.Best of East Bay 2023 – Everyday

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Screen Time 

The New Parkway is the East Bay’s weirdest movie theater

The New Parkway, a colorful, mission-driven movie theater and pub in Oakland’s Uptown district, is deeply thoughtful about how it operates. The theater shares profits with its employees, highlights local businesses instead of selling pre-movie ads and donates to Bay Area nonprofits. 

Its kitchen’s full menu of food is brought to patrons at their seats with all-reusable dishware and napkins, making it, according to their website, “quite possibly the greenest movie theater in the world.” It’s also quite possibly the coziest—instead of filing into the usual monotony of red cinema seats, the audience sprawls across squashy couches, loveseats and vintage chairs of every hue. 

An eclectic line-up includes new releases, second-runs, cult classics and special events like trivia, bingo, karaoke and cartoons with all-you-can-eat cereal. In my experience, nearly any film is improved by the warmhearted weirdness of the New Parkway atmosphere, its local wine, beer and cider on-tap, and, most of all, the deep buckets of homestyle popcorn. 

Do not go to the New Parkway without boldly traversing the toppings rack, which has every popcorn garnish one can imagine and a few one probably can’t. There are over 40 options, which (no spoilers) I won’t list here.  

The New Parkway’s homey vibe creates a real feeling of camaraderie among the audience, as if everyone is in a big ol’ living room together. Expect laughter, cheers and gasps. With an engaged, participatory audience, the dynamics of a film are heightened—tense scenes feel tighter, twists hit harder, victories are more satisfying. 

During my last visit, one audience member burst into solo applause during a particularly joyful moment in John Wick: Chapter 4. The rest of us realized she had the right idea, and joined in.


Readers’ Picks

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Best Gift Shop

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Best Bookstore – Used

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Best Game Store

Games of Berkeley

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Best Martial Arts Studio

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Best Clothing Store – Women’s

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Best Nonprofit Organization

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Best Shoe Repair

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Best Real Estate Agent

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Best Mortuary

Mountain View Cemetary & Funeral Services

Best Local Bank – Business

Bridge Bank

Best Thrift Shop

Out of the Closet

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Best Musical Instruments Shop

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Best Jewelry Store

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Best Clothing Store – Men’s

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Best Clothing Alterations

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Best Attorney – Family Law

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Best Plant Nursery

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Best CSA (Community-Supported Agriculture)

Urban Tilth

Best Motorcycle Shop

Oakland Harley-Davidson

Best Tire Shop

Don’s Tire Service

Best Resale Store

Urban Ore

Best Car Wash/Detailing

People’s Car Wash

Best Insurance Agent

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Best Cooking School

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Best Attorney – Real Estate

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Best Antique Shop

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Best Accountant

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1 COMMENT

  1. Urban Tilth inspires, hires, and trains local Richmond residents to cultivate agriculture, feed our community, and restore relationships to land to build a more sustainable food system, within a just and healthier community.

    Our CSA delivers seasonal, organic, locally-farmed vegetables and fruits to your door. Produce is sourced from our North Richmond Farm and BIPOC-owned farms from Brentwood, Hollister and Fresno. Nourish your family each week with seasonal produce all while supporting food sovereignty and soil regeneration in the Bay Area!

    We deliver on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and you can receive bags weekly or every other week. WE SERVICE HERCULES THROUGH BERKELEY!!
    
    We offer two prices: $35, which includes a $5 donation to support your neighbors!
    $15 for those that are in financial insecurity.
    We accept EBT!

    Our 2023 season began Feb 7th and rolls through December 20th.

    • Please sign me up for the newsletter - Yes

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