This is the Oakland Fox Theater, and it pretty much has the same history as all the art deco movie palaces built in urban areas in the 20s: It served as a gathering place and a source of civic pride until it fell into decay in the middle of the century, and eventually some dedicated community group came together to restore it to its grandeur. Now, national musical acts come and play here, and the neighborhood businesses around it enjoy the benefits from the crowds and the cool factor.
I haven't been inside yet but I've seen pictures, and it looks just as fabulous as the Fox Theater in Detroit. Not as big though.
1000 px here. And that open space on the right, before the next building? That would be the park where I was kettled, and where Occupy tends to hang out. Their numbers have dropped, but they are still about...