The future of a 79-year-old Richmond Hill movie theater has been cast into doubt after workers recently yanked letters that spelled its famous name - "RKO Keith's" - off the historic marquee.Preservationists wonder if more changes are planned at the Hillside Ave. mainstay - used as a bingo hall and flea market - now that the striking type has come down, apparently for good.
"It's not going back up," said a man who's helping out at the bingo hall while its manager, Bob Wooldridge, is on vacation.
Wooldridge did not return calls seeking comment.
Buildings Department spokeswoman Kate Lindquist said the city hasn't issued permits to remove the entire marquee or renovate the former theater, opened in 1929. But preservationists remain worried.
Fears of coming detractions at former RKO Keith's in Richmond Hill
14 comments:
Likley another Paki noodles-market just like Jahns.
What a shame, these new people NEVER keep there part of the deal
Jahn's, Salerno's...and now the RKO!
The thin red line drawn around Richmond Hill just became thicker...
eh Nancy?
Maybe RH will make the New York Times' featured real estate column:
"If you're thinking of living in Richmond Hill"....well, don't bother!
Too bad, a once beautiful, historic area is now picking up steam on its final descent down the skids!
Tired old "preservationists"....
keep on kissing up to your local pols.
They'll save your hood!
All part of the plan folks.
Those Paki noodle emporiums
aren't destined for nearby
Kew Gardens/Forest Hills.
They belong in RH far enough away from the "swells"!
You've all got to wake up
and finally realize the real aim of the Department of City Planning.
(Or is it city plotting)?
I think somebody's running some
(illegal?) card games on the mezzanine in addition to the
regular Bingo and flea (or bed bug) market business.
Russkie/mobskie, maybe h-m-m-m ?
City "Plotting" as in grave sights for every 2nd or more generation New Yorker.
Dead buried or stuffed in some museum come 2020.
I can just see it now "Paki Noodles King" of Juniper Valley.
Now that Ridgewood is just about a 3rd world cesspool. You can walk 10 block on Freshpond road and not here on person speaking English, Hot pink storefronts, Puerto Rican flags fly from 1/2 the cars.
MV is likley next on Bloomturds white flight list.
Calling Ms. Cataldi!
I guess that's one more stop canceled on the RH Historical Society's tour!
Or to repeat an old sage from QHS, "It's all gone"!
YES! WHAT THE FUCK!!? I noticed this two or three weeks ago and asked a couple of the regulars hanging outside the bingo hall. They didn't know what was going on. At first glance, the marquee looked like it had been covered with a large black tarp. It really looks so much worse with the RKO KEITH'S letters unnecessarily removed.
Who knows what the hell is going on? Jahn's has just been sitting vacant for the last few months with no activity whatsoever as well.
The owner of the theater obviously wanted to degrade his property values. It's those small details that become grand to a neighborhood & sell.
I once met the owner.
He asked us if we knew anybody who wanted to buy the RKO?
Then he named some off the wall ridiculous price!
This guy strikes me as a typical lazy real estate opportunist looking for a multi million dollar bail out.
You can kiss this spot goodbye eventually!
I'll bet it winds up being gutted and converted into a low class shopping mall.
Or an Indo/Paki food court with some Tex/Mex fast food take out.
You mean, Now playing:
"Tamales From Tampico" .....eh?
Yep !
Whatever!
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