Strand Theatre

I can’t post the photos I took today, but I’ll try to describe what the area looks like. The given address of 15 Nelson Avenue is basically a driveway and an empty lot. On one side is a Subway sandwich shop (address 5 Nelson Ave.), on the other is a tax preparation business (address 17 Nelson Ave.) The location in the photo shown here has been closed up, but would be number 23. However, the building next door seems to show a number 23, which could explain the number 23A for the restaurant. The actual entrance to the restaurant is around the corner on Locust Place. From here, you get a decent view of the entire theatre building, which is taller than anything on the block.

Okay, I think the one on the right is 25 which should make the Strand 23.

I can’t tell either.

Maybe the theater address is 23 Nelson. I don’t know.

The Arirang Restaurant is currently located at 23 Nelson. 15 Nelson is a post office, so something is amiss. Perhaps someone local has more information on this.

As a result of garth’s comment I paid a visit to the oldstatenisland website and had a wave of nostalgia overtake me. The last time I saw the Strand was in 1948. As a kid living in Brooklyn, a visit to my aunt and uncle, who lived in Elltingville. was a trip to the country. This was the pre Verrazano bridge period. The only theatre in the area was the Strand in Great Kills…the next town down the line. I remember vividly walking a couple miles on a dirt road one night to get to the Strand; all the while listening to a baseball game on my portable radio. It was a great little theatre.

The address for the Stand Theatre is 15 Nelson Avenue, Staten Island, NY.