Green Street Arcade Theater
153 Green Street,
Brooklyn,
NY
11222
153 Green Street,
Brooklyn,
NY
11222
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Thanks, site administrator, for correcting the address.
I recently was able to visit this site. The old building, such as it is, still exists and is occupied by some sort of commercial use. More importantly, the old theater is situated one block west of the portion of Green St. that was actually named for George Apen. This makes the address designation appearing at the top of the page not only confusing but downright incorrect. (In fact, I could not even find a “George Apen St.” sign in the portion of Green St. that was actually named after him.)
The Green Arcade was one of three movie houses in Greenpoint that did not survive the advent of talking films. The others were the Garden, on Manhattan Ave. – just down the block from the Meserole – and the Public Palace, on upper Graham Avenue. (If anyone is aware of other such treaters, please tell us.) Both of these old theaters have interesting, if brief, pages in Cinema Treasures. They are worth a look.
The address should be changed to 153 Green St. since (1) George Apen’s name was just added to and did not replace the original street name and (2) everyone calls it Green Street.
George Apen was a community leader and a founder of the Green Oaks Citizens Organization, which still exists down the block at 179 Green Street. According to a local blog, the organization’s name derives from the intersection of Green and Oakland (now McGuinness Blvd.)Streets.
George, whom I slightly remember from my younger years, was probably one of the very few people who knew that a movie house once existed on this site. While my father clearly remembered the Midway Theatre, which was situated around the corner, the Green Street Arcane closed just before he became a movie fan.
Not much to look at these days, but here is the Green Street Arcade Theatre building which I photographed in June 2006:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/186703850/
Further information I have found:
This may map as George Apen Street, but the actual street still bears signage of it’s original name;Green Street.
A motion picture theatre is listed as operating at this address (153 Green Street) in Throw’s Business Directory 1911 & 1912. No name given for the theatre but it is operated by Patrick Kelly. This could possibly have closed for some years and then re-opened in 1926 as the Arcade Theater and is listed in the Film Daily Yearbook; 1926 edition with 475 seats. In the 1927 edition of F.D.Y. it is listed as the Green Street Arcade Theater with a seating capacity of 400.
I have notes that it finally closed in 1927. The building has been in use recently as an electrical warehouse, but is currently (June 2006) offered ‘For Rent’.