Hollywood Theatre
98 Avenue A,
New York,
NY
10009
98 Avenue A,
New York,
NY
10009
5 people
favorited this theater
Located on an ever-busy stretch of Avenue A, in the heart of the East Village, this theater is easy to miss. Opened as the Avenue A Theatre in 1926, it was operated by RKO, followed by Loew’s Inc., and was closed in 1959.
Today, it’s merely a receptacle for retail space on the former orchestra level of the remains of the original auditorium, which have been converted into a health-oriented grocery store called the East Village Farm. The theater’s lobby was also converted into retail space, but has been empty for several years.
Like other theaters in this area, the theater’s auditorium runs parallel to the street, with a narrow entrance on Avenue A. Much of the theatre’s exterior has survived, including its emergency staircase. The decorations in the auditorium are thought to survive, above the false ceiling of the ground floor store
And, in a humorous touch only East Villagers would appreciate, several large posters of Andre the Giant can be found decorating the theater’s facade.
Contributed by
William Gabel
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Recent comments (view all 48 comments)
According to the blog EVGrieve, the building’s days are numbered. The grocery store is closing and building to be demolished. Some current photos of the interior included in this post: http://evgrieve.com/2012/01/inside-old-theater-at-east-village.html
Here’s the activated link. Nice set of images there, NYCer… thanks for the find! Looks like all the plaster work from about half-way up the proscenium down to the floor has been stripped out of the auditorium. But it does appear that everything from that point up is still in there, though sadly deteriorated. Too bad there are no shots of the balcony. Must have been a very handsome theater in it’s prime.
Sorry to report that I’ve just heard that the theater will not last much longer. The owner of the Korean Deli told me today that his store will close in February and that the owner plans to have the building torn down. A great loss as the interior is extraordinary.
Shots by a local photographer who got in there recently to take some photos before the theater’s impending destruction: http://aleceiffelphoto.tumblr.com/post/16444390776/death-of-a-bodega
Also an article http://evgrieve.com/2012/01/another-look-inside-east-village-farms.html#.TyAK1HaxahE.twitter
Just read this on Huffington
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/25/hollywood-theatre-abandoned-above-bodega-in-new-york_n_1232372.html?ref=new-york
Does anyone know the owner’s name? Maybe some of us can call for a meeting with the owner & the councilmember. Thoughts?
P.S. The theater can always be incorporated into a residential development above. The loss of the remaining ornate features would be detrimental. If the owner cares about his/her reputation, they will work with us.
Here are activated versions of some of those links from the last few days:
Death of a bodega
Another look inside
Huffington article
I should add that it’s basically the same story and set of pics regurgitated on three different sites, but figured I’d make them more convenient to access, anyway.
http://weburbanist.com/2012/01/26/abandoned-hollywood-theater-hidden-above-new-york-bodega/
Is it worth saving? (And how much would that cost? How many years has the space been unkempt?) There are quite a few performing spaces in that neighborhood… could this compete?
I suggest rescuing what architectural details are worthwhile and move on.