As a side note, with regard to the “Childs” type building, which later became a bank—my mother was a secretary for the Cemetery Workers Union Local 365, which was located above the bank, and I used to work part-time there during the summer filing papers in the office during the late afternoon. The building used to house a couple of other offices up on the upstairs level, too, and afforded a nice view of Fresh Pond Road and the buses swinging onto Fresh Pond Road from 67th Avenue.
Great comments and information everyone! Such knowledge and details are what make this site as enjoyably informative as it is.
I remember going to the Oasis as a kid, which was situated just a half-mile or so up Fresh Pond Road going towards Metropolitan Avenue. You woukld think the Whitney would be better situated to serve moviegoers, as it was right at the heart of the public transportation system, even as far back as the teens, while the Oasis was less accessible in that regard, but the Oasis was a truly majestic theatre, even after its prime. I’d go to the movies there and follow up with a beautiful sit-down dinner at the Chinese restaurant across the street, a cavernous place called Fresh Pond Inn, if I recall correctly.
I’m not sure when it opened for business exactly, but there was a restaurant called Mother’s that was there, a picture of which I just uploaded under the photos tab on the top of this page. The newsstand in the photo would later become a 24-hour grocery store called Mini Mart, which was a popular stop for sandwiches and beer during my youth growing up in the RGMV area. The photo I uploaded was taken sometime during the 1940s, IIRC, and is from the original negative that I picked up at an auction a while back.
Bway, I believe I may have a couple of glass plate negatives of the El being built around Forest Ave Station, too, and if I recall correctly, a large billboard in the background of one of them is advertising the new Mathews Model Flats for rent for $15 a month. I will check and post again if I can locate it.
I’ve posted under the Photos tab a couple of images of the Whitney Threatre in 1914 from original glass negatives I purchased at auction several years ago.
I recall the restaurant before Aunt Bella’s was named Jimmy’s, a really good Italian place with Sinatra photos on the wall.
The Oasis was open well after 1976…in fact, I believe it’s last year of operation was 1981, as I remember going there to see a movie and get some Chinese food at the Fresh Pond Inn with my first paycheck as a paper boy at the age of 12 in 1981.
Of course, I fondly recall going there a couple of years later when it was a roller rink. It was a hot spot for teens back then, along with a place called “The Arena.”
East Coast Rocker makes a good point about the average in-theater duration of movies released today. Even very popular movies usually go to DVD within a matter of weeks. On the other hand, when I was growing up in the 1970s, a blockbuster movie would run for months in the theaters.
Here’s a photograph of 14th Street looking west with the Jefferson Theatre on the left side of the street. This photo was printed from the original glass negative, which I have in my possession.
Thanks, Bway, I had forgotten about Consumers. I’m fairly certain the building burned after Odd Lot closed, I remember the old Woolworth’s was down the block from there around that time. I also recall hanging around in the Army/Navy recruiting station on that same block. It was up on the second floor and was air conditioned so we kids used to hang out in there to get cool during the summer.
I have this vague recollection of passing by the Madison Theatre some time after its closure when the ground level was being gutted out and being able to see behind the navy blue boarding out in front and there was some lighting strung inside at night. I just remember being really tempted to sneak inside and carry away a souveneir or two but being to chicken to do it. This was in the early 80s I think when I was a teen and walking home to my grandparents' house on Putnam & Wyckoff. Does anyone remember the transition from Madison Theatre to Odd Lot and the work that was being done inside during that time?
Hi all, I’ve been reading with great interest all the great stories and wonderful facts about the Ridgewood theatre for some time now, and just recently joined this forum myself. I grew up on Putnam Ave. between Myrtle Ave. and Wyckoff Ave. in the late 70s, so I’d often go to the Ridgewood, at least once a week. I remember there was a Chinese restaurant across the street called Ding Ho that was a very popular destination for moviegoers and kids like us to get a cheap meal. I can remember when the Ridgewood had only one screen, I saw Alien there (but had to go with an older friend because of the R rating), I also remember seeing Rocky there and I also seem to recall seeing the Ali vs Holmes Heavyweight champioinship fight there (I think they had a closed circuit feed that night to show the fight, does anyone else remember that?). I know I’ve read here that the Ridgewood theatre is the longest-running theatre in the US, but I’m trying to recall if they closed temporarily at one point in the early 80s to convert the theatre from a single screen to the triplex that preceded its current version. I can recall seeing a slash and gore movie there called “I Spit On Your Grave” which I believe was one of the last movies they featured there when it was still a single screen theatre. By then, I can recall the bolts holding down the seats were very loose and the whole row would shake if you were with a bunch of people laughing in your seats. I believe it was $1.50 a ticket back then for matinee shows. Well, that’s all I can recall for now, thanks for the opportunity to share some of these experiences with you all.
I seem to recall this location operated as a beer distributor in the late 1980s or early 1990s but can’t recall exactly.
As a side note, with regard to the “Childs” type building, which later became a bank—my mother was a secretary for the Cemetery Workers Union Local 365, which was located above the bank, and I used to work part-time there during the summer filing papers in the office during the late afternoon. The building used to house a couple of other offices up on the upstairs level, too, and afforded a nice view of Fresh Pond Road and the buses swinging onto Fresh Pond Road from 67th Avenue.
Great comments and information everyone! Such knowledge and details are what make this site as enjoyably informative as it is.
I remember going to the Oasis as a kid, which was situated just a half-mile or so up Fresh Pond Road going towards Metropolitan Avenue. You woukld think the Whitney would be better situated to serve moviegoers, as it was right at the heart of the public transportation system, even as far back as the teens, while the Oasis was less accessible in that regard, but the Oasis was a truly majestic theatre, even after its prime. I’d go to the movies there and follow up with a beautiful sit-down dinner at the Chinese restaurant across the street, a cavernous place called Fresh Pond Inn, if I recall correctly.
Ed,
I’m not sure when it opened for business exactly, but there was a restaurant called Mother’s that was there, a picture of which I just uploaded under the photos tab on the top of this page. The newsstand in the photo would later become a 24-hour grocery store called Mini Mart, which was a popular stop for sandwiches and beer during my youth growing up in the RGMV area. The photo I uploaded was taken sometime during the 1940s, IIRC, and is from the original negative that I picked up at an auction a while back.
You’re very welcome, John.
Bway, I believe I may have a couple of glass plate negatives of the El being built around Forest Ave Station, too, and if I recall correctly, a large billboard in the background of one of them is advertising the new Mathews Model Flats for rent for $15 a month. I will check and post again if I can locate it.
I’ve posted under the Photos tab a couple of images of the Whitney Threatre in 1914 from original glass negatives I purchased at auction several years ago.
I recall the restaurant before Aunt Bella’s was named Jimmy’s, a really good Italian place with Sinatra photos on the wall.
The Oasis was open well after 1976…in fact, I believe it’s last year of operation was 1981, as I remember going there to see a movie and get some Chinese food at the Fresh Pond Inn with my first paycheck as a paper boy at the age of 12 in 1981.
Of course, I fondly recall going there a couple of years later when it was a roller rink. It was a hot spot for teens back then, along with a place called “The Arena.”
East Coast Rocker makes a good point about the average in-theater duration of movies released today. Even very popular movies usually go to DVD within a matter of weeks. On the other hand, when I was growing up in the 1970s, a blockbuster movie would run for months in the theaters.
Here’s a photograph of 14th Street looking west with the Jefferson Theatre on the left side of the street. This photo was printed from the original glass negative, which I have in my possession.
View link
Thanks, Bway, I had forgotten about Consumers. I’m fairly certain the building burned after Odd Lot closed, I remember the old Woolworth’s was down the block from there around that time. I also recall hanging around in the Army/Navy recruiting station on that same block. It was up on the second floor and was air conditioned so we kids used to hang out in there to get cool during the summer.
I have this vague recollection of passing by the Madison Theatre some time after its closure when the ground level was being gutted out and being able to see behind the navy blue boarding out in front and there was some lighting strung inside at night. I just remember being really tempted to sneak inside and carry away a souveneir or two but being to chicken to do it. This was in the early 80s I think when I was a teen and walking home to my grandparents' house on Putnam & Wyckoff. Does anyone remember the transition from Madison Theatre to Odd Lot and the work that was being done inside during that time?
Hi all, I’ve been reading with great interest all the great stories and wonderful facts about the Ridgewood theatre for some time now, and just recently joined this forum myself. I grew up on Putnam Ave. between Myrtle Ave. and Wyckoff Ave. in the late 70s, so I’d often go to the Ridgewood, at least once a week. I remember there was a Chinese restaurant across the street called Ding Ho that was a very popular destination for moviegoers and kids like us to get a cheap meal. I can remember when the Ridgewood had only one screen, I saw Alien there (but had to go with an older friend because of the R rating), I also remember seeing Rocky there and I also seem to recall seeing the Ali vs Holmes Heavyweight champioinship fight there (I think they had a closed circuit feed that night to show the fight, does anyone else remember that?). I know I’ve read here that the Ridgewood theatre is the longest-running theatre in the US, but I’m trying to recall if they closed temporarily at one point in the early 80s to convert the theatre from a single screen to the triplex that preceded its current version. I can recall seeing a slash and gore movie there called “I Spit On Your Grave” which I believe was one of the last movies they featured there when it was still a single screen theatre. By then, I can recall the bolts holding down the seats were very loose and the whole row would shake if you were with a bunch of people laughing in your seats. I believe it was $1.50 a ticket back then for matinee shows. Well, that’s all I can recall for now, thanks for the opportunity to share some of these experiences with you all.