New York Times: Astor Plaza to Become Rock Venue

posted by Patrick Crowley on July 16, 2004 at 7:52 am

NEW YORK, NY — We’re sad to report that the rumors about the closing of the Astor Plaza have finally been confirmed.

According to a report which appeared in yesterday’s New York Times, the Astor Plaza, one of the last remaining movie theaters in the heart of Times Square, will close in just a few weeks.

The S. L. Green Realty Corporation, who became new owners of the building that houses the Astor when they bought the remainder of Loews' lease — plan to convert the facility into a concert venue for live rock during a nine-month renovation.

For those who never experienced the majesty of this theater, it was glorious. While its design was spartan in comparison to the nearby Ziegfeld, the Astor made up for it with its gigantic seating area (1500+ seats), which seemed to suck in anyone and everyone in Times Square who ever loved movies. Friday night premieres were always a blast. And, during the Astor’s lifetime, it played a tremendous number of great movies… King Kong, Jaws, 2001, Superman, When Harry Met Sally, Raiders of the Lost Ark, the Matrix, and more. It will be missed.

(ED. — As many of you noticed, Cinema Treasures got a very nice mention in the Times article.)

Theaters in this post

• Palladium Times Square
• Ziegfeld Theatre