Every time I’ve been in Lynbrook Bagels since then, I haven’t seen the owner or manager – just the girls out front handling the busy line. I have to get in there when it isn’t so crowded and bustling and ask about that image.
According to this ad, posted by RidgewoodKen under the Strand Theater in Hempstead, NY, the Arcade was operated by the O'Connor-Radin Circuit in 1913. They also operated the Lyric Theatre of Rockville Centre, as mentioned in the ad, which has no listing on CT. It is possible, however, that the Lyric might have later become the Strand Theatre, which does have a listing, right here. The Hempstead Strand closed in 1926 (by that time, under the Calderone brand), and the only photo we have of the RVC Strand dates to 1929, so it is a possibility.
I also note in one of the ads posted by RidgewoodKen, the O'Conner-Radin Circuit operated the Arcade Theatre in Lynbrook, which later became the Studio 1. As for the Lyric Theatre in Rockville Centre, there is no listing on CT for such a place… yet. Unless, could this have been a previous name for the long extinct Strand Theatre?
There is no current address of 251 Hempstead Ave, but all signs seem to point to this building being located near the north east corner of N. Franklin and Front Streets. Currently, there is a parking lot for a shopping center, which includes a large Korean supermarket closest to the corner. I’ve adjusted the street view accordingly, pending more accurate information. The old view had us several blocks to the east.
Damn… That is too bad. Seemed like an ideal salvage for this old structure. Now, I’m sure, whatever is left of the place is destined to be hauled away as rubble.
The opening day ad indicates a seating capacity of 1400. If Loew’s added larger seats and extra space between rows, it is very likely that capacity was significantly reduced. Later, when the place was twinned, aggregate capacity was probably reduced further still. Is it safe to assume that the theater never held 1600, as had been originally noted at the top of this page?
Taking a look at the buildings on both sides of the block between Dongan and the tracks, it appears that the theater building went the way of the old LIRR Elmhurst station itself. I don’t think that even the oldest structures there today date prior to the 1930’s or ‘20’s.
The Hall’s own website does have a dedicated page for the new show – which the site page seems to refer to as the “Spring Show.” Right now, there’s little more than a form for one to leave their email address and cell phone, to be notified at some future date, once details regarding the show are made public. I presume we’ll find out ticket prices at that time.
I agree with NewYorker64, that the prices will likely be less than those for the Christmas Spectacular, but I’m not sure the difference will be quite as significant as 30-40%.
Shows finally excheduled here, per the offical website. Most of the events so far appear to be rock music concerts, including the October 4th opener, headlined by Fountains of Wayne and Soul Asylum. Other dates in October include performances by Alice Cooper, and Dr. John. Those names are actually not all that shabby, for a venue of this size, and probably on par with what you might see at Westbury Music Fair, and other comparable Long Island venues.
As for ticket prices, looks like the typical show here will run in the $30-35 range, with bigger names like Alice Cooper and Dr. John commanding up to $75 for premium seating.
They keep saying “renovation,” but it seems like they’re talking about a whole new building? Not sure if they are razing it down to the ground or doing a gut job plus expansion? I get the feeling it’s the former. Always kind of hoped that they would retain the original facade, once final plans were approved to proceed with this long-needed upgrade.
Here’s a curious ad for “Quo Vadis?” from October, 1913, when the picture was making its rounds in markets much smaller than New York City. This particular ad is for a small theater, in a tiny western New York state hamlet, and it exclaims the feature was to be shown “in Talking Pictures.” I imagine this bit of showmanship was accomplished by having actors speaking the lines (and perhaps with a few select sound effects produced) from behind the screen, in accompaniment with the exhibition. I wonder if this gimmick was featured at any time during its engagement at the Astor – or if it was dreamed up by exhibitors on the road for secondary and tertiary markets (and beyond)?
The former site of the theater was incorporated into the Sumner Houses apartment complex, which runs several square blocks on the north side of Myrtle Avenue, from Throop to Lewis Avenues. The project was completed in the spring of 1958 by NYC Housing Authority.
Video story and regular article from February about the pending opening. Still hasn’t happened. Appears the new name will be The Space at Westbury. There is a website and a facebook page. There are a couple of interior photos on the home page to the website, plus a gallery of images showing interior renovations in process. The events page, however, still seems to be a clean slate…
I sorta did, rlr2010. I usually planned my viewings at the Hollywood during daylight hours. Particularly, since the majority of the time, I went there alone. When I used to go catch movies at the 42nd Street grind houses, it was typically with friends, so I wasn’t quite as concerned about the hours – although, even there, we always tried to get an early start! Particularly after our first couple of visits.
The Holiday Inn is what I was remembering, thanks rlrl2010.
I don’t recall Seventh Ave or Broadway being so dangerous back in those days, either. It was definitely more tawdry, and, in my opinion, a lot more interesting, but I wouldn’t call it dangerous. Aside from the porno theaters and adult book and video shops, there were also the noisy (and more dangerous than the street) pinball and Fascination arcades, the dance-hall barkers, strip joints, greasy-spoon holes in the wall, tourist-trap gift and electronic shops, street drummers, street dancers, street corner preachers, three card monte rip-off artists, and the pose-for-a-portrait artists – the last of these may be the ONLY group that seems to have survived the transformation to “Family Destination.”
There was a period in the late ‘80’s, before the area had “bounced back,” where I found certain stretches along those two thoroughfares to get a bit more intimidating. I remember once going to a play at the Virginia Theatre on W. 52nd, just off Seventh – this is maybe 1988. After the show, I wanted to walk with my date down to Times Square proper and take a poke around my “old stomping grounds.” As we crossed into the upper 40’s, the pedestrian traffic along Seventh really thinned out, and it was quite eerily dark and quiet for a block or two. The site of the old Rivoli Theatre was a vacant and fenced in lot, and the sounds of the usual city hustle and bustle just sort of fell away behind us, so that all we really could hear were our footsteps. I remember finding myself nervously looking over my shoulder until we got to 47th and the crowd thickened again by Duffy Square.
As for the side streets between Seventh and Eighth Avenues – well, this is where the overwhelming majority of legitimate theaters were located. I don’t know that they were ever all that dangerous, really, except for maybe the darker streets, like 41st and 43rd. I seem to recall a lot of dope dealing went on down those quieter side streets. Forty Second was anything but dark, but was certainly notorious as a rather threatening strip. It never stopped me from going to see a double feature there, but I was certainly sure to have my wits about me and tended to be even more cautious about approaching the western edge of the block near Eighth Ave. Things definitely got more dicey down by the Harem, the Empire and Anco theaters.
Eighth Avenue, where the Adonis was located, while not technically a side street, was definitely more peripheral to the theater district – and decidedly more dangerous and foreboding a place. There was (and still is) but one, lone, legitimate theater located on the west side of Eighth Avenue, the former Martin Beck at W. 45th Street. Aside from that theater, the strip was mostly porn palaces, adult shops, old bars, crappy diners, flop houses, strip clubs and hookers. Lots and lots of hookers. From the dirty 30’s, past the Port Authority, and right up through the ‘40’s and lower 50’s. I rarely found myself on Eighth Avenue, except to catch some flicks at the Hollywood Twin, when it was a revival house for a few years. And aside from a family dinner on Joe Allen’s once or twice when I was a young child, I don’t remember ever venturing west of Eighth in that part of town, until maybe 10 or 12 years ago.
Here’s a direct link to Uwe’s most excellent series of images. Thank you, sir, for documenting this historic building just before it would have been too late!
When I passed by just a few days ago, on Thursday, the building appeared to be about completely down. The blue construction shedding that surrounds the property, still had the protrusion along Sunrise Highway that allowed for the marquee, but the lot behind the shedding looked completely leveled, save for a bit of steel framework that supported what would have been the theater’s western wall, adjacent to the HSBC branch.
I remember that Ramada Inn from back in the ‘80’s… I think it was a Days Inn for a while before Hilton Garden took over. I used to imagine that the Ramada was likely booked by tourists, coming to New York for the first time and familiar with the hotel chain’s name – not imagining for a second the tawdry nature of its location. What they must have thought upon arrival! Eighth Avenue was rife with flea-bag SRO hotels in those days, but wasn’t there also another, smaller legitimate hotel, on the west side of the avenue, that was a national chain? Like maybe Holiday Inn? Can’t pinpoint the location in my mind’s eye, but I could swear there was.
This theater should be listed as demolished. The portion of the block where the Shore was located, is now occupied by a large steam and water supply plant, built in 1998 by a company called Conectiv. The facility is shown in the street view above, and is called the Midtown Thermal Control Center.
Good catch, Bway. Looks like they lopped off about a quarter of the building’s width! It’s remarkable how often that practice occurred over the years in NYC, as thoroughfares were widened to increase traffic capacity. Perhaps it speaks to the quality of construction from the early 20th century, that these structures could withstand such alterations.
Posted a few pics I took today of the building’s exterior. I realized, as I was uploading them, that the most recent exterior shot we had here on CT was the one I took back in 1993 (on actual film – imagine that!?), so these pics illustrate the dull “modernization” of the main facade, the removal of the fire-escapes, and cutting away of the marquee and its framework.
Every time I’ve been in Lynbrook Bagels since then, I haven’t seen the owner or manager – just the girls out front handling the busy line. I have to get in there when it isn’t so crowded and bustling and ask about that image.
According to this ad, posted by RidgewoodKen under the Strand Theater in Hempstead, NY, the Arcade was operated by the O'Connor-Radin Circuit in 1913. They also operated the Lyric Theatre of Rockville Centre, as mentioned in the ad, which has no listing on CT. It is possible, however, that the Lyric might have later become the Strand Theatre, which does have a listing, right here. The Hempstead Strand closed in 1926 (by that time, under the Calderone brand), and the only photo we have of the RVC Strand dates to 1929, so it is a possibility.
I also note in one of the ads posted by RidgewoodKen, the O'Conner-Radin Circuit operated the Arcade Theatre in Lynbrook, which later became the Studio 1. As for the Lyric Theatre in Rockville Centre, there is no listing on CT for such a place… yet. Unless, could this have been a previous name for the long extinct Strand Theatre?
There is no current address of 251 Hempstead Ave, but all signs seem to point to this building being located near the north east corner of N. Franklin and Front Streets. Currently, there is a parking lot for a shopping center, which includes a large Korean supermarket closest to the corner. I’ve adjusted the street view accordingly, pending more accurate information. The old view had us several blocks to the east.
Damn… That is too bad. Seemed like an ideal salvage for this old structure. Now, I’m sure, whatever is left of the place is destined to be hauled away as rubble.
The opening day ad indicates a seating capacity of 1400. If Loew’s added larger seats and extra space between rows, it is very likely that capacity was significantly reduced. Later, when the place was twinned, aggregate capacity was probably reduced further still. Is it safe to assume that the theater never held 1600, as had been originally noted at the top of this page?
Ken, I hope your posting of that ad did not involve any harmful tailgating!
Taking a look at the buildings on both sides of the block between Dongan and the tracks, it appears that the theater building went the way of the old LIRR Elmhurst station itself. I don’t think that even the oldest structures there today date prior to the 1930’s or ‘20’s.
The Hall’s own website does have a dedicated page for the new show – which the site page seems to refer to as the “Spring Show.” Right now, there’s little more than a form for one to leave their email address and cell phone, to be notified at some future date, once details regarding the show are made public. I presume we’ll find out ticket prices at that time.
I agree with NewYorker64, that the prices will likely be less than those for the Christmas Spectacular, but I’m not sure the difference will be quite as significant as 30-40%.
Shows finally excheduled here, per the offical website. Most of the events so far appear to be rock music concerts, including the October 4th opener, headlined by Fountains of Wayne and Soul Asylum. Other dates in October include performances by Alice Cooper, and Dr. John. Those names are actually not all that shabby, for a venue of this size, and probably on par with what you might see at Westbury Music Fair, and other comparable Long Island venues.
As for ticket prices, looks like the typical show here will run in the $30-35 range, with bigger names like Alice Cooper and Dr. John commanding up to $75 for premium seating.
All of these shows go on sale today at noon.
They keep saying “renovation,” but it seems like they’re talking about a whole new building? Not sure if they are razing it down to the ground or doing a gut job plus expansion? I get the feeling it’s the former. Always kind of hoped that they would retain the original facade, once final plans were approved to proceed with this long-needed upgrade.
Here’s a curious ad for “Quo Vadis?” from October, 1913, when the picture was making its rounds in markets much smaller than New York City. This particular ad is for a small theater, in a tiny western New York state hamlet, and it exclaims the feature was to be shown “in Talking Pictures.” I imagine this bit of showmanship was accomplished by having actors speaking the lines (and perhaps with a few select sound effects produced) from behind the screen, in accompaniment with the exhibition. I wonder if this gimmick was featured at any time during its engagement at the Astor – or if it was dreamed up by exhibitors on the road for secondary and tertiary markets (and beyond)?
The former site of the theater was incorporated into the Sumner Houses apartment complex, which runs several square blocks on the north side of Myrtle Avenue, from Throop to Lewis Avenues. The project was completed in the spring of 1958 by NYC Housing Authority.
Video story and regular article from February about the pending opening. Still hasn’t happened. Appears the new name will be The Space at Westbury. There is a website and a facebook page. There are a couple of interior photos on the home page to the website, plus a gallery of images showing interior renovations in process. The events page, however, still seems to be a clean slate…
Let’s not forget the exclusive engagement of newly restored and reissued Marx Brothers classic, “Animal Crackers” in 1974 or so.
I sorta did, rlr2010. I usually planned my viewings at the Hollywood during daylight hours. Particularly, since the majority of the time, I went there alone. When I used to go catch movies at the 42nd Street grind houses, it was typically with friends, so I wasn’t quite as concerned about the hours – although, even there, we always tried to get an early start! Particularly after our first couple of visits.
The Holiday Inn is what I was remembering, thanks rlrl2010.
I don’t recall Seventh Ave or Broadway being so dangerous back in those days, either. It was definitely more tawdry, and, in my opinion, a lot more interesting, but I wouldn’t call it dangerous. Aside from the porno theaters and adult book and video shops, there were also the noisy (and more dangerous than the street) pinball and Fascination arcades, the dance-hall barkers, strip joints, greasy-spoon holes in the wall, tourist-trap gift and electronic shops, street drummers, street dancers, street corner preachers, three card monte rip-off artists, and the pose-for-a-portrait artists – the last of these may be the ONLY group that seems to have survived the transformation to “Family Destination.”
There was a period in the late ‘80’s, before the area had “bounced back,” where I found certain stretches along those two thoroughfares to get a bit more intimidating. I remember once going to a play at the Virginia Theatre on W. 52nd, just off Seventh – this is maybe 1988. After the show, I wanted to walk with my date down to Times Square proper and take a poke around my “old stomping grounds.” As we crossed into the upper 40’s, the pedestrian traffic along Seventh really thinned out, and it was quite eerily dark and quiet for a block or two. The site of the old Rivoli Theatre was a vacant and fenced in lot, and the sounds of the usual city hustle and bustle just sort of fell away behind us, so that all we really could hear were our footsteps. I remember finding myself nervously looking over my shoulder until we got to 47th and the crowd thickened again by Duffy Square.
As for the side streets between Seventh and Eighth Avenues – well, this is where the overwhelming majority of legitimate theaters were located. I don’t know that they were ever all that dangerous, really, except for maybe the darker streets, like 41st and 43rd. I seem to recall a lot of dope dealing went on down those quieter side streets. Forty Second was anything but dark, but was certainly notorious as a rather threatening strip. It never stopped me from going to see a double feature there, but I was certainly sure to have my wits about me and tended to be even more cautious about approaching the western edge of the block near Eighth Ave. Things definitely got more dicey down by the Harem, the Empire and Anco theaters.
Eighth Avenue, where the Adonis was located, while not technically a side street, was definitely more peripheral to the theater district – and decidedly more dangerous and foreboding a place. There was (and still is) but one, lone, legitimate theater located on the west side of Eighth Avenue, the former Martin Beck at W. 45th Street. Aside from that theater, the strip was mostly porn palaces, adult shops, old bars, crappy diners, flop houses, strip clubs and hookers. Lots and lots of hookers. From the dirty 30’s, past the Port Authority, and right up through the ‘40’s and lower 50’s. I rarely found myself on Eighth Avenue, except to catch some flicks at the Hollywood Twin, when it was a revival house for a few years. And aside from a family dinner on Joe Allen’s once or twice when I was a young child, I don’t remember ever venturing west of Eighth in that part of town, until maybe 10 or 12 years ago.
Here’s a direct link to Uwe’s most excellent series of images. Thank you, sir, for documenting this historic building just before it would have been too late!
When I passed by just a few days ago, on Thursday, the building appeared to be about completely down. The blue construction shedding that surrounds the property, still had the protrusion along Sunrise Highway that allowed for the marquee, but the lot behind the shedding looked completely leveled, save for a bit of steel framework that supported what would have been the theater’s western wall, adjacent to the HSBC branch.
I remember that Ramada Inn from back in the ‘80’s… I think it was a Days Inn for a while before Hilton Garden took over. I used to imagine that the Ramada was likely booked by tourists, coming to New York for the first time and familiar with the hotel chain’s name – not imagining for a second the tawdry nature of its location. What they must have thought upon arrival! Eighth Avenue was rife with flea-bag SRO hotels in those days, but wasn’t there also another, smaller legitimate hotel, on the west side of the avenue, that was a national chain? Like maybe Holiday Inn? Can’t pinpoint the location in my mind’s eye, but I could swear there was.
This theater should be listed as demolished. The portion of the block where the Shore was located, is now occupied by a large steam and water supply plant, built in 1998 by a company called Conectiv. The facility is shown in the street view above, and is called the Midtown Thermal Control Center.
That’s a fair point, robboehm… Can’t be much more than a mile away, if that.
Good catch, Bway. Looks like they lopped off about a quarter of the building’s width! It’s remarkable how often that practice occurred over the years in NYC, as thoroughfares were widened to increase traffic capacity. Perhaps it speaks to the quality of construction from the early 20th century, that these structures could withstand such alterations.
They should be there for you, techman… Just checked and they are the 1st five images out of the 12 that are uploaded for this theater.
Posted a few pics I took today of the building’s exterior. I realized, as I was uploading them, that the most recent exterior shot we had here on CT was the one I took back in 1993 (on actual film – imagine that!?), so these pics illustrate the dull “modernization” of the main facade, the removal of the fire-escapes, and cutting away of the marquee and its framework.