# What Do They Do With Old Churches? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 6, 2011, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-they-do-with-old-churches/591765 "2011-08-06T19:53:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-they-do-with-old-churches/591765/101 "2011-11-06T13:18:23Z")
As others have said, [restaurant](http://joebolognas.com/). ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-they-do-with-old-churches/591765/102 "2011-11-06T13:45:41Z")
I have seen quite a few churches converted to residential condos. They are very nice, with the cathedral ceilings. But I shudder to think of the heating costs in the winter. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-they-do-with-old-churches/591765/103 "2011-11-06T14:33:57Z")
…They put in a bed for the Captain’s daughter…? OK. I’ve seen a building that used to be a synagogue on Rt 3 near Secaucus decommissioned and converted into commercial space. Last time I saw it, it had a large neon sign in one of the windows advertising “Psychic Readings”… ---
**Author:** ![Teacake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Teacake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teacake)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-they-do-with-old-churches/591765/104 "2011-11-06T18:57:10Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > Three churches in the Netherlands: > > \ > > One in a [utterly splendid book store.](http://www.selexyz.nl/winkels/38/maastricht/dominikanerkerkstraat-1/) I was in here last week! It’s the nicest bookshop I’ve been in for while - really thoughtfully converted. Here they seem to be turned into flats more often than they’re sold to another congregation (or turned into anything else). ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-they-do-with-old-churches/591765/105 "2011-11-07T07:32:07Z")
[A hostel in Edinburgh.](http://maps.google.com/?ll=55.951386,-3.222985&spn=0.012783,0.027595&hnear=Stockholm+urban+area,+Stockholm,+Sweden&t=m&z=15&vpsrc=6&layer=c&cbll=55.950881,-3.221&panoid=E6R4eAHP94WKajhH12iDPg&cbp=12,58.23,,0,-15.12) I could have sworn I saw another one that was turned into some kind of a night club, but on Google street view it still looked like a church, so perhaps the conversion happened later. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-they-do-with-old-churches/591765/106 "2011-11-07T14:21:59Z")
Do you mean [Frankenstein’s](http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=29+george+iv+bridge+edinburgh&hl=en&ll=55.947356,-3.191442&spn=0.002926,0.006437&sll=55.947333,-3.191448&layer=c&cbp=13,239.97,,0,-14.3&cbll=55.947466,-3.191507&hnear=29+George+IV+Bridge,+Edinburgh,+City+of+Edinburgh+EH1+1,+United+Kingdom&t=m&z=17&vpsrc=0&panoid=WkkmZ8aJWdvxxFuSB05R2w)? It used to be the Elim Pentecostal Church. But I expect there are others… Ah, [Wilkie House](http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Wilkie+House,+Cowgate,+Edinburgh&hl=en&ll=55.94864,-3.187886&spn=0.000701,0.001609&sll=55.947464,-3.191507&sspn=0.00295,0.006437&vpsrc=0&hq=Wilkie+House,&hnear=Cowgate,+Edinburgh,+United+Kingdom&t=m&z=19&layer=c&cbll=55.948725,-3.187951&panoid=-DuT4RakPZIB0ThgTZszBQ&cbp=13,153.45,,0,-7.5)? Obviously once a church, but a quick check fails to say what denomination. Used to go there back in the 80s! ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-they-do-with-old-churches/591765/107 "2011-11-07T14:35:20Z")
Wilkie house it is. There’s another one at the junction of Cowgate and Candlemaker Row that also looks like a converted church. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-they-do-with-old-churches/591765/108 "2011-11-07T14:55:23Z")
[Lecture theatre and student flats](http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Mappin+Street,+Sheffield&hl=en&ll=53.381705,-1.481416&spn=0.001149,0.002382&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=18.703427,39.023438&vpsrc=6&hnear=Mappin+St,+Sheffield,+South+Yorkshire+S1,+United+Kingdom&t=h&z=19&layer=c&cbll=53.381803,-1.481474&panoid=ALYSuqwPS6JNdEipv7yFMg&cbp=12,89.83,,0,-13.28) in Sheffield. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-they-do-with-old-churches/591765/109 "2011-11-07T15:16:56Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > Wilkie house it is. There’s another one at the junction of Cowgate and Candlemaker Row that also looks like a converted church. If you mean [this one](http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=candlemaker+row+edinburgh&hl=en&ll=55.947758,-3.193159&spn=0.011126,0.025749&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&hnear=Candlemaker+Row,+Edinburgh,+United+Kingdom&t=m&z=15&vpsrc=0&layer=c&cbll=55.947791,-3.193308&panoid=E7nJSwzVcxO2RtzdRAVAHg&cbp=12,331.01,,1,-15), the Council use it to provide outreach facilities for the homeless. It’s got a health clinic and showers, etc. I believe. In fact, during a power cut a few years ago one of the staff came across and asked if I had a torch as they desparately needed one as they were in the middle of some dentistry work on somebody when the power went out! (She was asking all the local businesses, and I was the 1st person she asked with a powerful enough torch to hand. I understand the operation was a success!) ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-they-do-with-old-churches/591765/110 "2011-11-07T15:21:11Z")
Thank you and yes. It’s nice to be updated by a local. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-they-do-with-old-churches/591765/111 "2011-11-07T15:28:03Z")
Just driven past one of the local ones- last time I went that way, it was a used car lot, now it’s a drive-through car wash… Looks utterly ridiculous… ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-they-do-with-old-churches/591765/112 "2011-11-07T16:44:00Z")
Steve Taylor had a popular song in the 80’s called “This Disco Used to Be a Cute Cathedral.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-they-do-with-old-churches/591765.md?page=5)