Loew's 46th Street Theatre

Sad

I recently made a brief visit to my old neighborhood of Borough Park. Any trace of the once beautiful homes are replaced by 5 story walk ups. It has become very crowded, catering almost exclusively to a religous sect which frowns upon theatres. If Loew’s 46th Street building was not functioning as a furniture store & warehouse, it would be torn down since land is so valuable in that area.

I vaguely remember the vaudeville, as a I was very young. Would love to get more info. Those were the days when Borough Park was at its best.

You are exactly right Rocker!My very own sentiments indeed. With all that money- more than I probably spend in a lifetime, I would buy a theater, refurbish it and show classic films and have other events. Of cMy mother can take tickets, my brother can help to paint and restore, my sister-in-law can sell candy, etc. etc, etc.ourse, I would have to take care of my family and friends too!

Someone mentioned the Anderson Theater on the lower east side. I actually went there with my mother around 1970 to see a stage revival of Kurt Weill’s “Mahagonny.” Yes, I guess all these theaters would have closed anyway, but what a heart-breaker that the 46th Street is almost intact,but is now a furniture store ! I would definitely go to the movies there if it re-opened. I’m just a few subway stops away.

Wow of all places I have never been in to was the Alpine. I have always past by there but never in it. Does anyone remember a theater on 4th ave in the 90’s not the year but the streets. The turned it in to some fur store and a gym? Was that the Fort Hamiton theatre?

There was some talk years ago about building a multiplex somewhere near Bay Ridge blvd or by the area of the old 69th st pier.

There was political pressure from the religous sector at the time of Loew’s 46th Street & the Boro Park. As I mentioned in an above post, I spoke with the manager of Loew’s 46th Street shortly before it closed, and he told me the theatre was doing well and there were plans to refurbish it- (That was the time they were having concerts and bingo during the morning or day)then it suddenly closed. Of course with the changing times these type of theatres eventually would have closed as movie theatres, but may have survived as an arts center-given the right neighborhood support. Those type of people-many cultured and interested in the arts- had moved. Where I live now, many theatres in the regio have been saved are used as cultural centers-Proctors' theatre in Schenectady, The Palace in Albany, and the GLove in Gloversville.

East Coast and EDR…One thing is for sure. This is a changed neighborhood and it will never be like the ‘ old days’ again.Guess they will live on as long as we have our memories. I can say the same thing about ny current neighborhood. At one time largely Italian and Jewish, it is currently a mecca {if that word can be used} for a growing Russian community as the shop signs in Cyrillic along 86th. St will bear out. The Benson, the Deluxe, the Oriental, the Marboro and the Walker are long gone. Its a shame. The nearest theater to me is the alpine and it is a dump. There is also the Sheepshead, but Id rather not comment on that.Guess you really don`t know what you had until you lose it.

I have seen the Dead at least a dozen or so times. Mostly working the shows when they played the Academy of Music. However to keep on track the first time I saw them was at the former Loews 46th street in Boro Park Brooklyn.

Hey Coney are you in or are from Coney? I grew up in Coney. I live in Maryland now.

Hey Rat my best friend lived in Boro Park but due to the Hasidic invasion his family moved to S.I It is a shame that religion has to interfier with life. I remember that it was Hasidics east of New Utrecht and the Italians on the west of it. How i wish I could go back to those days knowing then what I know now. But I’d trade all of my tomorrows, for one single yesterday. You know how it goes.

Saw Jerry everywhere from the Ritz on E. 11th (now Webster Hall), the Beacon, Capitol, Calderone and Palladium to the Nassau Coliseum, Garden and, yes, a few of those October ‘87 shows at the Lunt-Fontanne. That theater has a page here (under Globe Theater) as well. Even saw Jerry at a skating rink on Long Island in the early '80’s (Good Skates in East Setauket). I heard of the Pirates Ball. Wasn’t that a Hell’s Angels gig? It might be featured in the movie “Hells Angels Forever” which is the last film I ever saw at the great RKO Keiths in Flushing.

The Anderson Theater was another Lower East Side venue on 2nd Avenue a few blocks south of the larger Fillmore East. It was always a place for live performance and theater and never for movies, so it is not listed on this site.

Guess that the 46th.st AND the Boro Park theaters could have existed as they did.Even though Boro Park was a predominately Jewish{ non Hasidic} neighborhood back then, it was the influx of the ultra religious Hasidics that put pressure on BOTH of these theaters to close on the Sabbath and not to have Rock `n roll concerts either.I really do not want to get off on a tangent here, but I always thought that there was supposed to be a seperation of Religion and state- or in this case private business in America.Religion should be a private matter between the believer and God {in whatever form He exists } for that person. Although I condider myself to be a Christian, I never foist my religious values upon others. And, by the same token, I do not want them to be foisted upon me.I am not saying that these issues closed these theaters, but the sad fact is that they never will return.

any dead heads out there ??