Warren… Adolph Zukor’s Automatic Vaudeville (and, later, Crystal Hall) would have also been in competition with the Theatre Unique, just a couple of blocks to the west on East 14th Street. Both theatres started out as penny arcades and each featured a similar vaulted archway entrance, as you can compare with this photo. To be sure, the Unique’s entryway was far more elaborate than that of Zukor’s establishment.
As a side note… I was wondering if you had ever run across any info on the Comedy Theatre depicted in this 1910 image of East 14th on Union Square. I’ve tried researching it online, but I’ve come up empty. It’s possible that the theatre never showed movies and has no place here, but I thought you might have run across it in your studies. Not to be confused, obviously, with William Collier’s Comedy Theatre on West 41st Street.
I’ll always remember the Ritz (on E. 11th) for the long narrow flight of stairs up to the ballroom and the big video screen hung over the stage where they’d roll obscure clips randomly edited to accompany the music that would play over the house PA before the show or between sets. It was the first place I ever saw the complete John Landis video for Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” – living in Queens at the time, we had no cable or MTV! And I’ll never forget there were always a number of Hell’s Angels' motorcycles parked on the sidewalk to the left of the Ritz' entrance near Fourth Avenue. At least that’s always how I’ll remember the joint! Even though the Angels had there camps a few blocks downtown on… East 3rd was it?
Seattle is a great town – best seafood I’ve ever had! I’ve been there several times (mostly for business) and always enjoyed its hospitality and restaurants. Unfortunately, all my visits occurred before I knew (thanks to this site) that there was a working and lovingly restored Cinerama theatre in town! Even more unfortunately, here in NYC (where the format premiered) all of the original Cinerama venues have been demolished. Well, actually, the theatre where Cinerama was actually first unveiled to the public (the Broadway Theatre) is still standing and in fine shape, but has been converted to legitimate live theatre. I would definitely make the trip out west to experience a true Cinerama presentation (and I’d much prefer to do so in Seattle rather than Los Angeles), so please do keep us informed if you hear anything, D Roben! Thanks.
Hey Bob… I remember when the Ritz moved out of its East 11th Street digs and came uptown, but I never went to a show there after the move and didn’t realize it was actually in the old Gallo/Studio 54! I did enjoy many great times at the old Ritz (now Webster Hall) in the ‘80’s, however. That place has its own architectural charms, though never a movie theatre, let alone a palace.
I was mulling over a trip to Seattle, including a visit to the Martin – but I’d really love to experience a true three-strip Cinerama presentation at some point in my lifetime. Are such occurences at this theatre far and few between? I imagine that three-strip prints are in short supply – especially for “How the West Was Won” – but I don’t really have much knowledge in that area. Is there an archival print (or set of prints as it were) of HTWWW and maybe “This is Cinerama” in good condition that are still allowed to be screened here or in L.A.?
As a side note, I’m curious about the website advertisement for the upcoming 70MM film festival noting that “2001: A Space Odyssey” is an “original B print.” Do I understand that correctly to mean the print is not in “A” condition – or is there some other meaning that escapes me?
Veyoung, I was thinking the same thing… But this was an all-digital presentation at the Ziegfeld on Saturday (indeed, throughout this engagement). I wonder if the order of the trailers is hard coded in the download… or can they be manipulated by the projectionist?
Drove by the other day. I’d never attended a movie here, but as we were stopped in traffic, I just happened to gaze out of the passenger window and had some dim sense that there used to be a theatre here. The free standing sign in the shallow plaza in front of the office building is still there – and this feature must have been what jogged my hazy memory. I don’t think there is anything on the sign at the moment – it just stands there blank and purposeless, saying absolutely nothing to passersby along Third Avenue.
Thanks, Vito. I singled out NA only because the College Point Multiplex (12 screens) in Queens used to be notorious for incredibly LO-OOOONG wait times at the lobby concession stands. There were usually 2 – 3 people behind the twin counters and the lines could grow very long as showtime approached. Sometimes, on a Friday or Saturday night, they’d open the auxilliary candy counters located in each of the two foyers where the auditorium entrances are located. Even then, on a crowded night the lines at each counter were insufferable. In recent years, they opened a Sbarro’s/Nathan’s counter where they used to have a game room. That helped disburse the crowds somewhat. The situation may have improved since I stopped attending shows there a year or so ago.
In any event, what keeps me from College Point more than anything else are the obnoxious crowds – which is why I pointed out how attentive and well behaved the Ziegfeld crowd was. Most mutliplexes in Queens and Long Island seem to draw the same sort of inconsiderate folks no matter what the nieghborhood – parents of infants and toddlers who don’t let the lack of babysitting help prevent them from their night out at the movies (even if rated a hard “R” for violence & sex) or jerks texting on their cell phones or – worse still – answering calls and holding extended conversations while the feature is in progress.
As for masking… Here’s a potential dilemma that occurred to me, Vito. What to do if you have a series of trailers of varying aspect ratios? Some trailers are flat and some in scope.
And whatever happened to those “Coming Attractions” and “Now our feature presentation” bumpers? Those would make perfect curtain opener fodder if, say, a studio didn’t want their logo to ever be obscured in a presentation.
Bob… take a look at my post back on August 15, 2006, where I linked to a vintage November 1963 ad that ran in the LI Star Journal for “This Was Burlesque.” The theatre was called the Casino East at that time. Admissions were $1 and $2!
To the editors: That same post of mine lists a number of AKA’s for this theatre that should be considered for inclusion at the top of the page. I’m not sure if ALL of the names listed were in use while the theatre ran motion pictures, but some of them definitely were (Entermedia, is an example).
I caught the 7pm show last night (Saturday). It was the first time I’ve watched “Blade Runner” from start to finish since I first saw it in theatres back in 1982. Stunning. I was completely drawn in to the film and think it has aged rather well. AlAlvarez… I was definitely in your camp about the original (even if unintended by Scott) voice over narration being a key part in creating the noir atmosphere of the movie, but now that I’ve finally seen the film without it, I think Scott was right to remove it. I much prefer having the images and the accompaniement of Vangelis' fantastic electronic score convey the story and subtexts without having the voice over spell everything out for me. Even without the narration, I think the noir look and ambience is still intact and perhaps even more effective (it occurs to me that narration in a noir homage risks bordering on unintended parody).
Anyway… enough about the movie itself – this page is about the Ziegfeld. The atmosphere at the theatre was great. As we approached the theatre around 6:30pm we could see a number of people milling about the entrance and there was a definite buzz in the ticket lobby as folks waited on line to purchase admissions. Once upstairs, the sense of anticipation was even greater with the upper lobby fairly crowded and the auditorium already starting to fill in. It felt like an opening night! Kudos to Ziegfeld management for properly staffing the theatre for the evening – the candy counter was manned by no less than 5 cashiers (could it have been six?) utilizing every cash register and speedily serving patrons with great efficiency and courtesy. You can’t usually find 5 people manning the concessions at a National Amusements Twelve-plex on a crowded Saturday night!
When we walked into the auditorium the digital pre-show was already underway. We found seats in the center section about a dozen or so rows back and 5 or 6 seats in from the aisle. The sound for the pre-show was very low and practically inaudible over the buzz of the crowd, but I did notice the audio was turned up just a bit towards the end and I thought I noticed the house lights dim and then come back up almost as an announcement to folks that the show was going to start shortly (or maybe just a miscue by the projectionist). Finally, the lights dimmed and the curtains closed as the pre-show was drawing to a close – showing no blank screen to my gratification. However, when the curtains were opened a few moments later, the projectionist waited until the entire blank screen was revealed before running the trailers.
As reported here before, the Ladd Company logo was met with applause and then the theatre remained in absolute silence throughout the rest of the presentation (what a pleasant relief from the usual rude and inattentive multiplex crowds). The image looked great – but I have to say that, even to my untrained eye, the crispness and clarity is still not quite what one would get from a fresh and umblemished 35mm print – let alone 70mm! After the end credits, the curtains were left open – presumably remained that way until after the pre-show leading up to the next showing (10pm). That was a bit disappointing. One other minor gripe – the matte curtains were left open to scope setting throughout the preshow and trailers. Would it have been too much to ask that the masking be brought and not opened until the feature?
I still would like to champion a proper curtain show to start and end the feature as well as proper masking for the preshow and trailers. I hope Craig is reading this. The Ziegfeld is such a special theatre in NYC. Showmanship should be at its very finest here! Last night’s show was fantastic – and nothing can replace the electricity of a large crowd at the Ziegfeld. But why not strive for flawlessness? Mandate proper masking and curtain cues throughout – old school! Can I get an “amen” Vito?
Most (if not all) books that I’ve ever seen on theatre architecture and history tend to list their subjects by the names under which they initially opened. The custom here seems to be to list them under the last known name that the facility operated as a motion picture theatre or under the current name if the facility is still open for theatrical purposes (whether as cinema or live venue). Perhaps once a more robust search engine is established, CT can adopt a formula that can be applied consistently – as there are many inconsistencies with the current scheme.
According to a NY Times article from October of 1995, the Hollywood Twin was shut-down permanently by NYC Health Officials in August of that year after undercover inspectors witnessed “more than 70 incidents of patrons engaging in high-risk sex.” At the time, the Hollywood was one of several porn establishments owned by “the undisputed king of Times Square porn” Richard Basciano – who to this day still operates the “Show World” emporium on Eighth Avenue, just north of 42nd Street.
Frank… A photo of Mayer unveiling that mural in the Rialto (the likenesses of the Stooges are clear in the shot) can be found in the excellent book “Ghosts of 42nd Street” by Anthony Bianco.
Clearview has revised its website and there is now a page of images for the Ziegfeld. Some of the images should look quite familiar to CT members… Looks like that flickr photostream posted above by HowardBHaas caught the eye of someone at Clearview!
There has always been a slight issue (at least from my perspective) with the status “Closed/Demolished” on this site and when it should be applied. In my mind, a complete gutting of a theater to the bare brick walls (particular when it was not a standalone theatre, but a space within a larger building) is tantamount to demolition. At least with a standalone gut-job, the exterior elements of a theatre might remain (such as the Astoria, Bayside or Forest Hills Theatres in Queens). However, in the case of the Criterion (just as with the Paramount across Times Square) where the office building remains but virtually all vestiges of the theatre itself have been erased, I have no problem with “Demolished.”
Perhaps it would be better still if a new category of “Closed/Gutted” could be added to the mix to add a further level of clarification.
Bway… if you intended to link to that site, the interior photo included there is of a place on West 16th Street and Ninth Avenue called the Highline Ballroom. Or was there some other image that you meant to link?
Yes, ken mc… KFC should certainly be distinguished from its more honestly named precursor Kentucky Fried Chicken. The Colonel must be rolling over in his grave.
At the bottom of this NY Post ad from 12/11/1980, there is an ad for the X-rated “Sweet Paradise” day-and-dating at the Rendezvous and several other porn theatres around town.
Much obliged, RCDTJ. I live so damn close to the Malverne now (I’m in Lynbrook), I’ll have to try and check out a flick or two there soon. I’ll give it a few weeks to see if they can finish installation of the new sound systems – and then, I guess, I’ll try and avoid #3! And I don’t think I’d enjoy #1 or #5 either due to size.
Bloop… For a real riot, checkout the schlocky shoe-string budget sci-fi flick “Without Warning” with Mitchell – not to mention a slumming Martin Landau, Jack Palance and none other than Corporal Agarn himself, Larry Storch! But in all fairness to poor old Cameron, he did manage a role as the notorious hoodlum lampooned by the Sid Ceaser-like character portrayed by Joe Bologna in the terrific “My Favorite Year” back in 1982 – in the midst of all his drive-in horror film appearances.
Thanks, 7train… When I was in #1 to see “The Simpsons Movie” over the summer, I thought the room seemed a little tighter than I recalled from the 1980’s, when I frequented the Lynbrook with regularity. The removal of seats results in the aisle now being somewhat left of center in relation to the screen.
Hmmmm. Interesting they installed the stereo sound for the smallest rooms in the house. Some contradictions in the posts above regarding how the original house was split. Sounds like the original auditorium was completely gutted to make way for the new screens – I’m just not sure if there are 3 or 4 rooms in the original space. Different posts here note that either 1 additional screen was open in adjacent retail space or 2 screens were. Can anyone clarify that for sure? Thanks.
Profjoe… the Filmore East was in existence for all of about 3 yrs (‘68 – '71)… Could it have really had such a hand in bringing down an entire neighborhood? The Beacon has been operating as a concert hall for over 20 yrs and that stretch of the Upper West Side seems none the worse for the wear. I suppose it’s all relative. I have a family friend who lived on St. Marks Place off 2nd Ave for some 35 years before finally moving out of the neighborhood within the last 5 years. In his view, the neighborhood took a turn for the worse with modern gentrification.
Warren… Adolph Zukor’s Automatic Vaudeville (and, later, Crystal Hall) would have also been in competition with the Theatre Unique, just a couple of blocks to the west on East 14th Street. Both theatres started out as penny arcades and each featured a similar vaulted archway entrance, as you can compare with this photo. To be sure, the Unique’s entryway was far more elaborate than that of Zukor’s establishment.
As a side note… I was wondering if you had ever run across any info on the Comedy Theatre depicted in this 1910 image of East 14th on Union Square. I’ve tried researching it online, but I’ve come up empty. It’s possible that the theatre never showed movies and has no place here, but I thought you might have run across it in your studies. Not to be confused, obviously, with William Collier’s Comedy Theatre on West 41st Street.
I’ll always remember the Ritz (on E. 11th) for the long narrow flight of stairs up to the ballroom and the big video screen hung over the stage where they’d roll obscure clips randomly edited to accompany the music that would play over the house PA before the show or between sets. It was the first place I ever saw the complete John Landis video for Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” – living in Queens at the time, we had no cable or MTV! And I’ll never forget there were always a number of Hell’s Angels' motorcycles parked on the sidewalk to the left of the Ritz' entrance near Fourth Avenue. At least that’s always how I’ll remember the joint! Even though the Angels had there camps a few blocks downtown on… East 3rd was it?
Seattle is a great town – best seafood I’ve ever had! I’ve been there several times (mostly for business) and always enjoyed its hospitality and restaurants. Unfortunately, all my visits occurred before I knew (thanks to this site) that there was a working and lovingly restored Cinerama theatre in town! Even more unfortunately, here in NYC (where the format premiered) all of the original Cinerama venues have been demolished. Well, actually, the theatre where Cinerama was actually first unveiled to the public (the Broadway Theatre) is still standing and in fine shape, but has been converted to legitimate live theatre. I would definitely make the trip out west to experience a true Cinerama presentation (and I’d much prefer to do so in Seattle rather than Los Angeles), so please do keep us informed if you hear anything, D Roben! Thanks.
Hey Bob… I remember when the Ritz moved out of its East 11th Street digs and came uptown, but I never went to a show there after the move and didn’t realize it was actually in the old Gallo/Studio 54! I did enjoy many great times at the old Ritz (now Webster Hall) in the ‘80’s, however. That place has its own architectural charms, though never a movie theatre, let alone a palace.
I was mulling over a trip to Seattle, including a visit to the Martin – but I’d really love to experience a true three-strip Cinerama presentation at some point in my lifetime. Are such occurences at this theatre far and few between? I imagine that three-strip prints are in short supply – especially for “How the West Was Won” – but I don’t really have much knowledge in that area. Is there an archival print (or set of prints as it were) of HTWWW and maybe “This is Cinerama” in good condition that are still allowed to be screened here or in L.A.?
As a side note, I’m curious about the website advertisement for the upcoming 70MM film festival noting that “2001: A Space Odyssey” is an “original B print.” Do I understand that correctly to mean the print is not in “A” condition – or is there some other meaning that escapes me?
Veyoung, I was thinking the same thing… But this was an all-digital presentation at the Ziegfeld on Saturday (indeed, throughout this engagement). I wonder if the order of the trailers is hard coded in the download… or can they be manipulated by the projectionist?
Drove by the other day. I’d never attended a movie here, but as we were stopped in traffic, I just happened to gaze out of the passenger window and had some dim sense that there used to be a theatre here. The free standing sign in the shallow plaza in front of the office building is still there – and this feature must have been what jogged my hazy memory. I don’t think there is anything on the sign at the moment – it just stands there blank and purposeless, saying absolutely nothing to passersby along Third Avenue.
Thanks, Vito. I singled out NA only because the College Point Multiplex (12 screens) in Queens used to be notorious for incredibly LO-OOOONG wait times at the lobby concession stands. There were usually 2 – 3 people behind the twin counters and the lines could grow very long as showtime approached. Sometimes, on a Friday or Saturday night, they’d open the auxilliary candy counters located in each of the two foyers where the auditorium entrances are located. Even then, on a crowded night the lines at each counter were insufferable. In recent years, they opened a Sbarro’s/Nathan’s counter where they used to have a game room. That helped disburse the crowds somewhat. The situation may have improved since I stopped attending shows there a year or so ago.
In any event, what keeps me from College Point more than anything else are the obnoxious crowds – which is why I pointed out how attentive and well behaved the Ziegfeld crowd was. Most mutliplexes in Queens and Long Island seem to draw the same sort of inconsiderate folks no matter what the nieghborhood – parents of infants and toddlers who don’t let the lack of babysitting help prevent them from their night out at the movies (even if rated a hard “R” for violence & sex) or jerks texting on their cell phones or – worse still – answering calls and holding extended conversations while the feature is in progress.
As for masking… Here’s a potential dilemma that occurred to me, Vito. What to do if you have a series of trailers of varying aspect ratios? Some trailers are flat and some in scope.
And whatever happened to those “Coming Attractions” and “Now our feature presentation” bumpers? Those would make perfect curtain opener fodder if, say, a studio didn’t want their logo to ever be obscured in a presentation.
Bob… take a look at my post back on August 15, 2006, where I linked to a vintage November 1963 ad that ran in the LI Star Journal for “This Was Burlesque.” The theatre was called the Casino East at that time. Admissions were $1 and $2!
To the editors: That same post of mine lists a number of AKA’s for this theatre that should be considered for inclusion at the top of the page. I’m not sure if ALL of the names listed were in use while the theatre ran motion pictures, but some of them definitely were (Entermedia, is an example).
I caught the 7pm show last night (Saturday). It was the first time I’ve watched “Blade Runner” from start to finish since I first saw it in theatres back in 1982. Stunning. I was completely drawn in to the film and think it has aged rather well. AlAlvarez… I was definitely in your camp about the original (even if unintended by Scott) voice over narration being a key part in creating the noir atmosphere of the movie, but now that I’ve finally seen the film without it, I think Scott was right to remove it. I much prefer having the images and the accompaniement of Vangelis' fantastic electronic score convey the story and subtexts without having the voice over spell everything out for me. Even without the narration, I think the noir look and ambience is still intact and perhaps even more effective (it occurs to me that narration in a noir homage risks bordering on unintended parody).
Anyway… enough about the movie itself – this page is about the Ziegfeld. The atmosphere at the theatre was great. As we approached the theatre around 6:30pm we could see a number of people milling about the entrance and there was a definite buzz in the ticket lobby as folks waited on line to purchase admissions. Once upstairs, the sense of anticipation was even greater with the upper lobby fairly crowded and the auditorium already starting to fill in. It felt like an opening night! Kudos to Ziegfeld management for properly staffing the theatre for the evening – the candy counter was manned by no less than 5 cashiers (could it have been six?) utilizing every cash register and speedily serving patrons with great efficiency and courtesy. You can’t usually find 5 people manning the concessions at a National Amusements Twelve-plex on a crowded Saturday night!
When we walked into the auditorium the digital pre-show was already underway. We found seats in the center section about a dozen or so rows back and 5 or 6 seats in from the aisle. The sound for the pre-show was very low and practically inaudible over the buzz of the crowd, but I did notice the audio was turned up just a bit towards the end and I thought I noticed the house lights dim and then come back up almost as an announcement to folks that the show was going to start shortly (or maybe just a miscue by the projectionist). Finally, the lights dimmed and the curtains closed as the pre-show was drawing to a close – showing no blank screen to my gratification. However, when the curtains were opened a few moments later, the projectionist waited until the entire blank screen was revealed before running the trailers.
As reported here before, the Ladd Company logo was met with applause and then the theatre remained in absolute silence throughout the rest of the presentation (what a pleasant relief from the usual rude and inattentive multiplex crowds). The image looked great – but I have to say that, even to my untrained eye, the crispness and clarity is still not quite what one would get from a fresh and umblemished 35mm print – let alone 70mm! After the end credits, the curtains were left open – presumably remained that way until after the pre-show leading up to the next showing (10pm). That was a bit disappointing. One other minor gripe – the matte curtains were left open to scope setting throughout the preshow and trailers. Would it have been too much to ask that the masking be brought and not opened until the feature?
I still would like to champion a proper curtain show to start and end the feature as well as proper masking for the preshow and trailers. I hope Craig is reading this. The Ziegfeld is such a special theatre in NYC. Showmanship should be at its very finest here! Last night’s show was fantastic – and nothing can replace the electricity of a large crowd at the Ziegfeld. But why not strive for flawlessness? Mandate proper masking and curtain cues throughout – old school! Can I get an “amen” Vito?
Most (if not all) books that I’ve ever seen on theatre architecture and history tend to list their subjects by the names under which they initially opened. The custom here seems to be to list them under the last known name that the facility operated as a motion picture theatre or under the current name if the facility is still open for theatrical purposes (whether as cinema or live venue). Perhaps once a more robust search engine is established, CT can adopt a formula that can be applied consistently – as there are many inconsistencies with the current scheme.
According to a NY Times article from October of 1995, the Hollywood Twin was shut-down permanently by NYC Health Officials in August of that year after undercover inspectors witnessed “more than 70 incidents of patrons engaging in high-risk sex.” At the time, the Hollywood was one of several porn establishments owned by “the undisputed king of Times Square porn” Richard Basciano – who to this day still operates the “Show World” emporium on Eighth Avenue, just north of 42nd Street.
Saps, sad to say a little bit of both!
Frank… A photo of Mayer unveiling that mural in the Rialto (the likenesses of the Stooges are clear in the shot) can be found in the excellent book “Ghosts of 42nd Street” by Anthony Bianco.
Clearview has revised its website and there is now a page of images for the Ziegfeld. Some of the images should look quite familiar to CT members… Looks like that flickr photostream posted above by HowardBHaas caught the eye of someone at Clearview!
There has always been a slight issue (at least from my perspective) with the status “Closed/Demolished” on this site and when it should be applied. In my mind, a complete gutting of a theater to the bare brick walls (particular when it was not a standalone theatre, but a space within a larger building) is tantamount to demolition. At least with a standalone gut-job, the exterior elements of a theatre might remain (such as the Astoria, Bayside or Forest Hills Theatres in Queens). However, in the case of the Criterion (just as with the Paramount across Times Square) where the office building remains but virtually all vestiges of the theatre itself have been erased, I have no problem with “Demolished.”
Perhaps it would be better still if a new category of “Closed/Gutted” could be added to the mix to add a further level of clarification.
Bway… if you intended to link to that site, the interior photo included there is of a place on West 16th Street and Ninth Avenue called the Highline Ballroom. Or was there some other image that you meant to link?
I believe THIS is the link Bway meant to post.
Yes, ken mc… KFC should certainly be distinguished from its more honestly named precursor Kentucky Fried Chicken. The Colonel must be rolling over in his grave.
At the bottom of this NY Post ad from 12/11/1980, there is an ad for the X-rated “Sweet Paradise” day-and-dating at the Rendezvous and several other porn theatres around town.
Much obliged, RCDTJ. I live so damn close to the Malverne now (I’m in Lynbrook), I’ll have to try and check out a flick or two there soon. I’ll give it a few weeks to see if they can finish installation of the new sound systems – and then, I guess, I’ll try and avoid #3! And I don’t think I’d enjoy #1 or #5 either due to size.
Bloop… For a real riot, checkout the schlocky shoe-string budget sci-fi flick “Without Warning” with Mitchell – not to mention a slumming Martin Landau, Jack Palance and none other than Corporal Agarn himself, Larry Storch! But in all fairness to poor old Cameron, he did manage a role as the notorious hoodlum lampooned by the Sid Ceaser-like character portrayed by Joe Bologna in the terrific “My Favorite Year” back in 1982 – in the midst of all his drive-in horror film appearances.
Thanks, 7train… When I was in #1 to see “The Simpsons Movie” over the summer, I thought the room seemed a little tighter than I recalled from the 1980’s, when I frequented the Lynbrook with regularity. The removal of seats results in the aisle now being somewhat left of center in relation to the screen.
Hmmmm. Interesting they installed the stereo sound for the smallest rooms in the house. Some contradictions in the posts above regarding how the original house was split. Sounds like the original auditorium was completely gutted to make way for the new screens – I’m just not sure if there are 3 or 4 rooms in the original space. Different posts here note that either 1 additional screen was open in adjacent retail space or 2 screens were. Can anyone clarify that for sure? Thanks.
Profjoe… the Filmore East was in existence for all of about 3 yrs (‘68 – '71)… Could it have really had such a hand in bringing down an entire neighborhood? The Beacon has been operating as a concert hall for over 20 yrs and that stretch of the Upper West Side seems none the worse for the wear. I suppose it’s all relative. I have a family friend who lived on St. Marks Place off 2nd Ave for some 35 years before finally moving out of the neighborhood within the last 5 years. In his view, the neighborhood took a turn for the worse with modern gentrification.