Eagle Theatre Marquee Torn Down

I walked by the old Eagle Theatre in Jackson Heights, Queens, not two weeks ago. I looked forlornly upon the old building with its beautiful marquee, and reflected on how long it had been since it ceased business as the city's only Indian-language movie house. It closed in May 2009 and never reopened. The only comfort I could draw form the sight was that the marquee was still there, so there was a chance it would live as a cinema again.

Today, a reader sent me this sorrowful picture of the marquee being destroyed. A huge piece of Jackson Height's cultural heritage is gone.

I hear, however, that it will be replace by a South Asian market and food court. Which does not sound bad. And seems right for the area.

Inside the Dragon Seed!

A few weeks back I blogged about the lost Jackson Heights tiki restaurant The Dragon Seed Restaurant, which once sat at the corner of 37th Avenue and 86th Street. It closed in the 1980s, but the legend of the funky place, a fav of Louis Armstrong and sport car enthusiasts everywhere, lived on.

One reader told me that, even though it is now a Colombian joint, two tiki figures still stand on either side of the entrance. This is true. But a couple other readers mentioned that the Dragon See tiki decor remains intact inside! Including an elaborate fountain. I had to go see.

And Shazam! It's all true. The Dragon Seed still exists, at least in form! Except you can only eat Columbian food (and fries and fried chicken) there now. No Mai Tais. There are more tiki figures inside, and bamboo hut-like booths. The bar is also a vision of tropical escape. And the lighting is very dim.

Best of all is the tiered, sculpted fountain which greets you on the right as you come in. It depicts, in great detail, what I take to be a rural Chinese landscape. There are houses, people, a fishing hole, bells, cliffs, trees. I couldn't take it all in in one go.

The waitresses are not dressed as tropical maidens. But their costumes are something else, and worth a trip in itself. The owner has them in a sort of South-American version of St. Pauli Girl laced-corsets and extremely short skirts. It's very sexist, quite hilarious and the women don't seem embarrassed at all. I'm sure they get plenty of tips.

A Good Sign: El Sitio Restaurant

One of the best in the city. Nothing like it. Cuban food. Check out the lantern with the dripping candle. And the spiffy pig in the top hat!

On Roosevelt Avenue, in Woodside/Jackson Heights, Queens

Change of View

You're walking down a typical residential street in Jackson Heights, Queens, and you seen a lot of home like this:

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Jackson Heights History in a Building

I like the look of this building on 37th Avenue in Jackson Heights, even if it does contain a Starbucks. It's so obviously different (white brick, not red), and of a different time (peaked roof, not flat). It reminds me of the sort of structure one finds on Main Street in four-century old towns in Connecticut.

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Cavalier Restaurant Butchers Follow Thru on Philistine Promise

After the unjust closing of Jackson Heights landmark restaurant Cavalier in February, I received a comment from a Queens reader that some jackass workman named Tom, gutting the place the day after the closing, decided to saw the ancient bar in half "cause he thought it would be funny."

Tom wasn't whistling Dixie. In the area yesterday, I peeked through the window and saw that, indeed, a big three-foot section had been sliced out of the center of bar. (See lousy picture above, taken through a dusty window.) I'm guessing as a way to removed valuable beer taps or some other piece of bar equipment. Bastards.

Otherwise, the owners of the Cavalier made good of their promise to take everything with them. Booths, pictures, tables—gone. Also the great neon sign. You can still see where the letters once were.

A Good Sign: Thomas Pizza

Thomas Pizza. Maybe it's just me, but I think it's funny for a pizzeria to be owned by someone names Thomas. Thomas doesn't sound like a pizzeria-owner name. Di Fara, sure. Liugi, Roma, Sal, Sam, Leonardo, Patsy, Grimaldi, all good. But Thomas? It's like Jeffrey Pizza. Or James Pizza. Funny.

In Jackson Heights.

Whose Laundromat?

My Laundromat.

Would you like to fly in my beautiful baloon?

In Jackson Heights.

The Legend of the Dragon Seed

I was doing a little research on the above building, number 83-22 37th Avenue in Jackson Heights. It used to be an old Italian restaurant called Luigi's. Sometime back in 2002, I passed by the place. I liked its looks. Old leather booths, curtains on the windows, formal but homey. I vowed to pay a visit soon. But the next time I walked by, it had closed. Presently, it's a Mexican restaurant called Las Margaritas, that boasts that it serves the "best margaritas" in town, which I very much doubt.

I tried to find out something about Luigi's, but didn't come up with much, other than some people are still sad it's gone, one waiter named Vinny supposedly became maitre d' at Four Seasons, that the Thursday special Osso Buco was good and that they had to leave because the landlord raised the rent.

But while looking for Luigi's, I stumbled upon evidence of another bygone Jackson Heights restaurant, a much more legendary one which the fantastic name of Dragon Seed.

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Welcome to Bloomberg's New York

82nd Street between 37th Avenue and Roosevelt Avenue is a showcase block in Jackson Heights, Queens. It's festooned with meant-to-be-classy circular metal signs saying "82," and, though traffic goes down the street, it has the feel of a pedestrian mall.

But there's nothing New York-y about this supposedly special New York street. I used to work in this area a number of years back. It had a few bank branches, but was mainly filled with independent shops. Some were a bit low-rent, a bit grungy, but they were indy. Now, the block is cheek by jowl with chains. T-Mobile, Rite Aid, Game Stop, GNC, Payless, Footlocker. 82nd Street could be in Dayton.

Jackson Heights is in identity free-fall. The past couple years or so have seen the shuttered of local landmarks like the Eagle Theatre and Jackson Heights Triplex, the Polk Theatre and, just recently, the Cavalier Restaurant.

Irish Wake at Cavalier Restaurant

All the bar stools were taken yesterday at Jackson Heights' Cavalier Restaurant. Every table has a "Reserved" sign on it. The owner, Alfonso Londono, continually hugged teary patrons as they left.

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New Landlord Kills Jackson Heights' Cavalier After 60 Years

Some fuckhead of a landlord (is there any other kind?) came into Jackson Heights, bought a building at 37th Avenue and 85th Street, and charged a rent so stupidly high that the jerk has forced the 60-year-old restaurant Cavalier to close after 60 years.

May the asshole landlord rent to a Dunkin' Donuts and choke on the first donut he sinks his teeth into. May he rent to a Staples and get fatal blood-poisoning from a paper cut. May he rent to the branch of a bank which immediately goes under in the next market crash.

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Eagle Theatre Still Dormant

While in Jackson Heights recently, I swung by the old Eagle Theatre to confirm that, indeed, the old showcase of Indian films was indeed still closed. More silent and sealed up than a crypt, it was. Darkened and sad among the surrounding Christmas lights.

The classic theatre closed last May. Since then, the Jackson Heights Triplex also shuttered, leaving the neighborhood without a movie house. Never went to the Triplex, but the Eagle was always a singular experience, and a reminder of the days when many neighborhoods had language-and-country-specific movie houses.

A Good Sign: Playa Real Estate

Actually, the the weird and varied signage pleasures of Playa Reality on Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights go way beyond the main sign. See below and boggle.

Makes Cents

The Bangladeshi Mosaic of 73rd Street

Name a corner green grocer. OK. Now name a corner green grocer with an elaborate, historical mosaic on its outside wall.

I did a double take when I caught sight of this 20-foot long mosaic on 73rd Street near 37th Avenue in Jackson Heights. I recognize the green and red flag of Bangladesh. I imagine this is an image of a famous battle in the country's history; a modern battle given the weaponry. (Yikes!) Probably it depicts a pivotal moment from the war for independence from Pakistan in the 1971, since there was no such thing as a Bangladeshi flag before that. Anyone know what the words on the banners say?


These are the work, apparently, of one Mrinal Haque, a Bangladeshi artist who moved to the area in 1996. He received several commissions from local businesses when he was only in his 20s. I spotted another smaller one (far below) near a restaurant entrance on 74th Street. What a splendid thing for a community to have a local mosaic artist, and one it actively supports!

Not the Eagle!

One of the best things about Jackson Heights, Queens, is the Eagle Theatre, an old single-screen movie theatre that, for many years, has been devoted to Bollywood films. The film house caters to the surrounding Indian population, but is popular with people of all cultures in the area.

Now, we learn from the AP, via Queens Crap, that the film industry strike in India has felled the good old Eagle. The Eagle traffics in first-run films, and the seven-year-old strike has played havoc with its schedule. The AP says the theatre is expected to reopen as soon as the strike in India ends.

Doesn't it seem sometimes that the mad desire for money brings to end all good things?

Some Things That Are Kinda Depressing

Why are such things built? I mean, seriously. Why?

An old Depression-era movie house named the Polk was torn down in Jackson Heights. Not the Roxy or the Strand or the Thalia. The Polk. What? Was it named after the President?

The Toll Brothers are at it again. You read it here first: Won't Ever Happen.

Trusting Cleaners is gone for good. Welcome, whatever crap the greedy landlord lets come in next!