Bellerose Theater
245-14 Jericho Turnpike,
Floral Park,
NY
11001
245-14 Jericho Turnpike,
Floral Park,
NY
11001
10 people
favorited this theater
The Bellerose Theater opened in 1926 and is located on Jericho Turnpike at the intersection of Jamaica Avenue and Rocky Hill Road (today renamed Braddock Avenue). It stands just east of the Cross Island, about a mile away from the Floral Theatre.
Originally seating 1,180, it was last operated by the Century Theaters chain and closed in the mid-1980’s with 880 seats. The building was gutted internally and became a carpet store. Today it is in use as a martial arts store and for storage.
Contributed by
SteveSmith
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Recent comments (view all 157 comments)
Okay, I know you guys have been waiting, so here I go again. This had better work! I’m tired! :>
I hope you can see it.
Hey, Bway and Tinseltoes, thanks for the help. I managed to do it, I think. (waves)
Nice to see the image but, unfortunately the marquee had seen better days by then having been hit by a truck and having much of the neon covered over. But what I still long for is a photo of the original marquee. So many of the theatres on CT have them. What surprises me is that so many of them had verticals in the beginning which were long gone before I started getting interested in them. In my youth I only remember verticals on the Fantasy, Floral and Mineola in Nassau and the Valencia, Astoria, Queens and Triboro in Queens.
Hello. I “moved” into Bellerose Terrace in 1983 at the age of 4 and stayed until 18, after which I had periodic stays until now, at 31. I did visit the theater until it closed in ?? I have seen some correct and not so correct comments, but so be it. I would like to welcome any old-timers or anyone to write me at or call 917-690-4330 about any of their old memories or just to reminisce. This unique area shaped the rest of my life, and I had to protect it as it protected me over the years. I hope to have a dialogue with anyone who wants it while I recapture my past in this tiny, yet influential area that nobody else knows about. If you understand, feel free to contact me anytime. Thanks. —apd
apd and I visited the theatre site yesterday. Windows have been added to the second floor where there were indications that they may have previously existed. You enter through the lobby where the original ceiling is still intact, with the addition of a ceiling fan through the center medallion. The floor, which originally had an incline, to the auditorium is now level. The two stores which flanked the lobby are now part of the martial arts complex with entrances through the lobby. The auditorium has been converted into a two story warehouse. Since the owner/manager was not present we were not able to look further than the public space. The employees indicated they had never seen any of the remnants of the original theatre, not even the actual ceilling, which I would have imagined would be visible from the second floor warehouse area.
rvb and I have been speaking since my post on 9/24/10. We finally visited the theater and toured the neighborhood. I think we both surprised each other with our stories from different decades and eras. I didn’t have much time to be attached to the theater, but I have a great interest in Bellerose Terrace and all of the surrounding areas, from now back to who knows when. If anyone else would like to take a look around, or just talk about recent things, or old history, feel free to write me at or call my cell anytime 917-690-4330. Also, if anyone can get google, etc. to direct people to CT who are searching BT and not necessarily Bellerose Theater, that would be great. Thanks. —apd
Does anyone remember the manager referred to as Mr. D?
The only real confusion these days is that the Bellerose theatre which was once in Bellerose is now considered Floral Park because the two block deep section of the village in Nassau County was reassigned to the Floral Park post office. As far as the split street situation, 225th Street was where Jericho Turnpike began on the south side of the avenue. Why 225? Because that’s where Nassau County began. Jericho Turnpike was the northern border of the Nassau County portion of what used to be Bellerose. Jamaica Avenue bordered the Queens County portion which ran to Floral Park just past Little Neck Parkway. When Queens County ceased it all became Jericho Turnpike. I don’t remember the actual street but it’s where the Q36 terminated; the end of Queens County.
To the projectionists out there. I always maintained that the Bellerose had the largest, if not one of the largest, Cinemascope screens on Long Island because it’s proscenium was almost the entire width of the building, which was a big box. Any feedback?
“robboehm on February 25, 2014 at 3:23 pm To the projectionists out there. I always maintained that the Bellerose had the largest, if not one of the largest, Cinemascope screens on Long Island because it’s proscenium was almost the entire width of the building, which was a big box. Any feedback?”
Rob, Not even close to having the largest Cinemascope screen. Sometime back in the 60’s Charlie Washburn asked me to cover the UA Hicksville (on, I believe, S. Marie Street, by Sears. They were running “West Side Story” and between the screen size (I would estimate to be at least 70 feet white area)and the actual projection throw, I REALLY thought I was IN THE PICTURE….and that was just as a projectionist.
As for the screen size itself, I’m SURE that a theatre like the Syosset (or the UA D150, which wasn’t open back then) had larger screens. I could go on, but there’s really no point without talking about a specific screen size. Back then, when The Hurley Screen Company moved from Corona, Queens, out to Farmingdale, Mel Hurley and his sister who were friends of mine, made all the custom screens I used in my home screening room. Not only did Hurley make THE BEST SCREENS, they supplied new screens to Radio City Music Hall every six months. If I recall, it was 110 feet wide (I don’t recall whether that was “white area” or “grommet to grommet”). They once gave me a list of a couple of hundred theatre’s screen sizes through out NYC & Long Island from back then. Unfortunately, I believe I gave it along with all my other documents to “The Museum Of The Moving Image” back in 1989 when I moved to Florida.
Your note on the “confusion” with respect to the Bellerose’s address is interesting. When the theatre originally opened, the theatre was considered to be in New York City and a contract was signed with Local 306. The best I can determine (since it was before my time), the IA became involved and the jurisdiction for that theatre was given to Local 640. If it were left up to the U.S. Postal Service and their “ZIP CODES”, all the families in North Shore Towers would have paid no NYC use tax and maybe not even NYC income tax. As we all know, and in the words of Leona Helmsley “Only the little people pay taxes” (I guess that means us….or at least me).