☞ ARCHITECTURE: The West End Theater

Walking west on 125th Street between St. Nicholas and Morningside Avenue, one will run into a distinct theater that today houses the La Gree Baptist Church. Originally called the West End Theatre (built in 1902 by developer Meyer R. Bimberg), this institution would be a grand playhouse for the new masses moving uptown in the up-and-coming neighborhoods of Mount Morris Park and Morningside Heights. By 1926, movies would replace the live shows and the theater would operate as such up until the 1970's. The top photo shows the theater right after completion in 1902 with its balustrade on top of an intricate pressed-metal cornice and impressive cast iron entrance awning, which are all gone today. We found an old 1902 article in the New York Times with the original sketch of the building, which shows a globe lamppost on the roof edge of the building that seems not to have made it to the final design. See the original Times article here: LINK. The closest subway station is the A,B,C,D at 125th Street.