Location: Pinball
May 01, 2005
A Favorite Nabe: Euclid Street, North of Hearst
There are many classic neighborhood strips in the East Bay -- Telegraph near Campus, Shattuck in the Gourmet Ghetto, Piedmont Ave in Oakland, College going through Rockridge (I prefer south of BART).
But, when I get on my bike on the weekends, and want a restorative and engaging afternoon away from home, I typically head to Euclid Street, just north of Hearst.
Why Euclid? There are four reasons.
1. Brewed Awakening. A coffeehouse, though I never go for the coffee. I go for the smoothies, which are good, and cheaper than Jamba Juice. I also love the wide open interior:
And there's plenty of free wi-fi, and many outlets to plug in.
2. Then a hop across the street to Signal Books. It's a very small independent bookstore that's always worth a browse. They have a great collection of, well, smart books, and also an appreciation for comix and graphic novels. Oh, and good magazines, and an extensive international newspaper selection. And their logo was drawn by Dan Clowes.
3. And then, when I want coffee, wander down the sidewalk to Caffe Nefeli, serving up the what's probably the best cappuccino in the East Bay. All I know is that when I get a double cap, I don't have to tell them to go light on the milk -- most places make what is essentially a latte. Nefeli has a few tables outside that provide a comfortable reading space for nice days.
4. Not photographed, and probably not widely appreciated, but Laval's Northside, the pizzeria, always has a pinball machine in pretty good working order. Today it took $2 from me as I tried to stave off an Attack From Mars.
Do you have a favorite neighborhood that's a bit off the path? Tell us in the comments...
March 20, 2003
Pinball, part two
i am just a casual pinball fan, but i do know that emmett cadigan, the current booker of the stork club, hosts "pinball mafia" at least once a month at the stork. 21+ only at the stork...
i also like the games (including pinball) at emeryville's arcade. the arcade is located behind the food court in the border's books building near the amtrak station. what's great about that spot is they have a combination of old & new machines, air hockey, and across the hall is a billiard hall with hourly rentals & a foosball machine. the arcade is all ages, the pool place is 21+.
March 03, 2003
Thalassa
A mini-obsession of mine is pinball. Making this obsession even more tantalizing are the remarkably few good places to play it. Among the resources the Beast Blog will provide you is a collection of venues that feature pinball machines. Ideally, these will be kept up to date with the pinball machines at each venue.
First up:
Thalassa at 2367 Shattuck Ave. Primarily a bar and billiard hall, it offers a selection of three pinball tables.
Currently playing are
For such a seemingly trendy place, Thalassa is a surprisingly comfortable bar, with a good selection of booze. I find pinball to be more fun when you sip Patron Silver between balls.