Loew's Canal Theatre

Ooops, obviously I meant “Loews”, not Lowes.

does anyone know what happened?

Last month, the New York City Landmarks and Preservation Commission voted to schedule hearings on landmarking this theater. This is usually the last step toward actually granting it landmark status. Unfortunately, this designation would only protect the facade on Canal St and not the rest of the building or interior, but better than nothing. Anyone interested should submit testimony or letters of support.

Wow, that is very interesting, I really thought those were windows. I didn’t realize they were actually terra cotta!

Thank you for posting this forthcoming NY Post article! I always admired this theater from what I have seen in photos, although I am too young to have any memories of the theater. Let’s realize that the Loew’s Canal is indeed a hidden gem, which bears positive light in a time when the 1916 Ridgewood Theatre was designated an Individual Landmark by the Landmarks Preservation Commission (1/12/10). This was also designed by America’s foremost theater architect, Thomas W Lamb. Let’s hope that all TWL theaters are restored as much as possible, and creatively and adaptively reused, not to mention numerous other theater marvels, which are few and far between today. I look forward to receiving updates on this theater. Good luck to the organization that is interested, as well as the owner for accommodating them!

While there are no photos of the interior, according to the quotes the theater is basically intact inside, aside from the seats being gone, apparently much of the plaster is intact. I am sure at this point, it’s just a matter of time till we see a long awaited interior photo of the theater.

Based on what I have read on the Delancey’s page and elsewhere, I beileve that the interior has been virtually totally gutted.

That’s what makes the Canal so valuable. It is Manhattan’s one remaining unrenovated true palace that may still have most of its ornamentation in place. It’s just sitting there waiting to be “discovered” and reborn.

I am cautiously optomistic. I believe this theater is New York’s lone remaining theater “secret”. It’s a huge and architecturally significant theater that virtually no one knows exists. The big questions: How much of the original ornamentation is left? How much is the owner willing to spend to restore it? Will other organizations, city agencies, civic institutions pitch in to help with the cost? We still don’t really know the condition of the inside of this theater and it’s driving me nuts! :–)

News about the theater in the local downtown newspaper View link

Do you know if they are considering exterior AND interior? We still haven’t gotten any real indicator of the condition inside this theater in several years. My hope is that this is the the New York’s hidden treasure that nobody knows about. This is a huge theater and it could be a spectacular restoration in an area that is quickly developing.

Great photo of the effect of the movies in blending different languages and cultures in an immigrant neighborhood. The juxtaposition of the Hebrew lettering with the Chinese characters with the Loew’s marquee in the background is priceless! Of course Marcus Loew himself was a product of that acculturation process.

I am so glad folks are trying to save this theatre. In the 1950’s I grew up on nearby Orchard Street between Canal and Hester. I would spend Saturday afternoons seeing a double feature (Martin & Lewis, etc), a dozen cartoons and a serial, perhaps even the News of the Day newsreel. My mother took me to see Blackboard Jungle there I guess it was 1955 just before she passed away the next year. I think I paid twenty five cents. Once I won a coloring contest. They would give out promotional sketches and you would color them in, I won a doll and I am a guy! I often go back to walk the neighborhood and walk by that place. Sol