Ridgewood Theatre
55-27 Myrtle Avenue,
Ridgewood,
NY
11385
55-27 Myrtle Avenue,
Ridgewood,
NY
11385
31 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 2,835 comments
Please update, total capacity when the theatre closed 1454. Capacity based of NYC DOB records: 1. 226 (Balcony) 2. 417 3. 386 4. 203 (Balcony) 5. 222 (Balcony)
I believe this Wednesday – 9/2 – will be the opening date for the gyms, including I guess this one.
Blink Fitness is currently closed due to pandemic regulations. A selection of photos can be viewed here
A new picture on Face Book now shows that the health club is, in fact, open. Its advertising sign currently adorns the old marquee. Hopefully, someone will post this on this page.
A current picture of the Ridgewood posted in Facebook indicates that the 1st floor commercial space will be occupied by a health club; this is the same use that currently operates in the old Parthenon Theatre.
Sign on marquee is gone. A walk around the block reveals “1680 Madison Street” a 54-unit, five-story building in the former auditorium.
Sign on marquee:
“1-2-3 bedrooms from $2300 a month.”
www.RidgewoodTheatre.com
When I walked by today, there were no construction guys or any indication that work has been done.
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 .
You are absolutely right Bway, especially since the lobby could have been a terrific gateway to the residence. But I guess the bottom line – and a severe lack of imagination – said otherwise.
Yes, one would think that the lobby could have remained intact as the entrance to the apartment building that the Ridgewood Theatre is being made into.
Ironically, on Page 2 of the March 26 – April 1 2015 issued of Time Out New York Magazine is an article titled “Ridgewood On The Rise” about new bars and restaurants in Ridgewood. Bierliechen at 582 Seneca Avenue between Grove and Menahan plans to serve sauerbraten, which will make it the first place to serve German food in Ridgewood, other than the Blau Weiss Gottscheer Hall at Fairview and Linden, in a LONG time.
John, I can’t believe they didn’t even keep the lobby intact, or at least attempt to keep the beautiful plaster in the lobby and retrofit it to whatever they will be doing with that space. It’s a real shame.
Presumably, the next step (considering that scaffolding and dust collection cloth has been draped around the theater on the Cypress and Madison sides of the building), will be the process of punching window holes all along and into the side of the Ridgewood. The Ridgewood couldn’t have had a worse fate other than total demolition. Less remains of it now than even the RKO Bushwick which sat in shambles for 30 years. It’s really unbelievable.
Yes, John. Quite true. “We’ll always have Paris”, so to speak, regarding the Ridgewood Theatre.
So sorry to hear the bad news Bway – but thanks for being the messenger. It is too bad that none of the proposals for the retention of at least a small portion of the old theater that some local groups had presented went anywhere. But at least we wil have our memories – and this terrific page.
Thanks Chris. I can well relate to your feeling of horror. Like a piece of one’s past, irretrievably gone, forever. Ugh !
I was walking down Madison St (on the other side of the street) yesterday, when I noticed the Cypress and madison sides of the theater completely draped in scaffolding and black cloth to catch debris, when I noticed the old Madison St emergency doors open with workers going in and out, so I rushed across the street to attempt to get a glimpse of the inside. It reminded me of a time about 10 years ago when I did the same walk, and the same doors were open when the theater was still operating, and workers were fixing the hinges on the doors, and saw what was then the inside of the old left of stage orchestra level theater (one of 5 at the time). But this time it wasn’t the nostalgic feeling I had 10 years ago looking in those same doors….this time it was complete horror as I looked inside and saw nothing inside but the exposed brick walls, and in the distance the lobby doors to Myrtle Ave….the balcony completely eliminated and removed, exposing the windows on the second floor facing Myrtle. I was so horrified I just kept walking till I hit Myrtle Ave, and then walked back and snapped this photo quick.
Thanks Bway (Chris). I’ll have a look at what’s left of the Ridgewood Theatre the next time I’m in Ridgewood.
Yes Peter, nothing changed on the Myrtle side, the marquee is untouched as of yet, the facade (which is landmarked) is untouched, and it even still says that odd “Bushwick Twin” where they used to put the movies that were playing. But I was horrified when I peaked inside the Madison St side doors which happened to be open when I walked by.
That’s a damn shame.
Thanks, Bway. Sad day indeed. Does the Myrtle Avenue facade remain intact ?
I just added a photo of the Ridgewood Theater auditorium taken yesterday to the photo section. The Ridgewood Theater is completely gutted inside to the bricks. The Balcony is completely removed. Even the beautiful lobby has been gutted. I took this photo yesterday. This photo is taken from the Madison St exit doors which were originally to the left of the stage towards lobby. The light and doors you see in the distance in the background are the old lobby doors to Myrtle Ave. Girders for a second floor have been placed through the space the auditorium once held. NOTHING remains, the walls are bare brick. The Ridgewood which puttered on for so long, and once was the oldest continupusly operating theater in New York State is now completely gutted. Less remains of it that of it’s neighbor down the street, the RKO Madison, which closed in 1977, and while the orchestra level is gutted, the Balcony level and ceiling are completely intact. It is a sad day indeed. Here’s a link to the photo: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/4021/photos/122229
Indeed we do, Bway, many of which I have posted on this page.
This is certainly sad news about the Ridgewood Theater. Something that we all have been preparing for for some time, so it’s not a shock, but still very sad to hear. RIP Ridgewood Theater, we still have the memories.
I can well relate. The last time I was in Jahn’s, it was so dark and quiet, I have literally been in funeral homes that were more cheerful. Add to all of the above the closing of the Richmond Hill LIRR station in early March 1998.