Looking at the recent photo again of the Gramercy with the tree planted against the marquee linked July 27th, I also notice the ridiculous placement of the Dunkin Donuts awning, which renders the first ¼ of the theaters marquee useless!!
Socal, you are so correct about those idiotic trees. It’s amazing how cities don’t think or use common sense when doing their jobs, such as planting trees. I love trees as much as anyone, but it’s utterly idiotic that these trees were planted up against the marquees of the theaters to begin with.
We just were talking about this in the Gramercy Theater page too in NY, where they just planted a tree up against the marquee of that theater. See here:
View link
In a few years that tree will cause the same ridiculousness as the Hollywood Blvd Theaters. So it’s not just Hollywood, they have no common sense in NY either. Look at the July/August comments here in the Gramercy Theater page:
THANKS! That is truely impressive. You are right, it’s in a similar parallel to the Loews Kings in Brooklyn, also a diamond in the rough, and totally restorable. Hopefully it gets done before it’s too late.
It’s the theater that got me interested in theaters….
Ever since I first walked in there as a kid when I went to a flea market with my parents there, I was hooked. As intact as it is now, it was even more intact in the early 80’s. The ceiling still had it’s original gold leaf paint, and colors. The side walls were painted beige to about ¾ up of the walls. It was a magical place in all it’s diamond in the rough glory. It still is.
Heh, Well, it’s no different in California apparently, this is discussed in a few of the Hollywood Blvd Theater pages here too….check out this one of the old Pacific Theater there:
This has come up in some fo the Hollywood Blvd Theaters in Hollywood, where they planted trees right up against marquees of many of the theaters. But it seems to have happened here too. Who is the “smart” person that decided that it’s a good idea to plant a tree right up against a theater marquee?
I love trees as much as anyone, but the placement of that tree is ridiculous.
If I remember correctly, you could also see down in the lobby from the balcony level even before the rebuild, but my memory on the Midway is a little fuzzy, as I haven’t been in it since about 1993 or so.
In the rebuild, what was done? Was it gutted to the walls? Where did they get the space for the extra auditoriums they have now (for example, before the rebuild I think it was two balcony theaters and two orchestra level theaters)? Is anything of the original theater intact inside?
It’s amazing how many of these old theaters looked like residential buildings with a marquee on it. Another one was the old Rogers theater on Broadway. (There is a page on the site)…there are photos linked of it, and it too looked like an old tenemant building with a marquee. It has been torn down however, and was on the corner of I believe Park Ave.
Here’s the photo. Between that awning and that ridiculously placed tree, what good with the marquee be in a couple years?
View link
Looking at the recent photo again of the Gramercy with the tree planted against the marquee linked July 27th, I also notice the ridiculous placement of the Dunkin Donuts awning, which renders the first ¼ of the theaters marquee useless!!
Socal, you are so correct about those idiotic trees. It’s amazing how cities don’t think or use common sense when doing their jobs, such as planting trees. I love trees as much as anyone, but it’s utterly idiotic that these trees were planted up against the marquees of the theaters to begin with.
We just were talking about this in the Gramercy Theater page too in NY, where they just planted a tree up against the marquee of that theater. See here:
View link
In a few years that tree will cause the same ridiculousness as the Hollywood Blvd Theaters. So it’s not just Hollywood, they have no common sense in NY either. Look at the July/August comments here in the Gramercy Theater page:
/theaters/6113/
That is excellent news.
I drove by the Ridgewood about 2 weeks ago, and it looked the same….nothing good…nothing bad.
THANKS! That is truely impressive. You are right, it’s in a similar parallel to the Loews Kings in Brooklyn, also a diamond in the rough, and totally restorable. Hopefully it gets done before it’s too late.
Thanks for the information!
It’s the theater that got me interested in theaters….
Ever since I first walked in there as a kid when I went to a flea market with my parents there, I was hooked. As intact as it is now, it was even more intact in the early 80’s. The ceiling still had it’s original gold leaf paint, and colors. The side walls were painted beige to about ¾ up of the walls. It was a magical place in all it’s diamond in the rough glory. It still is.
Great article! Thanks for posting it…
Heh, Well, it’s no different in California apparently, this is discussed in a few of the Hollywood Blvd Theater pages here too….check out this one of the old Pacific Theater there:
View link
And of the old Fox Theater there:
View link
It appears NY isn’t the only place where they don’t plant trees appropriately!
This has come up in some fo the Hollywood Blvd Theaters in Hollywood, where they planted trees right up against marquees of many of the theaters. But it seems to have happened here too. Who is the “smart” person that decided that it’s a good idea to plant a tree right up against a theater marquee?
I love trees as much as anyone, but the placement of that tree is ridiculous.
Wow, it looks great!
That’s pretty neat! Did they only charge one entrance fee for that?
Did the Jackson 5 perform there, or did someone just stick that on the marquee at some point?
Wow, the building looks SOOO bad. Such a shame.
That must be a different photo…the link has a different product ID#…they must have deleted the photo I originally linked to, as it used to work.
Thanks for all your information John! Very interesting…
Wow, it sure is getting worse…
I meant Marcy Ave….
It still sickens me whenever I ride by on the el trains through March Ave station that they tore this theater down….and for what? What a waste.
If I remember correctly, you could also see down in the lobby from the balcony level even before the rebuild, but my memory on the Midway is a little fuzzy, as I haven’t been in it since about 1993 or so.
In the rebuild, what was done? Was it gutted to the walls? Where did they get the space for the extra auditoriums they have now (for example, before the rebuild I think it was two balcony theaters and two orchestra level theaters)? Is anything of the original theater intact inside?
Very cool!
Wow, that brings back so many memories…I walked under that marquee every day for about 3 years….
Thanks for the update!
It’s amazing how many of these old theaters looked like residential buildings with a marquee on it. Another one was the old Rogers theater on Broadway. (There is a page on the site)…there are photos linked of it, and it too looked like an old tenemant building with a marquee. It has been torn down however, and was on the corner of I believe Park Ave.