a proper farewell

The marquis read at the end of the night: "We love you Oakland"It's a final message to the patrons and the city.

Here's mine back at the Parkway -- and to the Fischers -- thanks for creating the space for this fantastic community to grow!
For those who don't know the Parkway Speakeasy Theater personally -- this is an adorable old theater (gently used and in shabby chic disrepair) where you could watch a movie (not quite first run) for $5. There was wine and beer -- and a full menu of great food -- carefully delivered to you during the movie. Inside the theater, level one, you could snag a sofa with coffee table or a table with chairs or the "bar" to set your food on. Upstairs, there were more sofas and theater seats with tables carefully placed every two chairs.

Most people loved to get a sofa -- but I preferred to be upstairs with the tables between seats -- a place to put your cups and popcorn and get a great view of the screen.

Creature comforts aside, the best part was ALWAYS the audience participation! It is not the place you go to quietly watch the movie, baby brigade aside (where folks could bring their pre-toddling kids to a place where everyone understands!).

The Parkway Speakeasy Theater will be sorely missed in Oakland!

Favorite memories:

--Watching Sideways there with a large group of friends -- we were having a good time, but the folks across from us -- at a table for four with at least five bottles of wine were really having a great time

--Oscar bash with Yader -- can't remember the year, you can check out the photos

--last minute two for one with Seraphina to see The Wedding Crashers; we grabbed the two last seats at the back of the theater. They were tall chairs, almost like bar stools but with backs. I laughed so hard I almost fell off my chair!

--Seraphina always got me to go to movies I wouldn't have considered otherwise or just didn't get around to seeing them in the other theater -- or these were just Parkway movies -- let's see, X Men, 29 Days Later, Wedding Crashers, Cadillac Records, Hustle and Flow, Bettie Paige, Lake House...
--Waiting line for what seemed like hours to make sure to get to see three more movies before the Parkway closes.

--There are just some movies that you need to see that Parkway, for the audience participation factor, so you might need to see them more than once: Juno, Crash, Walkout, Transamerica, Wallace and Grommit, Sicko

--Going to see the Dixie Chicks movie, Not Ready to Make Nice, with Jace -- it turns out that the boiler was out and it was freezing, so they were handing out individual blankies as you walked in... parkway style!

--The day I got Sergio to go see Rap Dreams with me at the Parkway...miracle.

--Watching my first ever Rocky Horror Picture show for its last performance: MAGIC!
I am sure there are tons of experiences that are not coming to mind, but they are locked in my heart. The Parkway is one of the things that made Oakland home for the past nearly seven years.