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Loew's Jersey Theatre
	Facade seen from across Journal Square July 1, 2006
Address	54 Journal Square; Jersey City, New Jersey; United States
Public transit	Journal Square Transportation Center
Owner	Government of Jersey City
Operator	Devils Arena Entertainment
Type	Movie palace
Capacity	3,021
Current use	Revival house films and performing arts center
Construction
Opened	September 28, 1929
Architect	Rapp and Rapp
	Loew's Jersey Theatre
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	54 Journal Square, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.
Coordinates	40°43′56″N 74°03′52″W / 40.7322°N 74.0645°W
Architectural style	Late 19th & 20th Century Revivals; Baroque Revival
NRHP reference No.	100007648
Added to NRHP	April 25, 2022

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Loew's Jersey Theatre
("loews jersey" "theater" or "loew's jersey" "theater" or "loews jersey" "theatre" or "loew's jersey" "theatre" or "jersey theater" or "jersey theatre" or "loews" "journal square" or "loew's" "journal square") AND ("journal square" or "jersey city" or "new jersey" or "n.j.") NOT ("spare times" OR "display ad" OR "classified ad" OR "advertisement" or "other" "no title" OR "arrival of buyers" OR "paid notice" OR "manhattan transfers" OR "film house reviews" OR "films of the week" OR "the neighborhood theater" OR "hollywood news and new york" or "route department" or "presentation notes" or "movie clock")
https://nj.gov/dep/hpo/1identify/SRB/2021-11-18/NJ_Hudson_Loews_Jersey_Theatre_combined.pdf
https://www.nytimes.com/1998/11/08/nyregion/views-now-playing-a-grand-movie-house-restored.html

The Loew's Jersey Theatre is a theater in Jersey City, New Jersey. Opened in 1929, it was one of the five Loew's Wonder Theatres, a series of flagship Loew's movie palaces in the New York City area. It was designed by the architectural firm of Rapp and Rapp in a Baroque/Rococo style. It was purchased by the city in 1993 and has been operated by a volunteer organization, the Friends of the Loews, since that time.^[2] The theater was designated as a New Jersey Registered Historic Site in 2009.^[3] In a move opposed by Friends of the Loews, the city in June 2014, agreed to let AEG Live operate the venue.^[4]^[5]^[6] After going to court, the lease by Friends of the Loews remains in effect.^[7] In 2022, a $72 million restoration project was started by Devils Arena Entertainment, a division of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment that operates the Prudential Center, with completion being expected by 2025.^[8]^[9]

Description

The Jersey Theater is located at 54 Journal Square^[10]^[11] in the Journal Square neighborhood of Jersey City, New Jersey, United States.^[12] The theater was one of five Loew's Wonder Theatres in the New York City area and the only one outside New York City proper. The other Wonder Theatres were the Loew's Paradise in the Bronx, the Loew's 175th Street in Manhattan, the Loew's Valencia in Queens, and the Loew's Kings in Brooklyn.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name (see the help page).^[13]

Facade

Interior

The capacity of the theater on opening day was 3,021 patrons.^[1]

History

Movie palaces became common in the 1920s between the end of World War I and the beginning of the Great Depression.^[14]^[15] In the New York City area, only a small number of operators were involved in the construction of movie palaces. Relatively few architects were responsible for these theaters' designs, including legitimate theater architects Thomas Lamb, C. Howard Crane, and John Eberson.^[14] By the late 1920s, numerous movie palaces were being developed in outlying neighborhoods in New York City; previously, the city's movie palaces had been concentrated in Midtown Manhattan.^[16] The five Wonder Theatres were developed by Loew's Inc., which at the time was competing with Paramount-Publix.^[17] In 1927, Loew's president Nicholas Schenck agreed to take over five sites from Paramount-Publix, in exchange for agreeing not to build competing theaters in Chicago; these five sites became the Wonder Theatres.^[17]^[18]

Movie theater use

The cost of construction in 1929 was $2 million.^[19] The Jersey Theatre was the third Wonder Theatre to open that month, after the Paradise and Kings theaters, which had opened on the same day.^[20]^[21]

The theater was added to the New Jersey Register of Historic Places on August 15, 1985.^[3] It also received a Determination of Eligibility from the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on October 17, 1985, but was not listed due to an objection by the owner.^[22]

Restoration

The theatre closed in August 1986. The final film shown was Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. The Loew's Corporation sold the theatre to Hartz Mountain, who announced plans to demolish the theater and build a new structure on the site.^[23] The Jersey City government bought the theater in 1993 and leased it to the Jersey City Economic Development Corporation.^[24]

Volunteers began restoration of the theatre once it had been acquired by the city of Jersey City, to prevent it from being demolished.^[25] The Garden State Theatre Organ Society acquired a sister pipe organ to the missing Loew's Jersey pipe organ, originally installed at the Loew's Paradise Theatre, and began the installation and restoration of the organ.^[26]

The Jersey Theatre was listed on the NRHP in 2022.^[27] In November 2024, workers removed the original marquee and replaced it with a digital sign.^[28]

Programming

The Loew's Jersey is a popular venue for film and photography shoots. The lobby of the Loew's Jersey was the disco in the film The Last Days of Disco and was featured in a 2007 Geico commercial featuring their gecko character.^[29] In February 2011 the band The Strokes shot a music video for the single "Under Cover of Darkness" off of their 2011 album Angles at the Loew's Jersey Theatre, featuring the main lobby, promenade, and stage.^[30]

The theater is a popular venue for fundraising, corporate events, and weddings.^[31]^[32]^[33]

References

Citations

^ ^a ^b "The Landmark Loews Jersey Theatre - Virtual Tour". Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
^ "Landmark Loew's Jersey – Official Website for The Landmark Loew's Jersey". Archived from the original on September 17, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
^ ^a ^b "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places – Hudson County" (PDF). NJ DEP – Historic Preservation Office. July 7, 2009. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 5, 2010. Retrieved December 3, 2009.
^ McDonald, Terrence T. (June 27, 2014). "Concert promoter AEG set to take over Jersey City's Loew's theater". The Jersey Journal. Archived from the original on November 20, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ McDonald, Terrence T. (June 28, 2014). "Community group outraged by planned takeover of Jersey City's Loew's theater". The Jersey Journal. Archived from the original on July 1, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ Dawsey, Josh (June 27, 2014). "Jersey City Taps AEG Live to Manage Loew's, Announces Theater Overhaul". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on October 10, 2014. Retrieved November 6, 2017 – via online.WSJ.com.
^ Stettner, Meredith Napolitano (September 8, 2016). "Waiting in the Wings: Loew's Theater and its Future". Jersey Digs. Archived from the original on December 2, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
^ "Jersey City's Historic Loew's Theatre to Undergo $72M Restoration". NBC New York. February 22, 2021. Archived from the original on June 16, 2021. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
^ "NHL Team's Affiliate Takes on Theater Project". Venues Now. March 3, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
^ Alleman, Richard (2013). New York: The Movie Lover's Guide: The Ultimate Insider Tour of Movie New York. Crown. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-8041-3778-2.
^ Heide, Robert; Gilman, John (2006). O'New Jersey, Third Edition: Daytripping, Backroads, Eateries, Funky Adventures. St. Martin's Press. p. 53. ISBN 978-0-312-34156-5. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
^ New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission; Dolkart, Andrew S.; Postal, Matthew A. (2009). Postal, Matthew A. (ed.). Guide to New York City Landmarks (4th ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 333–334. ISBN 978-0-470-28963-1.
^ Adams, Nathaniel (January 16, 2015). "Across the New York Area, Restoring 'Wonder Theater' Movie Palaces to Glory". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 26, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
^ ^a ^b Landmarks Preservation Commission 2016, pp. 5–6.
^ Hall, Ben M. (1975). The Best Remaining Seats: The Story of the Golden Age of the Movie Palace. C. N. Potter. p. 12. ISBN 978-0-517-02057-9. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
^ Stern, Robert A. M.; Gilmartin, Patrick; Mellins, Thomas (1987). New York 1930: Architecture and Urbanism Between the Two World Wars. New York: Rizzoli. p. 262. ISBN 978-0-8478-3096-1. OCLC 13860977.
^ ^a ^b Historic Structures Report: Loew's Kings Theatre (PDF) (Report). National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service. July 6, 2012. p. 16.
^ Landmarks Preservation Commission 1997, p. 3.
^ Berwick, Carly (July 18, 2004). "Long-Running Drama At the Loew's Jersey". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 28, 2015. Retrieved December 3, 2009.
^ "Loew's Plans Costly House for Astoria". Times Union. August 14, 1929. p. 16. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
^ "Loew's Promise Many Excellent Pictures for Rochester Season". Democrat and Chronicle. August 30, 1929. p. 15. Retrieved November 30, 2024; "Three Openings in Month". The Brooklyn Daily Times. September 6, 1929. p. 45. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
^ Carney, Leo H. (June 21, 1987). "LOEW'S THEATER APPARENTLY DOOMED". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
^ "VIEWS; Now Playing: A Grand Movie House Restored". The New York Times. November 8, 1998. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
^ McDonald, Terrence T. (April 5, 2013). "No more taxpayer funding for the Loew's, Jersey City mayor says". The Jersey Journal. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
^ "The Bob Balfour Memorial Wonder Morton Theatre Pipe Organ". Garden State Theatre Organ Society. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
^ "Weekly listing". National Park Service.
^ West, Teri (November 3, 2024). "Sign of the times for new Journal Square: Iconic Loew's Jersey marquee destroyed to make way for digital sign". nj. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
^ "Geico Gecko at The Loew's Jersey Theatre". Loew's Jersey Theatre. December 30, 2009. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved July 12, 2021 – via YouTube.
^ Hortillosa, Summer Dawn (February 21, 2011). "The Strokes visit Jersey City to shoot music video at Landmark Loew's Jersey Theatre". The Jersey Journal. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
^ "Landmark loew's jersey theatre wedding". Unique Wedding Venues in NJ. April 3, 2013. Archived from the original on April 16, 2014. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
^ "The Landmark Loew's Jersey Theatre - Jersey City, NJ". Yelp. Archived from the original on April 16, 2014. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
^ "See Loew's Jersey Theatre on WeddingWire". WeddingWire. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.

Sources

Historic Structures Report: Loew's Jersey Theatre (PDF) (Report). National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service. April 25, 2022.
United Palace (Formerly Loew's 175th Street Theatre) (PDF) (Report). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. December 13, 2016.

External links

Official website

[tour-1] "The Landmark Loews Jersey Theatre - Virtual Tour". Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved August 31, 2010.

[2] "Landmark Loew's Jersey – Official Website for The Landmark Loew's Jersey". Archived from the original on September 17, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.

[NJRHP-3] "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places – Hudson County" (PDF). NJ DEP – Historic Preservation Office. July 7, 2009. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 5, 2010. Retrieved December 3, 2009.

[4] McDonald, Terrence T. (June 27, 2014). "Concert promoter AEG set to take over Jersey City's Loew's theater". The Jersey Journal. Archived from the original on November 20, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[5] McDonald, Terrence T. (June 28, 2014). "Community group outraged by planned takeover of Jersey City's Loew's theater". The Jersey Journal. Archived from the original on July 1, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[6] Dawsey, Josh (June 27, 2014). "Jersey City Taps AEG Live to Manage Loew's, Announces Theater Overhaul". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on October 10, 2014. Retrieved November 6, 2017 – via online.WSJ.com.

[7] Stettner, Meredith Napolitano (September 8, 2016). "Waiting in the Wings: Loew's Theater and its Future". Jersey Digs. Archived from the original on December 2, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2019.

[8] "Jersey City's Historic Loew's Theatre to Undergo $72M Restoration". NBC New York. February 22, 2021. Archived from the original on June 16, 2021. Retrieved June 15, 2021.

[9] "NHL Team's Affiliate Takes on Theater Project". Venues Now. March 3, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2023.

[Alleman_e798-10] Alleman, Richard (2013). New York: The Movie Lover's Guide: The Ultimate Insider Tour of Movie New York. Crown. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-8041-3778-2.

[HG_x750-11] Heide, Robert; Gilman, John (2006). O'New Jersey, Third Edition: Daytripping, Backroads, Eateries, Funky Adventures. St. Martin's Press. p. 53. ISBN 978-0-312-34156-5. Retrieved December 2, 2024.

[nycland-12] New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission; Dolkart, Andrew S.; Postal, Matthew A. (2009). Postal, Matthew A. (ed.). Guide to New York City Landmarks (4th ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 333–334. ISBN 978-0-470-28963-1.

[Adams2015-13] Adams, Nathaniel (January 16, 2015). "Across the New York Area, Restoring 'Wonder Theater' Movie Palaces to Glory". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 26, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2024.

[NYCL_(2016)_pp._5–6-14] Landmarks Preservation Commission 2016, pp. 5–6.

[15] Hall, Ben M. (1975). The Best Remaining Seats: The Story of the Golden Age of the Movie Palace. C. N. Potter. p. 12. ISBN 978-0-517-02057-9. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2021.

[Stern_1987-16] Stern, Robert A. M.; Gilmartin, Patrick; Mellins, Thomas (1987). New York 1930: Architecture and Urbanism Between the Two World Wars. New York: Rizzoli. p. 262. ISBN 978-0-8478-3096-1. OCLC 13860977.

[NPS_p._16-17] Historic Structures Report: Loew's Kings Theatre (PDF) (Report). National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service. July 6, 2012. p. 16.

[NYCL_p._3-18] Landmarks Preservation Commission 1997, p. 3.

[19] Berwick, Carly (July 18, 2004). "Long-Running Drama At the Loew's Jersey". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 28, 2015. Retrieved December 3, 2009.

[n160000743-20] "Loew's Plans Costly House for Astoria". Times Union. August 14, 1929. p. 16. Retrieved November 30, 2024.

[21] "Loew's Promise Many Excellent Pictures for Rochester Season". Democrat and Chronicle. August 30, 1929. p. 15. Retrieved November 30, 2024; "Three Openings in Month". The Brooklyn Daily Times. September 6, 1929. p. 45. Retrieved November 30, 2024.

[nris-22] "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.

[23] Carney, Leo H. (June 21, 1987). "LOEW'S THEATER APPARENTLY DOOMED". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved February 10, 2017.

[NYT_1998_w340-24] "VIEWS; Now Playing: A Grand Movie House Restored". The New York Times. November 8, 1998. Retrieved December 2, 2024.

[25] McDonald, Terrence T. (April 5, 2013). "No more taxpayer funding for the Loew's, Jersey City mayor says". The Jersey Journal. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.

[26] "The Bob Balfour Memorial Wonder Morton Theatre Pipe Organ". Garden State Theatre Organ Society. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.

[27] "Weekly listing". National Park Service.

[28] West, Teri (November 3, 2024). "Sign of the times for new Journal Square: Iconic Loew's Jersey marquee destroyed to make way for digital sign". nj. Retrieved November 6, 2024.

[29] "Geico Gecko at The Loew's Jersey Theatre". Loew's Jersey Theatre. December 30, 2009. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved July 12, 2021 – via YouTube.

[30] Hortillosa, Summer Dawn (February 21, 2011). "The Strokes visit Jersey City to shoot music video at Landmark Loew's Jersey Theatre". The Jersey Journal. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved February 22, 2022.

[31] "Landmark loew's jersey theatre wedding". Unique Wedding Venues in NJ. April 3, 2013. Archived from the original on April 16, 2014. Retrieved April 16, 2014.

[32] "The Landmark Loew's Jersey Theatre - Jersey City, NJ". Yelp. Archived from the original on April 16, 2014. Retrieved November 6, 2017.

[33] "See Loew's Jersey Theatre on WeddingWire". WeddingWire. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{user sandbox}}
-* [[Paradise Theater (Bronx)]]
+* [[Loew's Jersey Theatre]]
+* ("loews jersey" "theater" or "loew's jersey" "theater" or "loews jersey" "theatre" or "loew's jersey" "theatre" or "jersey theater" or "jersey theatre" or "loews" "journal square" or "loew's" "journal square") AND ("journal square" or "jersey city" or "new jersey" or "n.j.") NOT ("spare times" OR "display ad" OR "classified ad" OR "advertisement" or "other" "no title" OR "arrival of buyers" OR "paid notice" OR "manhattan transfers" OR "film house reviews" OR "films of the week" OR "the neighborhood theater" OR "hollywood news and new york" or "route department" or "presentation notes" or "movie clock")
+* https://nj.gov/dep/hpo/1identify/SRB/2021-11-18/NJ_Hudson_Loews_Jersey_Theatre_combined.pdf
+* https://www.nytimes.com/1998/11/08/nyregion/views-now-playing-a-grand-movie-house-restored.html
 ----
-{{short description|Theater in the Bronx, New York}}
+{{Short description|Theater in Jersey City, New Jersey}}
-{{other uses|Paradise Theatre (disambiguation)}}
-{{Use American English|date=June 2023}}
 {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}
 {{Infobox venue
-| name = Loew's Paradise Theatre
+| name                 = Loew's Jersey Theatre
-| image = Loews Paradise GC jeh.JPG
+| image                = Loew's Theatre, New Jersey.jpg
+| caption              = Facade seen from across [[Journal Square]] July 1, 2006
-| image_size = 300px
+| address              = 54 [[Journal Square]]
-| caption = In 2010
+| city                 = [[Jersey City, New Jersey]]
-| address = 2417 [[Grand Concourse (Bronx)|Grand Concourse]]
+| country              = United States
-| city = [[Bronx, New York]]
+| designation          =
-| country = United States
+| latitude             =
-| coordinates = {{coord|40.860337|-73.89842|type:landmark|display=inline}}
+| longitude            =
-| architect = [[John Eberson]]
+| architect            = [[Rapp and Rapp]]
-| owner = First Paradise Theaters Corp.<ref>{{Cite web| title = Paradise Theater in Hands of Utopia| work = Norwood News| accessdate = April 15, 2019| date = July 12, 2007| url = https://www.norwoodnews.org/id=648&story=paradise-theater-in-hands-of-utopia/ | last = Appel| first = Heather|url-status=dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150628050557/https://www.norwoodnews.org/id=648&story=paradise-theater-in-hands-of-utopia/| archive-date = June 28, 2015}}</ref>
+| owner                = Government of Jersey City
-| operator = [[World Changers Church International]] New York
+| operator             = [[Devils Arena Entertainment]]
-| capacity = 3,885<ref name="roe">{{cite web|url=http://cinematreasures.org/theater/900/|title=Cinema Treasures – Paradise Theater|last=Roe|first=Ken|accessdate=April 27, 2014}}</ref>
+|capacity              = 3,021<ref name="tour"/>
-| type = [[Atmospheric theatre]]
+| type                 = [[Movie palace]]
-| opened = September 7, 1929
+| opened               = September 28, 1929
-| yearsactive = 1929–1994, 2005–2020
+| yearsactive          =
-| rebuilt = 1970s, 1981, 2000s
+| rebuilt              =
-| closed =
+| closed               =
-| othernames =
+| othernames           =
-| production =
+| production           =
-| currentuse = Church
+| currentuse           = [[Revival house]] films and [[performing arts center]]
-| website =
+| website              = {{ConditionalURL}}
+| publictransit        = [[Journal Square Transportation Center]]
+| embedded             = {{Infobox NRHP
+| embed                = yes
+| name                 = Loew's Jersey Theatre
+| coordinates          = {{coord|40.7322|-74.0645|region:US-NJ_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
+| location             = 54 Journal Square, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.
+| built                =
+| architect            =
+| architecture         = Late 19th & 20th Century Revivals; Baroque Revival
+| added                = April 25, 2022
+| designated_nrhp_type =
+| refnum               = 100007648
+| website              = <!-- {{URL|www.example.com}} -->
+| mpsub                =
 }}
+}}
+The '''Loew's Jersey Theatre''' is a theater in [[Jersey City, New Jersey]]. Opened in 1929, it was one of the five [[Loew's Wonder Theatres]], a series of flagship [[Loew's]] [[movie palace]]s in the [[New York City]] area. It was designed by the architectural firm of [[Rapp and Rapp]] in a [[Baroque]]/[[Rococo]] style. It was purchased by the city in 1993 and has been operated by a volunteer organization, the Friends of the Loews, since that time.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://loewsjersey.org/|title=Landmark Loew's Jersey – Official Website for The Landmark Loew's Jersey|access-date=September 14, 2021|archive-date=September 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917085039/https://loewsjersey.org/|url-status=live}}</ref> The theater was designated as a New Jersey Registered Historic Site in 2009.<ref name=NJRHP>{{cite web|title=New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places – Hudson County |url=http://www.state.nj.us/dep/hpo/1identify/lists/hudson.pdf |publisher=NJ DEP – Historic Preservation Office |page=8 |date=July 7, 2009 |access-date=December 3, 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100705114811/http://www.state.nj.us/dep/hpo/1identify/lists/hudson.pdf |archivedate=July 5, 2010 }}</ref> In a move opposed by Friends of the Loews, the city in June 2014, agreed to let [[AEG Live]] operate the venue.<ref>{{cite news  | last = McDonald  | first = Terrence T.  | title = Concert promoter AEG set to take over Jersey City's Loew's theater  | newspaper = The Jersey Journal  | date = June 27, 2014 | url = http://www.nj.com/jjournal-news/index.ssf/2014/06/concert_promoter_aeg_set_to_ta.html  | accessdate = June 29, 2014 | archive-date = November 20, 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141120233838/http://www.nj.com/jjournal-news/index.ssf/2014/06/concert_promoter_aeg_set_to_ta.html  | url-status = live  }}</ref><ref>{{cite news  | last = McDonald  | first = Terrence T.  | title = Community group outraged by planned takeover of Jersey City's Loew's theater  | newspaper = The Jersey Journal  | date = June 28, 2014 | url = http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2014/06/community_group_outraged_by_planned_takeover_of_jersey_citys_loews_theater.html  | accessdate = June 29, 2014 | archive-date = July 1, 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140701075243/http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2014/06/community_group_outraged_by_planned_takeover_of_jersey_citys_loews_theater.html  | url-status = live  }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://online.wsj.com/articles/aeg-live-pledges-national-acts-at-loews-jersey-theatre-in-jersey-city-1403813127|title=Jersey City Taps AEG Live to Manage Loew's, Announces Theater Overhaul|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|date=June 27, 2014|publisher=|access-date=November 6, 2017|via=online.WSJ.com|last1=Dawsey|first1=Josh|archive-date=October 10, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141010062439/http://online.wsj.com/articles/aeg-live-pledges-national-acts-at-loews-jersey-theatre-in-jersey-city-1403813127|url-status=live}}</ref> After going to court, the lease by Friends of the Loews remains in effect.<ref>{{Cite web| last = Stettner| first = Meredith Napolitano| title = Waiting in the Wings: Loew's Theater and its Future| work = Jersey Digs| accessdate = April 15, 2019| date = September 8, 2016| url = https://jerseydigs.com/loews-theatre-journal-square-political-history/| archive-date = December 2, 2018| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181202125352/https://jerseydigs.com/loews-theatre-journal-square-political-history/| url-status = live}}</ref> In 2022, a $72 million restoration project was started by Devils Arena Entertainment, a division of [[Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment]] that operates the [[Prudential Center]], with completion being expected by 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 22, 2021 |title=Jersey City's Historic Loew's Theatre to Undergo $72M Restoration |url=https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/jersey-citys-historic-loews-theatre-to-undergo-72m-restoration/2902726/ |website=NBC New York |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210616043232/https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/jersey-citys-historic-loews-theatre-to-undergo-72m-restoration/2902726/ |archive-date=June 16, 2021 |access-date=June 15, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=March 3, 2021 |title=NHL Team's Affiliate Takes on Theater Project |url=https://venuesnow.com/nhl-teams-affiliate-takes-on-theater-project/ |website=Venues Now |access-date=April 15, 2023}}</ref>
-The '''Paradise Theater''' (formerly the '''Loew's Paradise Theatre''') is a [[movie palace]] at 2403 [[Grand Concourse (Bronx)|Grand Concourse]] in the [[Fordham, Bronx|Fordham]] neighborhood of [[the Bronx]] in [[New York City]], United States.
-Constructed in 1929 at the height of grand movie theaters, in the later 20th century the building was used also for live entertainment. It was leased in 2012 for use by the [[World Changers Church International]] New York for founding a local congregation.<ref name="DOLLAR">{{cite web | last=Beekman | first=Daniel | title=Iconic Paradise Theater on Grand Concourse set to begin next act as megachurch of Creflo Dollar | website=New York Daily News | date=December 2, 2012 | url=https://www.nydailynews.com/2012/12/02/iconic-paradise-theater-on-grand-concourse-set-to-begin-next-act-as-megachurch-of-creflo-dollar/ | access-date=November 16, 2024}}</ref>
 == Description ==
-The Paradise Theater is located at 2403 [[Grand Concourse (Bronx)|Grand Concourse]]<ref name="Gura p. 150">{{harvnb|Gura|2015|ps=.|p=150}}</ref><ref name="Bruno s576">{{cite book |last=Bruno |first=Giuliana |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8kN3EAAAQBAJ&pg=PA311 |title=Atmospheres of Projection: Environmentality in Art and Screen Media |publisher=University of Chicago Press |year=2022 |isbn=978-0-226-81745-3 |series=Emersion: Emergent Village Resources for Communities of Faith Series |page=311 |access-date=November 29, 2024}}</ref> in the [[Fordham, Bronx|Fordham]] neighborhood of [[the Bronx]] in [[New York City]], United States.<ref name="nycland">{{cite nycland|pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=AwYcSFtdE_AC&pg=PA333 333–334]}}</ref> The Paradise Theater is one of several [[Atmospheric theatre|atmospheric theaters]] designed by [[John Eberson]].<ref name="Gray 1990">{{Cite news |last=Gray |first=Christopher |date=April 15, 1990 |title=Streetscapes: Jamaica's Valencia Theater; a Success Story Masks a Landmarks Law Quirk |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/15/realestate/streetscapes-jamaica-s-valencia-theater-success-story-masks-landmarks-law-quirk.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220707050708/https://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/15/realestate/streetscapes-jamaica-s-valencia-theater-success-story-masks-landmarks-law-quirk.html |archive-date=July 7, 2022 |access-date=September 5, 2015 |newspaper=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name="p2783157822">{{cite news |last=Iverem |first=Esther |date=22 Jan 1991 |title=Movie Theaters That Were Palaces Now Playing: Queens History |work=Newsday |page=54 |issn=2574-5298 |id={{ProQuest|278315782}}}}</ref> The theater was one of five [[Loew's Wonder Theatres]] in the New York City area, along with the [[Loew's Jersey Theatre|Loew's Jersey]] in [[Jersey City]], the [[United Palace|Loew's 175th Street]] in [[Manhattan]], the [[Valencia Theatre|Loew's Valencia]] in [[Queens]], and the [[Kings Theatre (Brooklyn)|Loew's Kings]] in [[Brooklyn]].<ref name="p2783157822" /><ref>{{cite web |last=Adams |first=Nathaniel |date=January 16, 2015 |title=Across the New York Area, Restoring 'Wonder Theater' Movie Palaces to Glory |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/18/nyregion/across-the-new-york-area-restoring-wonder-theater-movie-palaces-to-glory.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231126083319/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/18/nyregion/across-the-new-york-area-restoring-wonder-theater-movie-palaces-to-glory.html |archive-date=November 26, 2023 |access-date=November 7, 2024 |website=The New York Times}}</ref> Similarly to the Valencia Theatre (which Eberson also designed), the Paradise is decorated in a Spanish style.<ref name="Gray 2007">{{cite web |last=Gray |first=Christopher |date=March 11, 2007 |title=The Kings Is Dead! Long Live the Kings! |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/11/realestate/11SCAP.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241110071510/https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/11/realestate/11SCAP.html |archive-date=November 10, 2024 |access-date=November 11, 2024 |website=The New York Times}}</ref>
+The Jersey Theater is located at 54 Journal Square<ref name="Alleman e798">{{cite book |last=Alleman |first=Richard |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f_0Z5SxTKLkC&pg=PA8 |title=New York: The Movie Lover's Guide: The Ultimate Insider Tour of Movie New York |publisher=Crown |year=2013 |isbn=978-0-8041-3778-2 |page=8}}</ref><ref name="HG x750">{{cite book |last=Heide |first=Robert |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y6dNz2JcY9YC&pg=PA53 |title=O'New Jersey, Third Edition: Daytripping, Backroads, Eateries, Funky Adventures |last2=Gilman |first2=John |publisher=St. Martin's Press |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-312-34156-5 |page=53 |access-date=December 2, 2024}}</ref> in the [[Journal Square]] neighborhood of [[Jersey City, New Jersey]], United States.<ref name="nycland">{{cite nycland|pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=AwYcSFtdE_AC&pg=PA333 333–334]}}</ref> The theater was one of five [[Loew's Wonder Theatres]] in the [[New York City area]] and the only one outside New York City proper. The other Wonder Theatres were the [[Loew's Paradise Theatre|Loew's Paradise]] in [[the Bronx]], the [[United Palace|Loew's 175th Street]] in [[Manhattan]], the [[Valencia Theatre|Loew's Valencia]] in [[Queens]], and the [[Kings Theatre (Brooklyn)|Loew's Kings]] in [[Brooklyn]].<ref /><ref name="Adams2015">{{cite web |last=Adams |first=Nathaniel |date=January 16, 2015 |title=Across the New York Area, Restoring 'Wonder Theater' Movie Palaces to Glory |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/18/nyregion/across-the-new-york-area-restoring-wonder-theater-movie-palaces-to-glory.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231126083319/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/18/nyregion/across-the-new-york-area-restoring-wonder-theater-movie-palaces-to-glory.html |archive-date=November 26, 2023 |access-date=November 15, 2024 |website=The New York Times}}</ref>
+=== Facade ===
-The site covers about {{Convert|39000|ft2}}.<ref name="p1132099866">{{cite news |date=20 Dec 1927 |title=Loew Interests Plan Large Bronx Theater: Plot of 39,000 Square Feet Assembled at Grand Concourse and Creston Avenue Will Be Improved |work=New York Herald Tribune |page=37 |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1132099866}}}}</ref><ref name="NYT 1927 t082">{{cite web |date=December 19, 1927 |title=Bronx Plot is Sold for a 6-story Flat; Elevator Building for Vacant Site Near 168th Street Will Contain Doctors' Offices. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1927/12/19/archives/bronx-plot-is-sold-for-a-6story-flat-elevator-building-for-vacant.html |access-date=November 29, 2024 |website=The New York Times}}</ref> It measures {{Convert|225|ft}} along the Grand Concourse to the east, {{Convert|215|ft}} along Creston Avenue to the west, and {{Convert|175|ft}} deep between these two streets.<ref name="p1132099866" /><ref name="p1031856495">{{cite magazine |date=31 Dec 1927 |title=Loew Buying Sites, Building, And Angling for New Theaters |magazine=The Billboard |page=9 |volume=39 |issue=53 |id={{ProQuest|1031856495}}}}</ref>
-=== Exterior ===
-* Along the Grand Concourse, local ordinance forbids the use of large vertical signs. This restrained the design of the facade of the theatre. On top of the frontage, over the entrance, is the space originally occupied by a mechanical [[Seth Thomas (clockmaker)|Seth Thomas]] clock, where hourly [[St. George]] slew a fire-breathing dragon. As the Bronx Paradise was vandalized in later years, both the dragon and the figure of St. George were stolen. Only the saint's horse remains. A similar device, now renovated, was also installed at the [[Loew's Jersey Theatre]] in Jersey City.
 === Interior ===
+The capacity of the theater on opening day was 3,021 patrons.<ref name="tour">{{cite web |title=The Landmark Loews Jersey Theatre - Virtual Tour |url=http://www.loewsjersey.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=36&catid=34&Itemid=52&limitstart=4 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716095819/http://www.loewsjersey.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=36&catid=34&Itemid=52&limitstart=4 |archive-date=July 16, 2011 |access-date=August 31, 2010}}</ref>
-The Paradise Theatre's interior spaces cover roughly {{Convert|45000|ft2}}.<ref name="Gura p. 150" />
-====Lobby====
-The main lobby is decorated with wood paneling and includes murals by [[Lajos Santos]] and [[Andrew Karoly]].<ref name="nycland" />
-* The main lobby, reached through a set of bronze doors from the outer lobby, features three domes in the ceiling containing painted murals depicting ''Sound, Story and Film''. In the center of the north wall, beneath a statue of ''[[Winged Victory of Samothrace|Winged Victory]]'', was a large [[Carrara]] marble fountain featuring the figure of a child on a dolphin. At the base of the Grand Stair hung an oil painting of ''Marie Antoinette as Patron of the Arts'' and a copy of artist [[Hans Holbein the Younger|Holbein]]'s ''[[Anne of Cleves]]''.
-==== Auditorium ====
-* The auditorium was designed to represent a 16th-century Italian baroque garden, bathed in Mediterranean moonlight, with stars twinkling in the ceiling as clouds passed by. Hanging vines, cypress trees, stuffed birds and classical statues and busts lined the walls. The safety curtain was painted with a gated Venetian garden scene, which continued the garden effect around the auditorium when it was lowered.
 ==History==
 [[Movie palaces]] became common in the 1920s between the end of World War I and the beginning of the Great Depression.<ref name="NYCL (2016) pp. 5–6">{{harvnb|Landmarks Preservation Commission|2016|ps=.|pages=5–6}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Hall |first=Ben M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tWIMAQAAIAAJ |title=The Best Remaining Seats: The Story of the Golden Age of the Movie Palace |publisher=C. N. Potter |year=1975 |isbn=978-0-517-02057-9 |page=12 |access-date=December 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211214154802/https://books.google.com/books?id=tWIMAQAAIAAJ |archive-date=December 14, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> In the New York City area, only a small number of operators were involved in the construction of movie palaces. Relatively few architects were responsible for these theaters' designs, including [[Legitimate theatre|legitimate]] theater architects [[Thomas W. Lamb|Thomas Lamb]], [[C. Howard Crane]], and [[John Eberson]].<ref name="NYCL (2016) pp. 5–6" /> By the late 1920s, numerous movie palaces were being developed in outlying neighborhoods in New York City; previously, the city's movie palaces had been concentrated in [[Midtown Manhattan]].<ref name="Stern 1987">{{Cite New York 1930|page=262}}</ref> The five Wonder Theatres were developed by [[Loew's]] Inc., which at the time was competing with [[Famous Players–Lasky|Paramount-Publix]].<ref name="NPS p. 16">{{cite report |url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/12000534.pdf |title=Historic Structures Report: Loew's Kings Theatre |date=July 6, 2012 |publisher=[[National Register of Historic Places]], [[National Park Service]] |page=16}}</ref> In 1927, Loew's president [[Nicholas Schenck]] agreed to take over five sites from Paramount-Publix, in exchange for agreeing not to build competing theaters in Chicago; these five sites became the Wonder Theatres.<ref name="NPS p. 16" /><ref name="NYCL p. 3">{{harvnb|Landmarks Preservation Commission|1997|ps=.|page=3}}</ref>
-===Use as movie theater===
+=== Movie theater use ===
+The cost of construction in 1929 was $2 million.<ref>{{cite news | work=[[The New York Times]] | last=Berwick | first=Carly | title=Long-Running Drama At the Loew's Jersey | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/18/nyregion/long-running-drama-at-the-loew-s-jersey.html | date=July 18, 2004 | access-date=December 3, 2009 | archive-date=May 28, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528043006/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/18/nyregion/long-running-drama-at-the-loew-s-jersey.html | url-status=live }}</ref> The Jersey Theatre was the third Wonder Theatre to open that month, after the Paradise and Kings theaters, which had opened on the same day.<ref name="n160000743">{{Cite news |date=August 14, 1929 |title=Loew's Plans Costly House for Astoria |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/times-union-loews-plans-costly-house-fo/160000743/ |access-date=November 30, 2024 |work=Times Union |pages=16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=August 30, 1929 |title=Loew's Promise Many Excellent Pictures for Rochester Season |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/democrat-and-chronicle-loews-promise-ma/160000916/ |access-date=November 30, 2024 |work=Democrat and Chronicle |pages=15 |postscript=none}}; {{Cite news |date=September 6, 1929 |title=Three Openings in Month |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-daily-times-three-openings/160000982/ |access-date=November 30, 2024 |work=The Brooklyn Daily Times |pages=45}}</ref>
+The theater was added to the [[New Jersey Register of Historic Places]] on August 15, 1985.<ref name="NJRHP" /> It also received a Determination of Eligibility from the [[National Register of Historic Places]] (NRHP) on October 17, 1985, but was not listed due to an objection by the owner.<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2009a}}</ref>
-==== Development ====
-The Hewitt Place Corporation, a subsidiary of Paramount-Publix,<ref name="p1529126638">{{cite magazine |date=29 Jun 1927 |title=Pictures: Publix is Blocked on Bronx Site |magazine=Variety |pages=11 |volume=87 |issue=11 |id={{ProQuest|1529126638}}}}</ref> first acquired land on the Grand Concourse in late 1925 with the intention of developing a theater there.<ref name="NYCL (2006) p. 4">{{harvnb|Landmarks Preservation Commission|2006|ps=.|page=4}}</ref> At the time, there were several other theater nearbys.<ref name="p1031856495" /><ref name="NYCL (2006) p. 4" /> The corporation claimed that the new theater would bring a piece of "[[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] to the Bronx".<ref name="NYCL (2006) p. 4" /> Hewitt bought several two-story houses at 2398–2406 Creston Avenue immediately to the west in February 1926, intending to erect a nine-story apartment building there.<ref name="p1112717548">{{cite news |date=11 Feb 1926 |title=Real Estate News: New Flat Project For Bronx Will Involve $1,000,000 9-Story Apartment Planned for Site Purchased in Creston Ave.; $350,000; Prospect Ave. House Sold |work=The New York Herald, New York Tribune |page=34 |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1112717548}} |postscript=none}}; {{cite news |date=10 Feb 1927 |title=New Bronx Flat to Cost $1,000,000: Builders Assemble Plot in the Fordham' District for a 9story Project |work=The New York Times |pages=40 |issn=0362-4331 |id={{ProQuest|103971546}}}}</ref> In March 1927, Paramount-Publix announced that it would build a theater near [[Fordham Road]] and the Grand Concourse.<ref name="p1475703994">{{cite magazine |date=Mar 16, 1927 |title=Pictures: Publix's N. Y. Neighborhood Policy 9 New Theatres; $20,000,000 |magazine=Variety |pages=4, 14 |volume=86 |issue=9 |id={{ProQuest|1475703994}}}}</ref> The theater was one of nine that Paramount-Publix planned to develop in outlying New York City neighborhoods, though the company later dropped plans for four of the other theaters.<ref name="p1475725229">{{cite magazine |date=20 Apr 1927 |title=Pictures: 4 New Publix Neighborhood Houses Reported Abandoned |magazine=Variety |pages=4 |volume=87 |issue=1 |id={{ProQuest|1475725229}}}}</ref>
+=== Restoration ===
-John Eberson submitted plans to the [[New York City Department of Buildings]] in May 1927 for a $1.8 million movie theater and office building facing the Grand Concourse and Creston Avenue, near 184th Street.<ref name="p1031823560a">{{cite magazine |date=May 28, 1927 |title=New Theater Plans and Activities |magazine=The Billboard |page=41 |volume=39 |issue=22 |id={{ProQuest|1031823560}} |postscript=none}}; {{cite news |date=12 May 1927 |title=$1,800,000 Theatre Planned in Bronx |work=The New York Times |pages=48 |issn=0362-4331 |id={{ProQuest|104176457}}}}</ref> The structure was to be erected by the Hewitt Place Corporation and Crestwood Realty Corporation.<ref name="p1031823560a" /><ref name="p1529388577">{{cite magazine |date=1 Jun 1927 |title=Vaudeville: Theatres Proposed |magazine=Variety |pages=34 |volume=87 |issue=7 |id={{ProQuest|1529388577}}}}</ref> Publix hired Maurice Muller and William Russell Root to operate the 4,000-seat theater there.<ref name="p1529390534">{{cite magazine |date=18 May 1927 |title=Pictures: Publix Reported in on New Bronx 4,000-Seater |magazine=Variety |pages=11 |volume=87 |issue=5 |id={{ProQuest|1529390534}}}}</ref> The venue was tentatively known as the Venetian during planning, and its facade was designed in a Venetian Gothic style.<ref name="NYCL (2006) p. 4" /> Due to the residential [[zoning]] on Creston Avenue, Publix had contemplated constructing an apartment building on the Creston Avenue frontage.<ref name="p1529390534" /> The city government denied Publix permission to construct the theater that June, following protests from local residents.<ref name="p1529126638" /> Hewitt acquired a property at 2403 Grand Concourse from Samuel Kronsky and the Herman A. Acker Corporation in December 1927.<ref name="p1132099866" /> Loew's subsidiary Concourse Realty Corporation decided to buy Hewitt's entire assemblage later the same month.<ref name="p1132099866" /><ref name="NYT 1927 t082" /><ref name="p1031856495" />
+The theatre closed in August 1986. The final film shown was ''[[Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives]]''. The Loew's Corporation sold the theatre to [[Hartz Mountain Industries|Hartz Mountain]], who announced plans to demolish the theater and build a new structure on the site.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/21/nyregion/loew-s-theater-apparently-doomed.html?src=pm&gwh=C75E559EA49FA282527F56E0415F98C5 | work=The New York Times | first=Leo H. | last=Carney | title=LOEW'S THEATER APPARENTLY DOOMED | date=June 21, 1987 | access-date=February 10, 2017 | archive-date=March 5, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305115055/http://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/21/nyregion/loew-s-theater-apparently-doomed.html?src=pm&gwh=C75E559EA49FA282527F56E0415F98C5 | url-status=live }}</ref> The Jersey City government bought the theater in 1993 and leased it to the Jersey City Economic Development Corporation.<ref name="NYT 1998 w340">{{cite web |date=November 8, 1998 |title=VIEWS; Now Playing: A Grand Movie House Restored |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/11/08/nyregion/views-now-playing-a-grand-movie-house-restored.html |access-date=December 2, 2024 |website=The New York Times}}</ref>
+Volunteers began restoration of the theatre once it had been acquired by the city of Jersey City, to prevent it from being demolished.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2013/04/no_more_taxpayer_funding_the_l.html|title=No more taxpayer funding for the Loew's, Jersey City mayor says|work=The Jersey Journal|last=McDonald|first=Terrence T.|date=April 5, 2013|access-date=November 6, 2017|archive-date=November 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107061738/http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2013/04/no_more_taxpayer_funding_the_l.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The Garden State Theatre Organ Society acquired a sister pipe organ to the missing Loew's Jersey pipe organ, originally installed at the [[Paradise Theater (Bronx)|Loew's Paradise Theatre]], and began the installation and restoration of the organ.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gstos.org/organs/the-bob-balfour-memorial-wonder-morton-theatre-pipe-organ/|title=The Bob Balfour Memorial Wonder Morton Theatre Pipe Organ|website=Garden State Theatre Organ Society|access-date=November 6, 2017|archive-date=November 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107062313/http://gstos.org/organs/the-bob-balfour-memorial-wonder-morton-theatre-pipe-organ/|url-status=live}}</ref>
-Loew's announced in early 1928 that it would begin constructing four of the theaters, including the theater on the Concourse.<ref name="p1475748363">{{cite magazine |date=Feb 22, 1928 |title=Pictures: Loew's 4 New N.Y. Neighb'hoods; 1st Presentations in Suburbs |magazine=Variety |pages=14 |volume=90 |issue=6 |id={{ProQuest|1475748363}}}}</ref> Work on the theater began in April 1928,<ref name="NYCL (2006) p. 4" /><ref name="p1529130337">{{cite magazine |date=May 23, 1928 |title=Vaudeville: Loew-Publix and K-A's New Ones in Bronx |magazine=Variety |pages=45 |volume=91 |issue=6 |id={{ProQuest|1529130337}}}}</ref> after N. Masem and Son was hired as the [[general contractor]].<ref name="NYCL (2006) p. 4" /> Within a month, Loew's competitor [[Keith-Albee-Orpheum]] decided to develop a competing theater on Fordham Road that had been vacant for four years.<ref name="p1529130337" /> One local real-estate developer characterized the theater's construction as one of several improvements being made to "this great thoroughfare of the Bronx", the Grand Concourse.<ref>{{cite web |date=March 3, 1929 |title=Calls Concourse Bronx Main Street; North and South Extension Plans Will Provide Better Transit Facilities |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1929/03/03/archives/calls-concourse-bronx-main-street-north-and-south-extension-plans.html |access-date=November 29, 2024 |website=The New York Times}}</ref> Loew's Paradise Theatre opened on September 7, 1929 with [[Warner Oland]] in the film ''[[The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu]]'' on the screen, plus a stage presentation "Cameos" produced by Chester Hale, and British organist Harold Ramsey playing the 4-manual, 23-rank [[Robert Morton Organ Company|Robert Morton]] "Wonder [[Theatre organ|Organ]]".
+The Jersey Theatre was listed on the NRHP in 2022.<ref>{{NRHPweekly}}</ref> In November 2024, workers removed the original marquee and replaced it with a digital sign.<ref>{{cite web | last=West | first=Teri | title=Sign of the times for new Journal Square: Iconic Loew’s Jersey marquee destroyed to make way for digital sign | website=nj | date=November 3, 2024 | url=https://www.nj.com/hudson/2024/11/sign-of-the-times-for-new-journal-square-iconic-loews-jersey-marquee-destroyed-to-make-way-for-digital-sign.html?outputType=amp | access-date=November 6, 2024}}</ref>
-==== 1940s to 1980s ====
-With the dawn of the [[Great Depression]], live acts were dropped from the program schedule and the Paradise became a regular first-run movie theatre. In the late 1940s a concrete slab was installed over the orchestra pit to create four extra rows of seats. It covered the orchestra pit and organ console. The slab was lifted only once, in the 1960s, to enable the removal of the organ console. Together with the rest of the organ pipes, the console was moved and installed at the [[Loew's Jersey Theatre]]. (Its original organ was removed in 1949, and moved to the [[Arlington Theatre]] in [[Santa Barbara, California]]).
+==Programming ==
-Over the years, many features and fittings in the Paradise disappeared through theft. By the late 1960s it was on the market for redevelopment, and was open only for evening performances. The theater lost most of its original decorations in the 1970s.<ref name="Bruno s576" /> The theatre was divided in two in December 1973, then in 1975 it was triplexed, and in 1981 was divided for four screening rooms. These changes hid practically all the original auditorium interior behind drop ceilings and panel walls.<ref name="kugel">{{cite web | last=Kugel | first=Seth | title=Urban Tactics; For an Opulent Movie Palace, New Hope for a Revival | website=The New York Times | date=August 3, 2003 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/03/nyregion/urban-tactics-for-an-opulent-movie-palace-new-hope-for-a-revival.html | access-date=November 16, 2024}}</ref>
+The Loew's Jersey is a popular venue for film and photography shoots. The lobby of the Loew's Jersey was the disco in the film ''[[The Last Days of Disco]]'' and was featured in a 2007 [[Geico]] commercial featuring their [[Geico#The GEICO gecko|gecko]] character.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HthKiFxcHH0 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/HthKiFxcHH0 |archive-date=December 21, 2021 |url-status=live|title=Geico Gecko at The Loew's Jersey Theatre|publisher=Loew's Jersey Theatre|via=[[YouTube]]|date=December 30, 2009|accessdate=July 12, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In February 2011 the band [[The Strokes]] shot a music video for the single "[[Under Cover of Darkness]]" off of their 2011 album ''[[Angles (The Strokes album)|Angles]]'' at the Loew's Jersey Theatre, featuring the main lobby, promenade, and stage.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hortillosa |first=Summer Dawn |date=February 21, 2011 |url=http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/index.ssf?%2Fbase%2Fnews-5%2F1298273119205280.xml&coll=3 |title=The Strokes visit Jersey City to shoot music video at Landmark Loew's Jersey Theatre |work=The Jersey Journal |access-date=February 22, 2022 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303202133/http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/index.ssf?%2Fbase%2Fnews-5%2F1298273119205280.xml&coll=3 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
+The theater is a popular venue for fundraising, corporate events, and weddings.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 3, 2013 |url=http://www.unjerseybride.com/landmark-loews-jersey-theater-a-perfect-venue-for-theatre-lovers/ |title=Landmark loew's jersey theatre wedding |website=Unique Wedding Venues in NJ |access-date=April 16, 2014 |archive-date=April 16, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416220626/http://www.unjerseybride.com/landmark-loews-jersey-theater-a-perfect-venue-for-theatre-lovers/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yelp.com/biz/loews-jersey-theatre-jersey-city|title=The Landmark Loew's Jersey Theatre - Jersey City, NJ|website=Yelp|access-date=November 6, 2017|archive-date=April 16, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416224918/http://www.yelp.com/biz/loews-jersey-theatre-jersey-city|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weddingwire.com/reviews/loews-jersey-theatre-jersey-city/0e29fa41c95a30be.html|title=See Loew's Jersey Theatre on WeddingWire|website=WeddingWire|access-date=November 6, 2017|archive-date=November 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107165055/https://www.weddingwire.com/reviews/loews-jersey-theatre-jersey-city/0e29fa41c95a30be.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
-=== Closure and reuse ===
-The Paradise Theatre closed in 1994 and was empty for six years.<ref name="kugel"/> By November 2000, work had begun on a restoration, but this was halted due to an ownership rights dispute with the restorer.<ref name="berger" /> A new owner, Gabriel Boter, took control and completed the renovation.<ref name="berger" /><ref name="n159980969">{{Cite news |last=Adely |first=Hannan |date=2005-12-09 |title=In the Bronx, it's Paradise regained |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-journal-news-in-the-bronx-its-para/159980969/ |access-date=2024-11-29 |work=The Journal News |pages=B1, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-journal-news-in-the-bronx-its-para/159980803/ B2]}}</ref> The theater reopened in October 2005 as a live theatre and special events venue.<ref name="berger">{{cite web | last=Berger | first=Joseph | title=In Nearly All Its Grandeur, Paradise Reopens in Bronx | website=The New York Times | date=October 22, 2005 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/22/nyregion/in-nearly-all-its-grandeur-paradise-reopens-in-bronx.html | access-date=November 16, 2024}}</ref> Initially, the theater hosted events that catered to the local Latino community, such as Puerto Rican salsa performances and a boxing-and-music event.<ref name="berger" /><ref name="n159980969" /> The theater was also rented out for children's theatrical shows, graduation ceremonies, weddings, [[Bar and bat mitzvah|bar and bat mitzvahs]], and political gatherings. The chef [[Eric Basulto]] was hired to operate the Paradise's restaurant, which opened in December 2005.<ref name="n159980969" />
+==See also==
-[[Bernie Williams]] appeared at the Paradise playing guitar with his band on September 22, 2007. The Paradise Theater was scheduled to have opened again on October 24, 2009 under new ownership. Concert promoters Derrick Sanders and Shelby Joyner scheduled a [[Grand opening|Grand Opening]] performance by [[Charlie Wilson (musician)|Charlie Wilson]] of [[The Gap Band]].
+* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Hudson County, New Jersey]]
+* [[Music of New Jersey#Live venues|New Jersey music venues by capacity]]
+==References==
-In 2012, the building was leased to the World Changers Church New York, a [[prosperity theology|prosperity gospel]] congregation which is led by [[Atlanta]]-based pastor [[Creflo Dollar]] and his wife Taffi.<ref name=DOLLAR/>  The church suspended services in 2020 due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] and subsequently moved to a new location.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Chaney |first1=Samantha |last2=Taub |first2=Rob | title=Bronx residents advocate for Paradise Theater to re-open | website=News 12 | date=April 28, 2023 | url=https://bronx.news12.com/bronx-residents-advocate-for-paradise-theater-to-re-open | access-date=November 16, 2024}}</ref> As of April 2023 the building remained vacant.<ref>{{cite web | last=Rodriguez | first=ET | title=There's only two movie theaters in the Bronx. A local nonprofit is doing something about it. – Bronx Times | website=Bronx Times | date=April 12, 2023 | url=https://www.bxtimes.com/two-movie-theaters-bronx-local-nonprofit/ | access-date=November 16, 2024}}</ref>
-The building was designated as a New York City Landmark in 1997. It was designated as a New York City Interior Landmark in 2006.<ref name="nycland" />
-== Critical reception ==
-The architectural writer Judith Gura described the theater as "an opulent escapist environment that could be enjoyed for as little as twenty-five cents" when it first opened.<ref name="Gura p. 150" /> When the theater reopened in 2005, a writer for ''The Journal News'' described the theater as feeling "more like a European opera house, with its elaborate baroque stylings, gilded surfaces and marble staircases".<ref name="n159980969" />
-== See also ==
-* [[List of New York City Designated Landmarks in the Bronx]]
-* [[Kent Theater]]
-== References ==
 {{Notelist}}
-=== Citations ===
+===Citations===
 {{reflist}}
-=== Sources ===
+===Sources===
+* {{cite report|url=https://nj.gov/dep/hpo/1identify/SRB/2021-11-18/NJ_Hudson_Loews_Jersey_Theatre_combined.pdf|title=Historic Structures Report: Loew's Jersey Theatre|date=April 25, 2022|publisher=[[National Register of Historic Places]], [[National Park Service]]|ref={{harvid|National Park Service|2022}}}}
-* {{cite book |last=Gura |first=Judith |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aWt0DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA68 |title=Interior Landmarks: Treasures of New York |publisher=The Monacelli Press |year=2015 |isbn=978-1-58093-422-0 |location=New York |oclc=899332305}}
-* {{cite report |url=http://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/1891.pdf |title=Loew's Paradise Theater |date=April 15, 1997 |publisher=[[New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission]] |ref={{Harvid|Landmarks Preservation Commission|1997}}}}
-* {{cite report |url=http://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/2193.pdf |title=Loew's Paradise Theater Interior |date=May 16, 2006 |publisher=[[New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission]] |ref={{Harvid|Landmarks Preservation Commission|2006}}}}
 * {{cite report |url=https://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/0656.pdf |title=United Palace (Formerly Loew's 175th Street Theatre) |date=December 13, 2016 |publisher=[[New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission]] |ref={{Harvid|Landmarks Preservation Commission|2016}}}}
-{{New York City Historic Sites}}{{Draft categories|
+==External links==
-[[Category:Boxing venues in New York City]]
+{{Commons category|Loew's Jersey Theatre}}
-[[Category:Cinemas and movie theaters in New York City]]
+*{{Officialwebsite|http://www.loewsjersey.org/}}
-[[Category:Culture of the Bronx]]
+{{Jersey City}}
+{{Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment}}
+{{Draft categories|
+[[Category:Buildings and structures in Jersey City, New Jersey]]
+[[Category:Cinemas and movie theaters in New Jersey]]
+[[Category:Culture of Jersey City, New Jersey]]
+[[Category:Event venues established in 1929]]
+[[Category:Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment]]
 [[Category:Loew's Theatres buildings and structures]]
-[[Category:New York City Designated Landmarks in the Bronx]]
-[[Category:Music venues in the Bronx]]
 [[Category:Movie palaces]]
+[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Hudson County, New Jersey]]
 [[Category:Theatres completed in 1929]]
-[[Category:Theatres in the Bronx]]
+[[Category:Theatres in New Jersey]]
-[[Category:Sports venues in the Bronx]]
+[[Category:Tourist attractions in Jersey City, New Jersey]]
-[[Category:1929 establishments in New York City]]
+[[Category:1929 establishments in New Jersey]]
-[[Category:New York City interior landmarks]]
 [[Category:1920s architecture in the United States]]
 }}

v t e Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment
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