the fate of the 45th St. restaurants...

I posted last week that I heard that Disney was looking to buy out the restaurants (Frankie and Johnny's, Barrymore's, Puleos, etc.) on 45th Street, knock them down, and build a theatre.

I was only half correct.

So now, it's official - but it's not Disney. The Shuberts own all of those buildings, and are planning to demolish the existing ones to build a second Marriot hotel, with a Broadway theatre inside (much like the existing Marriout Marquis.) It's not certain yet whether or not the Shuberts will be buying out the restaurants and tenants that have time left on their lease, or if they will wait for them all to run out. According to Barrymore's, the project is definite, but it may be up to 3 years before all the restaurants finally close and vacate.

Very sad, indeed...

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I've never even eaten in any of them. But they've formed the backdrop to some great adventures with friends this summer. I'd hate to see them vanish.

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Is it wrong to feel conflicted? I'd miss the restaurants, but would welcome the new theatre.

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Why tear down restaurants to build theatres...when there's PERFECT theatres available in the city. let's look at 42nd street. It's called McDonald's!!
Take that crap down,..along with Models and Foot Locker and Skechers..and build what it's supposed to be....theatres!!

If anyone wants to see a great film...it's called
Broadway: The Golden Age.

it can show you the tru defenition of what Broadway was...

a lost world...indeed!!!

Hey, I guess I was right when I said that people shouldn't be worried abou Disney, because the Shubert's already have the monopoly on Broadway.

I don't know what I'm going to do without Barrymore's! It is by far my favorite restaurant in midtown. I may shed a few tears when it's gone. (It's pretty embarrassing when you're that attached to a restaurant... I'll never forget the day Omega closed. So much for Sunday brunches...)

I hate that they are demolishing the restaurants, but what is even worse, to me, is another theatre like the MARQUIS. It has no character, and I hate that it seems like a Vegas theatre all tucked away in the hotel. At least they could build a new theatre that is classic.

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See, the way it works is you buy four restaurants first, and then you can trade them in for a hotel.

I thought everybody knew that game.

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What people are not considering is that not only will there be a new theater, but a hotel that will generate additional theater-goers. I hate to see the old New York disappear, but this is a much better situation for the theater community than other "revitalizing" plans for the Times Square area. I'm still irked that we have a wax museum on 42nd St. And how many multiplex screens are necessary?

The "new" Times Square sure doesn't have much love for the industry that has served as its backbone for the past century.

Barrymore's was the first restaurant I ever went to in NYC. It holds very special memories.

So sad...

Since all hotels usually have restaurants inside them, How about incorporating Barrymore's into the proposed new hotel?

another pointless destruction of places for the reqular new yorkers go. and another unaforadable theatre to go to.
yeah..this is so charming...shuberts just keep makin it better...ha ha

Yes bare_nakedlady, it is true. McHale's will soon be no more.