Best of the East Bay - Fun

Best dance troupe, new dog park, ski resort, cooking classes, art gallery, winery...

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Comeback

Editor Pick

→ When the transcontinental railroad was in its heyday in the late 1800s, Old Oakland was saturated with glamorous shops and hotels to entice travelers who had come west. Over time, the neighborhood became less of a tourist spot and more of an urban wasteland. Fast forward to 2008: Ninth and Washington streets have stepped out from the shadow of College Avenue with a burgeoning hipster scene at nightspots such as Air Lounge and Levende East, both featuring trendy cocktails and soulful DJ-spun music. Other destinations helping to rejuvenate this historic quarter include Ajuda Day Spa, B Restaurant, designer denim shop Drift, sneaker boutiques Verse and Lyric, and FiveTen Studio, a gallery and design studio offering avant-garde furniture and home decor.

You’ll find the action in the area near the intersection of Ninth and Washington streets. —Stephanie Simon 

Costume Shop

Editor Pick

→ Costume parties are tons of fun, and luckily for us, the East Bay is home to Encore Theatrical Supply, which rents out high-quality costumes all year-round. Make your husband play Rhett Butler to your Scarlett O’Hara, transform into trekkies with a group of friends, or just wow the party solo dressed as a geisha or gorilla.

Rental rates are about $45 per day, and costumes are washed or dry-cleaned after each use. The store also sells children’s costumes and thousands of accessories, such as hats, wigs, animal ears and noses, masks, and crowns.

5556-C Springdale Ave., Pleasanton, (925) 463-2140, www.encoreonstage.com; sister location in Walnut Creek rents only Santa Claus and Easter Bunny costumes. —LeeAnne Carson

Cheap Dinner And A Movie

Editor Pick

→ If you’re tired of spending $75 on popcorn and movie tickets for family night at the multiplex, here’s a dinner and movie option where you get your money’s worth. First, call in an order of crispy tacos at Los Panchos taqueria in Pacheco. Filled with shredded chicken or ground beef, cheese, and lettuce, they go down easy for only $1.45 each.

Pick up your food and drive the two miles to the West Wind Solano 2 Drive-In, that beacon of yesteryear next to Highway 4. Tickets for a double feature are just $6.75 ($4.75 on Tuesdays)—and kids under 11 are admitted free. Tune in to the movie soundtrack on your FM radio, and spend the rest of the evening with, say, Batman and Indiana Jones.

Los Panchos, 5872 Pacheco Blvd., Pacheco, (925) 689-4430; West Wind Solano 2 Drive-In, 1611 Solano Way, Concord, (925) 825-1951. —Peter Crooks

New Dog Park

Editor Pick

→ Everyone knows that the East Bay is home to the country’s best dog park: the Point Isabel Regional Shoreline. But, for those in Walnut Creek, Richmond is a bit of a schlep, and the Bay shoreline can be chilly and foggy. Fortunately for Central Contra Costa’s cavorting canines, the long-awaited dog park at Heather Farm Park finally opened in November. The fenced-in area just beyond the baseball fields has a separate enclosure for elderly and small dogs, and a substantial cache of tennis balls and chew toys for your pooch and the dozens of others he’ll meet at the park.

301 N. San Carlos Dr., Walnut Creek, (925) 943-5858. —Justin Goldman