[wolfgang42]

I second the recommendation for Noisebridge; some additional practical advice:

- Be aware that NB is perhaps best described as a “501(c)(3) disorganization.” The entire thing is volunteer-run, more or less by whoever happens to be there that day, so it’s pretty chaotic and your experience as a newcomer can vary wildly depending on when you happen to visit.

- You can just show up! Ring the doorbell and hope someone answers (6-8PM is a good bet, though there can be people there at all hours). Once you get a tour, hang out and chat with people. As others have noted it can be a mixed bag who you run into on any given day. The space is open to the public, with all that entails.

- You might also try some of the regularly scheduled events (some combination of https://www.noisebridge.net/wiki/Category:Events and https://www.meetup.com/noisebridge/events/ should get you a sort-of-mostly-up-to-date view of things); that way you’ll have an organizer and a topic to start with.

- There are also a lot of other hackerspaces/makerspaces in the area! Many of them are more formal than Noisebridge, with all the differences that come with that.