Culture

Winter holidays 2012: December special events, and what’s open on Christmas

The Oakland North staff has found places to eat, celebrate, shop and pray during the holiday season. We hope we found something especially for you. We have also included information about the holiday schedules of local favorite attractions as well as the AC Transit and BART transportation schedules. Check back frequently because we’ll continue to update this page as we learn of more Oakland holiday events. Got one to tell us about? Email staff@oaklandnorth.net. City of Oakland holiday parking Oakland…

The New Parkway theater gets ready to open its doors in Uptown Oakland

It’s Wednesday night and a party is underway in Uptown Oakland. Inside a blue building decorated with graffiti, over 200 people are celebrating the return of Oakland’s beloved Parkway movie theater, which will open its doors to the public before the end of the year. Managed by New Parkway Entertainment LLC, a group of 56 investors, the new theater will carry the same concept that made the original Parkway so popular in the community: It will offer cheaper tickets, feature…

Dr. Comics store welcomes novices and serious buffs alike

Michael Pandolfo’s childhood comic store was dark, dingy, and intimidating. He remembers the shop was full of the condescending comic book fans he calls “rules lawyers”—comic book experts who show disdain for non-experts. It wasn’t a welcoming place for any but the most shunned, resentful reader. This old store, where he bought his first issues of Conan the Barbarian, loomed large in his mind when he opened his own comic shop Dr. Comics & Mr. Games on Piedmont Avenue in…

Oakland’s Depot for Creative Reuse has supplies for school, crafts and much more

On an average day, the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse, an Oakland thrift store, is chock full of school supplies, furniture and even quirky items like ET postcards and baskets full of doll heads. The shop buzzes with teachers, students, parents and passers-by, either in search of something specific like pencils for the classroom or just hoping for a unique find.