East Main Street used to end at Main Street. The Palace Theatre sat on Main Street directly across from where East Main ended. After the Palace was demolished, the city continued ‘East Main’ across Main, although I don’t think the portion west of Main is called ‘East Main.’ I left Connecticut 30 years ago.
I’m not familiar with the ‘Hole in the Wall Theatre.’ Where is it?
The old Alhambra Theater at Main and Atlantic was badly damaged in the October 1, 1987 Whittier earthquake. Bricks actually fell onto the sidewalk. The theater never re-opened. It was razed and replaced by the megaplex there today.
I grew up in the New Britain area, and recall that the Palace spent it final years showing ‘action films,’ and finally X-rated fare. In the end the place was pretty threadbare. An ignominious end for a building whose brownstone front bore the words ‘Opera House.’
The Lyceum Theater and the Embassy Theater were one and the same. I was in the Embassy once as a little boy, probably in 1954 or 1955. The Embassy closed and was demolished in the early 1960s, a victim of New Britain’s horribly ill-conceived plan for downtown ‘urban renewal.’ A parking garage sits on the theater site.
Although I haven’t lived in Newington for almost 30 years, I grew up there and saw many films at the Newington Theater. It occupied valuable real estate, so I suppose it’s demolision shouldn’t be a surprise. Its decor wasn’t art deco; it was just typical 1940s style.
East Main Street used to end at Main Street. The Palace Theatre sat on Main Street directly across from where East Main ended. After the Palace was demolished, the city continued ‘East Main’ across Main, although I don’t think the portion west of Main is called ‘East Main.’ I left Connecticut 30 years ago.
I’m not familiar with the ‘Hole in the Wall Theatre.’ Where is it?
The old Alhambra Theater at Main and Atlantic was badly damaged in the October 1, 1987 Whittier earthquake. Bricks actually fell onto the sidewalk. The theater never re-opened. It was razed and replaced by the megaplex there today.
I grew up in the New Britain area, and recall that the Palace spent it final years showing ‘action films,’ and finally X-rated fare. In the end the place was pretty threadbare. An ignominious end for a building whose brownstone front bore the words ‘Opera House.’
The Lyceum Theater and the Embassy Theater were one and the same. I was in the Embassy once as a little boy, probably in 1954 or 1955. The Embassy closed and was demolished in the early 1960s, a victim of New Britain’s horribly ill-conceived plan for downtown ‘urban renewal.’ A parking garage sits on the theater site.
Although I haven’t lived in Newington for almost 30 years, I grew up there and saw many films at the Newington Theater. It occupied valuable real estate, so I suppose it’s demolision shouldn’t be a surprise. Its decor wasn’t art deco; it was just typical 1940s style.