Ugh!!! They took off the marquee too! It looked so good on there with their Rock Church sign!
How did we go from this beautiful sight to what they did to it now…. http://www.flickr.com/photos/gooseotter/187390782/
imdb is great for finding out the basic specifics, but their forum has become a gathering of what seem like teenagers talking about trying to meet the “sexy” young stars of some of the movies. After you leave the main page of any movie, that’s where any serious information ends.
And if you throw in all the others nearby, like the Gates, Empire, Casino, Colonial, and the list goes on….that stretch had a HIGE amount of theaters at one time.
The Century Theater was right next door to the Monroe Theater, except on Monroe instead of facing Howard. It’s right across the Street from Mc Donalds, and caddycorner across the street to the RKO Bushwick. That’s 4…yes 4 theaters on 4 adjoining lots basically….
Here’s more on the Century Theater….
Yes, I couldn’t believe it either. However, I have actually also seen this theater on an old Brooklyn tax map, showing this theater next to the oppulant RKO Bushwick. They probably both survived, as the tiny Madison was a film theater, and the RKO Bushwick originally a legit theater.
Did the theater that now is called the Hammerstein Ballroom, and shows concerts ever show film? And if so, is it listed on this site? I am assuming it may not have ever shown film, as it’s not on the site… Either way, what was it’s name when it was still a theater?
While it’s great that the building did survive, the exterior destroying of the entire historic terra-cotta and woodwork on the windows is a travesty. It’s now just like any other non-historic non-descript exterior building, lost all it’s historic features unncessarily. Yes, it’s better than had it been destroyed, but you could have saved a lot of money, and at the same time kept a historic building’s exterior had you just not covered/destroyed the beautiful historic fascade of that building.
Yes, you are to be commended on saving the building, and maintaining it, and hopefully restoring what’s left of the interior after the multiplexing of the theater….but unfortunately what happened on the outside clouds the whole project. There was no reason to cover over the exterior of that building.
I didn’t put two and two together….I remember seeing photos of the Patchogue Plaza Theater on your website also…Great stuff. I heard the Plaza is finally going to be put out of it’s misery soon.
These are very interesting photos! I wish I could see some historic ones to compare to, but it looks like most of the theater is completely intact in the church conversion. it’s a shame that the original ceiling partially collapsed, and they had to be a drop ceiling in, but most of the detail aside from that appears to survive.
I was by the Astoria yesterday, and the marque is still there, and has the Duane Reade name and the gym name on it. I think the name of the “center” is called “Astoria Plaza” on the top of the Marquee. What’s interesting is that there’s no doors under the marquee, just windows for the drug store.
Yes, unfortunately, I doubt the owners of the site would do something like that, as they had absolutely NO respect for the building or it’s history. It was an ACTIVE theater in 2002!! And just 3 years later the building was in complete shambles as they allowed water to just pur through it, and most of it was deliberately destroyed, so there would have been no hope for restoration or landmarking.
Actually, I believe the entire postcard is an artist rendering, not just the cars, etc.
Ugh!!! They took off the marquee too! It looked so good on there with their Rock Church sign!
How did we go from this beautiful sight to what they did to it now….
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gooseotter/187390782/
imdb is great for finding out the basic specifics, but their forum has become a gathering of what seem like teenagers talking about trying to meet the “sexy” young stars of some of the movies. After you leave the main page of any movie, that’s where any serious information ends.
And if you throw in all the others nearby, like the Gates, Empire, Casino, Colonial, and the list goes on….that stretch had a HIGE amount of theaters at one time.
That’s what I meant. It was for live shows, not film.
I should have said it “was” across the street from where McDonalds is now….it was torn down years ago.
The Century Theater was right next door to the Monroe Theater, except on Monroe instead of facing Howard. It’s right across the Street from Mc Donalds, and caddycorner across the street to the RKO Bushwick. That’s 4…yes 4 theaters on 4 adjoining lots basically….
Here’s more on the Century Theater….
/theaters/8279/
They have recently built brand new homes on the site of the Century Theater.
Yes, I couldn’t believe it either. However, I have actually also seen this theater on an old Brooklyn tax map, showing this theater next to the oppulant RKO Bushwick. They probably both survived, as the tiny Madison was a film theater, and the RKO Bushwick originally a legit theater.
The Century Theater was also right there on Monroe……
Wow, when I saw “photo”, I was think there may actually be a long awaited historic photo of the interior of the Ridgewood theater found….
Did the theater that now is called the Hammerstein Ballroom, and shows concerts ever show film? And if so, is it listed on this site? I am assuming it may not have ever shown film, as it’s not on the site… Either way, what was it’s name when it was still a theater?
Here’s another photo of the beautiful front of the building before it was destroyed. What a gem it would have been….
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gooseotter/187390782/
Such a beautiful facade, lost forever:
View link
(Repost photo originally posted by Jeffery1955 above on this page)
While it’s great that the building did survive, the exterior destroying of the entire historic terra-cotta and woodwork on the windows is a travesty. It’s now just like any other non-historic non-descript exterior building, lost all it’s historic features unncessarily. Yes, it’s better than had it been destroyed, but you could have saved a lot of money, and at the same time kept a historic building’s exterior had you just not covered/destroyed the beautiful historic fascade of that building.
Yes, you are to be commended on saving the building, and maintaining it, and hopefully restoring what’s left of the interior after the multiplexing of the theater….but unfortunately what happened on the outside clouds the whole project. There was no reason to cover over the exterior of that building.
I didn’t put two and two together….I remember seeing photos of the Patchogue Plaza Theater on your website also…Great stuff. I heard the Plaza is finally going to be put out of it’s misery soon.
As I said many times above….one thing I had to say about the Patchogue is it had GREAT popcorn!! I agree, the Island16 is overpriced.
Sad….thanks for the photos. I am really going to miss the place.
These are very interesting photos! I wish I could see some historic ones to compare to, but it looks like most of the theater is completely intact in the church conversion. it’s a shame that the original ceiling partially collapsed, and they had to be a drop ceiling in, but most of the detail aside from that appears to survive.
I believe it was at the corner.
I was by the Astoria yesterday, and the marque is still there, and has the Duane Reade name and the gym name on it. I think the name of the “center” is called “Astoria Plaza” on the top of the Marquee. What’s interesting is that there’s no doors under the marquee, just windows for the drug store.
Thanks, but where will the Tanger Outlet be?
Ah yes!!!! Of course!
Yes, unfortunately, I doubt the owners of the site would do something like that, as they had absolutely NO respect for the building or it’s history. It was an ACTIVE theater in 2002!! And just 3 years later the building was in complete shambles as they allowed water to just pur through it, and most of it was deliberately destroyed, so there would have been no hope for restoration or landmarking.
Where on Deer Park Ave will that be?