noisebridge - it's a very good place but the last two times I was there it was quite dirty. it also had homeless people (nothing against the homeless but it's not the right place for them) which made it hard to work there.
TechShop - is not a computer hacking place. mostly for mechanical/engineering.
I will try the other two, thanks for your suggestions!
TechShop is amazingly cool. Noisebridge scared me. Unless it's moved since 2014, it's in a dilapidated building in the mission pointlessly cluttered with ornamental mid 20th-century scientific equipment and it seemed to me that all it needed was a match to go up in flames.
> ...it seemed to me that all it needed was a match to go up in flames.
The space has been inspected by both the fire marshal and professional electricians and is not a fire hazard and is (after some work during the Great Noisebridge Reboot back in mid 2014) up to code. :) Appearances can be (and often are) deceiving.
If you're in the neighborhood, maybe pop on by during open visiting hours to see if the changes alleviate some of your concerns.
Noisebridge in SF https://noisebridge.net
TechShop in SF, SJ, and several other non-Bay Area locations http://www.techshop.ws/
Ace Monster Toys in Oakland http://acemonstertoys.org/
Sudo Room in Oakland https://sudoroom.org/