Bay Area Movie Houses

This morning's article on SF Gate on Bay Area Movie houses got me thinking about the other ones they didn't include. They listed:

• Rio Theater, Monte Rio
• Cameo Cinema, St. Helen
• Los Gatos Theater, Los Gatos
• Del Mar Theatre, Santa Cruz
• Sebastiani Theatre, Sonoma

This list is easily expanded, since they didn't include any of the great East Bay movie houses. The charming thing about these places are that they are usually single screen, or perhaps they are split level (like the old Parkway Theater). And, they sometimes have some very charming old blade signs (like the Orinda Theater).

Often nestled in smaller neighborhoods, these movie houses really become one of the key activating features of the street. They are a night time attraction that also invigorates the restaurants, ice cream shops, cafes, and bars around it.

Landmark Theaters is a great example of how the single theaters can be made more profitable, by partnering under one owner and offering the variety that a megaplex would across the city.

Off the top of my head, I can think of:

• California Theater, Berkeley
• Piedmont Theater, Oakland
• Parkway Theater, Oakland (not around anymore, such a loss!)
• The Cerrito Theater, El Cerrito
• The Elmwood Theater, Berkeley
• The Orinda Theater, Orinda

But enough about smaller movie houses, the real rarity is the small stage live performance venue like the Ashby Stage in Berkeley. Entertainment is never more personal than at those gems of the city!

Lakeshore Avenue

Lakeshore Avenue is part of a vibrant part of Oakland. It is located near I-580 and Grand Avenue, where the Grand Lake Theater is. Together they form the Grand Lake District.

On Saturday mornings, a popular farmer's market is held in between Lakeshore and Grand Avenue at Splashpad Park.

It is a neighborhood serving main street. The mix of shops include both national chains and local businesses. There is a Trader Joe's, Walgreens, Longs, Pete's Coffee, Starbucks, Noahs Bagels, and Gap on the street. Local businesses, such as Arizmendi's Bakery, Sway, and Urban Indigo also thrive. There is a great mix of different types of retail, from restaurants, to salons, to kung-fu, to stationary stores, to a Gymboree.

All of the shops are adjacent to each other and meet the street edge in a uniform way.

There are two lanes of traffic in each direction, undivided by a median. Traffic on Lakeshore Avenue is heavy but slow. The interior through-lane is used at full speed (25 mph). The other lane is often slower with obstacles like loading trucks and vehicles backing up from diagonal parking. The effect of these obstacles slows traffic overall and makes the street more pedestrian friendly.

Diagonal parking on both sides of the street and a two story parking structure serve the district. There is an alley that connects shoppers on the street to the parking structure behind.
A mid-block crosswalk allow shoppers to connect to both sides of the street.
The pedestrian environment is generous with a wide sidewalk (9'+), with mature street trees, bike racks, news stands, outdoor seating, and a well delineated edge (two steps) to the street. Diagonal parking and the slower outer lane further protect pedestrians from moving traffic.