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Effort to Revitalize Brooklyn’s Loew’s Kings Movie Palace
posted by
Brooklynite
on
April 6, 2006 at 7:12 am
BROOKLYN, NY – A meeting to organize a movement to revitalize the historic Loew’s Kings movie palace will be held at noon Saturday, April 8 in a 75-person auditorium at the Flatbush Library at 22 Linden Blvd by Flatbush Avenue, easily accessible by subway.
The discussion will be highlighted by Bruce Friedman, who will discuss his tireless efforts toward the preservation of the theater since 1987, and the hope to preserve it through transformation to a singularly grand performing arts space to serve the diverse Flatbush community.
The meeting will include a showing of at least parts of ‘Memoirs Of A Movie Palace’, a touching documentary filmed in the last days of the 3,000+ seat theater’s operation. But most important, we will be there to exchange our ideas on how to revitalize this grand theater for the modern community of Brooklyn, starting with small artistic outreach efforts.
The formal meeting will conclude at 2:30, at which point we will take a group stroll down commercially bustling Flatbush Avenue to visit the boarded-up palace in person, on the way passing by several other ancient landmarks at the heart of this historic street. There may also be a small concluding meeting at Mr. Friedman’s nearby home, conditions permitting.
Comments (6)
If you have any questions or concerns (like specific subway directions), I can answer them here. I look meeting with others from across the area interested in reviatlizing the historic Loew’s King’s Theater.
I am involved in trying to save the baronet theater in Asbury Park and I think it would be beneficial to attend your meeting tomorrow, please email me driving directions from NJ.
Thanks,
Dennis Dubrow
732-996-6843
If you’re from NJ, I’ll presume you know where the Holland Tunnel is. Just take that, and follow Canal Street east to the Manhattan Bridge. The Manhattan Bridge leads directly into Flatbush Avenue, the closest thing Brooklyn has to a ‘main street’. Just follow Flatbush Avenue down to Linden Blvd, and the library will be on your left.
Of course we are still in the early stages of the organized effort, so I don’t know how much practical advice we could offer on black fabric spraypaint or such, but I think that our efforts do share common goals in the revitalization of a theater through its community and a community through its theater. It will be a great opportunity to share ideas on how to raise local interest, as well as how to get to the point of physical restoration (at the Kings I know there is a LOT of work to be done before that’s accomplished).
Looking forward to seeing you there,
Hope that you have contacted Flatbush Life, a division of the Courier News organization, for press coverage of this event. I cannot join you due to a pressing engagement, but wish you a successful meeting.
For those who couldn’t come, I am glad to report our somewhat hastily-arranged first meeting as a success. We attracted five dedicated individuals from across Brooklyn, just from the notice on Cinema Treasures. With better weather (it was a downpour Saturday) and more outreach through and beyond the theater preservation community, I trust our small group will grow will futute meetings and events.
To be notified of future events, email me at flatbush AT gmail.com
Old News.