Kings Theatre
1027 Flatbush Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11226
1027 Flatbush Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11226
86 people
favorited this theater
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Guys, I am going to get on your case. Stop making comments on this web site, and start doing something! Put a name on your organization, set a meeting time and don’t quit. If you are consistent in your effort, you will achieve progress. Are you afraid of failure? Failure is the best teacher. Don’t believe you can do it? Anyone can accomplish their goals if they keep trying. I firmly believe that buildings like this can once again become centers of the community. There is no doubt that you can create a viable organization and generate enthusiasm! Bruce…you seem to be the ringleader here. Set up a regular meeting at a regular location, and go. Even if you are the only one attending, it is a start. I play league basketball on Tuesdays. Once in a while we are short-handed at the beginning of an early game, because of work schedules. We don’t forfeit the game when we have to play five on four…we go out there and play our guts out. You are short-handed right now. Go and play your guts out!
Theaterat – I spent a lot of time in the Brook. I felt very bad that day in 1984 when I watched the seats being tossed into the back of a truck. I spent even more time in the Nostrand, yet another lost Century theater from the old neighborhood. Both buildings are still standing, but not functioning the way we’d like them to be.
Good for you Bruce I. Good for you! I once got out of jury duty, but for a different reason, but it was a “slip and fall” case. It did not happen in a theater, but that is another story.
There was a time when I was asked to serve on jury duty. It seems that someone slipped on a wet floor at Century’s Kings Plaza. The lawyers wanted to know, ‘Was there was any reason I couldn’t serve? So, I explained that I was nuts about the classic theaters and was trying to Save the Loew’s Kings. Well, that was enough to get me out of serving on the case.
Gustavelifting…What I am talking about is the Cineplex mentioned by Saps. I know it was not the Kings, but when I checked the website, that pretty much confirmed it. And R>H…Bo you remember the Century Brook that was on Flatlands and Flatbush?This beautiful art deco theater was half a block away from the Marine.
The Century Kings Plaza opened in 1970. This opening, unfortunately, must have contributed a few years later to the demolition of the beautiful Century Marine Theater a few blocks away. The Marine was on Flatbush off Kings H'Way. I hope the Loew’s Kings doesn’t join the Marine and remains standing!
Gustav-you’re right, except for the last picture show! The year was 1979 and not 1974.
Theaterat;
I hate to tell you but you’re wrong. The theater we are talking about here was constructed in 1929. Kings Plaza was constructed in the late 1960s. I was at the original theater in Kings Plaza, and, while it has a Loews now, it had a Century’s when it was first built. The theater in question is located far from Jamaica Bay in the neighborhood of Flatbush. We are not talking about a presently operating Loews in Brooklyn, but one that has been dark, or closed since 1974. The theater we are talking about, if memory serves me correct, is at the intersection of Flatbush and Tilden Avenues, not Flatbush Avenue and Avenue U. It was never multiplexed either, and the one in Kings Plaza is a multiplex.
I was shocked when I saw this! After a little detective work, the theater in question IS the Loews at Kings Plaza.
Your welcome
Lostmemory, it seems that SAPS is stating the company name and not the name of the theater itself.
Now known as Loews Cineplex. See link: http://www.enjoytheshow.com/
Im confused about the above post, I don’t recall anyone but Loew’s running the King’s?
Unfortunately Jim, Loew’s Corporation did not abandon the Loew’s Kings, they sold it to a smaller theater operator who let it run into the ground and finally slip into the hands of the New York City Economic Development Corp.
Loews Corp is no longer owns theaters. They are no longer in the theater business. They have investments in many different field. When Sony Loews took over the theaters, it stopped using the apostrophe! So it was no longer Loew’s, but LOEWS and it’s now known as SONY LOEWS.
SONY LOEWS took over Cineplex Odeon and so it goes!
Sam e…. Could it be US.. harbworking tax payers?
The big money people have figured out a way to keep their other interests from being involved in land and property tax disputes by establishing blind corporations for their real estate. e.g. XXX Anywhere St. Corp., a company which would only exist for a specific address and the building(s) thereon. If it eventually proves to be a liability, they then can just walk away from it and their other assets cannot be touched. (and the corporation is dissolved, leaving them free to establish yet a new dummy company when they start another venture). Guess who picks up the tab for that every time.
“hardbop” says: “My beef is how can Loew’s or any other profit-making company just abandon these buildings. Aren’t they responsible for the upkeep? They can essentially just walk away from a building and leave it to rot or leave it to the taxpayers to figure out how to maintain it/demolish it?” Sad to say, what Loews did is perfectly legal in all the states, since the presumption of law is that if a property owner stops paying taxes, the state has the right to seize control of the property and sell it to offset the expense of the property to the public. Of course, that idea worked in rural farm society where land was sold, but in urban society, it is mostly the improvements (buildings) that are sold — or as in the case of the KINGS — they remain unsold. The owner gets the advantage of not being taxed on the property if the municipality seizes it, and yes, he can then just walk away. The municipality does usually place a lein upon the deed, and expects to recoup its losses both through a sale as well as anything that might come in via a lein. The trouble is, of course, that most potential buyers of so large a parcel and structure don’t want either the lein or the cost of clearing the land —a very expensive proposition, especially with today’s statutes regarding ‘brown fields’ cleanup responsibilities, so the land/improvements remain unsold and they become a burden to the city. Loews was not alone; millions of business use this tactic to divest themselves of something they cannot profitably sell, and the taxpayer is left with the burden. This is part of what some call ‘Free Enterprise’ which basically means that you are more ‘Free’ if you are rich like Loews. If you are a poorer individual, then don’t expect such a benefit, since they city will then just come after you in court for back taxes, and then seize anything else you own to pay them!
Yes, Paul Allen restored the 1963 vintage Seattle Cinerama Theatre. A full restoration of the Kings would cost much more than the cost of the Seattle Cinerama, when your dealing with the type of theatre.
I’m a for a full restoration of the theatre. I’m here in Manhattan.
The former Loews Valencia theater in Queens has landmark status even though it is a church. If you have the time you can try the New York Landmarks and Preservation Society at NYC Landmarks and Preservation Society. org. Be prepared to do a LOT of Link Surfing!
I caught “Memoirs of a Movie Palace” at the Donnell Library on Jan. 29, 2004. It is worth seeing.
Too bad about this theatre. Marty Markowitz, the Brooklyn Borough President, doesn’t have any real power, but is awful energetic and is passionate about everything Brooklyn.
My beef is how can Loew’s or any other profit-making company just abandon these buildings. Aren’t they responsible for the upkeep? They can essentially just walk away from a building and leave it to rot or leave it to the taxpayers to figure out how to maintain it/demolish it?
Didn’t Paul Allen restore one of these picture palaces in Portland or Seattle? What is needed is a Brooklyn version of Paul Allen.
Bruce, Gustave, Saps….Does anybody know if the Kings has Landmark status? This may not re open the Kings( at the moment) but at least it will save it from any “renovations” in the future.The Landmark and Preservation Society is an elite group that uses the rather demeaning term “outerboros” to describe neighborhoods out of Manhattan, but it is worth a try.
that’s the one we’re talking about. Wanna join?
Aren’t there already groups that have been working on this for the past decades? What are they up to?
Theaterat and Gustav,
I’m not leaving anyone out, just a bit ‘down’ over the lack of people who are actually motivated.
Bruce 1 and Gustavelifting….Lets see what the reply from the Jersey theater is. If we can get enough people interested in this( this sight is a great place to start)Probably we can all meet locally in Brooklyn on the chosen day and kick some ideas around. It may lead to something or it may not. Anyway, we can say we tried.I guess there is always hope. I am somewhat busy with scheduling events and family matters for the next few weeks, but I do intend to look into this matter further.