Actually, when I went back later I realized my mistake, that the workers were actually carting debris from the adjoining building, and unfortunately not doing work on the Kings.
I guess new work toward restoration will have to be paved by our new efforts at activism. See my post above.
We discussed a number of topics at the meeting, including Bruce’s efforts to interest developers over the years, ways to raise awareness in the local community (which is largely Caribbean and came to the area after the theater had closed down), as well as cultural outreach, including to Brooklyn’s large artist community.
The rub of development is that the theater probably cannot financially sustain itself on its own terms, but that if a developer is given rights to build on a large scale on the surrounding lots, and below and possibly above the theater itself, then the prospects become much better.
We also discussed the feasability of a museum-type installation, including the possibility that we could get permission from the city to use one of the otherwise-abandoned side storefronts for outreach.
If you want to get directly involved, we should really discuss these things on our ‘Save the Kings’ mailing list with organized threads etc., not here with this single ridiculously long column going back to 2001. E-mail me at Flatbush AT gmail.com and I’ll put you on the list.
For those who couldn’t come, I am glad to report our somewhat hastily-arranged first meeting as a success. We attracted five dedicated individuals from across Brooklyn, just from the notice on Cinema Treasures. With better weather (it was a downpour Saturday) and more outreach through and beyond the theater preservation community, I trust our small group will grow will futute meetings and events.
To be notified of future events, email me at flatbush AT gmail.com
We have just started a working mailing list if you want to join that, and we should have our own fabulous website soon, which should prove a better center for our activity online than just using the Cinema Treasures forum.
For those who couldn’t come, I am glad to report our somewhat hastily-arranged first meeting as a success. We attracted five dedicated individuals from across Brooklyn, just from the notice on Cinema Treasures. With better weather (it was a downpour Saturday) and more outreach through and beyond the theater preservation community, I trust our small group will grow will futute meetings and events.
To be notified of future events, email me at flatbush AT gmail.com
If you’re from NJ, I’ll presume you know where the Holland Tunnel is. Just take that, and follow Canal Street east to the Manhattan Bridge. The Manhattan Bridge leads directly into Flatbush Avenue, the closest thing Brooklyn has to a ‘main street’. Just follow Flatbush Avenue down to Linden Blvd, and the library will be on your left.
Of course we are still in the early stages of the organized effort, so I don’t know how much practical advice we could offer on black fabric spraypaint or such, but I think that our efforts do share common goals in the revitalization of a theater through its community and a community through its theater. It will be a great opportunity to share ideas on how to raise local interest, as well as how to get to the point of physical restoration (at the Kings I know there is a LOT of work to be done before that’s accomplished).
If you have any questions or concerns (like specific subway directions), I can answer them here. I look meeting with others from across the area interested in reviatlizing the historic Loew’s King’s Theater.
OK, we’ve been approved for the big room, and I’ve submittted a story for the front page of this site, which runs as follows:
BROOKLYN, NY – A meeting to organize a movement to revitalize the historic Loew’s Kings movie palace will be held at noon Saturday, April 8 in a 75-person auditorium at the Flatbush Library at 22 Linden Blvd by Flatbush Avenue, easily accessible by subway. The discussion will be highlighted by Bruce Friedman, who will discuss his tireless efforts toward the preservation of the theater since 1987, and the hope to preserve it through transformation to a singularly grand performing arts space to serve the diverse Flatbush community. The meeting will include a showing of at least parts of ‘Memoirs Of A Movie Palace’, a touching documentary filmed in the last days of the 3,000+ seat theater’s operation. But most important, we will be there to exchange our ideas on how to revitalize this grand theater for the modern community of Brooklyn, starting with small artistic outreach efforts.
The formal meeting will conclude at 2:30, at which point we will take a group stroll down commercially bustling Flatbush Avenue to visit the boarded-up palace in person, on the way passing by several other ancient landmarks at the heart of this historic street. There may also be a small concluding meeting at Mr. Friedman’s nearby home, conditions permitting.
Hopefully the moderator will put it up soon. I hope you don’t mind, Bruce, that I’ve sort-of-committed-you to bringing the ‘Memoirs of a Movie Theater’ tape along, when I heard that a TV and VCR would be available at the library. How much of the film we show there will I guess depend on the progress of the meeting.
Now that the details are finalized, I hope we can all try to forward the message by phone, e-mail and message board to any theater, arts, and community groups and persons we know of that would be interested. Oh and if anyone else reading this is coming, it would be great if you RSVP’d here, though of course it’s not necessary.
OK, I’ve just filed for a 12:00-2:30 meeting Saturday at the Flatbush Library at 22 Linden Blvd off of Flatbush Ave. I should know for tomorrow whether we’ve been approved for the big meeting room, but even if we’re not I think they will find us some accomodation in a quiet corner or side office.
Everyone please encourage interested folks you know to attend; the room has capacity for 75!
So, big room or no, let’s make it for noon Saturday April 8 at the Flatbush library.
BTW, on the after-meeting walk down Flatbush to the theater, those not familiar with the neighborhood should get quite an enlightening illustration of the evolution of the area from a quiet Dutch village to a burgeoning Caribbean commercial district.
It’s great to see that you’re available for Saturday. I’ve been holding off a bit on reserving a room at the Flatbush library till things were a little firmed up, but I guess I’ll go in tomorrow and just do it provisionally. The thing is, the library closes at 3:00, and the latest meeting room appointment we could possibly get would end at 2:30. Now please tell me if that’s really too early for you, in which case we’ll definitely change plans; at this point, our effort cannot afford to leave out a single person. If the library is a no-go for you, I’ll canvas for an affordable local restaurant where we could reasonably hold a meeting.
In the meantime, everyone please try to prepare for the meeting by organizing your ideas and whatever special experience you may have, and maybe getting something down on paper to distribute. Try to think small: outreach is probably the best thing we can hope for in the short term.
And if anyone else reading this board is considering coming to our inaugural meeting on Saturday, please speak up now so whatever concerns you may have can be addressed as well. Thanks, all.
OK, I’ve called up the Flatbush library at 22 Linden Boulevard, which is pretty near the theater. Anyone using public transit could reach the library by a short walk from the Parkside Aventue stop on the Q; we could have a meeting there, and then stroll down Flatbush to the theater if that’s called for. If I go in tomorrow we can probably get a reservation for sometime in the late-morning-early-afternoon of Saturday, April 8 (the meeting rooms aren’t open Sunday). Is that a good time for the folks here? Bruce, in your experience with this issue since 1987, are there other people you would invite? Because I was thinking, if it’s gonna be less than five people, it’s might not worth formally reserving a room…
Greetings, Bruce and all friends of the Kings! I’ve been reading over this long, long message board and I think I can see what we really need is a live meeting, as soon as possible. Let’s call it for next week at the Grand Army Plaza Library or something. Even if only 3 or 4 people show it would be a much better start than this slow-motion message board.
Actually, when I went back later I realized my mistake, that the workers were actually carting debris from the adjoining building, and unfortunately not doing work on the Kings.
I guess new work toward restoration will have to be paved by our new efforts at activism. See my post above.
We discussed a number of topics at the meeting, including Bruce’s efforts to interest developers over the years, ways to raise awareness in the local community (which is largely Caribbean and came to the area after the theater had closed down), as well as cultural outreach, including to Brooklyn’s large artist community.
The rub of development is that the theater probably cannot financially sustain itself on its own terms, but that if a developer is given rights to build on a large scale on the surrounding lots, and below and possibly above the theater itself, then the prospects become much better.
We also discussed the feasability of a museum-type installation, including the possibility that we could get permission from the city to use one of the otherwise-abandoned side storefronts for outreach.
If you want to get directly involved, we should really discuss these things on our ‘Save the Kings’ mailing list with organized threads etc., not here with this single ridiculously long column going back to 2001. E-mail me at Flatbush AT gmail.com and I’ll put you on the list.
OK, let’s calm down… this is not Crossfire. I’m pretty sure we all want the same end here.
By the way, if anyone has any web experience to help with a website for the new ‘Save The Kings’, please-mail me. Thanks.
For those who couldn’t come, I am glad to report our somewhat hastily-arranged first meeting as a success. We attracted five dedicated individuals from across Brooklyn, just from the notice on Cinema Treasures. With better weather (it was a downpour Saturday) and more outreach through and beyond the theater preservation community, I trust our small group will grow will futute meetings and events.
To be notified of future events, email me at flatbush AT gmail.com
We have just started a working mailing list if you want to join that, and we should have our own fabulous website soon, which should prove a better center for our activity online than just using the Cinema Treasures forum.
For those who couldn’t come, I am glad to report our somewhat hastily-arranged first meeting as a success. We attracted five dedicated individuals from across Brooklyn, just from the notice on Cinema Treasures. With better weather (it was a downpour Saturday) and more outreach through and beyond the theater preservation community, I trust our small group will grow will futute meetings and events.
To be notified of future events, email me at flatbush AT gmail.com
If you’re from NJ, I’ll presume you know where the Holland Tunnel is. Just take that, and follow Canal Street east to the Manhattan Bridge. The Manhattan Bridge leads directly into Flatbush Avenue, the closest thing Brooklyn has to a ‘main street’. Just follow Flatbush Avenue down to Linden Blvd, and the library will be on your left.
Of course we are still in the early stages of the organized effort, so I don’t know how much practical advice we could offer on black fabric spraypaint or such, but I think that our efforts do share common goals in the revitalization of a theater through its community and a community through its theater. It will be a great opportunity to share ideas on how to raise local interest, as well as how to get to the point of physical restoration (at the Kings I know there is a LOT of work to be done before that’s accomplished).
Looking forward to seeing you there,
Readers of this board may be interested in Saturday’s meeting to Revitalize Brooklyn’s Loew’s Kings Movie Palace.
Readers of this board may be interested in Saturday’s meeting to Revitalize Brooklyn’s Loew’s Kings Movie Palace.
If you have any questions or concerns (like specific subway directions), I can answer them here. I look meeting with others from across the area interested in reviatlizing the historic Loew’s King’s Theater.
OK, we’ve been approved for the big room, and I’ve submittted a story for the front page of this site, which runs as follows:
BROOKLYN, NY – A meeting to organize a movement to revitalize the historic Loew’s Kings movie palace will be held at noon Saturday, April 8 in a 75-person auditorium at the Flatbush Library at 22 Linden Blvd by Flatbush Avenue, easily accessible by subway. The discussion will be highlighted by Bruce Friedman, who will discuss his tireless efforts toward the preservation of the theater since 1987, and the hope to preserve it through transformation to a singularly grand performing arts space to serve the diverse Flatbush community. The meeting will include a showing of at least parts of ‘Memoirs Of A Movie Palace’, a touching documentary filmed in the last days of the 3,000+ seat theater’s operation. But most important, we will be there to exchange our ideas on how to revitalize this grand theater for the modern community of Brooklyn, starting with small artistic outreach efforts.
The formal meeting will conclude at 2:30, at which point we will take a group stroll down commercially bustling Flatbush Avenue to visit the boarded-up palace in person, on the way passing by several other ancient landmarks at the heart of this historic street. There may also be a small concluding meeting at Mr. Friedman’s nearby home, conditions permitting.
Hopefully the moderator will put it up soon. I hope you don’t mind, Bruce, that I’ve sort-of-committed-you to bringing the ‘Memoirs of a Movie Theater’ tape along, when I heard that a TV and VCR would be available at the library. How much of the film we show there will I guess depend on the progress of the meeting.
Now that the details are finalized, I hope we can all try to forward the message by phone, e-mail and message board to any theater, arts, and community groups and persons we know of that would be interested. Oh and if anyone else reading this is coming, it would be great if you RSVP’d here, though of course it’s not necessary.
Update:
OK, I’ve just filed for a 12:00-2:30 meeting Saturday at the Flatbush Library at 22 Linden Blvd off of Flatbush Ave. I should know for tomorrow whether we’ve been approved for the big meeting room, but even if we’re not I think they will find us some accomodation in a quiet corner or side office.
Everyone please encourage interested folks you know to attend; the room has capacity for 75!
So, big room or no, let’s make it for noon Saturday April 8 at the Flatbush library.
BTW, on the after-meeting walk down Flatbush to the theater, those not familiar with the neighborhood should get quite an enlightening illustration of the evolution of the area from a quiet Dutch village to a burgeoning Caribbean commercial district.
Hey Theaterat (et al),
It’s great to see that you’re available for Saturday. I’ve been holding off a bit on reserving a room at the Flatbush library till things were a little firmed up, but I guess I’ll go in tomorrow and just do it provisionally. The thing is, the library closes at 3:00, and the latest meeting room appointment we could possibly get would end at 2:30. Now please tell me if that’s really too early for you, in which case we’ll definitely change plans; at this point, our effort cannot afford to leave out a single person. If the library is a no-go for you, I’ll canvas for an affordable local restaurant where we could reasonably hold a meeting.
In the meantime, everyone please try to prepare for the meeting by organizing your ideas and whatever special experience you may have, and maybe getting something down on paper to distribute. Try to think small: outreach is probably the best thing we can hope for in the short term.
And if anyone else reading this board is considering coming to our inaugural meeting on Saturday, please speak up now so whatever concerns you may have can be addressed as well. Thanks, all.
OK, I’ve called up the Flatbush library at 22 Linden Boulevard, which is pretty near the theater. Anyone using public transit could reach the library by a short walk from the Parkside Aventue stop on the Q; we could have a meeting there, and then stroll down Flatbush to the theater if that’s called for. If I go in tomorrow we can probably get a reservation for sometime in the late-morning-early-afternoon of Saturday, April 8 (the meeting rooms aren’t open Sunday). Is that a good time for the folks here? Bruce, in your experience with this issue since 1987, are there other people you would invite? Because I was thinking, if it’s gonna be less than five people, it’s might not worth formally reserving a room…
Greetings, Bruce and all friends of the Kings! I’ve been reading over this long, long message board and I think I can see what we really need is a live meeting, as soon as possible. Let’s call it for next week at the Grand Army Plaza Library or something. Even if only 3 or 4 people show it would be a much better start than this slow-motion message board.