Ridgewood Theatre
55-27 Myrtle Avenue,
Ridgewood,
NY
11385
55-27 Myrtle Avenue,
Ridgewood,
NY
11385
31 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Fox Circuit, Randforce Amusement Corp.
Architects: Thomas White Lamb
Styles: Greek Revival
Previous Names: Fox Ridgewood Theatre
Nearby Theaters
News About This Theater
- May 31, 2014 — Forest Hills' Michael Perlman Wins 2014 Preservation Award by the Historic Districts Council
- Dec 2, 2010 — Ridgewood Theater in Brooklyn to Become Supermarket
- Nov 18, 2010 — Historic Ridgewood Theatre needs saviour ASAP
- Jul 27, 2010 — Landmark Ridgewood Theatre needs saviour ASAP
- Jul 7, 2010 — Ridgewood back on the market
- Apr 7, 2010 — Landmarked Ridgewood Theatre available: Call for Proposals
- Mar 12, 2010 — Reopening of Ridgewood Theatre anticipated for later this year
- Jan 18, 2010 — Ridgewood Theatre facade is a landmark
- Jan 11, 2010 — Historic Ridgewood Theatre may earn Landmark Status on Jan 12, 2010 at LPC Public Meeting
- Nov 25, 2009 — Historic Ridgewood Theatre Received Landmark Hearing, But No Vote Taken - Call LPC!
- Mar 26, 2009 — Historic Queens theater to reopen
- Mar 18, 2009 — Please Help: Historic Ridgewood Theatre Landmark Hearing on March 24th! (Attend & testify or submit support letter)
- Jan 22, 2009 — Online petition for Ridgewood
- Dec 5, 2008 — Ridgewood Theatre items
- Oct 15, 2008 — Petition to save the Historic Ridgewood Theatre!
- Aug 1, 2008 — Petition to save the historic Ridgewood Theatre
- May 30, 2008 — Ridgewood Theatre in danger
- May 13, 2008 — Seeking tenant for historic Ridgewood Theatre
- Mar 26, 2008 — Seeking partners to reopen Ridgewood Theatre
- Jan 31, 2007 — Glendale memories
- Mar 27, 2006 — Ridgewood Theater to close?
The Ridgewood Theatre is located on Myrtle Avenue in the Ridgewood section of Queens. It first opened on December 23, 1916 with ‘6 Big Acts of Vaudeville and Feature Photo Plays’. It was operated by William Fox and boasted a 3,000-seat capacity.
It was last operated as a five-screen multiplex by the same people who run the Jackson Theatre and ran the now-closed Loew’s Plaza Corona Theatre.
Sadly in early-March 2008, the Ridgewood Theatre was suddenly closed without any warning. Banners went up on the marquee advertising the building was ‘available for retail use’. The Ridgewood Theatre remained a first-run theatre to the end.
The owner announced in March 2009 that the theatre would reopen with a three screen cinema on the upper level and a mix of shops on the first floor. The Ridgewood Theatre was given Landmark status on January 12, 2010. Despite support to save the building, it was gutted in November 2014. In January 2016 it was being converted into housing, with the former foyer set to be a retail unit, which actually opened as a health club.
Contributed by
SteveSmith
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Recent comments (view all 2,852 comments)
You are absolutely right Bway, especially since the lobby could have been a terrific gateway to the residence. But I guess the bottom line – and a severe lack of imagination – said otherwise.
Hey guys, haven’t been on Cinema Treasures in quite a while. I happened to be in the neighborhood and saw construction set up around the old Ridgewood. So I said, let me see what’s going with this place. I approached the Cypress Avenue side of what where the exit doors and an old security guy was there and got up abruptly, as if to tell me to get the hell out of there. Quite the contrary. Anyway, I just took a tour of the old Ridgewood Theater. This place is gutted and is being set up to be an apartment building. The old lobby will be a retail space for the tenants there. The old security dude was cool as hell and allowed me to see the shell of the old movie house. The building is completely gutted, save the new beams and sheet iron. I took plenty of pictures. The security dude was a bit weird about the pictures somehow ending up on social media, so I am feeling that all out lol. In the meantime, if anyone wants to see any of the pics, e-mail me at .
When I walked by today, there were no construction guys or any indication that work has been done.
Sign on marquee:
“1-2-3 bedrooms from $2300 a month.”
www.RidgewoodTheatre.com
Sign on marquee is gone. A walk around the block reveals “1680 Madison Street” a 54-unit, five-story building in the former auditorium.
A current picture of the Ridgewood posted in Facebook indicates that the 1st floor commercial space will be occupied by a health club; this is the same use that currently operates in the old Parthenon Theatre.
A new picture on Face Book now shows that the health club is, in fact, open. Its advertising sign currently adorns the old marquee. Hopefully, someone will post this on this page.
Blink Fitness is currently closed due to pandemic regulations. A selection of photos can be viewed here
I believe this Wednesday – 9/2 – will be the opening date for the gyms, including I guess this one.
Please update, total capacity when the theatre closed 1454. Capacity based of NYC DOB records: 1. 226 (Balcony) 2. 417 3. 386 4. 203 (Balcony) 5. 222 (Balcony)