By Joseph Morales

WELCOME TO THE SERIES

             New York City is the largest city in the United States and is the nation’s cultural, commercial and financial center. Thanks to its vast public transit system, New Yorkers are able to traverse the city without the use of a car and avoid traffic. Given how hard it can be to drive in the city, riding transit allows you to notice things about your surroundings that you just wouldn’t if you were behind the wheel. There are many institutions that everyone knows about, such as the Statue of Liberty, Museum of Natural History or Broadway Theatre to name a few. However, there are many significant places don’t get that immediate recognition. In this series, I will highlight many of these places and share the history and significance of them. I am also going to discuss how public transit has contributed to the locations’ history as well as the surrounding community. I hope that this series can help to spread awareness of the importance of transit to life in New York and how transit has truly shaped what the city has become. Join me for the ride.

Loew’s Boulevard Theatre-Simpson St(2,5)

               The Simpson St Station serves the 2 and 5 trains and is located on Westchester Ave and Southern Blvd in the South Bronx. Surrounding the station is a busy commercial strip with a plethora of stores and businesses. On the strip is a mix of large chains such as Foot Locker, Five Below and The Children’s Place, along with smaller chains and mom and pops. One building that stands out, is the former Loew’s Boulevard Theatre at 1030 Southern Blvd, now home to a Planet Fitness, Chipotle, T-Mobile and Tax Service Center. The exterior with the exception of the windows has been largely unchanged since the theatre’s heyday. However, the large Boulevard signs along with listing movie screenings are long gone and were replaced by store signage. If you look closely enough from the 2 and 5 trains, you may be able to see the building.

LOEW’S BOULEVARD THEATRE-SIMPSON ST(2,5)

                How did the prominent neighborhood movie theatre, become home to four unrelated businesses? The Loew’s Boulevard Theatre certainly has a long history. The theatre opened on November 13th, 1913 and its grand opening was attended by Loews Founder Marcus Loew. At the Grand Opening, Loew announced that the theatre would host “‘small time’” vaudeville and motion pictures. Vaudeville was a type of live performance that consisted of a variety of acts from entertainers such as magicians, musicians, clowns and more. In an era without social media, Vaudeville was the main platform in which various forms of entertainment came together. In addition, while it was not without bias, Vaudeville was one of the first forms of entertainment to truly cross racial and cultural barriers. This was important in a borough that was rapidly becoming more ethnically diverse. In addition to Vaudeville, the theatre also held screenings for silent motion pictures that likely included iconic titles such as Cinderella(1914) and Alice in Wonderland(1915). Given the station’s location next to the train, people from communities throughout The Bronx could come and enjoy the entertainment options offered at the theatre.

HISTORY OF THE BUILDING

                Eventually, as motion pictures became more popular and Vaudeville was becoming obsolete with many films even using Vaudeville actors. Hence in 1932, the theatre was remodeled to show only motion pictures. In the late 1950s/early 1960s, the theatre was again removed with ornate plasterwork being covered with drapes and curtain to reflect the theatre style of the time. Not too long after the renovation, Loews closed the theater and it became independent. While independent, the theatre continued to show motion pictures and host events including a September 1972 circus. In the late 1970s, the theatre showed Spanish-language movies as the Hispanic population grew in The Bronx. However, as the television grew and multiplexes for blockbusters grew in popularity, theatres like the Boulevard likely just couldn’t keep up. Hence, the theatre closed permanently in the 1980s.

HOW TRANSIT SHAPED THE BUILDING’S FUTURE

            Thankfully, due to the commercial and residential density of the surrounding area along with its proximity to transit, the location was prime to serve various new types of businesses. As a result, Five Brothers Furniture promptly moved into the building and occupied the lower level until the late 2000’s. They had gutted the lower level to convert it into their furniture showroom. Other stores such as a 99 cents store and a clothing store have also occupied two smaller retail spaces to the side of Five Brothers Furniture. Eventually, when Five Brothers Furniture closed, a Planet Fitness opened in its place. Planet Fitness would restore the building’s facade, repaint the small but historic Boulevard Theatre sign, and replace the windows to give the building a more open and sleek look. However, the balcony(which is currently off limits) has remained untouched and still has its theater decor intact. Upon this transition, T-Mobile moved into one of the smaller spaces and XIOS New York replaced the 99 cents store soon after. A Chipotle opened in XIOS’ spot in 2022 after XIOS moved to another location on Southern Blvd.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              The evolution of the Boulevard Theatre just speaks volumes to the value of having a commercial facility in a walkable community that allows one to walk between commercial facilities without the use of a car. In many areas of the U.S, the Boulevard Theatre may be abandoned as developers may have struggled with determining how to get people to drive to a a single, standalone facility. However, developers were able to convert the Boulevard Theatre into businesses that reflected the needs of the community and complemented the other businesses on the street.

NOT THE ONLY REINVENTED THEATRE ON THE BLOCK

               The Boulevard is not the only theater on Southern Blvd that has has a second lease on life. Just a couple blocks away at 961 Southern Blvd, the former Spooner Theatre is now a Children’s Place store, T-Mobile and Burger King. Two smaller stores also occupy smaller spaces. The top two floors are currently up For Rent/Lease as office or retail spaces of 40,000 sq ft or less. Due to the former theatre’s proximity to transit, the space is well suited for a variety of uses, such as medical or professional office space as well as larger stores. You can learn more about the history of the Spooner Theatre and its namesake here: https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/tag/spooner-theatre-bronx/

WHY THIS STORY MATTERS

      As the theaters on Southern Blvd has been reinvented, they are prime examples on how transit and walkability can make a space more dynamic than a space is without it. This also represents just one of countless instances where transit allows businesses to not just grow but thrive here in New York. Lastly, it is a reminder that, regardless of how New York grows and changes, the buses and subways will always be here to support it.

Works Cited

“The Bronx is the land of faded old movie houses.” Ephemeral New York, 19 February 2018, https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/tag/spooner-theatre-bronx/. Accessed 25 December 2023.

Gabel, William, and Matt Lambros. “Boulevard Theatre in Bronx, NY.” Cinema Treasures, https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/6107. Accessed 25 December 2023.

Kaiser, Charles. “Blacks and Puerto Ricans a Bronx Majority.” The New York Times, 19 April 1976, https://www.nytimes.com/1976/04/19/archives/blacks-and-puerto-ricans-a-bronx-majority-study-finds-blacks-and.html. Accessed 25 December 2023.

Lambros, Matt. “Then and Now – Boulevard Theatre – Bronx, NY.” Route 1 Views, 18 November 2022, https://route1views.com/travel/then-and-now-boulevard-theatre-bronx-ny/?latest=latest. Accessed 25 December 2023.

Matt. “Loew’s Boulevard Theatre – Bronx, NY.” After the Final Curtain, 3 November 2022, https://afterthefinalcurtain.net/2022/11/03/loews-boulevard-theatre-bronx-ny/. Accessed 25 December 2023.

“Vaudeville | About Vaudeville | American Masters.” PBS, 8 October 1999, https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/vaudeville-about-vaudeville/721/. Accessed 25 December 2023.