You paid the price in the balloon.
Sounds to me like Jeff S. needs to open up his own theater and charge $6 admission to all and $ dollar soft drinks and candies for everyone. We’ll see how long that theater stays in business. :–)
Remember, that this is a business. In some cases, we have city and county governments subsidizing theater restorations and operating expenses. Sometmes, a local family takes over an old palace, as was the case of The St. George in Staten Island. That theater ha been beuatifully restored, but it rarely shows movies. To pay the bills it has become a live theater/concert venue and the results ve been amazing.
We can all argue as to whether The Ziegfeld is run properly, but at the end of the day, this theater, like all of the others, has to be profitable to remain in business. I have no problem paying $12 to see a film at this theater or $10 or $11 at any other Manhattan theater.
Ed, thanks so much for your comments. Believe it or not, in spite of my comments above, I agree with a lot of what you have said. I do hate that we have a Starbucks next to a Duane Reade, next to a Commerce Bank in what appears to be a never ending cycle. I do miss the sense of adventure when we went to clubs in the “scary” parts of town. That was part of the fun. Now that I’m older now (I’m 48) I look at things a little differently from back then. I grew up in South Ozone Park, a great neighborhood where we frequently left our doors unlocked. However, most people in the neighborhood were terrified about going into “the city”. No one ever rode the subway after 7PM. I remember going to the Museum of Natural History on a school trip and being forbidden to cross Columbus Avenue to the west because the neighborhood was too dangerous! Can you imagine?!
I don’t know what the answer is in terms of balance. All I can say is that I feel that the city, overall, is infinitely in a better position today than it was back then. We can’t pick and choose the pieces we want to keep from the past and which to let go.
I just moved into a new condo in the Financial District. The building was converted from a technologically obsolete office building into residential. My building is one of scores of conversions and new construction downtown. We recieved a tax abatement which means that the developers contributed to a fund that builds affordable housing elsewhere. Is it enough? No, but there is a lot going on nonetheless. I feel very proud to be part of a new and growing residential neighborhood. I guess we’ve gone off topic. :–)
Anyway Ed, I think our feelings are more similar than different. We both love this city. If we were in charge, things might be different. But…….we’re not. :–)