Alpine Cinema
6817 5th Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11220
6817 5th Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11220
22 people
favorited this theater
Showing 126 - 150 of 196 comments
An article in today’s daily news states that this theatre is up for sale and could close early next year.
According to the website of Massey Knakal (the Alpine’s Real Estate Firm), the property is being offered for 10 million dollars and will be delivered vacant to the new landlord. This is the same firm that brokered the sale of the Fortway for 4.5 million earlier this year.
The Alpine is the last of Loew’s original theatres in Brooklyn still showing movies, this point was brought up at the Loew’s Centennial exhibit at the Museum of the Moving image last year. I can still remember it as one huge theatre before it was twinned, the marquee had the name Loew’s Alpine on it, in the traditional Loew’s sunburst style shared with the Delancey & Sheridan theatres.
Its closing will represent a tremendous loss for the community of Bay Ridge, already stung by the closure of the Fortway earlier this year. Bay Ridge’s closest theatres will now be the Kent Theatre, Park Slope Pavilion and the Sheepshead Bay.
I knew the Alpines days were numbered, sad the whole theatre business seems to be taking a nosedive.
I work in the same office as a real estate and they got a fax about the Alpine going up for sale. Looks like it may be closing soon.
I remember the nice lady that used to manage the Alpine (Ms. Pulize, not sure of spelling) and she would come out of the office door on the left hand side of the theatre when you needed something (“Ms. Pulize, Please!”). I also remember when the twinned the theatre and you would wait for the next movie to start and people would spill out and ruin the end of the movie, like Rocky. Also sat through The Sunshine Boys twice there. And they showed Dondi for free as a kids' day special.
Awww— that’s sad to see the current Alpine reduced to a storefront entrance. The structures to the right and left are clearly new ones. The structure to the left has replaced a large furniture store that perfectly complemented the Alpine’s old facade and added bulk to the entrance. It looks so shrunken now. Compare a picture that I posted above last 26 April.
…and a tip of the hat to you, Phantom, for posting all those great photos of Bay Ridge theatres (accompanied by brief histories) on your blog, present – and, all too sadly – mostly past.
A photo of the Alpine Theater has been posted on the Bay Ridge Blog
( www.bayridgebrooklyn.blogspot.com )
Tip of the hat to all the contributors of Cinema Treasures, a great site.
Theaterfan—
I don’t recall the Alpine Ice Cream Parlor on BR Ave. But in the 1940s-50s, the neighborhood’s best emporium for the sweet-tooth was Pohl’s Homemade Candy on 5 Avenue between 70 and 71 Streets (east side—i.e. Alpine side—of the street). The aroma of chocolate and caramel was intoxicating on the street and a knock-out inside. I believe that the store closed around 1960. [it’s not to be confused with Pohl’s Homemade Ice Cream and Candy on 5 Avenue between 82 and 83 Street (west side), which closed a few years later. The latter’s ice cream was inferior to Hinsch’s near 86 Street, and its candy was several notches below the above-mentioned Pohl’s.]
For those who threw all caution to the winds and would sacrifice artisanal chocolate for sheer bulk, a doughnut shop across the street from the Alpine offered its wares for the movie-going crowd. There the proprietor would hand-fry your choice of a doughnut-with-cream-filling as you stood at the counter. The paper-bag that you brought into the Alpine would be dripping with hot oil as you entered the theater.
I forewent all that so I could save money to see more movies later in the week at the Stanley or Bay Ridge. But I remember that most people wouldn’t think of buying a ticket without the promise of sweets to go with it. Those double features, after all, were pretty long and viewers got hungry.
Golden was a two-partner business that started the dollar theatre policy in Brooklyn with the Oceana, Graham, Granada, Rugby and the Highway. They also owned the Alpine, Olympia and the Fortway, additionally they also operated the Quad in Greenwich Village for a while. Eventually one of the partners died of cancer and the small theatres in the chain were either closed or sold off.
Theaterat: The Fortway’s last day was actually on Sunday June 19th, when I went there on June 21 all of the theatre signage was removed. All we have now is the Alpine and with the merger who knows how long that will be around for?
The Loew’s Circuit transferred control of the Alpine to Golden Theatre Management circa 1985, Does anyone know when Cineplex Odeon took over to run the Alpine?
posted by Theatrefan on Jun 26, 2005 at 6:51am
A year ago when I talked about Golden managing theatres including the Olympia, people said they were only a booking agent. I knew they ran theatres too.
Box Office Bill… In case you have not heard, the Fortway theater had its final curtain call and closed probably for good on 6-24-05.There is now one less theater in Bay Ridge, the Alpine being the last survivor. Check the obits under the “ Fortway "posting.
Box Office Bill… In case you have not heard, the Fortway theater had its final curtain call and closed probably for good on 6-24-05.There is now one less theater in Bay Ridge, the Alpine being the last survivor. Check the obits under the “ Fortway "posting.
87 is about right
Cineplex ran it for about 2 years as an ice cream parlor
Thanks br91975, the last Golden Theatres that I remember were the Benson & Oceana. I know the Benson closed in 1988, but can’t seem to put a year on when exactly the Oceana closed.
Golden let go of control of the then-Olympia Quad at Broadway and 107th on the UWS in the spring of ‘87 and I think the Quad Cinema not long thereafter (maybe within a years’ time at most?), so I’d guess Cineplex Odeon took over the Alpine sometime around then.
The Loew’s Circuit transferred control of the Alpine to Golden Theatre Management circa 1985, Does anyone know when Cineplex Odeon took over to run the Alpine?
Was it run by Cineplex Odeon at that time? It looks like it’s been closed for a while.
I reopened the Alpine ice cream parlor when Cineplex Odeon bought that theater …
This place will be closing next.
Does anyone here remember the Alpine Ice Cream Parlor around the corner from the Alpine Theatre on Bay Ridge Avenue? The sign is still there along with the entrance, but the windows and doors are covered up with paint.
I use to live on 4th Ave.& 24th St. back in the 60’s/70’s.I remember all those theaters very well. I also have fond memories of the Park movie across from Sunset Park,which is now a supermarket. And I remember going to see the Batman flick at the old Sanders near Prospect Park. I can’t seem to recall what was on 4th ave. & 16 St. back then.I use to go to the Avon & Prospect theaters on 9th St as a kid. I loved the Avon.It’s a shame we have lost all these great theaters.
Box Office Bill… You forgot! The Harbor was on 4th Av., albeit on 92nd. St.