168 New Dorp Lane, Staten Island, NY (The south side of New Dorp Lane between 8th & 9th Streets)
Commercial Buildings,Development/Conversion Sites,Outer Boroughs
The Lane Theater: formerly a historic 550 seat movie theater. The Lane offers 1,000 square feet of 1 story prime New Dorp Lane retail space. The space then opens up into 6,000 square feet of 3 story high open space, offering many possibilities for development/use. Located on one of the island’s premier commercial strips. Walking distance from the New Dorp train station & municipal parking. Marquee & ceiling land marked by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Property will be delivered vacant. Asking Price: $1,800,000
As others here have noted for a brief time after it was twinned, the Benson showed X-rated films on one of it’s screens. I remember advertisements touting the fact that the Benson-1 and Benson-2 had “separate rest rooms”. I’m sure the 1 and 2 had staggered movie start times also so the nice middle-class folks of Bensonhurst would have to mingle with the porno heads.
I think there was an uproar from the local community when they tried porn. Remember back in the 1970s it was socially conservative Italian and Jewish neighborhood.
The moviehouses of grace are long forgotten,
and Hollywood product is too often rotten,
now many theater patrons act like asses,
scaring away the quiet masses,
more theaters and multis fade away,
as real estate developers rule the day.
The movie game
isn’t the same,
the screens are hurt by DVD,
and declining theater quality,
families stay home to avoid sticky floors,
and more theaters close their doors,
theater owners are in a bind,
forced to go digital in an uncertain time,
we don’t know what the future will hold,
maybe the movie experience has just gotten old??
This site is very tame compared to a lot of stuff on the internet. A BBoard/Forum would be nice here. But remember, this a free site and such an upgrade costs real money. I actually think it’s kind of funny that cinema fans can go out of control. It doesn’t fit their otherwise sedate intellectual image.
It is strange that TCM didn’t try to schedule the Casablanca showing in at least one traditional movie palace. A few years ago they showed the restored print of Casablanca at a theater in Manhattan.
“You want perfect picture, at the cost of peoples jobs”
I don’t know if a perfectly projected picture will cost anyone their job. But with movie theater patrons shelling out close to $10/ticket, a perfect picture isn’t too much to ask for. Remember, for $15 to $20, they can and are buying DVDs, which can be perfectly viewed at home.
I tried searching Business week for a more current article but couldn’t find one. The failure rate is near 10%, that’s pretty bad but all new technology goes through that at first.
I’ve seen cost estimates of +$100k per theater for digital conversion. Isn’t there some kind of a deal in the works where the studios would buy the equipment but the theater owners would pay for the installation?
“It looks like the CinemaTreasures page for this theatre is gone, too. Any idea why?”
The site appears to be having problems today. I can reach the homepage but not any of the individual theater web-pages. When I click on a theater link I’m taken back to the homepage. It’s been doing this on and off for a few days now.
25 West 52 Street, New York, NY 10019
(212) 621-6800 for recorded information on scheduled activites;
(212) 621-6600 for all other information.
465 North Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 786-1025 for recorded information on scheduled activites;
(310) 786-1000 for all other information.
dfc
commented about
Amboy Twinon
Jun 20, 2006 at 1:38 am
Was located on Amboy Road in large strip mall north of Richmond Avenue.
The A&E special was good, even if in that annoying jumpy style. The link below is to an A&E web form where you can ask for the “A&E Breakfast with The Arts / Loews' Wonder Theaters” program to be released on DVD. Select ‘Programming /Programs On Home Video’ from the drop-down selection, then fill out the required items and especially the ‘Comments’ section with your request.
Those ticket prices are beyond ridiculous but she has a certain intense following that will pay that much to see her perform. I thought that she was semi-retired at this point in her life.
As others have mentioned the studios are now in a bind regarding DVD release dates. Stinker movies (think ‘Gigli’) always went pretty quick to DVD. But now even good films like ‘Capote’ go to DVD in within a relatively short release window, much shorter than in the VHS days. More and more people aren’t going to the movies because they know the DVD will be out in a few months. The studios make money either way but theaters suffer. Can the studios afford to return to a longer release window? Would they want to? These same studios are pressuring the theaters to go digital. I’m glad I’m not in the movie theater business. Maybe these problems began way way back when the US government forced the studios to divest themselves of their theaters.
EdSolero, realistically I don’t see Streisand (or any other ex-Brooklyn celebrity) getting involved in any substantial way with the Kings. She may pay lip service to her memories of the Loews Kings but it’s just that – lip service. She might kick in a few bucks for old time’s sake. She has to be out of Brooklyn for more than 40 years at this point. Actors and actresses are always gushing forth about something. It’s what they do best I suppose. The Streisand connection has come up before in this discussion. Has she or her “staff” ever responded officially to anything regarding the Loews Kings?
“Councilmember Clarke would prefer that the future of the Loew’s Theater is determined by a fair and impartial RFP process, which will allow for a discussion between the community and elected officials on how best to proceed. This project can be the cornerstone in the future economic revival of Central Brooklyn and she looks forward to working with the EDC and the Borough President toward’s this end.”
Councilmember Clarke’s RFP idea makes a lot of sense. The RFP process will determine if there is serious interest out there in a restoration of the Kings. It will force those with plans to spell out the economic viability of their proposals. The RFP process will also keep everybody honest – or so we NYC taxpayers hope.
The theater property is for sale, asking price $21 million.
Link: View link
Still asking $1.8M! Figured with the real estate slump they’d drop the price by 25% to to $1.35M. And even that would be way too high.
Link – View link (select all, press find)
168 New Dorp Lane, Staten Island, NY (The south side of New Dorp Lane between 8th & 9th Streets)
Commercial Buildings,Development/Conversion Sites,Outer Boroughs
The Lane Theater: formerly a historic 550 seat movie theater. The Lane offers 1,000 square feet of 1 story prime New Dorp Lane retail space. The space then opens up into 6,000 square feet of 3 story high open space, offering many possibilities for development/use. Located on one of the island’s premier commercial strips. Walking distance from the New Dorp train station & municipal parking. Marquee & ceiling land marked by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Property will be delivered vacant. Asking Price: $1,800,000
As others here have noted for a brief time after it was twinned, the Benson showed X-rated films on one of it’s screens. I remember advertisements touting the fact that the Benson-1 and Benson-2 had “separate rest rooms”. I’m sure the 1 and 2 had staggered movie start times also so the nice middle-class folks of Bensonhurst would have to mingle with the porno heads.
I think there was an uproar from the local community when they tried porn. Remember back in the 1970s it was socially conservative Italian and Jewish neighborhood.
The moviehouses of grace are long forgotten,
and Hollywood product is too often rotten,
now many theater patrons act like asses,
scaring away the quiet masses,
more theaters and multis fade away,
as real estate developers rule the day.
The movie game
isn’t the same,
the screens are hurt by DVD,
and declining theater quality,
families stay home to avoid sticky floors,
and more theaters close their doors,
theater owners are in a bind,
forced to go digital in an uncertain time,
we don’t know what the future will hold,
maybe the movie experience has just gotten old??
This site is very tame compared to a lot of stuff on the internet. A BBoard/Forum would be nice here. But remember, this a free site and such an upgrade costs real money. I actually think it’s kind of funny that cinema fans can go out of control. It doesn’t fit their otherwise sedate intellectual image.
It is strange that TCM didn’t try to schedule the Casablanca showing in at least one traditional movie palace. A few years ago they showed the restored print of Casablanca at a theater in Manhattan.
Why was this film tied up by a lawsuit??
Also known as The Fabian Drive-In Theater.
Old aerial photo— View link
The Staten Island airport was to the right of the theater in the photo.
“You want perfect picture, at the cost of peoples jobs”
I don’t know if a perfectly projected picture will cost anyone their job. But with movie theater patrons shelling out close to $10/ticket, a perfect picture isn’t too much to ask for. Remember, for $15 to $20, they can and are buying DVDs, which can be perfectly viewed at home.
I read about digital conversion plans in a year-old Business Week story:
View link
I tried searching Business week for a more current article but couldn’t find one. The failure rate is near 10%, that’s pretty bad but all new technology goes through that at first.
I’ve seen cost estimates of +$100k per theater for digital conversion. Isn’t there some kind of a deal in the works where the studios would buy the equipment but the theater owners would pay for the installation?
Asking $1.8 Million! No one will buy it at that price and the property taxes are $19000/year.
View link
They trashed the old marquee??
“It looks like the CinemaTreasures page for this theatre is gone, too. Any idea why?”
The site appears to be having problems today. I can reach the homepage but not any of the individual theater web-pages. When I click on a theater link I’m taken back to the homepage. It’s been doing this on and off for a few days now.
Museum of Television & Radio – http://www.mtr.org/
25 West 52 Street, New York, NY 10019
(212) 621-6800 for recorded information on scheduled activites;
(212) 621-6600 for all other information.
465 North Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 786-1025 for recorded information on scheduled activites;
(310) 786-1000 for all other information.
Was located on Amboy Road in large strip mall north of Richmond Avenue.
It closed in 1992 or 93 when the crappy strip mall it was in was sold to developers and torn down.
The A&E special was good, even if in that annoying jumpy style. The link below is to an A&E web form where you can ask for the “A&E Breakfast with The Arts / Loews' Wonder Theaters” program to be released on DVD. Select ‘Programming /Programs On Home Video’ from the drop-down selection, then fill out the required items and especially the ‘Comments’ section with your request.
View link
1930 population numbers:
Staten Island 158,346
Brooklyn 2,560,401
Bronx 1,265,258
Queens 1,079,129
Manhattan 1,867, 312
So you see why my tiny borough didn’t get it’s Wonder Theater. In 1930 Brooklyn had 16 times the population of a then semi-rural Staten island!
Here’s the A&E ‘help desk’ link, select ‘Programming /Programs On Home Video’ from the drop-down selection:
View link
Those ticket prices are beyond ridiculous but she has a certain intense following that will pay that much to see her perform. I thought that she was semi-retired at this point in her life.
As others have mentioned the studios are now in a bind regarding DVD release dates. Stinker movies (think ‘Gigli’) always went pretty quick to DVD. But now even good films like ‘Capote’ go to DVD in within a relatively short release window, much shorter than in the VHS days. More and more people aren’t going to the movies because they know the DVD will be out in a few months. The studios make money either way but theaters suffer. Can the studios afford to return to a longer release window? Would they want to? These same studios are pressuring the theaters to go digital. I’m glad I’m not in the movie theater business. Maybe these problems began way way back when the US government forced the studios to divest themselves of their theaters.
EdSolero, realistically I don’t see Streisand (or any other ex-Brooklyn celebrity) getting involved in any substantial way with the Kings. She may pay lip service to her memories of the Loews Kings but it’s just that – lip service. She might kick in a few bucks for old time’s sake. She has to be out of Brooklyn for more than 40 years at this point. Actors and actresses are always gushing forth about something. It’s what they do best I suppose. The Streisand connection has come up before in this discussion. Has she or her “staff” ever responded officially to anything regarding the Loews Kings?
Statement from Councilmember Yvette Clarke:
“Councilmember Clarke would prefer that the future of the Loew’s Theater is determined by a fair and impartial RFP process, which will allow for a discussion between the community and elected officials on how best to proceed. This project can be the cornerstone in the future economic revival of Central Brooklyn and she looks forward to working with the EDC and the Borough President toward’s this end.”
Councilmember Clarke’s RFP idea makes a lot of sense. The RFP process will determine if there is serious interest out there in a restoration of the Kings. It will force those with plans to spell out the economic viability of their proposals. The RFP process will also keep everybody honest – or so we NYC taxpayers hope.