2. The Bronx Opera House, built 1912-1913
The Bronx Opera House is located at 436-442 East 149th Street in the South Bronx. It was designed by noted theater architect George Keister who has two other individual landmarks under his belt – Belasco’s Stuyvesant Theatre and the Apollo Theater. This theater was built to be part of the “Subway Circuit,” a selection of outer borough theaters where Broadway productions were tested before heading out on regional or national tours. In the 1950s, as the Puerto Rican population in the area grew, the opera house was converted into a nightclub and operated under various names, from Club Caravana to El Cerromar. As a club, the building saw performances by stars such as Tito Rodriguez, Johnny Pacheco, and more. Though the interior auditorium is no longer extant, the building retains its impressive Italian Renaissance Revival facade. It now operates as a boutique hotel with storefronts on the ground floor.
