Claridge Theater

AlinNYC …. I lived in that apartment from 94-99. Amazing place-sad as well to see it gone.

I remember the Claridge theater quite well. My parents used to take my sister and I there when we kids. I vividly remember seeing “It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World there in Cinerama (circa 1962) and "Windjammer” in Cinerama as well. Even though I lived in Newark and was closer to the Stanley, Castle and Sanford movie theaters, I visited the Claridge quite often. It was a great place to see a film back then. Just down the street was Grunnings Ice Cream, which was an awesome place to visit after the movie was over. It closed in the 1980’s I believe.

I lived in the neighborhood.DAHILL RD & then East 2nd.
In the 1950’s my bother & cousins would always go for the “25” color
cartoons + feature.
In 1961-1963 while a junior at Lafayette HS I worked as an usher.
this was my first real job an earned a whopping 1.00 per hr.
Would go to newstand at McDonald An.& Av.P and wait for the Daily
news for the manager his name was Feldmen I think.
Had some good times.

I lived in this building in 1987-88. I shared a huge apartment with my cousin and his wife that was built directly over the lobby of the old theater. It was, in fact, the first place I ever lived in NYC. The apartment, which was reputedly built for the theater’s owner, featured an incredible living room that was like a theater itself with a staircase that wrapped around the room in an ascending series of balconies and a dome that rose 30+ feet above the floor. There was beautiful dark oak woodwork everywhere and the master bath had luxury plumbing fixtures straight out of the ‘20’s, including a wrap-around spray shower.

From the master bedroom one could walk right out onto the roof over several offices that fronted on Ave. P (I remember a dentist’s office in there). There was no AC in the apartment and during the hot summer months we would have parties with several folks sleeping out on the roof. I met my ex-wife (we were married for 15 years) on that roof in ‘87. There was also a sealed door in the apartment that apparently led out into the auditorium (which had been stripped of most of whatever detail it once had, and covered with ugly, glitzy junk).

I still remember the sounds of the wedding receptions beating up through the walls and floors at night, and the crowds of joyful people out on Ave. P. So I was really shocked, and a bit saddened to see the old place gone on my last drive out that way. Time marches on I guess…

I grew up around the corner on East 2nd Street. The Claridge used to occasionally run 50 cartoons at a time on the weekend, with a line of kids down the block waiting to get in. I remember sitting through Old Yeller about five times in one day. Great memories.

Always remember seeing this theater while it was a catering hall. Even though I never went to it in any of its incarnations, the movie house like structure with its tan and reddish brown deco style design clearly was a theater at one time. About a year ago, there was a rumor that it would re open as a multiplex, but stories in the local Brooklyn papers quickly dashed that hope.It was completely leveled about 5 months ago. Quess they will build more cookie cutter style houses(or another medical center) there.when I asked some of the Russian speaking residents about it, they just looked at me like I had 3 heads.

No 12 screen cinema for this area Mark, the renovation of the Marboro is all that we can hope for. The site of the former Clairidge will be occupied by luxury condos.

It’s now rubble. Signs on the safety walls surrounding the site show pictures of exciting new apartment buildings coming soon.