Things I Hella Love About Oakland: The Restored Fox Theater

Photo by eeetthaannn

I admit, I've been lagging on my "Hella Love" posts of late. I won't lie: Oakland's had a tough time these last few months, and it hasn't always been easy to work up a lot of enthusiasm about calling it home. But even in down times, it's worth reminding ourselves that the things we love about this city are still here in abundance: An amazingly vibrant art scene, tons of creative energy, great people, friendly (and yes, safe) neighborhoods, beautiful green spaces, gorgeous architecture ...

And despite the sad shuttering of our beloved Parkway Speakeasy Theater last month, one thing that Oakland is certainly not lacking in is incredible Deco-era theaters. The Grand Lake and the exquisite Paramount are longtime faves, of course, but right now Oaklanders are especially proud of the gloriously reborn Fox Theater in Uptown.

* Photos by Nathanael Bennett and Jason Polkinghorn

The Fox -- an over-the-top amalgam of Indian, Moorish, Medieval, and Baghdadian architectural flourishes that's been called "one part Arab and three parts Hollywood hokum" -- was completed in 1928 and operated for decades as one of the Bay Area's premiere movie palaces.

* Photos by Nathanael Bennett and Pete Simmons

It had fallen into decrepitude by the early 1960s, and finally went dark in 1970. But after more than 35 years of neglect and decay, supporters began a two-year, $70 million restoration in 2007, and the Fox triumphantly opened its doors again in February.

* Photo by Josh Miller

Next year, our daughter will be attending an arts charter school in the building that houses the Fox. (How cool is that? She's very excited.) So although I've been onsite a few times now, I hadn't yet seen the inside of the restored theater.

* Photo by Geoffrey Martin

I finally got my chance last night, when Nick and I took our firstborn to see a fledgling hometown band that you've probably never heard of. It was So. Much. Freakin'. Fun. But more than that, the space itself was absolutely breathtaking. Seriously -- words fail when it comes to fabulousity of this magnitude. It's a fantastic venue in which to hear some music and to soak in the glamour of another time.

* Photo by Geoffrey Martin

The Fox has lots of great shows booked in the coming weeks, including Franz Ferdinand tonight, Band of Horses on Friday, Fleet Foxes next Tuesday, and the Shins, Ben Folds, and the Decemberists in May.

* Photos by Josh Miller and Geoffrey Martin

The brand-new Den bar and lounge adjoining the theater has been getting positive notices as well, and Flora across the street is incredible. If you're in the area, you could do a lot worse for an evening out. Trust me.

* All photos borrowed from flickr and the Fox's Facebook page and web gallery.

Things I Hella Love About Oakland: The Parkway Speakeasy Theater

Update: I'm reposting this entry from last year in response to the sad news this morning that Oakland's Parkway Speakeasy is going dark as of Sunday, March 22. This is my ode to the beloved "picture pub pizza" joint. Goodbye, Parkway -- you will be dearly missed.

How do I love the Parkway? Let me count the ways ...

Aside from my own bed and London's bustling Portobello Road Market early on a Saturday morning, this second-run theater-cum-art-movie house near Oakland's Lake Merritt is pretty much my favorite spot on the planet.

It's not in a fancy neighborhood by any stretch. The theater itself, a faded 1920 movie palace that has a vaguely Phoenician theme and that's been restored on the cheap, isn't particularly plush. Truth be told, it's on the funky side -- but that's part of the charm. There's just something sort of magical about the place, which has dubbed itself "the anti-multiplex."

Instead of typical theater seats, the Parkway sports couches and easy chairs. Tickets are $6 ($4 for matinees), and Wednesdays are two-for-one. Can't beat that.

The theater's tag line is "Picture, Pub, and Pizza" because in addition two two large and comfy screening spaces, there's a restaurant counter with a selection of locally brewed suds on tap, decent wines by the glass, and tasty, made-to-order salads, sandwiches, and pizzas. (It doesn't hurt that Parkway co-owner Catherine Fischer is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy.)

You buy your ticket, place your food and drinks order, grab a couch and wait for dinner to be delivered, then happily munch your way through the flick while working on that pitcher of Sierra Nevada.

Lots of hip, young, cash-strapped creative types frequent the place, and because of the couch setup and cheap eats, groups of friends tend to meet up there, which gives the Parkway a convivial, neighborhood-hangout vibe. The place is so totally chill, I could happily curl up and take a nap on one of the couches -- and almost have on many occasions.

There are no commercials or previews before the movies start. Instead, co-owner Kyle Fischer and program director Will Viharo appear onscreen for an ad-libbed and humorous monthly update. (That's them, above. The sign behind them says something along the lines of "Keep America Fat: Watch More Movies.")

The programming ranges from popcorn-fare-with-an-edge -- like Grindhouse, Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino's ode to Seventies exploitation cinema -- to more serious art-house selections, such as Todd Haynes' I'm Not There. (You can find the complete monthly schedule here.)

The Parkway also hosts special screenings and other events, like free documentary showings, Superbowl and Oscar bashes, Afrocentric cinema, and the Thrillville cult-movie cabaret, including the upcoming "Geeky Greek Gay Go-Go Show" featuring Jason and the Argonauts. And, of course, The Rocky Horror Picture Show unspools at midnight every Saturday.

But it almost doesn't matter what the Parkways is playing. Given pretty much any excuse at all -- like our monthly "date night"/childcare swap with friends, which is (yay!) tomorrow -- we are so there. (Walk Hard at 7; come on down and say hi if you're in the neighborhood.)

The only thing that could make this place any more awesome would be a rational all-ages policy. Aside from the Monday night "Baby Brigade" -- where new parents can bring babes-in-arms to grown-up movies -- the Parkway is normally 21 and over. The exceptions are Saturday matinees and all day Sundays, when kids are supposedly welcome.

That's great -- the problem is, the management almost always endeavors to screen R-rated movies on those days. (Hmmm -- should we take the kids to see a tragically dysfunctional family kill each other in Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, or a hopeless and violently dystopian future in Blade Runner: The Final Cut this weekend?)

They also have the irksome tendency to slot the occasional kids' movie on 21-and-over days. I've seen parents with wee ones in tow turned away from showings of weekday Pixar flicks at the Parkway. Mom and Dad are understandably angered, and their tots are understandably reduced to tears.

So, Parkway powers-that-be, please get a clue and stop toying with us poor parents: Either schedule one family-friendly film on all-ages days, don't put animated kids' movies on the program on adults-only days, or just drop the all-ages charade and be 21-and-over all the time.

Still, despite this sort of stupid and pointless policy, my love for the Parkway remains undiminished.

Actually, the only two things that could make the place any more awesome are a sane all-ages schedule and regular "shout-back screenings" of Napoleon Dynamite. ("But my lips hurt real BAD!")

Whadya say, guys?

Shameless Plug: Guest Post on decor8

Oh, and a big, big thank you to blogger extraordinaire Holly Becker of decor8, who asked me to join the small army of guest bloggers who are pitching in while she and her husband, Thorsten, get settled in their new apartment in Germany.

My post on some of my favorite artists and artisans, shops, places to go, and things to eat in my adopted hometown of Oakland, California, just went up. Check it out right here.

Thanks again to Holly and a warm welcome to any decor8 readers visiting here for the first time!

OK, now we really are leaving for the beach ... ;-)

Things I Hella Love About Oakland: The Art Murmur

I know I keep harping on the Oakland Art Murmur, the "art walk" around the upstart, gallery-studded Uptown area that takes place the first Friday of each month. But I'm not going to stop until you all go -- at least those of you within driving distance.

Nick and I try to attend the Art Murmur as often as we can, because it's fun and because we've been introduced to several artists there whose work we promptly fell in love with. Last month, I actually had the foresight to grab my camera before we headed out the door, so here's my little amateur photographic ode to the monthly Murmur:

My favorite Oakland art gallery, Johansson Projects, where I'm always blown away by the shows. Kimberly Johansson: You're totally rockin' it, girl.

Nick ponders Paul Hayes' Cultivated Momentum -- made up of thousands of pieces of folded paper suspended from the ceiling -- at Johansson.

Sorry, just have to add a quick aside here to my kids, who lately have been refusing to do anything with us that doesn't involve, like, roller coasters and French fries -- and I'm talking the full-on, foot stomping, hands on hips, growling "I'm NOT going!" through clenched teeth sort of refusing. Last month, we got so fed up with this routine that we just tossed a cereal box at them for dinner, turned on our heels, and left them at home. (Our son recently turned 13, so I'm pretty sure that wasn't actually illegal.)

Anyway: See, guys, there *are* other kids at the Murmur! Some of your friends, actually! And doesn't it look like they're even kind of having a good time? I know you find it all sort of insufferable, but when you grow up I hope you'll be like, "Yeah, our parents were always dragging us to flea markets and noisy concerts and freaky art shows. That was cool." Plus, if you come next month without complaining, we might buy you donuts.

In order to get to the crackers and beer at the back of the Egopark Gallery, you had to climb through this web-like installation. I'm not quite sure what the message was supposed to be, but it was kinda cool.

"But what does it all mean?" she wondered ...

The Bloom Screen Printing/Small Stakes print sale was packed. We snagged this "scratch-and-dent" print by Portland's Ryan Jacob Smith for $5. It now resides on our refrigerator, where our daughter keeps covering up the bad word with magnets. We've tried explaining to her that it's Art, and thus OK, but she remains unconvinced.

I don't know what this bus was or what, exactly, it was doing there. But it was full of revelers having a mighty fine time, and had such a sweet herbal aroma wafting out of the windows that I'm pretty sure we got a contact high simply from standing next to the bus for a minute. So let's just call it "The Party Bus."

These pictures coming out blurry was totally unintentional -- I swear I wasn't trying to be arty. But I like how they sort of capture the roiling energy of the whole shindig.

Hmm ... do you think someone's trying to send me a message?

Here's the thing about the Oakland Art Murmur: You don't necessarily go for the art, because lately the Murmur has been so thronged that you can't actually get that close to the art. (Above is a shot of the scene at the Science Fair show at the Rock Paper Scissors Collective, for instance, where a DJ was spinning and people were mostly just hanging with friends.)

You go for the funky, celebratory vibe of it all, to hear some random dude throwing down rhymes on the corner, and for the chance to carry an open beer can around with you on the street. And then you go back to the galleries the next day and actually look at the art in peace and quiet.

This month's Murmur is Friday, May 1, from 6 p.m. to 9-ish. Here's my suggested game plan: Line up at the counter at Mama Buzz Cafe for a fair-trade coffee and vegan sandwich -- both served up with a side of tattooed-grrrl attitude -- and enjoy them on the back patio. Or go slightly more upscale at Luka's Taproom or the new Flora restaurant, which is winning raves. Then check out the galleries -- the Propagations exhibit pictured above is still up at Johansson Projects, as is the Venue show at Front Gallery, and there are openings or relatively new shows up at Blankspace, Mercury20, Esteban Sabar, Oakopolis, and Rock Paper Scissors. After the galleries start closing up, grab a drink and see a couple of bands at The Uptown, Stork Club, or 21 Grand.

Seriously, people -- it's a party. You should go.

Things I Hella Love About Oakland: Point Isabel

OK, I should clarify: One of the things I hella love about Oakland is that, sans traffic, it's 10 minutes from Point Isabel, which is actually in Richmond. But let's not split hairs.

We took Bonnie for a long walk there on New Year's Day and I swear, you have never seen a happier little pooch.

This 23-acre bayside park is the largest public off-leash area for dogs in the United States. There are grassy hills to chase balls across and paved, level walking paths and bike trails for their humans.

And let's not forget Mudpuppy's, a "doggie spa" and retail shop, and the Sit & Stay Cafe, the dog-friendly eatery on the grounds. From a canine point of view, Point Isabel is pretty much heaven on earth.

It wasn't the brightest or clearest afternoon, but on a crisp, sunny day, I'm sure the views that sweep from the Bay Bridge and across San Francisco to the Golden Gate and the Marin headlands would make me weep.

Of course, the actual shoreline was off-limits due to the 58,000-gallon oil spill in the Bay in November. (Nice going there, Cosco Busan.)

Anyway, I'm glad that three years after adopting the dang dog, we finally got our act together to put her in the car and explore Point Isabel.

Now that we have, I know we'll be back often.

P.S. Someone please tell me that 13 is easier than 12 has been. Please.

Things I Hella Love About Oakland: The Holiday Light Show

Holiday lights at the Mormon Temple

Don't ask me why we have a big-ass Mormon Temple in Oakland. (I mean, we're pretty much a pagan-worshipping, alternative-lifestyle-loving lot out here. Seriously, I don't think you could find a more Godless bunch outside of Sodom and Gomorrah.)

But anyway, a big-ass Mormon Temple we do have. It's perched high up in the Oakland Hills, and is visible from all over the city and even from across the bay in San Francisco. It's quite beautiful, actually.

Every year, those wacky LDSers pull out all the stops and light the crap out of the place for Christmas. I'm not joking -- I'm pretty sure you can see it from space. And every year, we make a point of visiting to soak up the spectacle. Last night, our son's school had its big winter concert shindig there, and we took a few moments afterwards to stroll the grounds and snap a few shots.

I don't even want to contemplate what the church's December electric bill must look like, but the holiday lights there are an incredible sight to behold and a treasured part of our holiday celebrations. So thanks a bunch, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

(Note: We'll be skipping our visit to the Mormon Temple's grounds this year, as our own little form of protest against LDS's support for and funding of the hateful "Yes on Prop. 8" campaign.) 

The light show on Picardy Drive

We also make a point every year to visit Picardy Drive (aka "Christmas Tree Lane") in East Oakland. Picardy is an ethnically and religiously diverse working-class enclave in an often-rough part of town. The street is filled with adorable late-1920s storybook-style houses that sport turrets, towers, and parapets, despite their modest size and humble surroundings.

Each December for more than 60 years, the neighbors on Picardy have come together to decorate almost every single one of the 71 homes on the oval-shaped, quarter-mile-long thoroughfare as well as the small park at the center for the holidays.

It's truly a community effort: If someone is too elderly or infirm to do up their own house, the neighbors will pitch in to take care of it. The Jewish residents join in, too, with blue-and-white Hanukkah-themed lights and decorations. Strings of lights span the narrow driveways between each home, signifying the connection between the families who live there. And after the annual workday, the neighbors gather in the park for a tree-lighting ceremony and potluck celebration. (There's even a documentary about the Picardy Drive holiday lights and the community itself; check it out here.)

These folks really go to town, and nary a house on the street is left unadorned. Basic Christmas lights won't cut it, either -- there are lighted Christmas trees perched on roofs and front lawns tricked out with elaborate vignettes featuring gyrating Santas, grazing reindeer, and filled-to-the-brim toy trains.

(I'm sorry these pictures aren't more professional. My 9-year-old daughter basically wrestled the camera out of my hands in her excitement to capture the lights. And who am I to squelch her burgeoning creativity in the interest of clear photos?)

I've said before that I can get a bit grouchy and Grinchy this time of year, and that I definitely don't love the frenzied commercial nature of Christmas. But visiting Picardy is a much-needed reminder of what the holidays are really about: slowing down, putting differences on hold, and taking the time to appreciate -- and truly connect with -- our friends, neighbors, and loved ones.

Hope you have a good one!