Who is the Loew's Jersey Theatre for now? For most of the past quarter century, the honest answer was the people who held onto it. Volunteers saved the 1929 movie palace on Journal Square from demolition, restored it by hand and filled it with classic film nights and community theater. The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the $130 million restoration was scheduled for Monday, November 9. On Friday, November 13, the first ticketed show of Grand Opening Weekend puts Trey Anastasio Band on stage, with Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment running the room.
The building that reopens this weekend has the same ceiling, the same marquee and the same pipe organ. Inside, it is set up for a different kind of night.
The Ground Floor Is the Biggest Change
Through 2026, the change people mentioned most often was a missing piece. The fixed seats on the ground floor are gone. As NJ.com reported in March, the floor can now be cleared for general admission and standing-room shows, and portable seating can be brought back for performances that need it. The theater's capacity now flexes from about 2,600 to 4,000 guests. The original auditorium seated 3,021.
At its largest setting, then, the Loew's holds about a thousand more people than it did when Bing Crosby, Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway played to audiences of more than 3,000. At its smallest, it seats fewer people than the 1929 house did. That range is what makes the opening lineup work. A jam-band crowd on Friday and an indie-rock bill on Saturday want a floor to stand on. A children's Nutcracker in December wants rows of seats.
Much of the rest of the work is the kind a visitor feels without seeing it. According to the city's Division of Cultural Affairs, the project's scope covers new HVAC, electrical, plumbing and fire suppression systems, upgraded production and audio-visual equipment, a restored façade and interior plaster and paint, conserved ornament and artwork, and repaired or replicated historic lighting and drapery. NJ.com's March report described a basement level brought into use for restrooms and concessions, with the original 1929 stage light control board displayed there. The same report said the original drapes and red velvet valances were being replicated, the historic marquee was being restored off-site, and the grand lobby chandelier was being cleaned, repaired and re-lamped. The theater's pipe organ was protected and is staying.
A Prudential Center Operator on Journal Square
The city still owns the Loew's. Under a 2021 lease, Jersey City handed renovation, management and operation to Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, known as HBSE. HBSE is also the events operator for the Prudential Center in Newark and White Eagle Hall in Jersey City. That pairing helps explain the calendar. The company that books an arena and a Downtown club now books a 4,000-capacity room between them, and the first months read like a touring schedule.
The cost grew as the project went on. The city's 2020 plan estimated nearly $40 million. The 2021 deal was reported at $72 million. In October 2022, Hudson County View reported that the New Jersey Economic Development Authority had awarded $42.7 million in historic-property tax credits against a project then estimated at $110 million. The final figure is $130 million, and NJ.com describes it as a collaboration among the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency, the State of New Jersey, the NJEDA and HBSE. The opening date moved too. In 2023, NJ.com called fall 2025 the best-case scenario.
The Group That Kept the Lights On
The theater was built from 1927 to 1929 and opened as one of five original Loew's "Wonder Theatres." It was converted into a multiplex in the 1970s and closed on August 21, 1986. When it was sold with plans to tear it down, a local group formed to save it. That group became the Friends of the Loew's. Jersey City bought the building in 1993, and by 2001 it had partially reopened for concerts, events and film screenings. For two decades, the restoration was mostly volunteer work.
The relationship between the group and the city went through long disputes. As Hudson County View reported, the Friends of the Loew's opposed a city-backed plan in 2014 for AEG Live to run the theater. In 2015, the same outlet reported that a judge had upheld the group's lease. In 2020, the city and the Friends of the Loew's agreed to look for a commercial operator together while preserving community, arts and film programming. The HBSE lease followed the next year.
In March, NJ.com reported that HBSE would handle the large concerts while the Friends of the Loew's continued its affordable programming, including film screenings, community theater productions and art shows. In the same piece, Councilperson Thomas Zuppa Jr., who represents the Journal Square area, said, "It's really the theater for the people, and it's my job to make sure it is." On October 26, NorthJersey.com reported that the opening-weekend announcement listed only the concert lineup and dates beyond it, and that the group that saved the theater wants a part in its future. For questions about community use of the building, the city points residents to its Division of Cultural Affairs.
The Calendar Through December
| Date | Show | Times listed by the venue |
|---|---|---|
| Fri, Nov 13 | Trey Anastasio Band, Grand Opening Weekend | Doors 6:30 p.m., show 7:30 p.m. |
| Sat, Nov 14 | The War On Drugs with Nation of Language, Grand Opening Weekend | Doors 7 p.m., show 8 p.m. |
| Wed, Nov 18 | Jodeci, 35th Anniversary Tour of Forever My Lady | See event page |
| Tue, Dec 8 | Derek Hough, Dance for the Holidays | See event page |
| Wed, Dec 9 | Unwrapped: An Acoustic Holiday | See event page |
| Thu, Dec 10 | Christmas with Chris Tomlin | See event page |
| Sat, Dec 12 | Chelsea Handler, The High and Mighty Tour, Netflix special taping | Shows at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. |
| Sat, Dec 19 | Nimbus Dance in Jersey Nutcracker | Shows at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. |
The December 19 show has the closest local ties. In the Nimbus Dance production, the company's professional dancers perform alongside young performers from across New Jersey. Doors for the 11 a.m. show open at 10 a.m. The Chelsea Handler shows are being recorded as a Netflix special, so the audience is part of the production that night. The official events calendar carries the full list. The event pages link to Ticketmaster, the venue's official ticket seller, for current prices.
Getting There, and Where to Go First
The Loew's sits at 54 Journal Square Plaza, directly across from the Journal Square Transportation Center. PATH trains run there from Newark, Newport, Exchange Place, Hoboken and New York City. The train is the simplest way in. The venue's getting-here page says there is little to no public parking. Private lots and garages within walking distance can fill up, so the venue suggests reserving a spot through ParkWhiz ahead of time.
Plan for these details from the venue's FAQ:
- The venue is cashless.
- Food, snacks and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are sold at most events.
- Wheelchair-accessible seating and restrooms, an elevator and a street-level accessible entry are part of the new building.
- Bag rules and box office hours are on the FAQ page, which is the place to check before you leave home.
Because concessions are in the basement, there is a reason to eat nearby before a 7:30 or 8 p.m. curtain. Journal Square has added several places in the past two years, all a short walk from the theater:
- The Café at Journal Squared, 595 Pavonia Avenue. It started as a daytime café with coffee, baked goods, wraps, matcha and salads. In June, Jersey Digs reported that it had added cocktails and an after-hours dinner menu, which makes it the most obvious pre-show stop.
- BRBQ, 532 Summit Avenue. A Korean-American kitchen built around a wood fire, with dinner service listed until 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and until 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
- Cangiano's Marketplace, 531 Summit Avenue. An Italian deli and market with sandwiches, salads, hot foods and desserts, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
- Barrio Barista Espresso Bar, 60 Sip Avenue. Filipino-inspired specialty coffee and baked goods. Hoboken Girl reported weekday hours to 7 p.m., which suits the morning Nutcracker show better than a late concert.
MENSHO, a Japanese ramen restaurant at 505 Summit Avenue, has also been on Journal Square's list of new arrivals this year.
For Jersey City residents who have spent years telling visitors about the theater, this weekend is the first chance in five years to walk them through the doors. Our Jersey City neighborhood guide covers more of the city around it, and our earlier look at Waterfront and Journal Square commutes explains why the PATH stop across the plaza matters every day of the week.
At The Reitz Group, we follow the places that shape daily life in the neighborhoods we serve, and a restored Journal Square landmark is one of them. If you own a home in Jersey City and want to know where it stands this season, request your instant home valuation, and we will follow up with the same local attention.
