Loew's 46th Street Theatre
4515 New Utrecht Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11219
4515 New Utrecht Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11219
17 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 50 of 280 comments
My friend Orlando was just at the Loew’s 46th Street. He spoke with the owner and the building is currently being gutted inside, the outside will be preserved and used for retail on the bottom parts and apartments on the top. Most of the items like the chairs that were inside are already thrown inside the dumpster and have been hauled off unfortunately. Well at least the exterior will be preserved in some sort of form.
Thanks for all this great information on this site. Update: the building has been sold to a developer and work is scheduled to begin or has begun: the building will be demolished for a high rise structure, a combination of residential and commercial use. The way the furniture store was able to incorporate the previous historic structure and architecture stalled this fate. As commenters said, this will not be a theatre again unless some last minute miracle occurs. Had the building ever been applied for landmark status? (There are a lot of comments here so I am not sure if this was addressed.)
The photos inside and some of the wall ornaments (as shown here: http://abandonednyc.com/2015/01/14/inside-the-loews-46th-st-theater/) would be so great to preserve.
A friend is trying to help as there are bird nests around the building with baby pigeons in them – the contractor said they would let her and wildlife rescue groups rescue the babies before demolition but ideally these birds would be allowed to fledge – a few more weeks and be ready to leave the nest – and then the destruction would take place (if there is no way to stop that, at least prevent the bird lives from being taken). It is much more complicated otherwise – wildlife rehabilitators than have to take on the job of raising the birds and families are separated but there are groups and people ready to do this.
This building has such an amazing history and has survived 88 years. It is hard to imagine a lack of appreciation of its history and architecture — but so much of NYC history has been destroyed in an overly aggressive manner over the last dozen years (it accelerated under Michael Bloomberg).
Will everything be a “luxury” glass building — that also kills and disorients migratory and other birds — at the end of the day with no history in this city left? There is some Landmarks Preservation intervention but so much is not being preserved and appreciated: instead we are left with an overly sanitized NYC.
I have checked the NYC Dept. of Buildings site and apparently a few permits have been filed to do some sort of interior demolition work. Also a year or two prior to that there had been a permit filed to do a conversion from Commercial to Mixed-Use & Residential, that one has seemed to go nowhere for now. BTW, the Furniture store that used to occupy the Loew’s 46th Street has now moved over to McDonald Avenue.
There is no doubt that this building will never become a theatre again due to neighborhood’s uncompromising religious view about seeing movies. One of the negative aspects of the location it is close to the elevated train and there is a lot of noise when a train passes by on New Utrecht Avenue. The theatre will most likely be knocked down just like the Boro Park.
The furniture store is moving to another location and let'’s see what happens to the building. I did a familiar photo shoot twice 1n the 1990’s and in 2001. I also was in the building and just asked for a view and got it. The furniture store owner gave his card. The 2nd time was with some out of town friends and NY THSA director. Everybody was amazed. The roof in the projection booth was wet from rain so the entire roof is not really protecting the existing plaster. The building is 88 years old in October and I doubt after 1970, the same time movies ceased the roof hasn’t been touched. Brandt’s operated the theatre from Loew’s in 1966 and it closed late 1969. My JHS school bus passed the theatre every school day from 1967-70 and it closed by then. The Boro Park went from movies to XXX in 1968. I remember the movie “Boom” playing here and then Adult films. I don’t want to predict that a condo building of some sort may occupy the site, but it might be likely. For restoration to a theatre highly unlikely due to the neighborhood and its' proximity to the Kings.
I appreciate seeing the additional photos of what was once one of the most beautiful movie theatres in Brooklyn.
Surprisingly good condition. At least as a furniture store it’s assured that the roof is in tact.
More pictures here.
Thanks, Ed, for uploading the photos of what was once a beautiful theatre.
The photos that I took yesterday, of the exterior and interior, are now uploaded. Enjoy!
I was there yesterday, and both the saleswoman and owner were extraordinarily gracious; they gave me permission to roam the theater and take pictures, which I will now post. I’m amazed that anyone had trouble with these good folks!
I have the balcony keys from may 19, 1980, the best little whorehouse in texas. Anyone interested in purchasing them
WOW. Unbelievable photo!!
Nice photos Matt!
Great job Matt.
The ruins of what was once one of the most beautiful movie theatres in Brooklyn. Unfortunately, the entire goal of building such types of theatres was to make a profit. When that stopped, these buildings were either abandoned, converted to something else, or destroyed. Like other CT members,I thank Matt Lambros for sharing these photos of what Loew’s 46th Street Theatre looks like now.
I recently photographed the former Loew’s 46th Street Theatre. Check out my blog post at After the Final Curtain
Ed – It took a lot of convincing.
Many thanks for this, Matt Lambros! How’d you manage to convince the owners (who reportedly have been very hostile towards inquiries regarding the building’s theatrical past) to let you photograph the interior?
I can’t believe there were rock concerts in this place.
It is too bad that so many people have never see how beautiful this theatre was at one time. Still, we are lucky to have some imaginative and creative peple who have been able to save and restore some of our movie palaces. It’s a different world now!
You are correct about that ERD.Just relinking.
I still remember the occasional stage shows when it was the theatre was owned by Loew’s. As a child, I performed on the stage in a Happy Felton “Knot Hole Gang” talent show. The “Knot Hole Gang” was a club sponsored by the Brookln Doger’s. Various groups would meet on Sat. mornings at their neighborhood Loew’s theatre.) Unfortunately even then, this beautiful theatre was not well kept. For Loew’s their goal was was how much profit they could get from each theatre they owned.
I also saw the movie called I love you Alice B Tokeless. :)
I was at the Dead shows back then. I got to meet Micky Hart and Alison Steele back then. I was also working there for the sound company hired to do the live shows for In Concert.
In response to an old post on here about “the rumble of the trains and the Dead’s music causing plaster dust to fall down”…this may be true. Documented on Closing of Winterland DVD and in several GD books and interviews, Phil Lesh’s bass was homemade and one time during soundcheck, he hit the perfect note and a huge chunk of plaster fell from the ceiling.