Hollywood Theatre
98 Avenue A,
New York,
NY
10009
98 Avenue A,
New York,
NY
10009
7 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 56 comments)
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.
Here’s a picture looking south on Avenue A near 7th St…and a view of the theater. The NYPL digital library is amazing!
http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/dgkeysearchdetail.cfm?trg=1&strucID=405661&imageID=715863f&total=35&num=0&word=east%207th&s=1¬word=&d=&c=&f=&k=0&lWord=&lField=&sScope=&sLevel=&sLabel=&sort=&imgs=20&pos=14&e=w
xtinenyc…. Post the link as follows: Enter a word or phrase like “Here’s the link” in brackets and then paste the link between parentheses just like this – [Here’s the Link] (www.websiteaddress.com) except no space between the close bracket and the open parenthesis.
here’s the link
Ed, it worked! that’s the 1st time I’ve tried using these links.
Why when I try to enlarge the image do I get a different image?
I always have the same problem with that site, robboehm. You have to click on the box that says “Zoom” above the image. Once the new small picture window opens, just pan up, down, left or right as you zoom to see portions of the image. Unfortunately, there is no way that I’ve found to simply enlarge the entire picture on my computer screen.
The side panel on the marquee reads “Visit Loew’s Ave B and Commodore Theatres for the latest hits.” There are no titles advertised on the visible portions of the marquee, but the entrance doors below do appear to be open. I imagine the programming must have consisted of lesser end-of-run fare on double bills.
Hi, this comment is for Ed Solero or anyone else with knowledge of of this theatre. I’m a reporter for Ourtown, downtown and I’d like to include this space as part of a piece I’m writing on abandoned or forgotten buildings downtown. Please let me know. You can email me direct at: . Thanks!
Hey midnitewriter. Not sure what protocol is, but you should probably contact site administration for such permissions. Several email addresses to contact CT are listed here. I don’t think you’ll have any problems at all.