A few blocks up Beacon from Kenmore Square, in the heart of Brookline, lies Coolidge Corner, filled with cute shops and hip restaurants. Across the street from a Gap you’ll find Zaftig’s, a classic delicatessen that seems to have been transplanted straight from the streets of New York City. There’s a Trader Joe’s, filled with hard-to-find specialty foods and home made products, antique shops, small bookstores and much more. After spending a day in Coolidge Corner it is easy to forget the bustle of Boston. If you’re looking for a place to kick back and chill, the Life ‘ Leisure section has some suggestions.
Coolidge Corner Movie Theatre 290 Harvard St.
Visiting the Coolidge Corner Movie Theatre in Brookline is like going back in time to the classic era of moviemaking. A rich, wood-paneled lobby ushers you down burgundy carpets into one of two theatres built in classic art deco design, complete with curtains and gilt motifs.
The Coolidge Theatre lives up to its artsy facade by showing mainly independent films like Michael Moore’s documentary Bowling For Columbine or Roman Polanski’s The Pianistalthough it also shows more popular films on occasion. However, showing a couple independent movies is not the only thing that distinguishes this theatre from the bigger movie houses in Boston. The Coolidge Theatre also has several special events and community programs that make it unique.
Throughout the year the theatre hosts several film festivals including the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival, which is currently running until Jan. 30th. The theatre will also be presenting the New England Film ‘ Video Festival and, in April, the Boston International Festival of Women’s Cinema. During these festivals the Coolidge Theatre will also have the directors or producers in attendance to lead discussions on the films after each showing.
Aside from periodic festivals, the theatre also has weekly events including Midnight Mania every weekend. This event is similar to the midnight movie at the Fenway 13, except that the Coolidge often has a monthly theme. For January, the theme is ‘We Want Your Body!’ which shows everything from Night of the Living Dead to Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
If you visit the Coolidge Theatre and find yourself inexplicably drawn to it again and again just remember that the theatre also has very good membership options. These include a cost conscious student plan where you pay $25 for the year and receive $3 off any movie as well as two-for-one deals on any Midnight Mania movie.
With its special details and spectacular ambience, the Coolidge Corner Movie Theatre is the perfect place for art-starved film students tired of the long lines and commercialized movies found at most movie theatresor for anyone who wants to find a great new place to see a movie. Amanda Ernst, MUSE Staff
Zathmary’s 299 Harvard St.
Zathmary’s is one of those curious places that can’t conform to any title. It’s a small market featuring a salad bar, specialty foods, and a sushi chef; a delicatessen that serves hot and cold sandwiches; a bakery that makes cakes, cookies, breads and bagels; and an eatery.
As soon as you walk in the door, you’re bombarded with the delicious smells of cakes and fresh baked bread, purposely placed right near the entrance. If you can make it past the baked goods, you’ll find a daily selection of deli-quality cold salads, pre-made sushi and a traditional deli counter, complete with an extensive list of unique sandwiches. Then there’s the salad bar, coolers full of produce, and specialty drinks, too.
Zathmary’s is a cute little place to pick up specialty foods, but it’s also a convenient stop for a quick lunch. After you’ve picked your food and paid, you can sit in a diner-esque seating area just beyond the checkout counter. Zathmary’s is the perfect place for a meal with a group of friends because there is no check splitting, and you don’t have to leave a tip. You can enjoy many different types of foods, eat in a relaxed atmosphere and pick up something for dinner, too.
Zathmary’s is the quintessential Coolidge Corner spot. It’s a little bohemian, a little cosmopolitan and completely trendy. This is not your grandma’s deli or your mom’s supermarket. Zathmary’s is a place all its own. Amanda Ernst, MUSE Staff
Clayroom 1408 Beacon St.
Nothing brings you back to your childhood faster than painting. Clayroom in Coolidge Corner offers you a chance to experience your childhood painting days again while creating functional pottery that you can use, display and even give away.
When you walk into Clayroom, you are instantly welcomed by one of the many knowledgeable professionals that work there. The owner will even walk you and your friends through the step-by-step process of painting pottery.
When you go to Clayroom, expect to spend a lot of time there. They charge you $8 for your first two hours and $8 for every hour after that. Clayroom provides every size and shape paintbrush, as well as sponges, stencils and reference books for ideas. With so many different designs, patterns, and ceramic pieces to choose from, the combinations and creations are endless. And, after you are finished painting your piece, Prudence, the owner, and her helpers finish it by firing it and glazing it and firing it again. You can pick up your final masterpiece, which will look like a factory-made ceramic piece, four days later.
Clayroom is a great weekend event for a group of friends. The atmosphere is friendly and welcoming. You can bring food and drinks to enjoy while you sit and talk and paint. A day at Clayroom is cheaper than lunch at an upscale bistro and, unlike a movie, you are encouraged to talk, laugh and even shout obscenities when you make a mistakealthough that is not strongly encouraged. But what makes Clayroom the perfect weekend or any day activity is that at the end you have something to show for your time and money. What’s more, you can let your imagination loose and create something that you can cherish foreversomething that will remind you of the day you spent at Clayroom. Tori Cook, MUSE Staff
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