Shore Theatre

1301 Surf Avenue,
Brooklyn, NY 11224

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Showing 101 - 125 of 165 comments

TomK
TomK on September 28, 2006 at 3:00 pm

Mark W. would you please repost of recent (Summer 2004) interior photos of the Shore/Loew’s Coney Island. The links from your post on Feb 7, 2006 at 3:19pm are no longer valid. Thanks

Ed Solero
Ed Solero on September 19, 2006 at 2:21 am

Great shot, ken. Click on the small photo to open it large. Judging by the titles on the marquee – Ralph Bellamy and Fay Wray in “Smashing the Spy Ring” and Ralph Byrd in “Fighting Thoroughbreds” – the photo dates to 1939.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on September 16, 2006 at 6:56 pm

I don’t believe this photo has been posted yet:
http://tinyurl.com/z7ccm

Ed Solero
Ed Solero on July 10, 2006 at 2:02 pm

Nice shots, Warren. It seems the Pizzeria is only occupying the stage area (or portion thereof). I meant to post the other day that I noticed the Shore in the background of several crowd shots during the Hot Dog eating contest at Nathan’s on the 4th. The crowd stretched way back, easily as far as the pizzeria entrance at the rear of the Shore.

Bway
Bway on July 10, 2006 at 1:08 pm

The building looks remarkably nice on the outside. It did when I took the photo of the SHore above in my October 2004 comment too.
But of course, from the interior photos, the interior is not as lucky.

RobertR
RobertR on July 10, 2006 at 1:02 pm

There is some info and pics here if anyone is interested in the parachute jump.
View link

YMike
YMike on June 30, 2006 at 3:55 pm

There was no scaffolding last July 4th and the exterior looked OK the last time I passed by. Only the girders from the Marquee remain so that would not be a reason. 2 weeks ago a tour of Coney Island theatre sites was run and I wonder if anyone on that tour would have any information about the Shore.

YMike
YMike on June 30, 2006 at 1:27 pm

Scaffolding has gone up around the entrance to this theatre on Surf Ave. Anyone know why?

Ed Solero
Ed Solero on June 5, 2006 at 2:44 pm

RobertR… Many of the theaters in that ad were already showing porn or about to, but it’s interesting that the film was booked into the Carnegie Hall Cinemas! I suppose many “straight” theaters dabbled here and there in during the porn chic era.

On a small side note… at the lower part of that page below the RKO block, a small ad shows the St. Marks Cinema playing Ken Russell’s “The Devils” along with Peter Brooks' fascinating adaptation of the play “Marat/Sade”. I caught these two films on a double bill some 10 or 12 years later when the Hollywood Twin on 8th Ave was showing revival. I find it interesting to learn that they had been previously paired at the St. Marks.

Ed Solero
Ed Solero on June 5, 2006 at 2:32 pm

RobertR… Many of the theaters in that ad were already showing porn or about to, but it’s interesting that the film was booked into the Carnegie Hall Cinemas! I suppose many “straight” theaters dabbled here and there in during the porn chic era.

On a small side note… at the lower part of that page below the RKO block, a small ad shows the St. Marks Cinema playing Ken Russell’s “The Devils” along with Peter Brooks' fascinating adaptation of the play “Marat/Sade”. I caught these two films on a double bill some 10 or 12 years later when the Hollywood Twin on 8th Ave was showing revival. I find it interesting to learn that they had been previously paired at the St. Marks.

Bway
Bway on June 5, 2006 at 1:56 pm

The photos linked above are no longer linked to the Shore Theater, and have been taken down. I guess they didn’t want them linked here for some reason.

RobertR
RobertR on June 4, 2006 at 3:46 pm

1972 the shore as part of an “Adult Showcase”, look at how it looks like an art film.
View link

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short on May 5, 2006 at 12:55 pm

There is a cinder block wall on the right side of the lobby picture posted at that link. Was the lobby space reduced at some point to create more retail?

PKoch
PKoch on May 5, 2006 at 12:36 pm

Thanks, Bway. Such strong mixed emotions … the beauty of what was, the ruin that it is now, yet, gratitude for what has survived.

Bway
Bway on May 4, 2006 at 3:45 pm

Here’s some more photos I found of the interior of the Shore, probably taken the same time as Mark’s.

http://www.hopetunnel.org/ue/shore.html

MarkW
MarkW on February 8, 2006 at 3:54 pm

All I can say is I was there legally.

Bway
Bway on February 8, 2006 at 1:53 pm

Thanks so much for posting those photos Mark. It’s actually nice to compare them to the historic views of the interior Warren had posted above (July22).

Ed Solero
Ed Solero on February 8, 2006 at 1:46 pm

May I ask how you gained entry, Mark? Or is that information classified?

MarkW
MarkW on February 8, 2006 at 12:04 am

I took the photos in August 2004. Just using the webspace of my website www.wcbsfm.org to host them.

EcRocker
EcRocker on February 7, 2006 at 11:45 pm

I agree with you on that Ed. I lived in the Coney Island area for a good deal of my life. I beleave the building is owned by Horrace Bullock. He is the guy who owns Kansas Fried Chicken. He was also supposed to buy some property from a man named Hy Singer who owned the lot where Stuches Arcade used to be. Thhe building had about 400 building code violations and he backed out of the deal and the property on the other part of the block is owned by who ever owns Nathans and they were not willing to sell. Mr Bullock was hoping to build a self encloed ammusment park extending from Stillwell Ave to West 21st that would have included a renovatrion of the Abe Stark Skating Rink. This plan went wel lback before the city and the NY Mets made plans to have a minor league team play in what used to be Steeplechase Park. The main reason for the redevelopement of the area is that on one hand Coney is getting flooded with Russian imigrants and from Stillwell and west the high rise apartments are mostly welfare except for Sea Gate.

Ed Solero
Ed Solero on February 7, 2006 at 10:29 pm

Those photos are remarkable, Mark W… and heartbreaking. Did you take them? How did they come to be posted on what appears to be the WCBS-FM website? This theater appears to be absolutely salvageable. Too bad the redevelopment of Coney Island that has been promised for decades seems to have stalled with the completion of the wonderful Brooklyn Cyclones' minor league ballpark a few years back. One thing this theater would have going for it should it be restored to use for, say, live performance is that there is ample parking down the road in the ballpark lot.

EcRocker
EcRocker on February 7, 2006 at 10:09 pm

Wow I almost want to cry knowing that it is not totaly destroyed. Do you know if by chance the stage rigging is still there? I know there used to be a plan to turn it in to a casino if they ever legalized gambeling in NY.

MarkW
MarkW on February 7, 2006 at 8:19 pm

Click on the links below for recent (Summer 2004) interior photos of the Shore/Loew’s Coney Island

http://www.wcbsfm.org/Shore1.jpg

http://www.wcbsfm.org/Shore2.jpg

http://www.wcbsfm.org/Shore3.jpg

http://www.wcbsfm.org/Shore4.jpg

EcRocker
EcRocker on January 6, 2006 at 1:47 am

Wow. I grew up 3 blocks from the Lowes Coney Island. I was there when it became the Shore and then a bingo hall. From what i know Horrace Bullock the owner of Kansas fried chicken fast food place owns the building. He was hoping to also build an amusement park south of Neptune Avenue From Stillwell to where Steeplechase Park used to be but the plans fell through no thanks in part to High Singer. Three blocks over on W 17st used to stand the RKO Tilyou. It was named after the builder of Steeplechace park that closed it’s doord Sep 21 1964 and soon after the RKO Tilyou closed and was demolished.