I guess the most poignant part of the story to elucidate Systemic Racism is how banks wouldnt loan them the $110,000 to buy the building because of redlining black neighborhoods. And how Loews left it lie fallow for 20yrs and then sold it to a small church. Loews as well thought the building was worthless when the neighborhood became Black.
I say let 2 Trees bring their cheesy "luxury" lowbrow sensibilities to this project. The same high regard for iconic NYC architecture and views so sensitively displayed when they constructed, yet another boxy unremarkable apartment building, that blocked, hence utterly destroyed, the truly iconic view of lower Manhattan's skyline from the Brooklyn side of the Bridge. Speaks to the heft of the muscle of their campaign and "special interest" funding to De Blasio, Cuomo, and all their minions large and small.
Why NYC would abandon its historical architecture legacy to the uncultivated greed driven dreariness of real estate developers like 2 Sleaze? And Bloomberg who stole a 3rd term so he could realize his oligarch urban vision of a food court and shopping mall for the 1%. What ever happened to his signature issue of public education.
Why is NY incapable of attracting smart, capable, and inventive politicians who have a genuine appreciation of the complexity and diversity that has enriched the NYC experience. Politicians who value the historical legacy as well as the scope of combustive energy that each cultural group and economic industry contributes to the vitality of the city. Politicians who can resist the corrupting and venal influence of the real estate industry not only on the reconfiguration of the city but on the degradation of the court system. Politicians who respect the middle class and will stop giving billionaire developers tax exempt benefits.
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BIG THANKS to the NYT for this superbly interesting and important article...AND...Congratulations to all those who are seriously working to preserve some of NYC's, and America's, architectural history.
(I click this article with a respectful and grateful nod to the San Francisco Chronicle's Herb Caen's "three dot journalism" columns!)
In Dyker Heights we had at least two movie theaters, The Oriental on 86th Street and a small movie theater on 13th Avenue near 69th Street and another one called the Alpine near Fifth and Bay Ridge Avenue (69th Street) Thanks for the article, it brings back memories.
SMB,
Wasn't the one-time "Oriental" renamed "The Asian"?
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@SMB the Alpine is still there.
I grew up in this theater I spent many happy hours at the movies. My Mom and Dad always talked about movies from the roof on warm evenings. It was considered the best of the movie theaters in the area. There were several theaters we could walk to in the area. I always liked the “Kameo” the best.
This was a well researched article,I am impressed.
Also so pleased to see Streetscapes back.
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Welcome back Streetscapes. This building is a stunner and the inside looks pristine.
It's nice to see that the buildings on either side are still there and relatively unscathed. I hope the same can hold true for the C/Kameo in the future.
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I am so happy to have my favorite NYT column back. Thank you and look forward to more.
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I sure missed Streetscapes. Glad it's back.
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That is a gorgeous building! Such a gem! I hate to think of it being damaged further, or -- God forbid -- torn down. Can someone nominate it for inclusion in the list of historically significant buildings?
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Please, someone save this beautiful building. Brooklyn Museum, Navy Yard, Brooklyn Library, BAM. Maybe all of you together could make this happen?
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Spike Lee and Oprah should step in to save this community gem.
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Say goodbye old girl. Your days are numbered. Theres money to be made.
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It sounds as if the church no longer cares about the historic value of the theater and architecture other than how much money it can rake in if sold for parts. I hope someone steps up to preserve it.
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How great is it to have Streetscapes back! Thank you to the Times and to John Gill.
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I pass by this building when I go buy cigars (my vice) on Nostrand. It has a intact roof movie wall where before AC people would see movies in the open summer air. What a shame to lose this gem. It should be converted to a movie theater once again. Showing local talent films and documentaries as well as first run features
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This is just one more example of why we should have, at the national level, public policy that enourages in a positive way the re-use of these amazing buildings for performances and other public purposes. The money they would then generate in their neighborhoods would more than justify the costs. I belong to the League of Historic American Theatres (www.lhat.org), an organization of people and companies that have saved many buildings like this.
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@Stephen Rourke
I've been to the Fox Theater in Atlanta and the Tivoli Theater in Chattanooga, and they're both fabulous structures -- just being in them adds to the pleasure of whatever one is attending, whether it's a symphony or a play or a stand-up comedian or whatever it is.
We're not building any more 1920s Art Deco theaters. We need to take good care of the ones we have!
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Enjoyed so many wonderful films in this theare.As a child growing up in this wonderful middle class neighborhood.Have vivid memories of the Hunch back of Notre Dame. This building should have landmark status. Its design will never be duplicated.
Brooklyn deserves to have its historic buildings preserved.The church deserves to have its home restored as it is.
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The church can continue to enjoy its building and get money to fix it up and revenue from renting a portion of the property without demolishing the structure or getting ripped off by developers and contractors. They should contact the Crown Heights North Association, Historic Districts Council and Preserving East New York Preservation for help and guidance.
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@Mopar
Can you contact them and tell them that?
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@CalypsoSummer , noted. I'm a board member of the Crown Heights North Association. Technically, this building is not in Crown Heights North, it's on the other side of the border, but we think it should be saved, and have thought so for a long time. I will also contact the Crown Heights South Association, and see what we can do. Sadly, the temptation of a great deal of money for a large lot in a prime location is going to be hard for the church to resist, especially if they are promised the moon and a new worship space by a developer.
I hope they look down Easter Parkway to Bedford Ave to see the fate of the Fox Savoy Theatre, which was also being used as a church when it was purchased for much less than it was worth by developers who also promised the congregation a worship space in the new market rate apartments now on its site. It too should have been landmarked, with at least the facade preserved in any new building. It was beautiful, as is this terra cotta gem.
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An old movie theater -- not as elaborately grand as this one, however -- has been turned into a delightful supermarket in Sheepshead Bay.
It would be better to turn these relics of different days into something resembling their former selves -- theaters of some sort. But just as important is preserving their facades and demonstrating to passers-by that buildings can be beautiful and that city blocks do not have to be ugly.
Lovely streetscapes can be uplifting. People need to see something more than squat utilitarian architecture.
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It's a shame how theaters devolve. The problem is, no one builds new ones with any grandeur, and they do serve well as performing venues, churches, temples and the like. But there is never enough funding to maintain them, it seems. How amazing the Philadelphia's Metropolitan Opera House was recently saved and restored as a commercial performing venue. Perhaps someone would do the same here?
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@Grittenhouse I live 5 minutes away, I hope so too!
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@Grittenhouse In the case of Philadelphia's "Met," on North Broad Street, the church congregation that basically stabilized the structure for many years has been kept as partial owner in the building. The restored Met is thriving as a music venue in the new cooperation between wealthy financiers and the small religious congregation. Perhaps some kind of compromise like this can save the Kameo?
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