The Landmark Loew’s Jersey Theatre in Journal Square is like an artsy independent film – it’s got substance, but it’s a bit rough around the edges. The 1920s-era movie palace is still “in production”; its ornate, Baroque-inspired interior is dull and shedding paint chips.
Jersey City residents Patricia Giordan, president of the Friends of the Loew’s, and theater director Colin Egan have worked on the theater’s behalf for 20 years. In 1987, preservationists saved the building from demolition. Since then, hundreds more from the tri-state area and as far away as Pennsylvania have pitched in. Some 25 members of the Friends of the Loew’s devote time every single week to keep the theater in operation and gradually improve it.
Their efforts have allowed thousands of guests to enjoy classic movies such as Casablanca and Jaws, and concerts by Beck, The Decemberists and Bright Eyes in the fixer-upper’s unbelievable 3,000-seat auditorium.
“It makes people realize that Jersey City was a really special place at one time, and it can be that way again,” Giordan says. “And have a little pride – there are some wonderful things here.”
The Landmark Loew’s Jersey Theatre is located at 54 Journal Square. Visit loewsjersey.org or call (201) 798-6055.
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