UPDATE: “For Sale” sign was placed on the wrong building.
We noticed that there’s a For Sale sign on the former Strand Theater building – where Wings presently sits. We don’t have any details even after doing some preliminary online search (- so if anyone does, please send it along either as a comment below or via our email obragblog@gmail.com ).
The Strand Theater opened in 1925 – and thrived as our neighborhood theater through much of the 1960s. It did have a rocky few years at the end, even opening as a porn theater until protests closed that down; it finally closed in 1998.
It stood vacant for years until the owners – despite pleas by some locals not to – gutted the entire building. Soon after Wings moved into the cavernous space in 2003. There was even a short-lived, half-hearted boycott of Wings for a while.
The Strand building with white facade.
One of the claims to fame the Strand had was being one of the first in the country to screen “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” every weekend.
Presumably new owners could continue the lease with Wings (we have no idea of how long their term is) until it’s up and kick them out. Or ….?
This is the second major building on Newport Avenue to go up for sale – the other being the Antique Center building.
Here are some memories of the old Strand:
The Strand Theater-Part 1: the Year the Porno Theater Was Stopped – both from September, 2010
and
The Strand Theater of Ocean Beach – Part 2 – Memories from the Seventies.
Plaque on wall outside entrance.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I saw Clockwork Orange and Johnny got his Gun at the Strand–1971–72. The building must be preserved and not demolished. As a candidate for City Council I will support historical preservation of “The Strand.” Daniel “Danny” Smiechowski
I remember seeing Godzilla there in that final year – complete with bottles rolling down the aisles and clouds of smoke. :)
“No Nukes”
The Strand was designated Historic by the city’s Historic Resource Board right before the renovation by the current owners. The same day they also deemed the Library historic.
I was at that meeting and one of the board members suggested to the new owners that they keep the floor plan open with no new columns. So maybe someday it could become a theatre again.
I talked to THE most reliable source last night and it’s a simple mistake that the sign was put on the wrong building.