Comments from balloonhedz

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balloonhedz
balloonhedz commented about Queens Theatre on Dec 6, 2010 at 8:09 pm

but the ornamental bit with the most character, the face from up top…gone. The rest…neh. DOnt forget a rendering isnt always indicative of the finished product.
Ive seen it only from the outside. Ive caught glimpses from the street, its been a few weeks since Ive seen in.

Again I havent seen work there in several weeks.

balloonhedz
balloonhedz commented about Queens Theatre on Dec 6, 2010 at 10:33 am

whats the link on FB please?

balloonhedz
balloonhedz commented about Queens Theatre on Dec 6, 2010 at 10:31 am

heyhey NFHer…
I am, at the moment, cameraless. Sorry.

And Ill be right there on FB ;–)

balloonhedz
balloonhedz commented about Queens Theatre on Dec 5, 2010 at 12:51 pm

btw guys…I knew it was an old Vaudeville house…but never knew about the organ and set pieces and such. BTW Im a Queens Village lifer….49 years alive, same house on 222 Street.

balloonhedz
balloonhedz commented about Queens Theatre on Dec 5, 2010 at 12:50 pm

Hi all….hopefully some of you old QV residents are still watching the boards.
Someone asked if the 105 and PS33 are still across from each other.
YES!~
The 105 is in its second building, which replaced the original (which was the original PS33 btw) in the early 70s.

And whats going on with our beloved Century Queens…the church decided to totally renovate the building. Hence the removal of the fire escapes. The facades been redone (much to my chagrin the original ornamentation is gone) the interior was gutted etc. Only thing now…I pass it every day to and from the LIRR stop. It seems work has stopped for some reason. I never see the plywood in front opened up.

BTWnativeforesthiller…I followed the facebook link to heaven. OMG what a group. THANK you.

balloonhedz
balloonhedz commented about Paramount Theatre on Jan 23, 2007 at 5:12 am

Bway~
PS…thanks for the photo kudos on the rest ofthe stuff. If you like burlesque, FDNY stuff, subway stuff, Coney Island, and general NYC street stuff…lemme know Ill give you links.

balloonhedz
balloonhedz commented about Loew's Valencia Theatre on Jan 23, 2007 at 5:10 am

My late mom took my sister and me to see THE TEN COMMANDMENTS at The Valencia. Early early 70s. Shortly after it was sold and became Tabernacle of Prayer, I was documenting the soon to be demolished station at 168 on the BMT and got this shot.
Not bad for a cheap hand me down camera.
http://enwhycee.fotopic.net/p28148003.html

balloonhedz
balloonhedz commented about Paramount Theatre on Jan 23, 2007 at 5:04 am

Warren…I know. ;–)
Thats why I SAID…if it would be better posted elsewhere and not in a thread about the Paramount…Ill move it.

Bway…thanks for the heads up as to making the search easier. Ill go post it. And thanks for the kudos. Not a bad shot for hand me down cheap camera after all I guess :–)

balloonhedz
balloonhedz commented about Paramount Theatre on Jan 22, 2007 at 5:42 pm

http://enwhycee.fotopic.net/p28148003.html
itsnot the bestof shots but its one of my earliest when I started shooting the subway in 1977. It shows the facade of the place (least from the tracks UP)

And I know this is a thread about the Paramount…so if you want it moved just point me where :–)

click on the image and it gets a BIT bigger

balloonhedz
balloonhedz commented about Paramount Theatre on Jan 22, 2007 at 5:34 pm

thats where my mom took my sister and me to see THE TEN COMMANDMENTS back in the early early 70s. My pop was still working out of a command housed in the 103 Precinct then.

Its a joy to hear they didnt strip it when it became Tabernacle of Prayer.

balloonhedz
balloonhedz commented about Paramount Theatre on Jan 22, 2007 at 1:26 pm

oh maaaaaaaaan what a gem :–)
who remembers the CENTURY theater chain?
And the Loews Valancia!~
What a friggin palace that place was!~
Least its still standing as a church rather than being gone outright.

balloonhedz
balloonhedz commented about Paramount Theatre on Jan 3, 2007 at 5:45 pm

happy sigh
those vintage shots rock. I truly believe I was born in the wrong period sometimes.
And all the times I ate at Ollies I n e v e r realized where I actually WAS!!!!! And the weird part IS…I KNEW there was a Manhattan PARAMOUNT!!!!
Im absoutely ASHAMED of myself (Im a history loving NATIVE for God sake!!)
Lemme put it this way…for those familiar with NYC stuff pertaining to Coney Island. Each year after the Mermaid Parade, theres the fundraiser for Coney Island USA called the Mermaid Parade Ball. This year it was at the building that used to be Henderson’s Music Hall and Restaurant til 1923. Outside the Palace in Manhatan, it was like THE vaudeville house in NYC. The likes of Eddie Cantor, Al Jolson, and Harpo Marx in his debut with the Marx Brothers played there. I do burlesque and vaudeville work. When I heard I was to perform at the Ball in THAT venue…I was awestruck. When I was escorted in the back door to the place, I was just speechless…I could almost feel the spirits of those guys in the house. It was the ultimate feeling of reverence on my part. I just ran my hand up the wall as I climbed the stairs. It was by no means the stage door and stairs, but who CARES!!! I was THERE!!! Inside, when you know where to look, you can see the wall supports for the balcony tiers on the north and south walls on the east interior of the building.
Thats why I was wondering if the PARAMOUNT was a vaudeville house too. I figure…1926 opening with live stage shows…it MIGHT have been.

balloonhedz
balloonhedz commented about Paramount Theatre on Jan 2, 2007 at 8:37 pm

yup…the elevators are passenger operated now.
Thanks muchly guys…I got new stuff to do now next time Im up that way. Its unfortunate that a lot of the pix linked from here are dead links.

balloonhedz
balloonhedz commented about Paramount Theatre on Jan 1, 2007 at 7:05 pm

ok…I know I shoulda read everything before posting…but it was just such a rush to find you guys I had to go with it.
So I have it straight…am I to understand that the entrance under the marquee takes you into the Hard Rock and not the office building lobby?
Im rarely that far uptown, Ive never taken notice of the features of the building until just last week. Now I have to really go look. Dumb question..where is the office building lobby in regard to the HRC/Marquee?

balloonhedz
balloonhedz commented about Paramount Theatre on Jan 1, 2007 at 6:10 pm

Hi guys~
I just developed a fascination with the building. I was on the confetti crew that worked from the 18th floor setback last night. Being a performer myself, I was pumped as hell to find Id be working on that building. Not knowing the theater space had been demolished rather than maybe just reconfigured, I was throroughly confused when we were led from the side entrance on the south side of the place, through the south bank of elevators to the north bank, and didnt see ANYthing that resembled a theater.
Thing is, the elevator lobby looks sooooooo vintage.
Heres my thing….
Lets say that the place was STILL the theater. You walk in through the doors under the marquee. In light of the location of the two banks of elevators as they are right now…where was the theatre and how did you access it from that lobby/those doors?
Also, was it ever a vaudeville house?