Okay, here’s what I found out in the NYC records. It may not be good news, but it may explain the recent desecration of the building.
The building was sold on January 31, 2008 buy the 117-11 Realty Corp for $1,875,000. The building HAS been sold. There IS a new owner.
Apparently, unfortunately, the new owner saw fit to remove the RKO Lettering from the marquee. If this is a sign of further things to come to this theater, this is NOT good news as to what will happen to the rest of the building.
This is why I found this so unbelievable when I heard the marquee was sabotaged, as years back, I remember reading that the owner was “proud” that it was so well preserved underneath. But now we aren’t dealing what THAT owner anymore…..
The 54X111 sized lot probably only is the front part of the building, the lobby. The RKO Keith’s, just like The Madison in Ridgewood, the Ridgewood Theater, the Meserole, etc, etc only occupy the space of about a store along their facades, but the theater auditorium itself spreads out behind the facade and other stores on the block. that is also the case with the Keiths.
I highly doubt any of the people writing here go often to the Bingo Hall, or the flea market to make a difference either way.
But that of course being said, while I agree with what Luis said about the theater remaining so intact, that doesn’t absolve the fact that for no reason, all of a sudden they decided to remove the RKO Keiths from the marquee, which now looks like crap again. The building looked so go when that awful aluminum was removed, and the old marquee exposed….why would they take a step backwards?
This is absolutely TRAGIC. The building looked so good with that old historic lettering on it. How can the owners actually think this looks better? Why they did this is a mystery.
I regret to have to say this, but I drove by the Eagle/Luxor Theater yesterday, and the theater is currently being demolished. It’s just about half gone. Of ALL the times, I forgot my memory card for my camera, so couldn’t take any photos when I was in the area yesterday, but take my word, the theater will be history soon. The entire middle section is gone, only the two outside side walls remain. I WISH I had a photo, but I regretably forgot my memory card for my camera yesterday, so couldn’t take any photos.
Well I guess the Ridgewood and Astoria do have something else in common…the Ridgewood’s marquee fell to the street too back in the 60’s during a snowstorm. Luckily no one was under it at the time….
I agree, and you are right….but….they were never really in competition for the same customers, so I don’t really see a rivalry between the two theaters. And of course now it would be moot anyway, as the Astoria is all but gone, as it’s gutted, and could never be used for a theater again. The Ridgewood may find the same fate, unless it is somehow saved in the final hours. The Ridgewood WAS still showing movies as recently as this past March. That’s only 4 months ago, and to my knowledge nothing has changed inside….yet…but it certainly is at a dangerous crossroads as we speak.
I don’t understand Warren. You are into historic preservation of theaters, yet you don’t know if you want the Ridgewood saved? You have done a lot on this site, keeping these old bricks and plaster alive through historic photos. But you are unsure if you think the Ridgewood should be saved?
Or is it more because you don’t like some of the people that hold this theater dear?
Well you even have to pay to park to shop at that place! No wonder few people go there.
But all said and done, the Atlas PArk had to be the final nail in the coffin for the not so far away Ridgewood Theater. Now the Atlas is the only movie theater in the area, unless going to Forest Hills.
I didn’t think there was “competition” between the pages of two theaters. Both closed by the way. The Astoria now in no chance of ever being used as a theater again, and the Ridgewood recently closed and awaiting it’s fate.
So, no, there’s no rivalry, and wasn’t between the two until Gerard brought it up.
The last few comments are ludicrous here to even suggest there is some rivalry between the two theaters, as the two have really little if anything to do with eachother, other than it’s architect.
I haven’t had anything to add, but have really enjoyed the comments on this theater the last couple days. It’s so sad that as we speak, the fate of the Ridgewood Theater is still a big unknown. We could lose it here in the final hours…. It’s at an urgent crossroads as we speak.
The colors of course may be inappropriate, but the place was in really good condition yet in the 70’s. Shall we say….much better than what they have done to the place now…. too bad, it’s been destroyed inside.
I enjoyed your article that you found on the Busy Bee! Two interesing points… One is that it said that “it was being used as a retail complex when it burned”. That would mean after Odd Lot? But that doesn’t coincide with what Peter thought he remembered, and what I thought I remembered, but something in the back of my mind thought it was after Odd Lot…unless that was a second fire? I really can’t remember.
The other thing I do remember though was when they BEAUTIFULLY restored the exterior facade of the Madison before the Busy Bee store opened. The Madison had these BEAUTIFUL Gothic windows. The Busy Bee sign was a tasteful sign that was put UNDER those windows, in the location of the old marquee, except it was flat, the marquee was gone. The stones were steam cleaned, and the whole building repointed. The windows were also replaced. It looked stunning. Unfortunately, after Busy Bee closed, the Liberty Dept store decided to put a HUGE sign up, that covered over all that beautiful masonary work. I have no idea why……
The intoduction is incorrect in it’s final sentence above, which says something to the effect of “the current retail space only uses the former lobby, and the theater may be intact inside”. That isn’t correct, the Liberty Department store uses the whole downstairs auditorium from the stage to the inner and outer lobbies. Nothing is intact in the theater, at least at ground level. The only thing that “could” be intact is perhaps the ceiling dome, and perhaps the top of the walls, and perhaps, maybe part of the balcony “behind the door”, but other than that, NOTHING remains, and nothing is visable in the whole store, except you can see the physical curve of the balcony as it stretches across the former theater.
Peter, thanks for confirming when the fire was. I thought it was after the theater closed, but before converting to retail.
Ironically, perhaps if it didn’t burn, they wouldn’t have gutted it as fully as it was gutted, as they wouldn’t have needed to. But the fire probably really damaged a lot of the interior, if not just the fire itself, but the water when putting it out, and then what the fire and water didn’t destroy, the soot and smoke from the fire would have really destroyed everything else…. So really, even if by some slight chance the upper portions of the walls and the ceiling dome remain “behind that door” in the balcony, it’s probably heavily damaged from the soot, and then let’s not forget it’s been another 30 years since the fire. Sadly, even if we “look beyond the door”, it would probably be disappointing, but it is possible, the upper walls and what’s left of the balcony could be still there, even if in shambles.
Hahaha, good one Peter….that “door” has really become the almost the legend……just “what” is “behind that door”…..
But there you go, step to through that door into…..The Twilight Zone……
Okay, here’s what I found out in the NYC records. It may not be good news, but it may explain the recent desecration of the building.
The building was sold on January 31, 2008 buy the 117-11 Realty Corp for $1,875,000. The building HAS been sold. There IS a new owner.
Apparently, unfortunately, the new owner saw fit to remove the RKO Lettering from the marquee. If this is a sign of further things to come to this theater, this is NOT good news as to what will happen to the rest of the building.
This is why I found this so unbelievable when I heard the marquee was sabotaged, as years back, I remember reading that the owner was “proud” that it was so well preserved underneath. But now we aren’t dealing what THAT owner anymore…..
The 54X111 sized lot probably only is the front part of the building, the lobby. The RKO Keith’s, just like The Madison in Ridgewood, the Ridgewood Theater, the Meserole, etc, etc only occupy the space of about a store along their facades, but the theater auditorium itself spreads out behind the facade and other stores on the block. that is also the case with the Keiths.
I highly doubt any of the people writing here go often to the Bingo Hall, or the flea market to make a difference either way.
But that of course being said, while I agree with what Luis said about the theater remaining so intact, that doesn’t absolve the fact that for no reason, all of a sudden they decided to remove the RKO Keiths from the marquee, which now looks like crap again. The building looked so go when that awful aluminum was removed, and the old marquee exposed….why would they take a step backwards?
I think the Kismet is a church.
This is absolutely TRAGIC. The building looked so good with that old historic lettering on it. How can the owners actually think this looks better? Why they did this is a mystery.
WOW! That is so interesting about that church!! I passed that church more times than I can count when passing by on the LIRR behind it….
I regret to have to say this, but I drove by the Eagle/Luxor Theater yesterday, and the theater is currently being demolished. It’s just about half gone. Of ALL the times, I forgot my memory card for my camera, so couldn’t take any photos when I was in the area yesterday, but take my word, the theater will be history soon. The entire middle section is gone, only the two outside side walls remain. I WISH I had a photo, but I regretably forgot my memory card for my camera yesterday, so couldn’t take any photos.
The Valencia has a healthy page too.
Well I guess the Ridgewood and Astoria do have something else in common…the Ridgewood’s marquee fell to the street too back in the 60’s during a snowstorm. Luckily no one was under it at the time….
I agree, and you are right….but….they were never really in competition for the same customers, so I don’t really see a rivalry between the two theaters. And of course now it would be moot anyway, as the Astoria is all but gone, as it’s gutted, and could never be used for a theater again. The Ridgewood may find the same fate, unless it is somehow saved in the final hours. The Ridgewood WAS still showing movies as recently as this past March. That’s only 4 months ago, and to my knowledge nothing has changed inside….yet…but it certainly is at a dangerous crossroads as we speak.
Okay Warren, fair enough.
I don’t understand Warren. You are into historic preservation of theaters, yet you don’t know if you want the Ridgewood saved? You have done a lot on this site, keeping these old bricks and plaster alive through historic photos. But you are unsure if you think the Ridgewood should be saved?
Or is it more because you don’t like some of the people that hold this theater dear?
Well you even have to pay to park to shop at that place! No wonder few people go there.
But all said and done, the Atlas PArk had to be the final nail in the coffin for the not so far away Ridgewood Theater. Now the Atlas is the only movie theater in the area, unless going to Forest Hills.
I didn’t think there was “competition” between the pages of two theaters. Both closed by the way. The Astoria now in no chance of ever being used as a theater again, and the Ridgewood recently closed and awaiting it’s fate.
So, no, there’s no rivalry, and wasn’t between the two until Gerard brought it up.
The last few comments are ludicrous here to even suggest there is some rivalry between the two theaters, as the two have really little if anything to do with eachother, other than it’s architect.
The last movie I saw at the Drake was “Annie”. I don’t remember the theater being all that impressive inside.
Ahhhh, time to pull out the popcorn and watch the show!
I haven’t had anything to add, but have really enjoyed the comments on this theater the last couple days. It’s so sad that as we speak, the fate of the Ridgewood Theater is still a big unknown. We could lose it here in the final hours…. It’s at an urgent crossroads as we speak.
Lost, if they did that today, they may have to do that WAY to often with a lot of the crap that is put out today!
The colors of course may be inappropriate, but the place was in really good condition yet in the 70’s. Shall we say….much better than what they have done to the place now…. too bad, it’s been destroyed inside.
Thanks Lost, I must have missed it, or it’s so long ago I don’t remember!
I enjoyed your article that you found on the Busy Bee! Two interesing points… One is that it said that “it was being used as a retail complex when it burned”. That would mean after Odd Lot? But that doesn’t coincide with what Peter thought he remembered, and what I thought I remembered, but something in the back of my mind thought it was after Odd Lot…unless that was a second fire? I really can’t remember.
The other thing I do remember though was when they BEAUTIFULLY restored the exterior facade of the Madison before the Busy Bee store opened. The Madison had these BEAUTIFUL Gothic windows. The Busy Bee sign was a tasteful sign that was put UNDER those windows, in the location of the old marquee, except it was flat, the marquee was gone. The stones were steam cleaned, and the whole building repointed. The windows were also replaced. It looked stunning. Unfortunately, after Busy Bee closed, the Liberty Dept store decided to put a HUGE sign up, that covered over all that beautiful masonary work. I have no idea why……
…or even exterior ones…I don’t think I have ever seen a photo of it, and since it was so large, that is hard to believe.
Anyone know of any interior photos of the Halsey?
The intoduction is incorrect in it’s final sentence above, which says something to the effect of “the current retail space only uses the former lobby, and the theater may be intact inside”. That isn’t correct, the Liberty Department store uses the whole downstairs auditorium from the stage to the inner and outer lobbies. Nothing is intact in the theater, at least at ground level. The only thing that “could” be intact is perhaps the ceiling dome, and perhaps the top of the walls, and perhaps, maybe part of the balcony “behind the door”, but other than that, NOTHING remains, and nothing is visable in the whole store, except you can see the physical curve of the balcony as it stretches across the former theater.
Peter, thanks for confirming when the fire was. I thought it was after the theater closed, but before converting to retail.
Ironically, perhaps if it didn’t burn, they wouldn’t have gutted it as fully as it was gutted, as they wouldn’t have needed to. But the fire probably really damaged a lot of the interior, if not just the fire itself, but the water when putting it out, and then what the fire and water didn’t destroy, the soot and smoke from the fire would have really destroyed everything else…. So really, even if by some slight chance the upper portions of the walls and the ceiling dome remain “behind that door” in the balcony, it’s probably heavily damaged from the soot, and then let’s not forget it’s been another 30 years since the fire. Sadly, even if we “look beyond the door”, it would probably be disappointing, but it is possible, the upper walls and what’s left of the balcony could be still there, even if in shambles.
Hahaha, good one Peter….that “door” has really become the almost the legend……just “what” is “behind that door”…..
But there you go, step to through that door into…..The Twilight Zone……