Overview

This storefront nickelodeon became Berkeley's first theatre focusing on motion picture exhibition. It operated for four years between 1907 and 1911. A later "Varsity Theatre" opened in 1912 at 2064 San Pablo Road in 1912.

Building History

The Brooks Apartment Building opened in 1907, probably responding to the influx of San Franciscans who migrated to the East Bay following the Great Earthquake and Fire of 04/1906. It had two first-floor storefronts, one of which was occupied by the Varsity Theatre #1.

Demolition

In 2025, the Brooks Apartment Building remained standing, although the Varsity Theatre #1 was demolished long ago, in the 1910s. The E-Z Stop Deli occupied this space in 2025.

PCAD id: 25747