Forgotten New York

CROSS BAY THEATRE, Ozone Park

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

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