It is amazing how many theaters were built in the area with the advent of the subway! on Broadway alone there are there are 5 between 135th and 147th street, and both the Bluebird at 147th and the Washington (Lambs first theater) at 149th on Amsterdam.
this is the link to the map from the NYPL website, let me know if it works. It shows both the Bunny theater and the Hamilton on the other side of Broadway View link
P.S. I do not see the post from the day I was able to talk someone into letting me up on the roof! I was only able to walk on the “stage house” roof and could not climb over to the broadway frontage where I was told the bunnies are sitting to be restored. The land is owned by Columbia University so …
Sorry that I have not posted in a while, but I can only check from borrowed computers until my new one is delivered and I get my old notes off of the busted on, I am in Dell hell. I will post the link to the maps in the next weeks once I have full access. From the old map the front was the full block of Broadway (the area now used by stores and the new church) and the “stage house” was the area now used by the 99 cent store. There might have been a roof top garden as this was the norm in the days before air conditioning as the area grew with the first subway that ended on 145th and Broadway. There are five old legit theater buildings between 135 and the Bunny on Broadway alone, with others on Amsterdamn. Most have been converted into supermarkets, churches or 99 cent stores!
I have been to the roof of the stage house, but I could not see the front of the roof to see if the bunnies are still there to be replaced. I was told by an employee that the building is owned by Columbia University so I don’t have a lot of hope for restoration. I will post my photos and find the link to the historic maps once I can get them off of my old busted computer.
The Bunny Facade was taken down! I went to take pictures of the renovation work on the building to post along with a link to an old map that shows the original foot print to be the full block on Broadway to discover the entire front is gone! The size would allow it to compete with the Hamilton Place across the street. The store manager assured me that it will be restored but… Gone is the memory of an early vaudevillian and film actor important enough to have a theater named for him. I will keep posting, and will post my photos once my computer is fixed or replaced.
Harlem theater buff!
T
It is amazing how many theaters were built in the area with the advent of the subway! on Broadway alone there are there are 5 between 135th and 147th street, and both the Bluebird at 147th and the Washington (Lambs first theater) at 149th on Amsterdam.
this is the link to the map from the NYPL website, let me know if it works. It shows both the Bunny theater and the Hamilton on the other side of Broadway
View link
P.S. I do not see the post from the day I was able to talk someone into letting me up on the roof! I was only able to walk on the “stage house” roof and could not climb over to the broadway frontage where I was told the bunnies are sitting to be restored. The land is owned by Columbia University so …
Sorry that I have not posted in a while, but I can only check from borrowed computers until my new one is delivered and I get my old notes off of the busted on, I am in Dell hell. I will post the link to the maps in the next weeks once I have full access. From the old map the front was the full block of Broadway (the area now used by stores and the new church) and the “stage house” was the area now used by the 99 cent store. There might have been a roof top garden as this was the norm in the days before air conditioning as the area grew with the first subway that ended on 145th and Broadway. There are five old legit theater buildings between 135 and the Bunny on Broadway alone, with others on Amsterdamn. Most have been converted into supermarkets, churches or 99 cent stores!
I have been to the roof of the stage house, but I could not see the front of the roof to see if the bunnies are still there to be replaced. I was told by an employee that the building is owned by Columbia University so I don’t have a lot of hope for restoration. I will post my photos and find the link to the historic maps once I can get them off of my old busted computer.
The Bunny Facade was taken down! I went to take pictures of the renovation work on the building to post along with a link to an old map that shows the original foot print to be the full block on Broadway to discover the entire front is gone! The size would allow it to compete with the Hamilton Place across the street. The store manager assured me that it will be restored but… Gone is the memory of an early vaudevillian and film actor important enough to have a theater named for him. I will keep posting, and will post my photos once my computer is fixed or replaced.
Harlem theater buff!
T