The third 5 and 10 between Forest and Onderdonk was McCrory’s in the 70’s and 80’s. I don’t know if that’s the one you mean. I don’t remember a HL Green. Anyway, in the late 90’s, McCrory’s closed and it became a “junk store” for about a year or two. In the mid 90’s, it was combined with the store to it’s left, and “The Fair” left it’s famous corner at Onderdonk and Myrtle, and moved into the old McCrory’s space.
You find the craziest stuff! That’s wild though. quite cool.
On a similar note, I have an old record with a recording of Christmas Carols on the Manhattan Paramount’s organ. I always loved that recording since I was a kid, and my father played it at Christmas. I still have the record, but don’t have a record player anymore, so haven’t heard it in quite some years.
BTW, does the Valencia’s organ still searve the church? Or was it taken out before the conversion from theater to church. IINM, the church that uses Loews 176th St in Manhattan still uses the original organ.
I’m not sure about the State Palace, but I have seen the Joy theater and the Saelenger (sp?) under quite a bit of water on that end of Canal St. The closer to the Mississippi you go on Canal Street, the less the flooding is if that’s any consolation.
Yup, I remember all of them.
The Rialto burned down.
The Plaza hasn’t seen a movie since the 80’s, and the building is slowly falling apart.
The Patchogue Theater has been beautifully restored, and they show Broadway SHows and other events there now, but no movies anymore.
The Sunwave Theater is now Howard’s Bar and Grill and La Strata Restaurant next to it.
Check their sections, all of them are listed on this site.
I remember the Howard Johnson’s in front of the theater. When the Howard Johnson’s chainn went out of buisness, a new restaurant called “Guido McMurphy’s” moved in, and was there a few years. Currently, it became a Boston Chicken store, but it’s a new building, they tore the Howard Johnson’s building down.
The Hardee’s is ROy Rogers now, the only Roy Rogers left on Long Island.
Hahaha, lost, we must have been typing at the same time….were both thinking the same thing!
As for your question about the Woodrow (your message wasn’t there when I started typing my above message), That corner building is quite old because of the cornices on it. I don’t believe it was the theater building, but it was built long ago.
You are welcome. I’ve had the photo on my computer for the last year, but had “no place to post it”. I don’t even remember where we all discussed it. It had to be somewhere on this site, ,talked about under another theater, for me to photograph it last year.
BTW, speaking of “mystery theaters”, I found noticed this old theater when I was in Bushwick a few weeks ago. I have no idea what it was. It’s 435 Evergreen Ave, at the corner of Grove and Evergreen. If anyone with one of those theater books could look up anything on Evergreen Ave, it would be appreciated.
Lostmemory did a little research on it, and found out the building is now owned by HUD.
I’ve been in the theater, but to see a movie…..not a church.
I assume the rest of the week and day it’s just a normal auditorium to see movies, like any other within the multiplex.
Well, anyway, we can obviously change the status to demolished, because it doesn’t appear these buildings were ever a theater, but obviously the two lots had “something” tornn down at some point.
Somewhere on this site, we must have been talking about this theater last year some time (probably when everyone was researching for missing Brooklyn Theaters in the Ridgewood Theater section), because I took a photo of this site last year when I took a whole bunch of theater photos.
I agree, if it was still a theater, the chandelier would be a horrible addition, but we must remember, that it’s not a theater anymore, it’s a church. And the building has to be functional for it’s current use. Whereas as a movie theater, the place was meant to be dark, as a church, it has to be lit up.
Instead of being upset with the chandelier, we must be VERY thankful that the Valencia DID get a church to fill it’s walls. Think of all the other theaters that we could only hope a huge gaudy chandelier was the biggest problem. Think of the Keiths in Flushing, or the spectacular RKO Madison in Ridgewood, and I could go on infinitely with this list. I only wish the least of all the gutted theaters was a gaudy chandelier.
It’s too bad the Valencia no longer shows movies anymore. But it has to be remember, that out of all the after-theater uses a theater can get that “can’t” be a theater anymore, a church is the least destructive to the integrity of the building. Sure, the Valencia is now painted gaudy colors, has a huge chandelier hanging from it’s ceiling, and has an altar and a cross hanging where there “should” be a movie sceeen. However, the building is being maintained, and for the most part, all of it’s ornamentation is still there in all it’s glory (although I heard they covered things like the naked cherobs). I think other theaters like the Keith’s only wishes the least of it’s problems was a chandelier hanging from the clouds.
For some reason, I believe this was an “inside job”, someone that knew her. That’s usually what murders like this turn out to be. Murders like that, althought of course a very unpleasant occurance, doesn’t make the place any less safe for other people.
It looks like it was a pretty theater at one time. Too bad it had to recieve the ultimate humiliation a theater must endure, porn. And from what I have read above, it got all the kinkiest types possible.
Is that interior photo historic, or is that after it was playing porn? I am assuming it’s once it alreadt was playing porn, as going by the marquee of the exterior photo, it appears to be port on the marquee.
Joe, unfortunately yes, the Decatur (and the Rogers) have been torn down. A group of one story stores exists on the site of the Rodgers, and the site of the Decatur is currently still an empty lot.
Warren, the congregation that was originally in the RKO Bushwick was in fact the same group that is now in the Loews Gates down the road. I don’t know what the reason was that they left the Bushwick for the Gates. It is interesting what a twist of fate it was though, the Gates is preserved pretty nicely, and well maintained. Interesting had it been the Bushwick instead of the Gates. We all know what happened to the Bushwick after the church left. It died a very slow death for over about 30 years. In perhaps it’s final hour, it was saved, at least it’s exterior for the school that now sits within it’s shell, but it’s grand interior was lost forever. It was totally beyond saving by that point anyway, but at least it wasn’t razed completely.
It’s neighbor the Gates though may not be a theater anymore, but it’s interior is all intact. Churches are perhaps the least destructive post-theater use a theater could have, and most theaters are lucky to have found a church to fill their walls.
It’s sort of ironic that the only movie I have ever seen in this great gem of a theater is “A Stranger Among Us”, considering they are turning it into a Bukharian Center….
I saw it there around 1994 (give or take), and it was like walking into a timewarp. The interior was beautiful, and they still opened and closed the curtains between the previews and the movies, and at the end of the movie.
I always wanted to go back, but it wasn’t to be.
What a tragedy.
What a tragedy. Unfortunately, it appears it is just about too late, if the jackhammers have begun. Unrepairable damage appears to have already been done.
I really enjoyed this theater, it’s a real shame that this is happening. Apparently with each passing day, the poor Trylon is falling deaper and deaper into the world of no return like so many other theaters have seen in their fate.
I remember the Midway in the 80’s. It was always beautifully maintained. However, I agree, during the process of quading it, because it is so “well” maintained, much of the original features were lost to “modernization”. Other theaters, like the Ridgewood were minimally maintained, but since it was also sort of hap-hazardly cut up, much of the original interior was still there to be seen.
A lot was covered at the Midway, because it was so nicely maintained.
The third 5 and 10 between Forest and Onderdonk was McCrory’s in the 70’s and 80’s. I don’t know if that’s the one you mean. I don’t remember a HL Green. Anyway, in the late 90’s, McCrory’s closed and it became a “junk store” for about a year or two. In the mid 90’s, it was combined with the store to it’s left, and “The Fair” left it’s famous corner at Onderdonk and Myrtle, and moved into the old McCrory’s space.
You find the craziest stuff! That’s wild though. quite cool.
On a similar note, I have an old record with a recording of Christmas Carols on the Manhattan Paramount’s organ. I always loved that recording since I was a kid, and my father played it at Christmas. I still have the record, but don’t have a record player anymore, so haven’t heard it in quite some years.
BTW, does the Valencia’s organ still searve the church? Or was it taken out before the conversion from theater to church. IINM, the church that uses Loews 176th St in Manhattan still uses the original organ.
I’m not sure about the State Palace, but I have seen the Joy theater and the Saelenger (sp?) under quite a bit of water on that end of Canal St. The closer to the Mississippi you go on Canal Street, the less the flooding is if that’s any consolation.
Yup, I remember all of them.
The Rialto burned down.
The Plaza hasn’t seen a movie since the 80’s, and the building is slowly falling apart.
The Patchogue Theater has been beautifully restored, and they show Broadway SHows and other events there now, but no movies anymore.
The Sunwave Theater is now Howard’s Bar and Grill and La Strata Restaurant next to it.
Check their sections, all of them are listed on this site.
I remember the Howard Johnson’s in front of the theater. When the Howard Johnson’s chainn went out of buisness, a new restaurant called “Guido McMurphy’s” moved in, and was there a few years. Currently, it became a Boston Chicken store, but it’s a new building, they tore the Howard Johnson’s building down.
The Hardee’s is ROy Rogers now, the only Roy Rogers left on Long Island.
While the screen was definitely bigger in the 90’s than seen here, other than that, Warren’s photos look just like I remember the theater.
You don’t have to register for anything.
Here’s the direct link:
View link
Hahaha, lost, we must have been typing at the same time….were both thinking the same thing!
As for your question about the Woodrow (your message wasn’t there when I started typing my above message), That corner building is quite old because of the cornices on it. I don’t believe it was the theater building, but it was built long ago.
You are welcome. I’ve had the photo on my computer for the last year, but had “no place to post it”. I don’t even remember where we all discussed it. It had to be somewhere on this site, ,talked about under another theater, for me to photograph it last year.
BTW, speaking of “mystery theaters”, I found noticed this old theater when I was in Bushwick a few weeks ago. I have no idea what it was. It’s 435 Evergreen Ave, at the corner of Grove and Evergreen. If anyone with one of those theater books could look up anything on Evergreen Ave, it would be appreciated.
Lostmemory did a little research on it, and found out the building is now owned by HUD.
Here’s the links to photos of it:
Photo 1
Photo 2
I’ve been in the theater, but to see a movie…..not a church.
I assume the rest of the week and day it’s just a normal auditorium to see movies, like any other within the multiplex.
Well, anyway, we can obviously change the status to demolished, because it doesn’t appear these buildings were ever a theater, but obviously the two lots had “something” tornn down at some point.
Somewhere on this site, we must have been talking about this theater last year some time (probably when everyone was researching for missing Brooklyn Theaters in the Ridgewood Theater section), because I took a photo of this site last year when I took a whole bunch of theater photos.
Anyway, here’s the link from last September
Here’s a link to the church that uses one of the Patchogue’s auditoriums on Sunday.
Notice the screen being used behind the “altar”.
View link
I agree, if it was still a theater, the chandelier would be a horrible addition, but we must remember, that it’s not a theater anymore, it’s a church. And the building has to be functional for it’s current use. Whereas as a movie theater, the place was meant to be dark, as a church, it has to be lit up.
Instead of being upset with the chandelier, we must be VERY thankful that the Valencia DID get a church to fill it’s walls. Think of all the other theaters that we could only hope a huge gaudy chandelier was the biggest problem. Think of the Keiths in Flushing, or the spectacular RKO Madison in Ridgewood, and I could go on infinitely with this list. I only wish the least of all the gutted theaters was a gaudy chandelier.
It’s too bad the Valencia no longer shows movies anymore. But it has to be remember, that out of all the after-theater uses a theater can get that “can’t” be a theater anymore, a church is the least destructive to the integrity of the building. Sure, the Valencia is now painted gaudy colors, has a huge chandelier hanging from it’s ceiling, and has an altar and a cross hanging where there “should” be a movie sceeen. However, the building is being maintained, and for the most part, all of it’s ornamentation is still there in all it’s glory (although I heard they covered things like the naked cherobs). I think other theaters like the Keith’s only wishes the least of it’s problems was a chandelier hanging from the clouds.
Here’s a photo taken from the el station at 111th Street showing the Garden Theater:
http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?6624
For some reason, I believe this was an “inside job”, someone that knew her. That’s usually what murders like this turn out to be. Murders like that, althought of course a very unpleasant occurance, doesn’t make the place any less safe for other people.
Exactly, that’s what I was trying to say.
It looks like it was a pretty theater at one time. Too bad it had to recieve the ultimate humiliation a theater must endure, porn. And from what I have read above, it got all the kinkiest types possible.
Is that interior photo historic, or is that after it was playing porn? I am assuming it’s once it alreadt was playing porn, as going by the marquee of the exterior photo, it appears to be port on the marquee.
Joe, unfortunately yes, the Decatur (and the Rogers) have been torn down. A group of one story stores exists on the site of the Rodgers, and the site of the Decatur is currently still an empty lot.
BTW Warren, keep all these photos coming, they are GREAT.
Warren, the congregation that was originally in the RKO Bushwick was in fact the same group that is now in the Loews Gates down the road. I don’t know what the reason was that they left the Bushwick for the Gates. It is interesting what a twist of fate it was though, the Gates is preserved pretty nicely, and well maintained. Interesting had it been the Bushwick instead of the Gates. We all know what happened to the Bushwick after the church left. It died a very slow death for over about 30 years. In perhaps it’s final hour, it was saved, at least it’s exterior for the school that now sits within it’s shell, but it’s grand interior was lost forever. It was totally beyond saving by that point anyway, but at least it wasn’t razed completely.
It’s neighbor the Gates though may not be a theater anymore, but it’s interior is all intact. Churches are perhaps the least destructive post-theater use a theater could have, and most theaters are lucky to have found a church to fill their walls.
Thanks Robert. And by the way, to further confuse the whole “Ridgewood-Glendale” debate about this theater, they called it “Maspeth” in the article!!!
It’s sort of ironic that the only movie I have ever seen in this great gem of a theater is “A Stranger Among Us”, considering they are turning it into a Bukharian Center….
I saw it there around 1994 (give or take), and it was like walking into a timewarp. The interior was beautiful, and they still opened and closed the curtains between the previews and the movies, and at the end of the movie.
I always wanted to go back, but it wasn’t to be.
What a tragedy.
What a tragedy. Unfortunately, it appears it is just about too late, if the jackhammers have begun. Unrepairable damage appears to have already been done.
I really enjoyed this theater, it’s a real shame that this is happening. Apparently with each passing day, the poor Trylon is falling deaper and deaper into the world of no return like so many other theaters have seen in their fate.
I remember the Midway in the 80’s. It was always beautifully maintained. However, I agree, during the process of quading it, because it is so “well” maintained, much of the original features were lost to “modernization”. Other theaters, like the Ridgewood were minimally maintained, but since it was also sort of hap-hazardly cut up, much of the original interior was still there to be seen.
A lot was covered at the Midway, because it was so nicely maintained.