On Saturday night, Mark pointed out we had a lot of good-byes. In San Francisco, we said “Bon Voyage” to my Medill for her cross-country road trip home. We also watched the last episodes of Battlestar Galactica. The series finale answered all questions except for one: “Will there be another war between the humans and cylons?”
On Sunday, the Parkway closed its doors for good.
My hubby and I had our first movie date there. Scary Movie 2. I know, quality cinema. Beyond my love life, I feel like this theater played a big part in my coming of age in the Bay Area. It was one of the first places I enjoyed ordering beer and chilling with my friends. It was a lovely place to hang out without trying to scream at each other over loud dance music and strobing lights.
The Parkway made being an adult fun.
Damn you, Recession! I’ve covered plenty of victims of the economic slowdown. The Parkway was one of the good guys who couldn’t get off the sinking ship. It broke my heart to watch this clip before we watched our last movie inside the theater: “Let The Right One In.” (It’s a Swedish Vampire film, with English Subtitles). There is another Speakeasy Theater in El Cerrito, but it’s not the same. The Parkway was the OG and so many people showed up this weekend to pay their final respects.
Some history…
Monica the Tiki Goddess was one of my supervisors at the Residential Computing Labs. She clued me into the best movie theater in the Bay Area. Cheap tickets, quality beer, yummy pizza and large couches. Who could ask for anything more when it came to the theater experience?
Monica and her hubby, Will the Thrill, also indulged my love of classic films (Hitchcock! James Bond!) and turned me on to cult hits.
On top of that, the Parkway provided an open stage for community gatherings. Anything from New Year’s Eve Parties to the final screening of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Yes, I was there for that. It rocked my world to be surrounded by Buffy fans cheering on the Slayer and her Slayer-ettes. We even saw a bonus screening of the Musical: “Once More With Feeling.”
On that note: So long, Parkway. Thanks for all the fish.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6oHxq77_MI
I think this will be appropriate.
Memories are good…hang on to them.