Parkway Theater
580 Gramatan Avenue,
Mount Vernon,
NY
10552
580 Gramatan Avenue,
Mount Vernon,
NY
10552
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The Parkway Theater in Fleetwood, Mount Vernon, New York and overlooking the Croos County Parkway was remodeled as an art house in 1951 by the pioneer exhibitor, Nathan Steinberg of Greenwich, CT.
The architect was also a pioneer, John J. McNamara who apprenticed with the great Thomas Lamb. The design was California redwood modern and roman brick interior and exterior with flagstone and marble trim, glass doors, posh textured green-leaf carpeting and comfortable rocking chair seating. Demi-tasse coffee was served by aproned matrons in the downstairs flagstone floored, redwood panneled, back-lit, glass-walled lounge.There was also one wall of roman brick with a modern fireplace accented by recessed ceiling lighting. Original modern paintings were exhibited in that space.
The Parkway Theater with mid-Westchester location and design played sophisticated films.
In 1975 the Parkway Theater was converted to one of the first non-profit educational Classic Cinema Centers. It was equipped with a huge intergrated sound system and a seperate downstairs venue for videoart and 16mm cinema. Live jazz concerts were staged, and school programs were also established.
Unfortunately, in 1975 the concept was a bit avant-garde for the suburbs and didn’t receive enough support. The opportunity was lost, and today the space is used as a funeral parlor.
Contributed by
Robert Steinberg
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Recent comments (view all 12 comments)
This theater was one of the only places to see Mary Poppins in Westchester when it had its wide release. I was there opening night and the place was packed. I always thought the lounge was cool….and a lot of what is described above remained intact into the 60s and 70s. Saw the Exorcist there.
It still looks the same from the outside…..even as a funeral parlor.
In 1958 billed as Interboro’s Most Intimate House playing “Raintree County"
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I would be interested in hearing from Robert Steinberg, who along with Freddie, were sons of Nat & Terry. I spent considerable time at the magnificent home in Greenwich as a youngster, and also at the Parkway as I had a lifetime pass from the Steinberg family. Bob Mayer
The Parkway Theater in the ‘70s and 80s was primarily a second run house, with films coming there after their initial engagements elsewhere..
The price of admission was lower, naturally and the theater was not particularly memorable, except for the fact that the patrons thermselves changed over the years.. lots of rowdy kids, who truly ruined the pleasure of going to the movies here. espcially in what was a really nice neighborhood.. Now its garbage..the good old days are gone..
The Bayou restaurant has the same address as the former theater. Did the funeral home move?
The year given for this photo is 1983.
Wow, this really brings back memories. I grew up (and my parents still live) just about ¼ mile north of the former Parkway Theater. I remember seeing a double feature of Grease and Saturday Night Fever (watered-down PG version) as a kid back in the seventies, as well as The Verdict (as pictured on the marquis in Lost Memory’s photo) in the early eighties. And guess what? I worked concessions there when I was in high school. There was a creepy manager, a pothead projectionist (you could get a contact high just sticking your head in the booth), a sketchy janitor (more than once I ended up having to clean the bathrooms), and us two girls working the concessions stand. I have such fond memories of sneaking friends in and sitting in back during Dangerous Liaisons and Mississippi Burning, among others (not Beaches, though—couldn’t stand it).
It was a truly beautiful theater and it breaks my heart whenever I pass where it used to be. The Bayou does not occupy the Parkway’s old space. It’s always been next door to the Parkway although the restaurant’s expansion a couple years ago may have pushed a bit into the old theater space. The theater abutted/overlooked the Cross County Parkway (hence the name. )I don’t think I’ll ever get over seeing a funeral home where that lovely movie house was (and IMHO should still be).
Nathan V Steinberg was my grandfather, Robert is my uncle, and Fred is my father. Nice to know people have so many good memories of this place. I remember it when from when I was a kid, but would love more info if any one has any!
Nate….like my cousin, Bob Mayer who commented above, I, too ,knew the Parkway very well…in the late 50’s and early 60’s. My dad was an optometrist right around the corner and my sister and I would go to all the Saturday matinees for kids. Christmas time was particularly fun there..They always played Leroy Anderson’s “Sleighride” while we waited for the film to begin. As I got older, I’d take my high school dates there (at night of course!) It was a great little theatre. I saw it had become a funeral home the last time I was in Mt. Vernon. I, too, remember your grandparents and swimming in the pool at their lovely home in Greenwich. Please send regards to your father and uncle from the Mayer family.
This was reported in The New York Times of January 5th, 1939 as the RKO Parkway, with a sub-run double bill of “Brother Rat” and “Listen,Darling.” The top RKO house, Proctor’s Mount Vernon, was showing “Thanks For Everything” and “Heart of the North” at the time. I wonder how long the Parkway’s affiliation with the RKO circuit lasted?