Cafe Van Kleef is located right in the heart of Oakland's Uptown neighborhood. The theme of Van Kleef is unconventional and all about the quirky artwork everywhere. The specialty at Van Kleef's is their Greyhound - a drink of vodka with grapefruit juice, which you can watch them squeezing fresh at almost any given point during the night. On most nights in the week, the bar plays live jazz music. Certain nights come with a cover charge so be sure to check details before you head here.
The New Parkway rose from Oakland's desire to get a speakeasy-style theater back after the beloved original Parkway Theater closed. After several years and tons of donations, the New Parkway was born. The theater is devoted to showing second-run and independent and new classic movies at much lower than average prices, and once inside you can order food, wine and beer to be delivered to you in the theater. And they aren't your average theaters, either! One theater is set up like a big dining room with wooden tables and chairs with a balcony full of cushy couches, while the other is a hodge-podge of old couches, armchairs and coffee tables, arranged on the floor to resemble entire living room sets. Select menu items can be ordered from inside the theater during the movie.
Pinball machines, although they look like cheery little things, have a troubled past. From their rise to fame during the depression to their ban in 1940s, they've seen a few ups and downs. The Pacific Pinball Museum, established in 2004 by Michael Schiess, commemorates their story. Featuring some 400 pinball machines, some of them dating back to 1879, this museum traces their history quite interestingly. If you are the regular pinball enthusiast, this place should fill you with wonder.