Comments from Bway

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Bway
Bway commented about Eagle Theater on Sep 23, 2004 at 3:17 pm

Peter, it was on the northeast side of Central, facing south.

The type of architecture all these neighborhood movie theaters were made me very suprised when I drove by the site of the Irving Theater. In the Irving’s (Mozart) section, you will notice I posted link to a photo of a building there that “may” be the old Irving Theater, even though we thought it was demolished (see link above for the Irving section).

The reason I say this is because the Luxor, the Wyckoff Theater, the Imperial, the Wagner, etc were all built in a similar style like this.

See the Irving Theater for more on this. I really believe the building in the photo I linked to in that could be the Irving/Mozart theater (as it looks like these theaters), even though we all thought it was the gas station site. Or then maybe it could be a coincidence that that theater-looking building would be right next to the site we “thought” was the Irving/Mozart. Let me know what you guys think in the Irving section.

Bway
Bway commented about Imperial Theatre on Sep 23, 2004 at 2:48 pm

The Imperial Theater is now a church, like so many of these other theaters. The front has been resurfaced, however the sides of the building appear to be original bricks, with pointed windows cut into the sides. (You can tell they weren’t the original windows because there are newer bricks around the windows.

Click here for the photo

Bway
Bway commented about Eagle Theater on Sep 23, 2004 at 2:42 pm

Ooops, I messed up the link:

Try again:

Click here for photo

Bway
Bway commented about Eagle Theater on Sep 23, 2004 at 2:39 pm

The Luxor Theater building still exists.
Here’s a current view of the Luxor Theater building taken yesterday:

[url=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v93/GP36Chris/Old%20Theaters/LuxorTheater431CentralAvecopy.jpg]Click here for photo[url]

The Luxor Theater is now the “Trinity Tabernacle Pentecostal”. The building is not was well maintained as some of the other small theaters that were converted to churches.

Bway
Bway commented about Echo Theatre on Sep 23, 2004 at 2:25 pm

The Echo theater building has been razed.
I drove by yesterday, and the site is now occupied by new two family homes that probably date back to the 90’s. The entire blocks on the cross streets (Moore and the one to the west) have been razed to build these homes.

Bway
Bway commented about Pictureland Theater on Sep 23, 2004 at 2:08 pm

This must have been a really small theater, or torn down very early on, and replaced wwith what is there now.
Anyway, I drove by the Pictureland site yesterday, and took a photo of the site. It could be the same building with a refaced front, as the bricks on 468 Bway are “newer” bricks than the other buildings on the block. Anyway, the Pictureland building is the building with the blue awning in the photo. I would assume since it was a theater, it had a “theater” front, and at some point it was converted to store and apartments, and the fasade was altered with the “newer” bricks.
It’s between Madison and Putnam. In the 80’s many of these buildings on the Putnam to Madison block were abandoned (although not burnt), especially towards the corner, and just around Putnam. They are all occupied now again except for the one right nect to the Pictureland building.

Click here for photo

Bway
Bway commented about Alhambra Theatre on Sep 23, 2004 at 1:53 pm

The drop ceiling in the “supermarket” must have been a “fake” ceiling covering up the high ceiling of the theater. It appears that the current “doorway” at the corner is in the same spot as it was when it was a supermarket. Obviously, the entire building was refaced on the exterior, at least on the Knickerbocker side. The Halsey St side looks to have the original bricks of the theater. They must have built a floor through the whole building giving it two stories, and cut windows into it. I assume the Knickerbocker side was resurfaced when they converted it from supermarket to whatever it became when they built a floor for the second level in the building.

Bway
Bway commented about Alhambra Theatre on Sep 23, 2004 at 1:44 pm

Groundstar, you are very welcome….se if I knew 24 hours ago when I took those photos, I would have panned more to the left! I don’t remember what was on the left, but the buildings on the left (across Knickerbocker) were still there.
Yes, it must be a shock to see your friends building gone! The lot was large. It’s hard to tell in the photo because it’s zoomed, but there must have been at least 3 buildings on that site (or one large building, since it was a corner). It’s probably strange, because you probably have a vision of the indside of your friend’s apartment, and now it doesn’t exist!
Of course the neighborhood fell on hard times, and a lot was abandoned or burned in the 70s and 80’s. In the 90’s a lot of the vacant or burnt buildings were razed. The neighborhood is getting better, there is so much new construction going on. Entire blocks around Cornelia and Central have been razed, and replaced with brand new 2 family homes. It’s getting much better. The vacant lot where your friend’s old apartment is one of the few. It’s only a matter of time till they build on it again, as this is happeneing everywhere in the neighborhood. I hadn’t been on Knickerbocker since I was a teenager, until yesterday.

Bway
Bway commented about Grandview Theater on Sep 23, 2004 at 1:24 pm

Yes, that’s looking west.
Here’s an angle looking “east”, towards Gates Ave.

Click Here

Bway
Bway commented about Alhambra Theatre on Sep 23, 2004 at 1:18 pm

Groundstar, here’s the angle from the Knickerbocker side:

Click here

It’s sort of a crappy shot, (why I didn’t post it originally). I didn’t even get out of my car to take that (took it at the stop sign at Eldert), like I did for the Halsey St side.
They cut windows into the entire theater. I am going to assume there is not much left of the interior, what with the windows, and the supermarket conversion decades ago. I have no idea what the building is now.

Bway
Bway commented about Willoughby Theater on Sep 23, 2004 at 11:03 am

Here’s a current view of the Willoughby Theater taken yesterday.

Click Here for Link

The theater is now a church, Iglesia Bautista Central. The building appears to have been refaced, although is well cared for.

Bway
Bway commented about Imperial Theatre on Sep 23, 2004 at 11:00 am

Here’s a current view of the Imperial Theater taken yesterday.

Click Here for Link

The theater currently sits vacant awaiting it’s next use…or demolition. The building is not well cared for. There is much new construction going on in the neighborhood. It’s only a matter of time that “something” happens here.

Bway
Bway commented about Grandview Theater on Sep 23, 2004 at 10:41 am

I believe the Folly stood on the space where the parking lot is now, between the GRandview and the white wall. If you look at an old photo of the Folly, there is a building to the right of it, so it couldn’t be on the corner. The building to the right of the Grandview is a newer (probably 1960’s home), and that is on the corner now. The life of the Ridgewood Folly, Grandview Theater could be similar to the Evergreen. Originally an open air theater (the Folly), and then later they built the Grandview next to it.

Bway
Bway commented about Alhambra Theatre on Sep 23, 2004 at 10:34 am

The building does still exist.

Here’s a current view of the Alhambra Theater taken yesterday.

Click Here for Link

I don’t know what, if anything is in the building today.

Bway
Bway commented about Irving Theatre on Sep 22, 2004 at 7:50 pm

Alright. As you guys may have noticed, I went on a “cinematreasure” hunt today in Bushwick and Ridgewood, and took photos of most of the Bushwick and Ridgewood Theaters or sites. i still have a few more to do, but will probably post the others tomorrow, like the two Imperial, Alahambra, Luxor, Willoughby, etc. I did most of the others (southwest of the Ridgewood Theater anyway), so check all the Bushwick/Ridgewood theater sections if interested. I should have them uploaded by tomorrow.

Anyway, this brings us to the Mysterious Mozart Theater, aka the Irving theater. I had thought this theater was demolished, but now I am not so sure, because of the building in the below link. Yes, there is a gas station on the small triangled corner, however, this building is right next to it, and looks like many of the old small theaters in the area, like the Luxor, Wyckoff, Imperial, etc (see photos I upload tomorrow).
Could this building, right at the location the Irving/Mozart theater was at actually be the Irving, still standing?
What do you guys think?

Here’s the link to what is by the gas station we had “thought” was the Irving. Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t, but it sure looks like the other 1910’s and 1920’s Ridgewood and Bushwick small theaters do. Or is it just a coincidence that this building at the Irving site looks so similar to the Luxor, the Imperial, and the Wyckoff?

Click here for the Link

Bway
Bway commented about Casino Theatre on Sep 22, 2004 at 6:49 pm

Here’s a current view of the Casino Theater building taken today.

Click Here for Link

Click Here for Link 2

The theater is now a school.

It is incorectly listed as “demolished” above.

Bway
Bway commented about Ridgewood Folly Theatre on Sep 22, 2004 at 6:44 pm

And for anyone interested, here’s a photo of the VG Nichols (Triangle) Furniture building taken today. If it was intended for a theater, we have yet to determine, but it is still a dance hall on the third floor.

Click here

Bway
Bway commented about Decatur Theater on Sep 22, 2004 at 6:37 pm

Peter, I drove by the Decatur site today and am sorry to report to you that the Decatur Theater building has been demolished.
In fact both sides of Broadway between Cooper and Decatur have been completely demolished from one end to the other, not one building stands on either side of Broadway for that block.

Bway
Bway commented about Grove Theater on Sep 22, 2004 at 6:32 pm

I drove by the Grove theater site today, and the theater has been demolished, replaced with one and two family homes facing Jefferson and the next block to the east, which look to have been built in the last 5 years.

Bway
Bway commented about Ridgewood Theatre on Sep 22, 2004 at 6:01 pm

Here’s two current views of the Ridgewood Theatre taken today.

Click Here for Link

Click Here for Link 2

Bway
Bway commented about RKO Bushwick Theatre on Sep 22, 2004 at 5:58 pm

Here’s a current view of the old RKO Bushwick Theatre taken today.

Click Here for Link

The theater is now gutted for a school as you all know, but is in excellent condition.

Bway
Bway commented about Monroe Theatre on Sep 22, 2004 at 5:54 pm

Here’s a current view of the site of the Monroe Theater taken today.

Click Here for Link

The theater is now demolished, and a vacant lot awaiting it’s next use with all the construction going on around it.

Bway
Bway commented about Ridgewood Folly Theatre on Sep 22, 2004 at 5:49 pm

Here’s a current view of the site of the Ridgewood Folly Theater taken today.

Click Here for Link

The theater Grandview theater (the funereal home) is located at 663 Grandview Ave. The Ridgewood Folly was probably where the parking lot is now, to the left of the Grandview Theater (funeral home), which is located on the 659 and 661 Grandview Ave lots.

Bway
Bway commented about Parthenon Theatre on Sep 22, 2004 at 5:36 pm

Here’s a current view of the Parthenon Theater taken today.

Click Here for Link

The theater is now a bingo hall in it’s main auditorium, and stores in the former lobby area. The building is heavily altered from it’s original appearance (in the link shown above from the queenspix site). The building is rather unattractive now.

Bway
Bway commented about Rivoli Theatre on Sep 22, 2004 at 5:33 pm

Here’s a current view of the Rivoli Theater taken today.

Click Here for Link

The theater is now a church. The building seems to be deteriorating. It has been heavily altered on the exterior. I couldn’t even tell where the original main entrance was.