Loews Paradise Theater

Lowes Paradise Theater is not a place I have ever heard of, and hence never been inclined to visit. As it so happened, I was in the Bronx for work, and I crossed a building that caught my attention. You can see what caught my attention below, it looked run down and in need of some serious repair, but that could not hide the grandeur of what this must have been in the past –

After work was over, I managed to find my way into the building – I know, amazing, right? – and felt like I had entered a time capsule that was so completely out of place with what the neighborhood around it is now.

I learnt that this used to be the Loews Paradise Theater, and is now available for private events, and on the market. Wikipedia has details about its history and Landmark status, which I had no idea about when I took the pictures below. I had expected to walk into a run down building, but walking in made me feel like I had stumbled upon an absolute treasure.

The lobby had some very ornate spaces for movie/event posters!

Walking in further into the building, the lights were dimmer, but the grandeur shone through all the same –

The main theater was mostly dark, but equally impressive.

And here is what the building looks like from the outside:

This theater reminded me of the United Palace Theater – also a landmarked theater in Washington Heights – that I had been to years ago for a Bob Dylan concert while the Beacon Theater was undergoing renovations. I rummaged around in my old pictures and found some old pictures from the theater and from the concert that I took in 2009.

I was so excited to see Dylan play live, but I could not understand a word he sang in any of his new songs, which were many, so I have never been to any more of his concerts since.

#gottalovenewyork