I read that the theater was designed by Herbert J. Krapp (it’s a Krapp house!). There is a book that was put out by Rizzoli a few years ago Called “On Braodway” about Broadway from the Battery up to northern Manhattan that lists it as well as the other nearby Krapp house, the Rio.
I walked into the loading dock and storage area as I knew That it would be the stage. I was right. I could clearly see the upstage side of the proscenium arch. Way up in the distance I could make out the dome over the auditorium in the darkness. I could also see what looked like chains hanging from the ceiling that held up the false ceiling of the supermarket.
I believe that the structure that was the Symphony was originally an open air market called “The Astor Market”. Eventually the storefronts filled in the market and the Symphony was built. I do know that it was a dance hall at one point.
I never liked the Symphony as a movie house, there was no decline towards the screen. I always prefered the Riverside, Riviera and Loew’s 83rd. Those I miss.
Warren is correct. These theatres were built seperatly and served different functions. The Riverside was much larger than the Riveiera. Like Jean, the last movie I saw there was American Grafitti (16 times). I was devastated by the loss of these two theaters. I have been obsessivley Searching for pictures and I finally have slides of them. I have also seen the original floor plans for these theaters. Drawn by Thomas Lamb on linen, these works of art are at the Avery Archecture Library at Columbia University.
The lobby is a ¼ scale version of the original Roxy'x Grand Foyer. This was the only space completed when the Roxy people ran out of money. The layout is the same as the original Roxy but much smaller.
The loss of the Riverside and Riviera Theaters was incredibly tragic. Not just for me, but for the neighborhood. The Riviera was a “Subway Circut” house as well as a showcase for touring legit productions. I believe that Sarah Bernhardt performed on the Riviera’s stage. The Japanese Gardens was in the 10 story building above the Riviera. The Riverside was a larger house that wasd on the the Keith Orpheum Circuit. The location of the theaters was signifigant. Not only were they located next to a subway stop but they were 2 blocks from a siding of the NY Central Railroad’s Hudson Line. A packaged show would travel by train so their location made loading in and unloading a show easy (to this day flats are still built to fit into a boxcar).
I had seen 100’s of movies in these theaters. The balconies were closed off in both theaters. They were dark and mysterious but incredibly beautiful. They had a smell of cigarettes and popcorn in a good way. The boxes had been removed to accomadate wider screens but other than that they were intact.
When urban vandal Chris Boomis announced that he was going to tear them down and put up an apartment tower I was devastated. He only manages to knock a hole in the side of the Riverside before running out of money. It was almost shocking to see the red velvet curtain hanging in shreds behind the now battered proscenium arch. The enormous balcony was collapsing. Then the whole thing collapsed out onto 96th street (several parked cars were crushed) and inward. The fire and police departments searched and dug for days, looking for the junkies that supposedly lived in the shell of the Riverside. I remeber seeing a hysterical woman on the news screaming that her daughter with a drug problem was in there. No bodies were ever found.
The Riviera building remained standing for a few more years.
I know that a movie staring Don Johnson was shot in the Japanese Gardens but I also know that the Gardens had been used as a rehearsal hall. I knew someone who had been involved with the origina Broadway production of “Eubie” and she told me that they had used the space for a while.
Finally the Riviera building was torn down. According to neighborhood fokelore and urban legend 2 bodies were found in a subterranian passageway that connected the Riverside and Riviera.
This was first cut up int a “triplex”, the a quad. The seats were never re-angled, left in their original single screen position so you always sat at a slight angle from the screen. Until it was cut up into a quad you had a view of the intact auditorium and it’s box seats from the balcony. Just before it was torn down I was fortuanate enough to get a tour of the remains on the orchestra section and the stage. Everything in front of the wall they had put into make it a quad was intact. Sadly, however the boxes had been removed. The Pin rail was intact as was a white grand piano sitting in the middle of the stage. There were 4 or 5 floors of dressing rooms that I do not remember why I did not explore.
I forgot one thing. According to the book “On Broadway” Gotham is the original name.
I read that the theater was designed by Herbert J. Krapp (it’s a Krapp house!). There is a book that was put out by Rizzoli a few years ago Called “On Braodway” about Broadway from the Battery up to northern Manhattan that lists it as well as the other nearby Krapp house, the Rio.
I walked into the loading dock and storage area as I knew That it would be the stage. I was right. I could clearly see the upstage side of the proscenium arch. Way up in the distance I could make out the dome over the auditorium in the darkness. I could also see what looked like chains hanging from the ceiling that held up the false ceiling of the supermarket.
I forgot this detail – I remember the original box office. It was an oval booth out side under the marquee. I do remember buying tickets there.
Warren,
I believe that the structure that was the Symphony was originally an open air market called “The Astor Market”. Eventually the storefronts filled in the market and the Symphony was built. I do know that it was a dance hall at one point.
I never liked the Symphony as a movie house, there was no decline towards the screen. I always prefered the Riverside, Riviera and Loew’s 83rd. Those I miss.
Warren is correct. These theatres were built seperatly and served different functions. The Riverside was much larger than the Riveiera. Like Jean, the last movie I saw there was American Grafitti (16 times). I was devastated by the loss of these two theaters. I have been obsessivley Searching for pictures and I finally have slides of them. I have also seen the original floor plans for these theaters. Drawn by Thomas Lamb on linen, these works of art are at the Avery Archecture Library at Columbia University.
I saved a chunk of the theater and have on dsplay in my store MOVIE PLACE 237 W. 105th Street.
The lobby is a ¼ scale version of the original Roxy'x Grand Foyer. This was the only space completed when the Roxy people ran out of money. The layout is the same as the original Roxy but much smaller.
The loss of the Riverside and Riviera Theaters was incredibly tragic. Not just for me, but for the neighborhood. The Riviera was a “Subway Circut” house as well as a showcase for touring legit productions. I believe that Sarah Bernhardt performed on the Riviera’s stage. The Japanese Gardens was in the 10 story building above the Riviera. The Riverside was a larger house that wasd on the the Keith Orpheum Circuit. The location of the theaters was signifigant. Not only were they located next to a subway stop but they were 2 blocks from a siding of the NY Central Railroad’s Hudson Line. A packaged show would travel by train so their location made loading in and unloading a show easy (to this day flats are still built to fit into a boxcar).
I had seen 100’s of movies in these theaters. The balconies were closed off in both theaters. They were dark and mysterious but incredibly beautiful. They had a smell of cigarettes and popcorn in a good way. The boxes had been removed to accomadate wider screens but other than that they were intact.
When urban vandal Chris Boomis announced that he was going to tear them down and put up an apartment tower I was devastated. He only manages to knock a hole in the side of the Riverside before running out of money. It was almost shocking to see the red velvet curtain hanging in shreds behind the now battered proscenium arch. The enormous balcony was collapsing. Then the whole thing collapsed out onto 96th street (several parked cars were crushed) and inward. The fire and police departments searched and dug for days, looking for the junkies that supposedly lived in the shell of the Riverside. I remeber seeing a hysterical woman on the news screaming that her daughter with a drug problem was in there. No bodies were ever found.
The Riviera building remained standing for a few more years.
I know that a movie staring Don Johnson was shot in the Japanese Gardens but I also know that the Gardens had been used as a rehearsal hall. I knew someone who had been involved with the origina Broadway production of “Eubie” and she told me that they had used the space for a while.
Finally the Riviera building was torn down. According to neighborhood fokelore and urban legend 2 bodies were found in a subterranian passageway that connected the Riverside and Riviera.
This was first cut up int a “triplex”, the a quad. The seats were never re-angled, left in their original single screen position so you always sat at a slight angle from the screen. Until it was cut up into a quad you had a view of the intact auditorium and it’s box seats from the balcony. Just before it was torn down I was fortuanate enough to get a tour of the remains on the orchestra section and the stage. Everything in front of the wall they had put into make it a quad was intact. Sadly, however the boxes had been removed. The Pin rail was intact as was a white grand piano sitting in the middle of the stage. There were 4 or 5 floors of dressing rooms that I do not remember why I did not explore.