Grownup Clubhouse

February 22, 2009 5:37 PM

How would I go about renting a room for recreational purposes?

I can no longer host recreational events at my place, and I don't want to move. I play role-playing games at least once a week, and when I had a bigger place I used to love having friends over and hanging out all night being loud and obnoxious.

What I'd need is a largeish room, maybe 15x15 or so. I'm thinking conference-room sized. It would need electricity, heating, A/C, and bathroom access. I'd want to have it available during all non-business hours, and preferably weekend afternoons as well. We'd have to be able to make noise all night without disturbing anyone. I'd like to be able to leave stuff there; gaming supplies, a fridge, maybe even a TV set, so it'd have to be secure, and preferably not used for any other purpose. I'd be willing to pay up to a couple of hundred a month; I don't think that's too bad seeing as office space is going for around five hundred a month around here.

No alcohol or illegal substances will be involved. And, seeing as we're role-playing geeks, probably no sex either. Ever.

Any idea how I'd go about finding that sort of arrangement in Tucson? I'm thinking maybe a business which could use some help on rent, or a homeowner with an outbuilding they're not using, or some such thing. but I have no idea how to go about finding such an arrangement? Are there possibilities I'm overlooking? Or am I just totally out of my mind?

Thanks, Hivemind!

posted by MrVisible to sports, hobbies, & recreation (8 comments total)

What are you looking to spend? You could probably find a small studio apartment...
posted by steinwald at 6:43 PM on February 22

Its been a few years since I was in the gaming scene...but, I always found asking at a gaming store to be the most effective. In Boston, the big gaming store is Pandemonium and most local confrences from comic book to star trek pass through some element of their store. They act as a great resource for folks... Googling Tucson, I'd ask folks at Hard Castle Cards and Games and/or Game Daze #4 if they have any reccomendations...

Of course, we had a friend in elementary school that always said that he couldn't host - until one day we found out that he'd never asked... his parents were so tickled that he had friends that we ate fried chicken, hamburgers, chips, popcorn, candy, brownies, and cookies - which they just kept bringing us. Plus, there was enough soda there that I was easily able to write the gettysburg address in the snow later that night...
posted by Nanukthedog at 6:52 PM on February 22

I'd say your best bet is to rent a bigger apartment and take donations to help cover the difference.
posted by aquafortis at 7:07 PM on February 22

Local university or college. Lots of weird hidden-away rooms in the basements of random buildings*. Locker or locked storage room access is highly likely. You might have to sign up for security/ID for badges, but it shouldn't be a big deal. Might even be able to score a room with AV equipment (overhead/digital projectors, surround speakers, variable lighting, &c).

If anyone in your group is actually going to uni/college, you might even be able to score the room for free.

Seconding gaming shops, but most of the places that I've run into generally host themselves (ie., friends of owner/employees/regulars) and the digs aren't, typically, so optimal.

*I swear that there are 'gaming rooms' in the basement of the building that hosts the biomedical library, among other things, at UBC. We can smell out own, even after all these years.
posted by porpoise at 8:07 PM on February 22

Your needs sound similar to what most bands look for in a rehearsal space rental, so I'd look into places that rent to bands. You might be looking for a room larger than the typical band space but it doesn't seem like you need a huge room. All the heat, electricity, etc are typically included in hourly and monthly rentals.
posted by blaneyphoto at 8:10 PM on February 22 [1 favorite]

Blaneyphoto beat me to the punch. It sounds like a rehearsal room setup would be exactly what you'd need. (If you were in CT, I could hook you up immediately...) It's an optimal situation for whomever's renting the rooms, as well, as you're likely to be much more well-behaved than a band, bring in steadier income, and could take Fri/Sat night slots that bands usually can't take.
posted by greenland at 8:14 PM on February 22

I'm not entirely sure what is available in Tucson, but you might check out rental "work lofts" or "hobby rentals" - I know that here in the Seattle area there are many of these types of rentals available - people pay a monthly rent for an empty space (in a building with many other rental spaces) to do with it what they wish - I think the only thing you can't do is live in them. Many artists and independent consultant types rent these types of spaces out as a work space, so it might be a really good option to check out. A quick Google search will probably tell you if anything like that exists in your area.

You might also browse around on Craigslist to see if anyone has any space that would fit your needs. You could always create an ad under "Housing" to see what kind of response you get.

Good luck!
posted by karizma at 11:08 PM on February 22

I'll include hobby rentals, work lofts, and rehearsal spaces in my search. That should make it a lot easier.

I'd just spring for a bigger apartment, but my big concern is annoying the neighbors with loud gaming geekery until early morning once a week. I have a feeling that would make me less than popular.

Thanks for the input.
posted by MrVisible at 8:46 AM on February 23