Wednesday, August 15, 2007

The Big Picture

Several months ago, I was chatting with a friend (lamenting really) about the lack of nice, not skuzzy, lounging/gathering spots on The Eastside. Where are all the cute coffee shops, relaxed bistros, and elegant tea rooms of my youth? Part of the problem is definitely our distance from any universities. College students encourage the growth of "stop and sit a while" establishments. We have Starbucks and Tully's, you might say, but I maintain that those places were never intended for extended group gatherings. That is why it was so nice to find The Big Picture in Redmond Town Center.

This is a great little movie theater tucked away on the second floor of the mall. Who needs another movie theater when there are so many around? Well this is no ordinary theater. For one, it sometimes (not always) shows some of the more art house-type films (we've seen TWO French movies there). Second, it is a 21 only venue, so there are no crying babies and, better yet, there are no irritating teenagers talking through the whole movie. Third, it is absolutely clean. You can put your purse on the floor and not worry about pools of mysterious stickiness. Wouldn't you pay an extra dollar for your movie ticket with these amenities?

But the real reason to go to The Big Picture is the bar and lounging area. Beautifully, elegantly, decorated, the whole place really recommends itself to an hour of chatting and sipping before the show. They do have popcorn and candy, but they also serve some delicious and unusual drinks both alcoholic and non. I believe we should encourage this kind of establishment, so please consider heading down there some night soon.

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