6. A 94-year-old movie theater remains near the Long Island Expressway
The Elmwood Theatre was supposed to be demolished and replaced with a larger cinema complex, but that plan was never actually carried out. The theater opened in 1928 and was the very first “Atmospheric” style movie theater to be constructed in Queens. It was originally named the Queensboro Theatre until naming rights were bought over by Interboro Circuit Inc. in 1946. Major media company Sony later bought the cinema from Interboro and kept it open until 2002, when the 18-screen multiplex was proposed.
There were expectations in the community that the renovation project would go ahead after a Sony-owned cinema near Elmwood on Queens Boulevard was shut down for the very same reason. The Elmwood Theatre has instead been modified into a church and auditorium, replacing the previous four-screen theater. Its façade has undergone extensive alterations, including discarding or covering with stucco some of the ornate 1920s glazed terra-cotta. The facility has been used throughout the pandemic to store food, water, and supplies for organizations such as City Harvest.
