Steinway Theatre

And a spiffy new facade it is.

Early photo of Steinway Street uploaded. You can see the vertical from the theater. Also a later shot showing theater without the vertical and the marquee that was in place to the end.

Tinseltoes can you tell if any of the old theatre facade is still there? I think it was removed when Lerner’s moved in some 50 years ago.

The building is still sitting vacant with a “For Rent” sign displayed. The “false front” used by the last tenant remains. Whether any of the original facade exists behind it is unknown. I’ll try contacting the realtor for information.

I had thought the thread for this theatre was not active, but I see it is. Growing up in Astoria, I always knew this was a “movie house” (as my parents / grand parents described it.) But for me it was “Learners” , a woman’s / little kid’s store (they had a kid’s department as well).. I know I spent alot of time here when I was little! It was a big store inside, without a hint it was a theatre, I guess thanks to plaster board and dropped ceilings. Talking about the white marble facade.. that was not original to the Steinway theatre. I believe that was part of the late fifties change to “Learners”. Up untill Learners closed, the front of the building was very 50’s looking with a smooth white front with a HUGE LEARNERS neon sign on a 45 degree angle running up the front of the building (lit up in pink neon)I am sure, from viewing photos of the Steinway that the front was destroyed in the original make over to retail. (about the interior, I would not know. In my time (70’s) it was all dropped ceiling.) When they re-opened as DR.Jays, It was all open structure inside. IE exposed brick and I beams. but if you were to walk to the back of the store and go up stairs to the second level, you were walking up through the “ Fly space.” You could /can see a ladder bolted to the wall going up to the roof, you could see, in your minds eye (with help from some bricks and beams, where the auditorium ended and the back stage began.

As of yesterday, when I walked by, the apparently never ending “lost our lease” sale remains going strong at Dr. Jay’s. When viewed from across the street, you can really see the skin of a once beautiful facade struggling to burst from its ugly body armor.

I think Warren is probably correct that the future history of this building will be commercial and that, save for the not very likely appearance of a replacement tenant, the site will probably lie vacant until the economy begins to turn north. The structure is really good and ample commercial space that is situated less than a block from the shopping district’s heart at Broadway. Thus, it would make little sense to replace the current building with another commercial facility, and the mid-block site is just too commercial for residential development. Also, if something other than another crummy outlet moves in, the possible replacement of the current facade – possibly with the original – could be a real possibility. But, we will have to see what unfolds.

Alex, I really appreciated your kind comments about my remembrances of the Triboro that I posted about a year ago. It is great to once again make your acquaintance.

I was recently looking at various vintage Queens photos online and came across this wintery image of Steinway Street in Astoria from 1935, which includes in gthe center a moving northbound trolley. Looking further, I was delighted to see on the left the rare image the marquee of the Steinway Theatre. On the right at the intersection of 31st Avenue is the building which was occupied by Woolworth’s for several decades.

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There was a Steinway Theatre now a DR. Jays but it was closed down in the 50’s. At one time we had three theatres on Steinway The UA Astoria on 30th ave The Loews Triboro on 28th ave and Steinway and the Cameo Steinway between 25thave and 28th ave on Steinway. The Cameo changed its name to the Olympia Then it became a porno theater.

I have got to correct one thing. The dates.
I was the manager of the Steinway Theater from 1970 until 1972 working for United Artists. So I know for a fact that it didn’t close in the 50’s.
It was a wonderful house to work in. All the old dressing rooms backstage and the organ in the orchestra pit that at the time still worked. I can still remember carrying those film cans with 4 & 5 reels up to the booth. UP 4 flights. No elevator!!!
I saw someone mentioned the side door; I use to go through hell keeping the kids from sneaking in that way. They would get together and pool their money and buy one ticket.
That person would watch the ushers and when the time was right they would open that side door and the whole world would come rushing in.

I was on Steinway St today, and past what I think is a theater. It wasn’t the Steinway, because the building didn’t look like the current photos posted of Dr Jay’s. Anyway, the building I saw today, has a marquee, is somewhere north of Broadway, and is on the west side of Steinway St. It is currently a Duane Reade Drug Store.
ANyone have any idea what theater I was looking at?

Wow Warren, you’re a plethora of information, not to mention a never ending stream of ads and images. Thanks so much.

Iwas born and still live in astoria, I always knew about the beauty of the triboro, but nothing of the steinway. As a theater manager i wish there were photos.astrocks astoria ny

Wow so much history! I have been shopping at Dr Jays for years and years, and never in a million years would have ever considered that that store was a former movie theatre.