explore the city i live in

I kinda don’t wanna move to Berkeley. It’s full of college students and aging hippies.

I should be looking forward to living alone, but really I’m just infinitely sad about the whole thing. This moving business did not go how I had planned.

Move date is 2 weeks from now.

Sigh.

I only have a little while longer to explore Oakland, because dude and I will be moving to San Francisco sometime soon (I’d guess August). I love the East Bay, but I’m really excited for a change. AND it’s starting a whole new life with someone whom I love very much – how wonderful!

So anyways, this goal will remain on here, and I will continue to explore Oakland until I leave it. Then I’ll get to move on to exploring San Francisco. I’ve lived in the city before, but not for quite some time. Much has changed, and I was young and missed out on many things I would now appreciate. I can’t wait!

Well, I can take the Parkway Speakeasy Theater off my list of places to visit, because after 12 years of fun, it is closing down forever! I would have to go in the next few days if I wanted to experience it because the last day EVER is this Sunday. This might be possible, we shall see. I always thought it sounded like a great place – movies and beer and food and comfy couches in an old theater on the other side of the lake.

Places from the brainstorm list I’ve visited so far, with some added things:

Oakland Art Murmur
21 Grand
RPS Gallery
Mama Buzz
Piedmont Cemetery
Oakland Museum
Chabot Space and Science Center
Lake Merritt
Bonsai Gardens
Lake Temescal
Mormon Temple
Redwood Park
Lake Merritt Farmer’s Market
The Parkway
Grand Lake Theater
Tilden Park
Laney Flea Market
The Crucible
Jack London Square Farmer’s Market
Oakland Public Library

I still haven’t been inside the Grand Lake Theater, even though I basically live across the street from it! We haven’t been going out to movies much lately.

Asked some friends in the area what is a must-do/must-see for Oakland. Here is what they came up with:

Oakland Art Murmur (1st Friday of the month)
21 Grand
RPS Gallery
Piedmont Cemetary
Oakland Museum
Chabot Space and Science Center
Lake Merritt
Bonsai Gardens
Lake Temescal
Mormon Temple
Redwood Park
Lake Merritt Farmer’s Market
The Parkway
Grand Lake Theater
Tilden Park
Laney Flea Market
The Crucible

That’s just a start. I’ve got a lot of ground to cover! Also, I’m working on turning this goal into a non-fiction writing project of some sort. Not quite sure where I’m heading with it yet, but I’ve got some ideas.