Loew's Paradise Theatre
2413 Grand Concourse,
Bronx,
NY
10468
2413 Grand Concourse,
Bronx,
NY
10468
63 people
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Showing 526 - 550 of 671 comments
UPDATE!
THE SUNBURST HAS BEEN REPAINTED A BRILLIANT YELLOW ON THE LOEWS PARADISE SIGN. THE BACKGROUND IS A DEEP ROYAL BLUE AND THE LETTERING IS JEZEBEL RED.
THE FABULOUSNESS CONTINUES MY DARLINGS!
Since Bruce Ratner is rebuilding Brooklyn in his own image, can anyone interest him and Marty Markowitz into restoring the Brooklyn Paramount? It makes sense with all the developement from Metrotech to Atlantic terminal.
Thank you Brucec. I have always been very enthusiastic about our beloved movie palace.
Ziggy,
I cannot reveal who my contact is because the theater is still a hard hat area and no one from the public is allowed to enter. I suppose that if one admired this theatre for a long enough time , a staff member may come out on a break and you could explain your enthusiasm for this movie palace. If they have time, you may get a sneak preview!
UPDATE!
THE SIGNAGE HAS BEEN COVERED WITH SCAFFOLDING AND BLACK MESH SCREENING. I WASN’T ABLE TO SEE MUCH BUT I SUPPOSE THAT THEY MUST BE SCRAPING AND PAINTING THE SIGN.
Divinity, I hate being a pest, but I’m originally from upstate New York, and now live (too) far away. I have a cousin in NYC and it’s a given that I will be visiting her this summer. Since you have a contact at the Paradise, could you ask him/her what the chances are of a rabid Loew’s Paradise fan and two friends getting a tour this summer?
If the Bronx gets the Loew’s Paradise up and running then Brooklyn needs to restore either the Paramount or Loew’s Kings(hopefuly both) as a theatre. Im amazed at the progress of the Paradise and I agree it has been very secretive. I wish all above a lot of luck.Divinity I love all your updates on this theatre. The Paradise is the only one of the Loew’s Wonder Theatres I didn’t visit on my trip to NYC 2 years ago. brucec
My contact at the Paradise tells me that the reason most of the work has been going on very secretively, is because the landmarks commission is interested in landmarking the interior. Remember, they have done a fabulous job so far, but they wont landmark it until all work is complete because of all the paperwork involved in restoring a landmark. People in general might be upset that the fountain won’t have a basin or that lighting has been attached to a rectangular opening in the ceiling of the auditorium (both reversable).
Both acts of vandalism were done by previous owners.
Hey Divinity! You’re a local, and you seem to be able to keep up on this place. Can you think of any logical reason why they aren’t being more public? Do the owners know how famous this theatre is? Is it just that they don’t know how to play the media machine?
Talk about your covert operations. I can understand why they wouldn’t want a bunch of oglers wandering through a hard hat area because of the liability question, but are the plans for the restoration of the Paradise that secretive? Meanwhile I’m still trying to digest “clandestinity”!
Yes Ziggy, they have been secretive about the operation.
“clandestinity”?
Jim,
This major project isnt just a finantial investment. It is a project that has carefully preserved the oppulence of this movie theatre. Of course a few alterations have been made, but it is going to take years to profit from the venue with the millions of dollars that it has taken to restore this gem. The past and previous owners have both been very enthusiastic about paying attentioin to intricate details that are critical to the restoration of this movie palace.
It may simply be that businessmen don’t see things ‘in the public eye’ as we theatre buffs do. To them it is likely just a financial investment that may or may not pan out; they may have no real love of theatres since it may be just a business venue to them. In such cases, the owners usually do NOT want too much public exposure aside from publicity for their eventual business, and publicity for that is usually just traditional advertising. They don’t want ‘volunteers’ or others not legally connected with their place tromping about and possibly getting into things, or relating any code violations they might discover (there are often code violations in a large project that inspectors may miss. If customers are fewer than wished, attitudes may change for the better.
I’m just wondering. Unlike the “Friends of the Loew’s” or “Friends of the Byod” (in Philly) or even the “St. George” in SI, the work on the Paradise seems so mysterious. There is no advertising anywhere that I can find. There’s no website to show the restoration progress or enlist potential volunteers. No nuttin'. Why? If the place is “supposed to open” in six months you’d think the owners would be champing at the bit to bring such an elaborate and expensive project before the public. I ask again, why all the clandestinity??
Since the theatre is still a hard hat area, tours are not allowed. By the summer of 2005 I suppose that everything will be finished (unless the completion is stalled for some reason).
It is great to see the Paradise is being restored and reopened!! My Mom went there as a child.I wanted to to go by the theatre this Fri or Saturday.
Does anyone know if the theatre is “open” during the restoration phase. If people wanted to look around inside the theatre? It would be GREAT one could look around inside the Grand Palace as she is being fixed up!
Peter
Is the figure of the dragon going to be restored to the clock? Will there be anyone I can contact regarding getting inside when I return to New York this summer?
One could only hope that this happens in the near future!
With all the care and money going into the restoration, it would not be much of a step to restore the fish pond. One would think that cast concrete could be used to replicate the original stone or plasterwork, and then marbleized to match the statuary. Conrad Schmidt, or the studio that was used when this restoration began (a local New York company, I forget the name) would certainly know how to do this.
Speaking of signage … does anyone know when or why the north-facing rooftop sign was removed?
Correction:
“Because this area is dangerously high above the sidewalk, a recessed area below the ballustrade became the marquee which was more tasteful than the signage above”
When I mentioned the signage above, I was speaking of the signage in the photograph above, which covered the now exposed ballustrade.
Although nobody will admit it, there is a mistake on the large mural in the Loews Lincoln Square theatre in Manhattan. It is a painting of many of the old Loew’s palaces like the Valencia, Kings, etc. There is a Paradise Theatre pictured there, with a conventional marquee, however it is not the Loews Paradise in the Bronx, but the Paradise in Chicago, which was a Balaban & Katz/Publix-Paramount theatre. Many people who have seen it (the painting) assume it’s the Bx Paradise, as did the artist, apparently. Several people I know recently journeyed northward to the Bronx to see THE Paradise for the first time, and when they came back they were all in a frenzy – “they tore the marquee off the front of it!”. When I say it never had a marquee, just flat signs on the wall, they tell me that the painting in Lincoln Square shows it with a marquee.
Because of zoning restrictions, the Paradise never had a conventional marquee. Originally the lettering was placed within the sunburst underneath the clock and Loews Paradise sign in the hole below white area. You can still see where the once illuminated sunburst was painted over, both in close up photographs and in person. Because this area is dangerously high above the sidewalk, a recessed area below the ballustrade became the marquee which was more tasteful than the signage above. The last marquee was put where the signage above was and only portruded about one or two feet off the building. Unfortunately the area below the ballustrade was damaged because of this most recent marquee as you can see in recent photos.
There was never a standard marquee. Perhaps you are thinking of one of our sister theaters such as Loews Jersey which has a similar exterior.
Did the Paradise ever have a conventional marquee or was it always flat? I saw an old picture somewhere that appeared to be of the standard variety.
Edwin,
The progress continues!!!
Crew workers have almost finished steam cleaning and grouting the teracota facade and it looks absolutely marvelous.
Three beautiful carpet samples have been chosen to grace the lobby and auditorium, while the bathrooms have been upgraded with new fixtures, marble countertops and floors.
However, the fishpool for the fountain will not be restored. Since it was destroyed when Loews installed a concession stand in front of the fixture, the statuary will be preserved and the area where the pool once was will be carpeted.
Greetings all. As a kid growing up in the Bronx, I remember several great theatres being available to me in the late 70’s within three blocks. I lived at 2396 Morris Avenue. RKO, Valentine and Lowe’s Paradise were regular stops for me as a kid. “The Lowes†was my favorite. I clearly remember grand ceilings, the simulated stars and the various busts and gargoyles somewhat more than the movies I saw there. I think the last thing I saw there was “Rattle and Hum†of all things.
Later, I ended up moving out to Jersey City. I remember the first time I got off the train at Journal Square I definitely recall looking across the street and seeing the Lowe’s Jersey City. I only suspected it’s pedigree but later I would find out it was the little sister of the theatre I grew up in the shadow of. It made me feel comfortable in my new home to know that some of the same history I grew up with had touched this place. I was happy to see that it was being (slowly) restored. I hadn’t been back to the old neighborhood for several years and I literally wept when I read the first several posts in this newsgroup. I had kind of assumed that something as grand as the Lowe’s paradise would be preserved by the Historical Society. What else is a historical society for if not to preserve awe inspiring things for future generations?
Thankfully I read on to the point were the restoration of the Lowe’s Paradise was discussed. Further, the seeming commitment by Mr. Lieblich to tenderly handle this gem really touched me. You guys brought a smile back to my face. In this time of so many disappointing things (elections, wars, congress etc. The list goes on and on) it is really nice to see that someone seems to care about craftsmanship and history.
Other than the fine folks who have been keeping the vigil over this American temple since 2002. To all of you. Thank you.
Pardon any spelling or grammar errors