Paramount Theatre
560 Bay Street,
Staten Island,
NY
10304
560 Bay Street,
Staten Island,
NY
10304
17 people
favorited this theater
Showing 76 - 100 of 241 comments
Thanks. I will post lobby photos this week- original mirrors are gone, but plaster molding and staircase are intact. The decadence of theatre design was a national trend and having a Rapp and Rapp theatre shows that SI’s close proximity to Manhattan, brought style and affluence. The ART Deco style is a rare survivor, should have be protected years ago…but that ’s your forgotten borough.
Thanks dangel for providing us with this info. As you are probably aware, there is a valiant effort to preserve the Ridgewood Theater in Queens by having the city landmark its facade. It is assumed that this will be an important first step in saving the theater as a whole. The same would apply to the Paramount.
On your blog, you state that the lobby has been restored. Are you able to provide any photos? All we have heard on this page is how the interior has been gutted or severly damaged.
I also congratulate you for starting your blog. I am a native New Yorker, but until my sister married a Staten Islander 15 years ago, my exerience with the “forgotten” borough was limited to the Ferry.
Over the years, I have been amazed to see how much Staten Island has to offer and, more importantly, how little the rest of the world knows about it. From Sailor’s Snug Harbor, to Richmondtown Restoration, from Fort Wadsworth to the Marchand Tibetan Museum, From the Conference House to the St. George Theater, From the zoo and Botanical Garden to the new minor league Baseball Stadium, Staten Island holds many surprises.
A restored Paramount would be a wonderful addition to Staten Island’s and, indeed, New York’s, treasures.
It is great to hear someone has shown interest in restoring this wonderful theatre. So little of the theatre is still intact, it will nbe a long process to be sure. I thought the stage and balcony had been completly demolished,and was glad to hear they were not. Last time I went into the theater which was a few yers back, when I was assisting in the St George resuration, the stage wqs badly damaged by water but the balcony was intact including all the original seats.
Much good luck and please keep us updated.
As for the ‘for lease’ signs on the theater, there’s office space- renovated on the second and third floors.The main theatre is undergoing restoration and the owner is seeking a tenant that will utilize a restored theatre. The theatre is in poor shape, but the owner is committed to keeping as many orginal details as possible. Water damage and years of neglect have left the current owner with a lot of work.
Hi. Check out my blog for updates on the Paramount Theatre. It is being considered for exterior landmarking. www.sitreasure.com/Blog
Just passed by this theater on the train yesterday and saw that the sign is still on the marquee saying that it is for sale or lease.
Also, what is happening on the big parking lot that is directly in front of the theater? Looks like it could be a big building which, unfortunately, will block the view of the theater from the Staten Island Railway.
If anyone is interested in joining a committee to restore the Paramount, email me at
The ornate plaster details are intact and are salvageable. The fixtures are gone, the projection room is bare. The seating is gone. Bathrooms are remodeled. Office spaces renovated. Staircase intact! Entry doors on bay street gone. This may sound grime, but the bones of the building are still good. No condos planned. The NYC landmarks Commission will be landmarking the facade. The facade needs restoration. It has beautiful terra cotta details.
I do not see how a restoration is even possible since there is nothing left of the theatre to restore.
Are you speaking only of the lobby? Some part of that still exsists. However nothing remains of the main auditorium.
With the St George we had much to work with since much of the theatre was still intact. Not so for the Paramount.
Yes, restoration is the plan. The only retail space planned is the first floor-some occupied now. There are two not-for-profits already located on the second floor of the building. The third floor has office space for lease. The offices face Bay Street and are situated in front of the theatre, separated from the theatre by a wide cooridor and have various entryways.
The landmarking of the facade will be coming up after the new year. I will keep you posted.
What do the owners have in mind?
Since new floors are going down I guess it will become some sort of retail space. Since the Paramount theate we all loved is gone, is the plan to try and retain or reproduce some of what was the original theatre?
I also worked on the first attempt at the restoration of the
St George. My main concentration was on restoring the projection booth, but I also helped out on the stage.
The plasterwork will be repaired and reproduced where needed. The wood molding found in the theatre may be mahogany or walnut. The lighting is nonexistent, unless the crew working on the sprinkler system has their temporary lights on. There are some horrible temporary lighting in the lobby- which the owner promises is temporary. The fixtures all need to be recreated in keeping with the original style. The community has been left in the dark for so long. That’s not my style. I work part time with the St. George Theatre, so we many of us may have crossed paths…You may email me at
dangel that is interesting news, of course since most of the interior is gone I wonder what the plans are there.
Please keep us informed.
I would also like to get in touch with the owner, I have much to share with them. Should you come across any contact info please pass it along.
Dangel, I have information on how you can restore those details most effectively. Please e-mail me at and specify who you are in the subject line. Thanks! – Michael Perlman
Dangel we appreciate your inside info! Any chance of getting a look in there?….
I only have good news- The owner is restoring the building – the new cement flooring project has started , as well as the sprinkler system throughout the theatre. He is planning the restoration of beautiful plaster ornamentation. The blue ceiling is still intact. The gold paint on the plaster ornamentation is peeling or damaged- but it is salvageable. The seats and fixtures are gone. The exterior has been nominated for NYC Landmarking and the owner will support the designation. I will keep you posted – cinema enthusiasts!
Well dangel I look forward to yuor post
As to the plaster and wood detail, I can tell you most of that had been painted black by one of the tennants when the theatre was disrespected during it’s run as a dance club during the 80s.
You will have that mess to clean up.
I realize the building is in bad shape, and understand everyone’s concern. We are so very lucky that the St. George has so much of its original fixtures, murals and character intact.Even with seats removed and the orchestra floor area destroyed at the Paramount, the place has a lot of plaster and wood detail. The issue is the water damage and how severe it is. Is there the will to restore and reuse or renovate and destroy??? I will keep you posted.
When last I stood on the stage I felt as though the wood was going to give way under my feet, it had a lot of water damage. That was a while back just before the auditorium was gutted, so unless roof repaire have been made, which is doubtful, heaven knows how bad it has beome now.
The sprinkler system in the lobby area is the only way the owners can use the lobby. You will reall, a vender had hoped to use the lobby, but without a sprinkler system use was prohibited by the fire department.
Dangel- I would'nt get my hopes up too high. It appears they are only renovating the lobby. Vito has stated in many posts that the interior is in terrible shape , and I was told by a knowledgable source that there is much water damage…..
Does anyone have interior photos? I wonder if the wood trim work is mahogany? The owners are installing a sprinkler system. There is still hope.
Oh Warren I am so graetfull for those photos
I was born and raised in Rosebank and lived there until 1961
I worked the Paramount for many years and attended St Marys church as well. Those photos are a truely wonderful trip down memory lane.
Let’s remain hopeful this gem is not demolished. The name is even suggestive of its grand history.
Guess he couldn’t. Anyhoo , a high rise apartment building with retail stores is going up across the street , on the site of the former municipal parking lot. Don’t think it has anything to do with the theatre building.
Acer , can you post your photos?
I have photos of the Paramount’s interior taken when it was still running films. In design, it is almost identical to the Paramount Theatre, Lynn, MA and the Warner Theatre, West Chester, PA. Both of these theatres have been demolished. The Lynn Paramount was about the same size as this theatre, the Warner was smaller. Decorative fine points differed, but the basic designs are the same.
Rapp & Rapp used several basic designs they repeated time and again as architects. This design was first used in 1926 with the Chicago Oriental and the Saint Louis Ambassador. There are many similarities, especially in the ceiling arrangement above the organ screens.