CROSS BAY THEATRE, Ozone Park

by Kevin Walsh

The old Cross Bay Theatre, 94-11 Rockaway Boulevard, at the junction of two of Queens’ busiest, pedal to the metal thoroughfares: Rockaway Boulevard, which connects Brooklyn with the Five Towns of Nassau County, and Woodhaven Boulevard, which roars from Queens Center on Queens Boulevard across Jamaica Bay to the peninsula. Here at Liberty Avenue, it changes monikers from Woodhaven to Cross Bay Boulevard. Even though this is the north side of Rockaway Boulevard, and the road is the south end of Woodhaven. it’s nonetheless named Cross Bay Theatre: Cross Bay Boulevard begins on the south side of Rockaway Boulevard.

The theater itself opened in December 1924 and remained open as a 3-screener until June 23, 2005. Like the Dyker on 86th Street in Bay Ridge, it became a Modells Sporting Goods store, which also seems to have closed in 2021. Cinematreasures has a photo from when it was still a theater.

Woodhaveners and Ozone Parkers debate about whether this is Woodhaven or Ozone Park. I make the line somewhat south of Atlantic Avenue, but I feel this is purely Ozone Park.

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6/15/21

6 comments

Sunnysider June 15, 2021 - 9:40 am

I remember that place from back in the 70s.Used to go to the White Castle across the street after a movie or bowl at Americana Lanes nearby too.

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Peter June 15, 2021 - 9:48 am

When Modell’s went bust in early 2020 one of the main reasons management cited was that the generally mediocre performance of NY-area sports teams had depressed demand for team logo clothing. That had a definite whiff of The Canine Companion Animal Orally Consumed My Extracurricular Academic Assignment. It really bothered me that they could say something so patently false and get away with it.

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chris brady June 15, 2021 - 4:01 pm

I dont know about now but Modells would sometimes get oddball stuff in their stores when I was a child.
I once bought a surplus British army khaki field jacket dated 1949 there in 1967 for $7.49.

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Robert Coscia June 17, 2021 - 11:37 am

I’ll never forget seeing “A Hard Day’s Night” there in 1964, many memories at the Cross Bay……they should revive it again…

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Wayne Zimmerman June 23, 2021 - 4:52 pm

I grew up on 92 street and Liberty Ave. Back in the early 60’s my Dad was an usher at the Crossbay movie house. My two older sisters and I used to go there on Saturday. It cost a quarter. Dad, and the other ushers, would guide movie goers to their seats using a flashlight. We saw cartoons, then a movie. Back then, there was a stage with one large screen During Christmas, the police from the 106 Precinct would hold a Christmas party for the kids. They showed a movie then had Santa Claus show up on the stage and all the kids could go up on the stage and get a gift. I guess that ended in the late 60’s or so.

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Chase Hernandez August 24, 2021 - 10:37 am

Ozone Park is Atlantic Ave on the North, South Conduit on the South. Since this theatre is located on Crossbay Blvd @ Liberty Ave it is considered to be on Ozone Park

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