Meserole Theatre
723 Manhattan Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11222
723 Manhattan Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11222
11 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Fox Circuit, Randforce Amusement Corp., Small-Strausberg Circuit, United Artists Theater Circuit Inc.
Architects: Eugene DeRosa
Functions: Restaurant
Previous Names: Fox Meserole Theatre
Nearby Theaters
News About This Theater
- Nov 30, 2010 — Meserole could return
- Mar 10, 2010 — Past life as a theater still evident in Brooklyn drugstore
This was a theatre located in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn. I believe it was first-run all of it’s life. Opened on October 25, 1921, the Meserole Theatre was first operated by the Small & Strausburg circuit. It was equipped with a Moller 3 manual 21 ranks organ. It was later taken over Fox, then Randforce and finally by United Artists, when it was closed in 1978.
After closing, it became the Greenpoint Roller Palace, a roller skating rink from November 1979 to 1986. It was then converted into a discount store before being converted into an Eckerd Drug/ Rite Aid store from 1990 until in was closed by October 2020. The auditorium was demolished in August 2021 and the façade and entrance foyer remained, but were vacant in 2022. By June 2022 the front of the building was still there with a notice displayed for the site to be redeveloped for commercial/residential use to be completed by Winter 2023. An unsuccessful attempt was made to save the building, but by 2024, the facade and front entrance foyer were in use as a restaurant.
Contributed by
RobertR
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Recent comments (view all 215 comments)
The great JF Lufty recently posted the attached on another page. It depicts MANY pictures of 1928 ers Manhattan Avenue, including two rare shots of the Meserole’s one time competitor, the Garden Theatre.
Please enjoy this wonderdul treasure trove.
View link
So sorry for getting JF’s name wrong. It is of course JF LUNDY! And, it is a wonderful – not wonderdul – treasure trove that he was kind enough to provide.
John……Thanks for the great link.The family enjoyed the pix of the ol'e neighborhood
To the comments regarding the 2 Rite Aid sites – the one that was the Meserole did start as a Genovese, then an Eckerd, and then a Rite Aid. The other one opened as a Rite Aid when it became a store of this type. It was never a Duane Reade. There is a Duane Reade a couple of blocks north where a former Harrico Drug Store was (across from the old Chopin Theater site which is now a Starbucks after being a Burger King).
Here is a tax photo, circa 1939-41. [http://nycma.lunaimaging.com/luna/servlet/detail/NYCMA~7~7~846002~746244?sort=borough%2Cblock%2Clot%2Czip_code&qvq=q:723%20manhattan%20avenue;sort:borough%2Cblock%2Clot%2Czip_code;lc:NYCMA~7~7&mi=4&trs=]
I passed by yesterday and noticed the gate is down and the Rite Aid sign is gone. I hope there aren’t plans to demolish it.
It now appears that the possibility of this theater’s demise is pretty substantial. In response, a Face Book page has been established to resist this possibility. Perhaps the preservation of a portion of the old theater, particularly its lovely facade, can be achieved here.
The vacant entrance portion on Manhattan Avenue is all that remains of the Meserole Theatre. The auditorium has been demolished, according to an illustrated article published in January of this year. Click here to view
Although most of the theater has been demolished and is being replaced by a large residence, the facade and lobby area have been retained and are now hosting a restaurant. The facade has also been beautifully cleaned. Given its excellent condition and the fact that any alterations from the original have been minimal, the possibility of pursuing Landmark status is worth considering. It worked for the Ridgewood Theatre and could be a possibility here. Just a thought.
A Sweetgreen, to be exact, entered via the preserved facade on Manhattan Ave. And FWIW the Peter Pan Donuts where Peter Parker works in the Tom Holland Spider-Man movies is just a couple doors down.