Hi Geo, I totally agree with you! I think Radio City is spectacular, but I don’t think that you could fairly compare it to theaters like the Uptown or The Roxy. I too find these theaters much more elaborate than Radio City. That is why I have to put Radio City in its own category.
I do plan on touring th Loew’s Paradise in The Bronx as you suggest. I’m facinated by Loew’s Wonder Theaters. Loew’s Valencia was one of my neighborhood theaters growing up and is an increbuly beautiful structure. I had a chance to tour Loew’s King’s last winter and even in its decayed state, it is one of the most beautiful theaters I have ever seen. I’ve attended a film at the renovated Loew’s Jersey and was very impressed. I’m very much looking forward to taking the tour of The Paradise in the Spring and finally visitng Loew’s 175th Street which has become a big concert venue.
I wonder what kind of construction. This theater was spectacularly renovated. The only issue that I had was that all of the orchestra seats had been removed. Maybe they’ll put the orchestra seats back in and enable this theater to actually show movies again. Per my post above from the grand opening, I didn’t see how the theater would make money based on the presentation they had opened with.
So, should Hood & Foulinex be added as the archtictural firm under the Radio City site? Currently, Stone is listed as architect, but the firm is listed as unknown.
I just want to comment on the statements above as to which theater was more beautiful: The Uptown, Radio City or The Roxy. I’ve thought about that many times and I just can’t compare Radio City (which is Art Deco and dates from the 30’s) to The Roxy and The Uptown (which date from the 20’s and were Spanish Designs). They are just too different in style to properly compare. They are all the best of their class and so I chose not to choose. I have not had the opportunity to visit either The Uptown or The Roxy so I can only go by the pictures I’ve seen on CT. As such, I think it is an incredible draw between the two. Radio City stands in an Art Deco league of its own. Another contender would be the Art Noveau masterpiece New Amsterdam Theater on 42nd St; another theater with no equal.
Shouldn’t Donald Desky be added as a joint archtitect to both Radio City and The Center? It is now apparent that Edward Durrell Stone only designed the exterior of both theaters and, though significant, it is the Interiors of these theaters that are the true treasures. Donald Desky should be given his due, if only on this website. Doanld Desky does not appear as an architect for any other theater on this website.
Thanks Warren. Your point would make sense. That would most likely account for why we don’t see any other theaters designed by Stone. He may, in fact, not have had as big an impact into the design of Radio City and The Center as CT implies with the credit above.
I just saw The Kathy Griffin special “Going Straight To Hell” and I was struck at how beautiful the theater was. I waited for the closing credits and saw that it was indeed The Chicago Theater. It was great to see this theater full and looking so beautiful.
I just noticed that Edward Durrell Stone was the architect of both Radio City and The Center Theater. Radio City, of course, is one of the most beautiful theater palaces ever built and The Center appeared to be a stunner as well. It appears that Stone did not design any other theaters (according to my architect search on CT). I wonder why not. I assume both of these theaters (certainly Radio City) were universally acclaimed by architecture critcs at the time. I would assume that Edward Durrell Stone would have been deluged with theater commission offers. I guess the depression would have greatly dampened the demand, but nonetheless, I still find it surprising that he never designed another theater. Any insights are appreicated.
I just noticed that Edward Durrell Stone was the architect of both Radio City and The Center Theater. Radio City, of course, is one of the most beautiful theater palaces ever built and The Center appeared to be a stunner as well. It appears that Stone did not design any other theaters (according to my architect search on CT). I wonder why not. I assume both of these theaters (certainly Radio City) were universally acclaimed by architecture critcs at the time. I would assume that Edward Durrell Stone would have been deluged with theater commission offers. I guess the depression would have greatly dampened the demand, but nonetheless, I still find it surprising that he never designed another theater. Any insights are appreicated.
I have many memories of the Palace. I saw one of my first Broadway shows at The Palace; a performance of Man of La Mancha in the late 70’s with Richard Kiley. I remember that it was a Tuesday evening and I was in high school. I was wearing a tie and was horrified that virtually every other man was wearing a jacket and tie. I have never felt more undressed than that evening.
Years later in the mid 80’s I went to see La Cage Aux Folles and it was apparent that audinece dress codes were dropping. This time I was appropriately dressed in a jacket and tie. I remember seeing a couple walk in dressed in JEANS and t-shirts! I couldn’t believe it. The were sitting directly in front of me in the front mezzanine. Just before the end of the first act, as the show stopper “I Am What I Am” is being sung on stage, the woman throws up in her seat! My first thought was, “well I guess that’s why she wore jeans.” They managed to clear out of their seats just before the lights went up for intermission. The girl I was with said to me, “I hope they clean that up before they get back.” I said to her, “They’re not coming back! I wouldn’t come back to my seat if I just threw up into it!” Anyway, the theater staff was excellent and cleaned up the mess before the start of the second act.
No, the underdressed couple didn’t come back.
How times change! Nowadays, people wear jogging outfits and flip flops on planes and are just as bad at the theater. The only night of the week that you see people dress up somewhat is on Saturday nights. However, I did go to see the god awful “Lestat” at The Palace and remember that there was some guy wearing a Tank Top (no it wasn’t summer) and he was sitting in one of the boxes. No Class.
:–)
I also forgot to mention in my post above that one of my favorite parts of the show was the mini history lesson on the History of the Music Hall. It actually brought a tear to my eye when they talked about how close the Hall came to being closed forever back in ‘78. Luckily it was saved, literally at the last minute and many generations to come will be able to enjoy this grand theater as we have.
After the show, I walked outside and tried to imagine what it would have been like to have had not just Radio City, but The Roxy down the Street and The Capitol one block away. All with a minimum of 5,000 seats and all with stage shows. All within a single block! Radio City is truly the last of its kind. Since it is the last theater in the world that still presents a stage show, it is the last theater where a patron can truly imagine what it must have been like way back when. The only disappointment is that they don’t have periodic movie engagements.
Nor I! That’s what I mean about the Ziegfeld’s audience enthusiasm and that is what made Dreamgirls such an incredible movie going experience that I will never forget; seeing a film with a thousand other strangers that are truly excited to be there.
I attended the Radio City Xmas show last night and it brought a tear to my eye when they did a little history montage noting how close this theater came to actually closing its doors for good. I’m so glad that we still have Radio City and, more importantly, that future generations will have it as well.
I would hope that The Ziegfeld would be spared as well. It’s coming up on its 40th anniversary and I believe that that is the minimum age for a structure to be landmarked by the City of New York. There is so much movie history in this building and it is worth saving the last true movie palace built in New York. Especially, since we know that they will never be built this way again.
Um, yeah! The sides and the balcony were nearly filled. I arrived 40 minutes before showtime and had to sit on the side because the center section was nearly filled. At 4:00 PM on Xmas day!
It shoudn’t be a surprise. Sweeney Todd is a musical masterpiece starring one of the best actors, ever….Jonny Depp. In addition, Stephen Sondheim has a very devoted following as was evidenced when a round of applause erupted when his name appeared on the opening credits. The Ziegfeld’s incredible sound system, large screen and a generally enthusuastic audience make it worthwhile to spend a little more money and go out of your way to attend a film here. The enthusiasm was reflected in the bursts of applause after some of the musical numbers.
Though this experience does not compare to the blockbuster presentation of Dreamgirls last year (I don’t think anything ever will) it was still a much better experience than I would have had going to the local multiplex.
Next Ziegfled musical…..Mamma Mia! Summer, 2008. They showed the trailer and it looks like it’ll be fun!
I just saw the show last night, and I respectfully disagree with the old Rockette who was disappointed. I thought it was the best Christmas show that I’ve seen Radio City in the last three decades. The 3D sleigh ride is fun and the stalwart March of the Wooden Soldiers was masterfully performed. The show’s tour bus number was a pretty amazing technical feat and the dancing Santas was great fun. The show had fireworks on stage, snow falling over the audience and, of course, the incredible Living Nativity scene (yes, with camels). We took our 12 year old niece and she was captivated by the performance. By the way, it was nice to see both organs playing before and after the show.
For me, it is definaitely worth the $100 ticket; especially when I compare it to a Broadway show where orchestra seats are between $110 and $120.
Wow! Great photos! Though this theater has lost a lot it does look totally salvagable. I assume that the original lobby colors were much darker and varied. It much have been beautiful back in the day.
Just saw Sweeney Todd at the 4:00 PM showing on Christmas Day. It was nearly sold out and a very fun audience. The sound was spectacular. My only disappointement was that the didn’t use the curtains. Why is this so complicated? Especially for shows that get very high turnouts. Other than that, it was a great holiday outing!
Just saw Sweeney Todd at the 4:00 PM showing on Christmas Day. It was nearly sold out and a very fun audience. The sound was spectacular. My only disappointement was that the didn’t use the curtains. Why is this so complicated? Especially for shows that get very high turnouts. Other than that, it was a great holiday outing!
I finally got to visit this beautiful theater on December 8th to see Joy Behar. It’s incredible that this palace lies just a 5 minute walk from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. I felt like we might have been the only Manhattan people to venture over to see the show, but we had a great time! I also felt like a youngster again (my friends and I are in our 40’s but the vast majority of the audience appeared to be at least in their 60’s)!
The theater is beautiful. Although it was a little disconcerting that all of the orchestra seats are missing (temporary seating was set up for the show) it was more than made up for when we went up to the balcony where all of the original seating remains and you get a true picture as to how big this theater really is. The ceiling is spectacular. Congratualtions to Rosemary and company for a work in progress well done!
I have been to Loew’s Jersey, Radio City and The Beacon. I atttended Loews Valencia as a kid and was able to take a tour of the ruins of the Loews Kings last year. My next goal is to visit Loews Paradise in The Bronx and Loews 175th St in Washington Heights. From the pictures that I’ve seen and the threads that I’ve read, I think the best is yet to come!
In todays edition of The Real Deal, New York’s Real Estate Bible publication, there was an article about a new residential/commercial project to be built in Journal Square. Demolition is to start in January and construction will begin in late March. It is to be a two tower complex, one 60 story tower and one 40 stories built ON TOP of a 7 story parking facility. There will be 1,500 apartments in addition to a fair amount of retail space. No word as to whether they will be rentals or condos. This will be the tallest building in New Jersey; taller than Trump’s new waterfront project. I think this is great news for Loew’s Jersey theater (which was referenced in the article). More housing and new construction means more visibility and potential customers for the theater which could lead to more contibutions for its continued restoration.
If someone can explain to me how to link an article I’ll be happy to try it!
Thanks J.D.! No, I had not relized that it was a theater. I’ll need to add that one to my list. So, Bond’s turned it into a clothing store and then it became a disco? I remember the Clash performing way back when, though I didn’t get to go. I did, of course, dance there and there were three memorable features of the club: A musical staircase, (each landing made a note when you went up or down the stairs), dancing fountains on the stage, and huge inflatables that were blown up above while you danced underneath. I remember them being silver and were in the shapes of huge people.
I travel a fair amount and when I see the devastation in Detroit and North Philadelphia, Bridgeport, Cleveland, etc….it makes New York’s turn around that much more amazing. It’s very jarring to see neighborhoods that were vibrant and full of life, now vacant and menacing and devoid of hope. I hope that we never let our city go down that path again! I for one, will not flee. I will stay and fight!
PKoch, My new neighborhood (South Ozone) was mostly made up of refugees from East New York, City Line, Brownsville and Bushwick in Brooklyn as those areas lost their middle class residents. My family was one of the few from the Bronx, but we all shared the same fears and desires to live in a safe and non-flamable environment. I’m very happy that the people who chose to stay in those neighborhoods were able to turn it around and reap the rewards.
My family moved to New Jersey in the late 80’s (their jobs relocated) and I made the big move to Manhattan in 89 and I’ve been here ever since. I was a part of the gentrification of Chelsea and 6 months ago we bought a new condo in the Financial District and I’m thrilled to be a part of a brand new “old” neighborhood. It’s very exciting to see a neighborhood growing almost on a daily basis. There’s always something new going on. But some of my best memories though will always be in Queens!
Everything is making a comeback! My parents fled The Bronx in 1970. We went back to the old hood last summer and were amazed at how nice everything was. In the 80’s almost everything stood vacant and burned. There were empty trash strewn lots and abandoned buildings with the ocassional occupied one. While there are many things I miss about the old gritty New York of the past, the reality was, my home in Queens was safe and idyllic. When I had enough of the “grit” of Times Square, I could leave and go home. I’m very happy that the vast majority of New Yorkers today have neighborhoods that they feel safe in. That, more than anything else, has fueled New York’s resurgence and why we have more people living here today than at any time in our history.
Yep, I too did The Ritz, which like Roseland, was and continue to be Dance Halls. The Ritz, now Webster Hall, is on the verge on being landmarked. It dates from the 1880’s. Theaters made great discos and it’s so upsetting that none continue to serve that function today. Unusual structures oftern made the best dance clubs. Besides theaters, the other great discos of the past were Limelight (a old church), The Tunnel (an actual tunnel), The Roxy and The Red Parott (Old Roller Rinks), Bond’s International Casino (The huge clothing store in Times Square) and of course, all of the old warehouses (too many to mention.
Regarding growing up in South Ozone Park, it was a great experience. While large parts of the city were out of control (the Bronx and Bushwick were going up in flames) and Times Square had degenerated into an cesspool, our section of Queens was very safe and tranquil. I remember leaving our doors unlocked without worrying. My parents never worried about the kids.
Ironically, with New York safer now than at any time prior to the 60’s, you would never let your kids today do what we did back then when it was much more dangerous. Oh, the times have changed.
I held onto my disco phase for a very, very long time. It’s why I am so familiar with all of the theaters in Manhattan that were converted into discos before their ultimate destruction. I would never have had a chance to see the Loew’s Commodore (The Saint), The Academy of Music (The Palladium), The Henry Miller (Xenon), The Forum (Club USA) if I hadn’t gone there to dance. Today’s youth has no idea what they missed! The only theater that was truly saved by a disco long enough to eventually return to its legitimate use was Studio 54. Many of these theaters would have disappeared much earlier without their turns as dance palaces. I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity to have seen and experience them.
Hi Geo, I totally agree with you! I think Radio City is spectacular, but I don’t think that you could fairly compare it to theaters like the Uptown or The Roxy. I too find these theaters much more elaborate than Radio City. That is why I have to put Radio City in its own category.
I do plan on touring th Loew’s Paradise in The Bronx as you suggest. I’m facinated by Loew’s Wonder Theaters. Loew’s Valencia was one of my neighborhood theaters growing up and is an increbuly beautiful structure. I had a chance to tour Loew’s King’s last winter and even in its decayed state, it is one of the most beautiful theaters I have ever seen. I’ve attended a film at the renovated Loew’s Jersey and was very impressed. I’m very much looking forward to taking the tour of The Paradise in the Spring and finally visitng Loew’s 175th Street which has become a big concert venue.
I wonder what kind of construction. This theater was spectacularly renovated. The only issue that I had was that all of the orchestra seats had been removed. Maybe they’ll put the orchestra seats back in and enable this theater to actually show movies again. Per my post above from the grand opening, I didn’t see how the theater would make money based on the presentation they had opened with.
So, should Hood & Foulinex be added as the archtictural firm under the Radio City site? Currently, Stone is listed as architect, but the firm is listed as unknown.
I just want to comment on the statements above as to which theater was more beautiful: The Uptown, Radio City or The Roxy. I’ve thought about that many times and I just can’t compare Radio City (which is Art Deco and dates from the 30’s) to The Roxy and The Uptown (which date from the 20’s and were Spanish Designs). They are just too different in style to properly compare. They are all the best of their class and so I chose not to choose. I have not had the opportunity to visit either The Uptown or The Roxy so I can only go by the pictures I’ve seen on CT. As such, I think it is an incredible draw between the two. Radio City stands in an Art Deco league of its own. Another contender would be the Art Noveau masterpiece New Amsterdam Theater on 42nd St; another theater with no equal.
Thanks Howard!
Shouldn’t Donald Desky be added as a joint archtitect to both Radio City and The Center? It is now apparent that Edward Durrell Stone only designed the exterior of both theaters and, though significant, it is the Interiors of these theaters that are the true treasures. Donald Desky should be given his due, if only on this website. Doanld Desky does not appear as an architect for any other theater on this website.
Thanks Warren. Your point would make sense. That would most likely account for why we don’t see any other theaters designed by Stone. He may, in fact, not have had as big an impact into the design of Radio City and The Center as CT implies with the credit above.
I just saw The Kathy Griffin special “Going Straight To Hell” and I was struck at how beautiful the theater was. I waited for the closing credits and saw that it was indeed The Chicago Theater. It was great to see this theater full and looking so beautiful.
I just noticed that Edward Durrell Stone was the architect of both Radio City and The Center Theater. Radio City, of course, is one of the most beautiful theater palaces ever built and The Center appeared to be a stunner as well. It appears that Stone did not design any other theaters (according to my architect search on CT). I wonder why not. I assume both of these theaters (certainly Radio City) were universally acclaimed by architecture critcs at the time. I would assume that Edward Durrell Stone would have been deluged with theater commission offers. I guess the depression would have greatly dampened the demand, but nonetheless, I still find it surprising that he never designed another theater. Any insights are appreicated.
I just noticed that Edward Durrell Stone was the architect of both Radio City and The Center Theater. Radio City, of course, is one of the most beautiful theater palaces ever built and The Center appeared to be a stunner as well. It appears that Stone did not design any other theaters (according to my architect search on CT). I wonder why not. I assume both of these theaters (certainly Radio City) were universally acclaimed by architecture critcs at the time. I would assume that Edward Durrell Stone would have been deluged with theater commission offers. I guess the depression would have greatly dampened the demand, but nonetheless, I still find it surprising that he never designed another theater. Any insights are appreicated.
I have many memories of the Palace. I saw one of my first Broadway shows at The Palace; a performance of Man of La Mancha in the late 70’s with Richard Kiley. I remember that it was a Tuesday evening and I was in high school. I was wearing a tie and was horrified that virtually every other man was wearing a jacket and tie. I have never felt more undressed than that evening.
Years later in the mid 80’s I went to see La Cage Aux Folles and it was apparent that audinece dress codes were dropping. This time I was appropriately dressed in a jacket and tie. I remember seeing a couple walk in dressed in JEANS and t-shirts! I couldn’t believe it. The were sitting directly in front of me in the front mezzanine. Just before the end of the first act, as the show stopper “I Am What I Am” is being sung on stage, the woman throws up in her seat! My first thought was, “well I guess that’s why she wore jeans.” They managed to clear out of their seats just before the lights went up for intermission. The girl I was with said to me, “I hope they clean that up before they get back.” I said to her, “They’re not coming back! I wouldn’t come back to my seat if I just threw up into it!” Anyway, the theater staff was excellent and cleaned up the mess before the start of the second act.
No, the underdressed couple didn’t come back.
How times change! Nowadays, people wear jogging outfits and flip flops on planes and are just as bad at the theater. The only night of the week that you see people dress up somewhat is on Saturday nights. However, I did go to see the god awful “Lestat” at The Palace and remember that there was some guy wearing a Tank Top (no it wasn’t summer) and he was sitting in one of the boxes. No Class.
:–)
I also forgot to mention in my post above that one of my favorite parts of the show was the mini history lesson on the History of the Music Hall. It actually brought a tear to my eye when they talked about how close the Hall came to being closed forever back in ‘78. Luckily it was saved, literally at the last minute and many generations to come will be able to enjoy this grand theater as we have.
After the show, I walked outside and tried to imagine what it would have been like to have had not just Radio City, but The Roxy down the Street and The Capitol one block away. All with a minimum of 5,000 seats and all with stage shows. All within a single block! Radio City is truly the last of its kind. Since it is the last theater in the world that still presents a stage show, it is the last theater where a patron can truly imagine what it must have been like way back when. The only disappointment is that they don’t have periodic movie engagements.
Nor I! That’s what I mean about the Ziegfeld’s audience enthusiasm and that is what made Dreamgirls such an incredible movie going experience that I will never forget; seeing a film with a thousand other strangers that are truly excited to be there.
I attended the Radio City Xmas show last night and it brought a tear to my eye when they did a little history montage noting how close this theater came to actually closing its doors for good. I’m so glad that we still have Radio City and, more importantly, that future generations will have it as well.
I would hope that The Ziegfeld would be spared as well. It’s coming up on its 40th anniversary and I believe that that is the minimum age for a structure to be landmarked by the City of New York. There is so much movie history in this building and it is worth saving the last true movie palace built in New York. Especially, since we know that they will never be built this way again.
Um, yeah! The sides and the balcony were nearly filled. I arrived 40 minutes before showtime and had to sit on the side because the center section was nearly filled. At 4:00 PM on Xmas day!
It shoudn’t be a surprise. Sweeney Todd is a musical masterpiece starring one of the best actors, ever….Jonny Depp. In addition, Stephen Sondheim has a very devoted following as was evidenced when a round of applause erupted when his name appeared on the opening credits. The Ziegfeld’s incredible sound system, large screen and a generally enthusuastic audience make it worthwhile to spend a little more money and go out of your way to attend a film here. The enthusiasm was reflected in the bursts of applause after some of the musical numbers.
Though this experience does not compare to the blockbuster presentation of Dreamgirls last year (I don’t think anything ever will) it was still a much better experience than I would have had going to the local multiplex.
Next Ziegfled musical…..Mamma Mia! Summer, 2008. They showed the trailer and it looks like it’ll be fun!
I just saw the show last night, and I respectfully disagree with the old Rockette who was disappointed. I thought it was the best Christmas show that I’ve seen Radio City in the last three decades. The 3D sleigh ride is fun and the stalwart March of the Wooden Soldiers was masterfully performed. The show’s tour bus number was a pretty amazing technical feat and the dancing Santas was great fun. The show had fireworks on stage, snow falling over the audience and, of course, the incredible Living Nativity scene (yes, with camels). We took our 12 year old niece and she was captivated by the performance. By the way, it was nice to see both organs playing before and after the show.
For me, it is definaitely worth the $100 ticket; especially when I compare it to a Broadway show where orchestra seats are between $110 and $120.
Wow! Great photos! Though this theater has lost a lot it does look totally salvagable. I assume that the original lobby colors were much darker and varied. It much have been beautiful back in the day.
Just saw Sweeney Todd at the 4:00 PM showing on Christmas Day. It was nearly sold out and a very fun audience. The sound was spectacular. My only disappointement was that the didn’t use the curtains. Why is this so complicated? Especially for shows that get very high turnouts. Other than that, it was a great holiday outing!
Just saw Sweeney Todd at the 4:00 PM showing on Christmas Day. It was nearly sold out and a very fun audience. The sound was spectacular. My only disappointement was that the didn’t use the curtains. Why is this so complicated? Especially for shows that get very high turnouts. Other than that, it was a great holiday outing!
I finally got to visit this beautiful theater on December 8th to see Joy Behar. It’s incredible that this palace lies just a 5 minute walk from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. I felt like we might have been the only Manhattan people to venture over to see the show, but we had a great time! I also felt like a youngster again (my friends and I are in our 40’s but the vast majority of the audience appeared to be at least in their 60’s)!
The theater is beautiful. Although it was a little disconcerting that all of the orchestra seats are missing (temporary seating was set up for the show) it was more than made up for when we went up to the balcony where all of the original seating remains and you get a true picture as to how big this theater really is. The ceiling is spectacular. Congratualtions to Rosemary and company for a work in progress well done!
I have been to Loew’s Jersey, Radio City and The Beacon. I atttended Loews Valencia as a kid and was able to take a tour of the ruins of the Loews Kings last year. My next goal is to visit Loews Paradise in The Bronx and Loews 175th St in Washington Heights. From the pictures that I’ve seen and the threads that I’ve read, I think the best is yet to come!
In todays edition of The Real Deal, New York’s Real Estate Bible publication, there was an article about a new residential/commercial project to be built in Journal Square. Demolition is to start in January and construction will begin in late March. It is to be a two tower complex, one 60 story tower and one 40 stories built ON TOP of a 7 story parking facility. There will be 1,500 apartments in addition to a fair amount of retail space. No word as to whether they will be rentals or condos. This will be the tallest building in New Jersey; taller than Trump’s new waterfront project. I think this is great news for Loew’s Jersey theater (which was referenced in the article). More housing and new construction means more visibility and potential customers for the theater which could lead to more contibutions for its continued restoration.
If someone can explain to me how to link an article I’ll be happy to try it!
Thanks J.D.! No, I had not relized that it was a theater. I’ll need to add that one to my list. So, Bond’s turned it into a clothing store and then it became a disco? I remember the Clash performing way back when, though I didn’t get to go. I did, of course, dance there and there were three memorable features of the club: A musical staircase, (each landing made a note when you went up or down the stairs), dancing fountains on the stage, and huge inflatables that were blown up above while you danced underneath. I remember them being silver and were in the shapes of huge people.
I travel a fair amount and when I see the devastation in Detroit and North Philadelphia, Bridgeport, Cleveland, etc….it makes New York’s turn around that much more amazing. It’s very jarring to see neighborhoods that were vibrant and full of life, now vacant and menacing and devoid of hope. I hope that we never let our city go down that path again! I for one, will not flee. I will stay and fight!
PKoch, My new neighborhood (South Ozone) was mostly made up of refugees from East New York, City Line, Brownsville and Bushwick in Brooklyn as those areas lost their middle class residents. My family was one of the few from the Bronx, but we all shared the same fears and desires to live in a safe and non-flamable environment. I’m very happy that the people who chose to stay in those neighborhoods were able to turn it around and reap the rewards.
My family moved to New Jersey in the late 80’s (their jobs relocated) and I made the big move to Manhattan in 89 and I’ve been here ever since. I was a part of the gentrification of Chelsea and 6 months ago we bought a new condo in the Financial District and I’m thrilled to be a part of a brand new “old” neighborhood. It’s very exciting to see a neighborhood growing almost on a daily basis. There’s always something new going on. But some of my best memories though will always be in Queens!
Everything is making a comeback! My parents fled The Bronx in 1970. We went back to the old hood last summer and were amazed at how nice everything was. In the 80’s almost everything stood vacant and burned. There were empty trash strewn lots and abandoned buildings with the ocassional occupied one. While there are many things I miss about the old gritty New York of the past, the reality was, my home in Queens was safe and idyllic. When I had enough of the “grit” of Times Square, I could leave and go home. I’m very happy that the vast majority of New Yorkers today have neighborhoods that they feel safe in. That, more than anything else, has fueled New York’s resurgence and why we have more people living here today than at any time in our history.
Yep, I too did The Ritz, which like Roseland, was and continue to be Dance Halls. The Ritz, now Webster Hall, is on the verge on being landmarked. It dates from the 1880’s. Theaters made great discos and it’s so upsetting that none continue to serve that function today. Unusual structures oftern made the best dance clubs. Besides theaters, the other great discos of the past were Limelight (a old church), The Tunnel (an actual tunnel), The Roxy and The Red Parott (Old Roller Rinks), Bond’s International Casino (The huge clothing store in Times Square) and of course, all of the old warehouses (too many to mention.
Regarding growing up in South Ozone Park, it was a great experience. While large parts of the city were out of control (the Bronx and Bushwick were going up in flames) and Times Square had degenerated into an cesspool, our section of Queens was very safe and tranquil. I remember leaving our doors unlocked without worrying. My parents never worried about the kids.
Ironically, with New York safer now than at any time prior to the 60’s, you would never let your kids today do what we did back then when it was much more dangerous. Oh, the times have changed.
I held onto my disco phase for a very, very long time. It’s why I am so familiar with all of the theaters in Manhattan that were converted into discos before their ultimate destruction. I would never have had a chance to see the Loew’s Commodore (The Saint), The Academy of Music (The Palladium), The Henry Miller (Xenon), The Forum (Club USA) if I hadn’t gone there to dance. Today’s youth has no idea what they missed! The only theater that was truly saved by a disco long enough to eventually return to its legitimate use was Studio 54. Many of these theaters would have disappeared much earlier without their turns as dance palaces. I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity to have seen and experience them.