Loew's Valencia Theatre

“BTW, you young whippersnappers know how to hurt a guy."
posted by ‘Tonino’ on Dec 7, 2005 at 7:24am.

Tonino, how did I hurt you ?

I remember Ripley’s, now that you mention it. It was on the south side of Myrtle between the RKO Madison and Palmetto St., wasn’t it ?
Going east from the RKO Madison to Madison St. was the Ridgewood Garden Chinese Restaurant, at least on the second floor, then the Jay Kay Candy Store on the southwest corner of Myrtle and Madison.

Yes, you may have waited on my dad at Ripley’s, but I mostly remember shopping for clothing at Howard’s on the northwest corner of Myrtle and Putnam, a few doors east of the Ridgewood Theater.

No, English, I didn’t miss them. I just didn’t see them at the Alden.

My recollection of the Valencia goes back to the late 1940’s. I would come into Jamaica from St. Albans by bus to Jamaica Ave and 168th St with my parents and later with friends. As a boy I could never understand how they got those clouds to go across the night sky. It was probably the most beautiful theater I have ever been in.

I live in Maryland now, but often think about the Valencia and wonder if it still exists, which is why I “Googled” it tonight and found this web site and these wonderful stories.

When we didn’t go to the Valencia we would sometimes go to the Merrick, which I seem to recall was just across Jamaica Ave from the Valencia. I don’t recall ever having been in the Alden.

“Maggie the Cat"
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PK,
Thanks, that’s it, – The Brooklyn Academy of Music.

I knew Ridgewood very well. I worked at Ripley’s men’s store part time for six years. It was on Myrtle Avenue a few stores away from the RKO Madison. Possibly sold haberdashery or suits to your father. Hung out at Cappy’s pool hall above the Ridgewood.

BTW, you young whippersnappers know how to hurt a guy. ;–)

Many thanks to Warren in his post on the Crossbay for causing me to rediscover the grandeur that was the Valencia. And to Joel B for posting the url containing four great photos (http://www.atos.org/Pages/Palaces/Lowes-Queens/Lowes-Queens.html). They unlocked long lost mental pictures, and memories.

I recall going there in the early 50s when my mother would drop us off while she went shopping. It was a safe thing to do then. Unfortunately, within a few years, it became, as someone else said, “dicey” to go to this area of Jamaica; and her forays were limited to within a few blocks of Gertz.

Listening to others tell of their graduations there, and others from my native Glendale and later Ozone Park produced nice tingles.

Funny, the age differnce of posters. Many who wax nostalgic are a generation younger than I am. I may well be the old man.

I graduated from Brooklyn Tech HS in ‘55. We had our commencement at the Brooklyn (? Music Hall ?). Someone help me here. It was a large theater, but not The Paramount, the home of the R and R shows.

As I mentioned, when I was a Senior at Jamaica High, we held our graduation ceremonies at St. John’s University. I’m not sure exactly when it was that use of the Valencia was curtailed. I can’t recall what the previous two Senior classes did while I attended as a Sophomore and Junior. I wonder if they stopped using it after it closed down for theatrical use in ‘77 – not wanting to hold the proceedings in a church and risk offending anyone of a different religion or secular mind.

Perhaps EdSolero, being a fairly recent Jamaica High School graduate, can enlighten us.

My Junior High School ceremony was held at the Elmwood Theater in Elmhurst, even though my school was in Fresh Meadows. That was 1979 and the local Century’s Meadows Theater had already been twinned, making it too small for the graduating class. By the time I graduated Jamaica High School in ‘82, most of the local big theaters had been twinned or closed (or were showing porn, which would have rendered the facility inappropriate) so we held those ceremonies at auditorium at St. John’s University.

I’m glad the Valencia has survived more or less intact. Pity the caretakers don’t have the sensibilities to preserve the original color scheme as do the religious organizations overseeing the maintenance at the former Loew’s 175th Street in Washington Heights or the renovations at the former Loew’s Metropolitan in Downtown Brooklyn.

It’s been such a pleasure to read about the Valencia. I grew up in South Ozone Park and our local theaters, the Casino, Lefferts and the Cross Bay were crummy, but convenient. The Valencia was fabulous, but was in a dicey neighborhood and so we didn’t go very often. I wish I had gone more often because it truly was an amazing experience to see a film there. My Junior High School (202) graduation ceremony was at the Valencia in 1973. The last movie I remember seeing there was “The Omega Man” with Charlton Heston (I liked him back then, now he’s moron!).
I remember when I first heard that a church was taking over the space. I was very angry, but I now realize that this is probably the only reason that the theater is still standing and isn’t a Duane Reade! I have to agree with most of the people who have commented above. Even though the church has painted the theatre in garish hideous colors, at least it is all still there and, maybe, can someday be restored.

1949 the Valenica was playing “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs Court”. Note in the ad it mentions balloons flying from all marquees and free passes to celebrate Loew’s big show season
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During the 1940s,most people that visited Jamaica thought Jamaica ended at Acher ave or maybe Liberty ave.But I’m here to tell you that it extended maybe five miles to the south of Archer ave.WE had the biggest department store on LOng Island (Gertz) we Had a boxing arena also a racetrack (Jamaica)and Montgomery Ward a national chain store. there were two bus terminals. one behind the Valencia and one behind the Merrick theater. There was two bus depots or yards one at New York Blvd. and Linden Blvd. the other one was below South Rd. on 166th rd. AS a matter of fact Jamaica was the largest community in Queens. The biggest attraction in Jamaica was not the movie houses,but the shopping and Jamaica Race Track.