Xenophobic much? 40th and Girard is like a few blocks from the Mann Center and the Philadelphia Zoo. Do neighborhoods need to be “affluent” for their cinema palaces to be talked about and saved? I’m tryna catalogue them all mate. Even ones that don’t meet your criteria for “affluence” ;-)
I do, yes. I love The Shining…it doesn’t mean that I have to automatically love this artist’s rendering, nor do I have to love that they turned a cinema palace into a coworking space. I am happy the building is getting reused and not demolished though
m00se1111, this theater was not listed as demolished before I added my comment, and the opening paragraph as you described was updated by Howard after I commented on it. I think it’s a little weird that you are “well actuallying” all of my comments on Philadelphia theaters recently lol. Here is what it looked like before: https://web.archive.org/web/20230925041718/https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/65399
I’m working on a project to get all cinema palaces in the Philadelphia area categorized, updated and hopefully more of them preserved, so they can avoid being demolished like the Ritz!
Port Richmond Pharmacy was located in the Clearfield Theater for decades and only recently moved to the new address you are talking about. If you look back in time on Google Street view, such as this shot from 2017 (https://tinyurl.com/4fymrx57), you can see that it used to be the Pharmacy. The Pharmacy moved because of the fire. I plan to do some investigating on site soon to see how bad the damage was.
I’ve lived in this neighborhood for about 19 years. Quick Stop at 2518 Frankford Avenue is the exact location of where Castle Theater stood, which I verified by using the map overlay at https://www.philageohistory.org
Haha I mean you are entitled to your opinion but it is hideous to me, especially compared to the theater that stood previously. I guess if…stucco condominiums are your thing then this must be your golden era of architecture.
I agree that this was demolished in the 50s. The variety store that Ken mentioned back in 2008 was too small…and that variety store has now also been demolished. So, we’re going to call this one demolished.
It appears that this is now renovated into a coworking space, with some….horribly rendered images from famous movies throughout. https://6abc.com/post/newbold-exchange-work-from-home-resources-co-working-spaces-south-philadelphia/11177039/
Rumor has been in the music industry for the last few years that the Troc is coming back. I really hope it’s true! Legendary theater. https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia/trocadero-theatre-plans-history-philadelphia-20250831.html
This was always, so far as I can tell, called the “South City” Drive-in. To the person vividly remembering otherwise, that’s probably just what you referred to it in the vernacular. The grand opening advertisement is in the photos here as “South City,” and it’s also listed that way for the 1965 Beatles features.
Mystery to solve:
It appears to me that the address listed here (2103 Ridge) is incorrect. 2127 Ridge is the address that appears to be correct based on old atlases (aka the 1942 Land Use map at https://www.philageohistory.org), and the theater that was there, whatever the name might have been, is still standing and appears to be a church. Google street view of that here: https://tinyurl.com/yc7bwaxh
Anyone know, is this church at 2127 Ridge that used to be a theater the Rex?
Incredibly frustrating that this was destroyed, even after it was renovated for art use. When will the “city of history” start to care about history???
I don’t understand what is happening with this building. It’s still vacant and the windows are open to the elements. I hope it becomes something cool…it’s a beautiful building and I know it’s historically preserved now. I wish Everybody Hits never closed!
Property is still vacant in 2026. The original proscenium arch is intact behind drywall. I would love for this to get preserved, rehabbed and turned into a theater again!
m00se1111, it’s true, I did not get to those photos back in 2021. That said, I am back at this project in 2026, and the building appears to be for sale. I’m going to try my best to check it out!
Xenophobic much? 40th and Girard is like a few blocks from the Mann Center and the Philadelphia Zoo. Do neighborhoods need to be “affluent” for their cinema palaces to be talked about and saved? I’m tryna catalogue them all mate. Even ones that don’t meet your criteria for “affluence” ;-)
I do, yes. I love The Shining…it doesn’t mean that I have to automatically love this artist’s rendering, nor do I have to love that they turned a cinema palace into a coworking space. I am happy the building is getting reused and not demolished though
m00se1111, this theater was not listed as demolished before I added my comment, and the opening paragraph as you described was updated by Howard after I commented on it. I think it’s a little weird that you are “well actuallying” all of my comments on Philadelphia theaters recently lol. Here is what it looked like before: https://web.archive.org/web/20230925041718/https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/65399
I’m working on a project to get all cinema palaces in the Philadelphia area categorized, updated and hopefully more of them preserved, so they can avoid being demolished like the Ritz!
Again, you are entitled to your opinion
Port Richmond Pharmacy was located in the Clearfield Theater for decades and only recently moved to the new address you are talking about. If you look back in time on Google Street view, such as this shot from 2017 (https://tinyurl.com/4fymrx57), you can see that it used to be the Pharmacy. The Pharmacy moved because of the fire. I plan to do some investigating on site soon to see how bad the damage was.
I’ve lived in this neighborhood for about 19 years. Quick Stop at 2518 Frankford Avenue is the exact location of where Castle Theater stood, which I verified by using the map overlay at https://www.philageohistory.org
Haha I mean you are entitled to your opinion but it is hideous to me, especially compared to the theater that stood previously. I guess if…stucco condominiums are your thing then this must be your golden era of architecture.
I agree that this was demolished in the 50s. The variety store that Ken mentioned back in 2008 was too small…and that variety store has now also been demolished. So, we’re going to call this one demolished.
It appears that this is now renovated into a coworking space, with some….horribly rendered images from famous movies throughout. https://6abc.com/post/newbold-exchange-work-from-home-resources-co-working-spaces-south-philadelphia/11177039/
This is sooooooo sad why would they destroy this beautiful work of art :-(
Rumor has been in the music industry for the last few years that the Troc is coming back. I really hope it’s true! Legendary theater. https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia/trocadero-theatre-plans-history-philadelphia-20250831.html
The new apartment built here is hideous. A tragic loss
This was always, so far as I can tell, called the “South City” Drive-in. To the person vividly remembering otherwise, that’s probably just what you referred to it in the vernacular. The grand opening advertisement is in the photos here as “South City,” and it’s also listed that way for the 1965 Beatles features.
Currently for sale… https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/1412-S-Broad-St-Philadelphia-PA/38994625/
QuickStop
Sad to report that this appears to have been demolished sometime between 2021-2024 based on Google Street View :( https://tinyurl.com/ckyj5c4e
Mystery to solve: It appears to me that the address listed here (2103 Ridge) is incorrect. 2127 Ridge is the address that appears to be correct based on old atlases (aka the 1942 Land Use map at https://www.philageohistory.org), and the theater that was there, whatever the name might have been, is still standing and appears to be a church. Google street view of that here: https://tinyurl.com/yc7bwaxh
Anyone know, is this church at 2127 Ridge that used to be a theater the Rex?
Incredibly frustrating that this was destroyed, even after it was renovated for art use. When will the “city of history” start to care about history???
sad that this beauty is gone :(
I don’t understand what is happening with this building. It’s still vacant and the windows are open to the elements. I hope it becomes something cool…it’s a beautiful building and I know it’s historically preserved now. I wish Everybody Hits never closed!
Wow this was so beautiful ;-(
Property is still vacant in 2026. The original proscenium arch is intact behind drywall. I would love for this to get preserved, rehabbed and turned into a theater again!
m00se1111, it’s true, I did not get to those photos back in 2021. That said, I am back at this project in 2026, and the building appears to be for sale. I’m going to try my best to check it out!
Beautiful
Marquee intact!!