Admiring the Loew's Pitkin Theatre in Brownsville

theater
We enjoyed reading about the Loew's King Theater on both Planet PLG and Curbed last week. Turns out this ain't the only old Loew's theatre of interest to the architecturally minded. The Loew's Pitkin Theatre at 1501 Pitkin Avenue in Brownsville is a real throw-back to the good ole days of Art Deco grandeur. Built in 1929 by Thomas Lamb, the Pitkin went out of business in the 1960s and was later used as both a church and a department store, according to Forgotten NY. Is it too much to hope that the rising real estate tide in these poorer nabes will lift these beautiful old boats?
Loew's Pitkin Theater [Bridge and Tunnel Club] GMAP
First Train to Brownsville [Forgotten NY]

Comments

It'll probably be converted into condo's.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 20, 2006 10:06 AM

Condos on this block? Maybe in 100 years!

Posted by: Anonymous at June 20, 2006 10:14 AM

An interior view of this theater can be found through the link below. Scroll down to the 17th post and click on the link.

http://cinematreasures.org/theater/3887/

Posted by: Anonymous at June 20, 2006 10:19 AM

Sadly, the Loew's Pitkin might be beyond repair. Here is an eyewitness account of the interior I came across on the Cinema Treasures site when researching the Loew's Kings:

"Even though not considered a "Wonder Theatre", the Pitkin was advertised as such in many ads in the Brooklyn Eagle when it first opened. When I spoke to a original Loew executive, he told me the "Wonder Theatre" was an advertising tool of the then in-house publicity team that were employed at the Loew's State building in New York. Seeing the building while it was open and many times since closed, I was able to get in two years ago, and it is now truly an atmospheric theatre now that the ceiling has collapsed into the orchestra. In addition, the auditorium looked like the "Titanic" that had risen with the water damage intense. It is beyond saving except for the original four exterior walls that still look majestic. It is safe to assume that this theatre was also "extremely vandalized" and not by locals but people who knew the value of the treasures within. All that was left of the grand staircase was the steel frame, minus the marble steps, bannisters, light fixtures and the lions on the staircase levels leading to the balcony. It was a sad sight to see. The Parkway Theatre (aka Ronley) nearby is in much better shape."

Posted by: Dan at June 20, 2006 11:47 AM

I have some photos of the Poews Pitkin here
http://www.disassociate.com/lost_big_thumb03.html
a few years old but I think it still looks the same

Posted by: matt at June 20, 2006 12:52 PM

that link for the interior pics doesn't work

Posted by: Anonymous at June 20, 2006 12:53 PM

This one works:

http://www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/128-2855_IMG.jpg

Beautiful...

Posted by: Dan at June 20, 2006 2:25 PM

Is real estate really rising in these poorer neighborhoods? I thought Bushwick, and BedSty were going to turn over, and they are still considered poor nabes.

But aren't there other neighborhoods that are poorer, like Brownsville, where property can be had for cheap.

Posted by: Julie B at June 20, 2006 2:54 PM

Julie B, I'm trying to figure out if yours is a really naive, rather ignorant question, or if you are being somehow deliberately dense?

In answer to your questions:
1. Yes
2. Turn over to what? Both are large neighborhoods with both good and bad areas, as well as areas with more wealth than other areas.
3. Honey, nothing in NYC is cheap. I also have problems with people who buy up property in "cheap" neighborhoods, sit on them, and do nothing to make their buildings, and by extension, the neighborhood any better.

Posted by: CrownHeightsProud at June 20, 2006 10:50 PM

The interior photos of that theater are awesome! Imagine seeing a movie in a place like that.

I, personally, have no problem with people who do what crownheightsproud is criticizing. It's merely good business sense.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 21, 2006 1:23 PM

Anon 1:23, hiring cheap child labor, or not following EPA pollution rules, or overbilling the government for services rendered in Iraq all make good business sense. That doesn't make any of them the right thing to do. There is more to the world than money. Warehousing buildings in poor neighborhoods, not keeping them up, and not providing services and upkeep to your tenants makes you a slumlord in my book, not a savvy investor.

Posted by: CrownHeightsProud at June 21, 2006 4:15 PM

We'll have to agree to disagree. You fail to understand that guilt trips are ineffective in changing the opinions of certain people. Hence, I reiterate that buying property, sitting on it, and the selling it at a profit without ever improving it or the surrounding neighborhood is a practice of which I wholeheartedly approve.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 21, 2006 4:51 PM

If profit is your only criteria for your business practices, you are quite right we will disagree. I'm sorry you feel that way.

Posted by: CrownHeightsProud at June 21, 2006 5:50 PM

I'm not.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 22, 2006 9:15 AM

I have been working on the rehabilitation of this building for over a year and can report that, with luck, construction will start soon on giving it a new life. While the interior of the building is, sadly, beyond the point where it can be saved, there is not much chance that a theatre developer would be interested in resurrecting it for its' original use. It is an icon to the neighborhood, and while it will have a new purpose (60,000 s.f. of retail on the lower floors, 66 units of rental housing above), maybe there is some merit in the fact that the entire thing isn't being razed to build something that would undoubtedly have much less charm.

The current owner is a NYC based developer of mixed use and low-income housing. They are very committed to keeping the shell (exterior perimeter walls) of the structure as much as possible. As the architect for the project, I have worked hard to preserve the exquisite ornamentation and to keep the grand elements that give this building its' character. We have to cut windows into the outer walls to make the apartments feasible, but they will be done in the least obtrusive manner possible.

If anyone is interested in seeing a rendering of what the building will look like after renovation, contact dgarthe@kitchenandassociates.com.

Posted by: dgarthe at November 22, 2008 12:26 AM

I just noticed this strand. I totally agree with CrownHeightsProud. It's one thing to want to buy low and sell high, but I find it disgraceful to buy up properties and become a slumlord (or actually keep a property vacant and crumbling) for years. The city should more frequently condemn buildings like that, take them from these heartless speculators, rehab them, and then sell them. This profit-uber-alles attitude tis disgusting.

Posted by: morralkan at March 15, 2009 4:10 PM

« Provence en Suck? More Condos for Broadway? »

June 20, 2006

Admiring the Loew's Pitkin Theatre in Brownsville

Comments

Post a comment

Latest Restaurant Additions