RKO Keith's Theatre
135-35 Northern Boulevard,
Flushing,
NY
11354
135-35 Northern Boulevard,
Flushing,
NY
11354
51 people
favorited this theater
Showing 151 - 175 of 1,324 comments
Pictures do not lie and this just proves my point.
The famed ticket booth when it was landmarked in 1984 (inset) and as it appears today:
I was involved originally in the effort to landmark it. I love old theaters and the Keith’s in general. Facts have to be faced. It will never reopen and there is to much damage. Better the lobby be preserved and restored and let the past go and let the old lady have a decent burial. She deserves better than dying a slow death . It is bringing Flushing down in its current condition and it will only get worse. I was one of the parties working on getting Landmark designation so this is not easy for me.
I thought Loew’s got rid of the King’s in the 70’s. Magic Johnson Cinema multiplexes was an arm of the Loews chain to be built in the black urban areas. Was this the same Loews company or a different one with the Loews name? The Keiths keeps staying “alive” doesn’t it? I hate to see it give in to a condo plan.
Did the plans change or is this article just poorly written? From: http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2014/04/15/landmarked_flushing_theater_will_now_be_condos_not_rentals.php#more
A new owner means new plans for Flushing’s landmarked RKO Keith’s Theater. Plans to redevelopment the 85-year-old site by constructing a new residential building atop it have been in the works for more than seven years, and in December, JK Equities bought the site for $30 million. The original plan called for the 350 new units to be rentals, but Crain’s reports that JK Equities will be making them condos. The new 17-story structure will rise above the historic theater, which will be incorporated into the building as the lobby. The development will have 23,000 square feet of retail as well as 385 parking spaces. During construction, a “protective shell” will be built over the 1928 structure to protect it, but permits are not yet in place, so work will not begin until next year.
I was just reading about how Tommy Huang got smacked in the chops last year:
http://www.ag.ny.gov/press-release/ag-schneiderman-announces-felony-guilty-pleas-notorious-queens-developers-tommy-and
I was amazed that they decided to restore the Loews Kings. If that can come back after huge decay and almost becoming a Magic Johnson Cinema multiplex maybe the RKO has another round left in it.
So Patrick Thompson did nothing and made $10 million on the property. Maybe JK Equities can also do nothing and make $20 million?
Thanks for the update guys…I wonder if it will get off the ground this time. The “old gal” won’t give up"..
Activated link
The saga continues. The site has been sold yet again to a developer who plans to build the approved plan which requires the preservation and restoration of the lobby but nothing else. http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2013/12/19/flushing_theater_has_new_owner_may_finally_be_developed.php
I too also love the pictures (although they make me sick) of the the theatre. With that said, does anyone have photos of this partially destroyed staircase that’s mentioned in the article or the above post?
i went there today just recently and its in alot worse shape that it is from that picture it was vast full of graffiti and with alot rooms but the stairs and such are starting to give away but i was able to walk or climb fine. it was a nice and it was also dangrous manly because of the damage done to the structure. so it was a little bit scary.
How do these people stay out of jail? Imagine taking on the Keith’s and the Keith’s wins.
Agreed!
SWC, I’m thankful that you’ve photographed surviving portions of the Keith’s interior, and that you’ve been kind enough to share them here. Please don’t withdraw any posts or photos based solely on the petty criticisms of others.
You would think so. The Indian culture is very ornate as well as the Chinese. They both show films in major cities, but I think the size of the RKO was against even their budgets. A cultural center is another matter. It is tailor made for that and should have been persuade.
Have any Chinese or Indian movie chains or producers ever considered turning the Keith’s into a cultural center for the massive Asian communities of the Flushing area?
First of all its screed, not skreed. CinemaTreasures even has spell check. And holes that were hammered through? They must have had a backhoe on the roof then. You could fit a 747 through some of those.
I went to the RKO Keith’s in Flushing virtually every Saturday as a kid in the 1950s to see sci fi movies. Fantastic place, and memories. Does anyone know how someone got to the offices on the second story? Some photos show law offices on the second story. Was there a separate door? I do not see any doorways on the outside of the building to permit someone to get to the second story. If anyone has a recollection of how access to the second floor offices was obtained, please share it.
Amazing survival my ass. The place is falling apart and has giant holes in the ceiling. Your pictures are pretty good though….if you were 5 years old.
I think I saw a movie here very close to the closing date, but I can’t remember the name.
This was my theater of the sixties, I can not count how many great movies I had seen there. It was a beautiful place. there is a depressing video tour of the place, found on You Tube. A ghost of its former self, the video is like revisiting the Titanic.
I would imagine the money is not there for this project to start. Months & years later, this tarnished gem hangs on..
Any word on the current status of this project?
I am absolutely convinced that there is nothing of
value left in the theatre