Hey guys, haven’t been on Cinema Treasures in quite a while. I happened to be in the neighborhood and saw construction set up around the old Ridgewood. So I said, let me see what’s going with this place. I approached the Cypress Avenue side of what where the exit doors and an old security guy was there and got up abruptly, as if to tell me to get the hell out of there. Quite the contrary. Anyway, I just took a tour of the old Ridgewood Theater. This place is gutted and is being set up to be an apartment building. The old lobby will be a retail space for the tenants there. The old security dude was cool as hell and allowed me to see the shell of the old movie house. The building is completely gutted, save the new beams and sheet iron. I took plenty of pictures. The security dude was a bit weird about the pictures somehow ending up on social media, so I am feeling that all out lol. In the meantime, if anyone wants to see any of the pics, e-mail me at .
OK, I stand corrected. Does anyone else have any more pics of this theatre. When I went to take these pictures, I was almost frightened at the size of the building and how spooky it was. I got some crazier pics, when I find them I’ll post them ASAP.
Yeah, it was right before they started to make it a school. I had an opportunity to actually sneak inside the building, once they began converting it…..there was enough light to be able to walk around and do some discovery, but I was too chicken to do it….I should’ve done it. I was able to see the lobby part (or what was left of it) and the rest of the ruins.
By the way, does anyone have any old shots of the RKO Bushwick besides the ones already seen on this site? (perhaps from the 60s, ‘70s, 80s) Any photos would really by a delight to see.
I don’t think that was the same marquee the theatre had until it was closed. I have lived in Bushwick all my life (I’m only 24), so I obviously was not around when the RKO was open. But I remember this building and its' marquee, thinking the marquee would fall at any moment. That’s how messed up it looked. I do remember that the marquee was somewhat smaller, a while before the theatre was turned into a high school. It was also ruined through the wear and tear and neglect through the years. From what I can recall the marquee had the RKO sign on both sides of it. The RKO sign was formed out of light bulbs, forming the signs. I remember seeing garbage atop of the marquee from the J train EL and from the street level as well. This is probably going back to around 1992-93, from what I can remember. I also recall seeing the theatre in a movie called “The Believers”. The inside was shown as well as the outside of it. I would like to see that film again just to see the theatre somewhat intact. My mom went to that theatre around the late ‘60s and said it was very nice looking inside. She also mentioned the Loews Gates being one of the other theatres in the area she’d go to. If anyone is interested I have a crazy, spooky looking picture of the RKO Bushwick at night being renovated around 2002, 2003 during the
winter that I can share.
Hey guys, haven’t been on Cinema Treasures in quite a while. I happened to be in the neighborhood and saw construction set up around the old Ridgewood. So I said, let me see what’s going with this place. I approached the Cypress Avenue side of what where the exit doors and an old security guy was there and got up abruptly, as if to tell me to get the hell out of there. Quite the contrary. Anyway, I just took a tour of the old Ridgewood Theater. This place is gutted and is being set up to be an apartment building. The old lobby will be a retail space for the tenants there. The old security dude was cool as hell and allowed me to see the shell of the old movie house. The building is completely gutted, save the new beams and sheet iron. I took plenty of pictures. The security dude was a bit weird about the pictures somehow ending up on social media, so I am feeling that all out lol. In the meantime, if anyone wants to see any of the pics, e-mail me at .
OK, I stand corrected. Does anyone else have any more pics of this theatre. When I went to take these pictures, I was almost frightened at the size of the building and how spooky it was. I got some crazier pics, when I find them I’ll post them ASAP.
PKoch, you’re right. But I think you mena Dec. 11 & 12, 2002.
Yeah, it was right before they started to make it a school. I had an opportunity to actually sneak inside the building, once they began converting it…..there was enough light to be able to walk around and do some discovery, but I was too chicken to do it….I should’ve done it. I was able to see the lobby part (or what was left of it) and the rest of the ruins.
Here are some photos of the old RKO Bushwick Theatre I took around Winter 2002, during the beginning of a Nor-Easter.
View link
View link
Yeah, sorry. I don’t think I am doing it right. I’ll try again.
Here are the sppoky photo I promised previously.
This picture of the RKO Bushwick is spooky and a bit out of focus. I have some other pics of this theatre pre 2002, during its' renovation.
My e-amil address is
By the way, does anyone have any old shots of the RKO Bushwick besides the ones already seen on this site? (perhaps from the 60s, ‘70s, 80s) Any photos would really by a delight to see.
I don’t think that was the same marquee the theatre had until it was closed. I have lived in Bushwick all my life (I’m only 24), so I obviously was not around when the RKO was open. But I remember this building and its' marquee, thinking the marquee would fall at any moment. That’s how messed up it looked. I do remember that the marquee was somewhat smaller, a while before the theatre was turned into a high school. It was also ruined through the wear and tear and neglect through the years. From what I can recall the marquee had the RKO sign on both sides of it. The RKO sign was formed out of light bulbs, forming the signs. I remember seeing garbage atop of the marquee from the J train EL and from the street level as well. This is probably going back to around 1992-93, from what I can remember. I also recall seeing the theatre in a movie called “The Believers”. The inside was shown as well as the outside of it. I would like to see that film again just to see the theatre somewhat intact. My mom went to that theatre around the late ‘60s and said it was very nice looking inside. She also mentioned the Loews Gates being one of the other theatres in the area she’d go to. If anyone is interested I have a crazy, spooky looking picture of the RKO Bushwick at night being renovated around 2002, 2003 during the
winter that I can share.