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.

If music is your passion, make sure that you check out The New Parish. This concert hall and events space has achieved fame with the performances of the great music groups like Sarah Guthrie and Johnny Irion and The Stone Foxes. The place boasts of fantastic sound and stage technology that has made this venue a favorite of the event organizers and performers alike.

The Oakland Metro is a non-profit, black box performing arts venue and art space located in Jack London Square. It opened in December 2001 with a production of Gertrude Stein's Four Saints in Three Acts and regularly hosts open mic nights, concerts, circus acts, comedy shows, theater, and various other productions. The venue is open to all ages.

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.

Yoshi's is not just a place where you can catch mind-blowing jazz, but also a sushi bar with an excellent food. Eager music lovers pack the restaurant and the Jazz House on performance nights. It showcases the best talent and boasts of high tech acoustics in the Bay area. A full cocktail menu is available with items like sushi, appetizers, salads and desserts. The attire is causal and the atmosphere jazzed up. It has a top-notch restaurant that serves Japanese food, and is open for lunch and dinner.

A 'non-profit collaboration of Arts, Industry and Community', The Crucible is a responsible association that was first opened in January 1999 in a warehouse. Field trips, workshops, fun weekends and open houses are frequently held here, delighting residents of Oakland's West Berkeley area. Its main agenda is to nurture artistic talents among all age groups through their adult and youth programs. Also, it does not matter if you are a beginner or an experienced artist, The Crucible provides courses for all levels of experience. Whether it is glass blowing, ceramics and enameling or summer camps for kids, it guarantees quality arts education to all. To explore this facility, you can avail of the tours available on its website.

Come to Woodminster Amphitheater and enjoy a magical performance under a star studded sky. Set in the Joaquin Miller Park, the place has a serene ambiance with a lot of picnic spots, trails for walking and greenery. Host to a number of plays and performances, the venue is a popular hub among the local youths. One can even head down for a walk on the grounds after a performance.

The Oakland Arena Arena has been a popular fixture in the city since its opening in 1966. It did go through a few name changes before settling to its current title. However its roots remain the same. Considered to be National Basketball Association's (NBA) oldest stadium, it is the turf of the Golden State Warriors. Besides scintillating matches, it also hosts amazing concerts by renowned musicians from across the globe. Some of their previous acts include the Grateful Dead and Scorpions.

The Bal Theatre in San Leandro donned a new avatar after years of closure. Bought over by the dashing entrepreneur Dan Dillman, it hosts live music and comedy nights, screenings of independent and foreign films, Spanish classes and private events. Audiences love this theater for the sheer luxury it affords them in terms of spacious aisles, ample legroom, an impressive stage layout and refreshment stands.