Bay Area-filter: What meetups/classes do you go to?
December 4, 2018 10:56 AM Subscribe
I'm exploring Meetup.com and class listings, mostly to expand my personal interests and possibly social life. Bay Area MeFites: What good meetups/classes have you found (especially in SF or East Bay)? Help introduce me to things I don't know already! Is there a meetup you think should exist but doesn't? Should we start that something?
I'm looking both for ideas on social meetups for interests I already have, and also suggestions for interesting things you do which might be new to me.
I'm in my 40's and creative, so my "what I am interested in and have done" list is long, bear with me.
My social circle consists mostly of smart tech industry folks generally but our interests don't overlap very well- they're mostly Burning Man/festival culture people and while I'm a huge part of this world (I make art and organize big events) I'm becoming bored with the endless treadmill of events/parties/projects related to festivals (it's a nearly year-round thing at this point). Also, I am not in the tech industry and I work by myself, so I miss out on a certain amount of socializing via work (I'm in construction and am a solo operator).
I read a tremendous amount of non-fiction and I haven't figured out how to have a social life that incorporates my intellectual interests. This is the biggest hole in my social life which I'd like to plug with some kind of book group, meetup, or other activity. The closest I've come to finding other people into this are folks in the rationalist community in the East Bay, but their priorities (MIRI, Effective Altruism, lesswrong.com etc) are a bit culty and different than mine. I like the people and their community great deal, but am less interested in their main projects overall. I have not had good success finding meetups through the skeptic community which I have enjoyed. I'm on a few mailing lists but the 'skeptics in the pub' series hasn't really done it for me socially.
My interests/stuff I'm actively working on:
singing, learning music theory, learning piano, constantly reading books on various science and social psychology topics, reading/listening to MOOC lectures on non-Western history, racism and social justice-related studies, (re)learning to draw. I'm a beginning powerboater and a beginning sailor and would love to connect with more communities around this (I already run a substantial project at a boating festival). I'm a very proficient builder, mechanic, and welder, and would love to do things with these skills that are NOT building Burning Man art - i've run some Craigslist Activities ads around this in the past, with some success meeting people for projects. I'd like to pick up more 'maker skills' such as electronics and fabrication. Currently planning on self-study but I'd like to find a good social meetup/project/excuse to meet people to do maker stuff with. I am already connected to various makerspaces and am mostly interested in East Bay stuff- planning on going to some Ace Monster Tools classes.
I've heavily explored and am currently fairly 'meh' about social events around kink, polyamory, and sexuality topics. I'm queerish but not that interested in "queer, the culture(s)" or dating-focused events, though I do run a meetup for women/trans people in the trades and I sometimes look at LGBTQ+ listings for activities that are otherwise often dominated by cis men (for instance I attended a queer women's music tech meetup a while ago, and I'm in some queer/trans climbers' meetups).
I like partner dancing and have a pretty good handle on my options in swing dance, blues dance, and salsa events. I do some personal writing and have been a serious writer in the past, so at some point soon I'm likely interested in writers' groups. I've run a coworking group in the past and probably want to be doing that again as an incentive to do more writing.
I don't generally watch shows or movies very often, though I've run a fun documentary movie night meetup that was quite successful. I speak Russian and have done a couple of sessions of a Russian movie night meetup with acquaintances, and could see organizing this more formally. I was a sci-fi nerd growing up but dont read much of it today.
I don't currently do anything in tech though I'm going to take some coding classes at some point. As a computer user my main interests are learning Photoshop and Illustrator, digital audio tools, CAD and CNC fabrication stuff. I have a very basic understanding of electronics and controls stuff and like doing practical electronics projects. I have a large art project for which I'd like to develop all of these skills further. I've run a bunch of craft night type things and I sew, though this is lower on my priorities list right now.
Right now I'm planning to jump into improv classes and take athletic stuff more seriously, with a goal to trying out running events at some point in the spring. I'm trying to step up my music proficiency and find more people to sing with. I'm super involved in a bunch of boating stuff due to an event I help organize in the Delta, so I'm likely going to take some sea kayaking classes and want to explore paddle sports more.
What fun thing do YOU do via some kind of class/meetup? Does anything from my interests remind you of a meetup/class/opportunity I might find interesting? Do you think a meetup should exist that currently doesn't?
I'm in my 40's and creative, so my "what I am interested in and have done" list is long, bear with me.
My social circle consists mostly of smart tech industry folks generally but our interests don't overlap very well- they're mostly Burning Man/festival culture people and while I'm a huge part of this world (I make art and organize big events) I'm becoming bored with the endless treadmill of events/parties/projects related to festivals (it's a nearly year-round thing at this point). Also, I am not in the tech industry and I work by myself, so I miss out on a certain amount of socializing via work (I'm in construction and am a solo operator).
I read a tremendous amount of non-fiction and I haven't figured out how to have a social life that incorporates my intellectual interests. This is the biggest hole in my social life which I'd like to plug with some kind of book group, meetup, or other activity. The closest I've come to finding other people into this are folks in the rationalist community in the East Bay, but their priorities (MIRI, Effective Altruism, lesswrong.com etc) are a bit culty and different than mine. I like the people and their community great deal, but am less interested in their main projects overall. I have not had good success finding meetups through the skeptic community which I have enjoyed. I'm on a few mailing lists but the 'skeptics in the pub' series hasn't really done it for me socially.
My interests/stuff I'm actively working on:
singing, learning music theory, learning piano, constantly reading books on various science and social psychology topics, reading/listening to MOOC lectures on non-Western history, racism and social justice-related studies, (re)learning to draw. I'm a beginning powerboater and a beginning sailor and would love to connect with more communities around this (I already run a substantial project at a boating festival). I'm a very proficient builder, mechanic, and welder, and would love to do things with these skills that are NOT building Burning Man art - i've run some Craigslist Activities ads around this in the past, with some success meeting people for projects. I'd like to pick up more 'maker skills' such as electronics and fabrication. Currently planning on self-study but I'd like to find a good social meetup/project/excuse to meet people to do maker stuff with. I am already connected to various makerspaces and am mostly interested in East Bay stuff- planning on going to some Ace Monster Tools classes.
I've heavily explored and am currently fairly 'meh' about social events around kink, polyamory, and sexuality topics. I'm queerish but not that interested in "queer, the culture(s)" or dating-focused events, though I do run a meetup for women/trans people in the trades and I sometimes look at LGBTQ+ listings for activities that are otherwise often dominated by cis men (for instance I attended a queer women's music tech meetup a while ago, and I'm in some queer/trans climbers' meetups).
I like partner dancing and have a pretty good handle on my options in swing dance, blues dance, and salsa events. I do some personal writing and have been a serious writer in the past, so at some point soon I'm likely interested in writers' groups. I've run a coworking group in the past and probably want to be doing that again as an incentive to do more writing.
I don't generally watch shows or movies very often, though I've run a fun documentary movie night meetup that was quite successful. I speak Russian and have done a couple of sessions of a Russian movie night meetup with acquaintances, and could see organizing this more formally. I was a sci-fi nerd growing up but dont read much of it today.
I don't currently do anything in tech though I'm going to take some coding classes at some point. As a computer user my main interests are learning Photoshop and Illustrator, digital audio tools, CAD and CNC fabrication stuff. I have a very basic understanding of electronics and controls stuff and like doing practical electronics projects. I have a large art project for which I'd like to develop all of these skills further. I've run a bunch of craft night type things and I sew, though this is lower on my priorities list right now.
Right now I'm planning to jump into improv classes and take athletic stuff more seriously, with a goal to trying out running events at some point in the spring. I'm trying to step up my music proficiency and find more people to sing with. I'm super involved in a bunch of boating stuff due to an event I help organize in the Delta, so I'm likely going to take some sea kayaking classes and want to explore paddle sports more.
What fun thing do YOU do via some kind of class/meetup? Does anything from my interests remind you of a meetup/class/opportunity I might find interesting? Do you think a meetup should exist that currently doesn't?
Are you familiar with/interested in Sacred Harp singing? It happens weekly in the east bay (though the holidays have messed with this a little) and I'm not exactly sure when in SF, but it does. Also did you ever give the queer contra dance thing that happens at the...oh actually I just went once and it wasn't quite for me and it looks like it may have changed venues so I'll just link it and you can see if it calls out to you.
posted by Smearcase at 11:42 AM on December 4, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Smearcase at 11:42 AM on December 4, 2018 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Yes! I went to the Sacred Harp sing earlier this fall. What else is like that (harmony singing for people without a classical music education or who dont' sight-read)?
posted by twoplussix at 11:43 AM on December 4, 2018
posted by twoplussix at 11:43 AM on December 4, 2018
There's a good chance we met, then! I don't know anything else quite like Sacred Harp. I'm possibly engaging weirdly with this question because finding social and intellectual connection in the bay area has been really hard in my experience, so I feel like I have more counterexamples than examples. That said, when I first got here, I looked around on meetup and found a really niche group (that doesn't exist anymore) that was fun and led to a good friendship. I think meetup can be something of a ghost town but I still get emails about new groups and it's probably worth a look.
Not sure if this is helpful but group classes at the California Jazz School in Berkeley are fun and feel like they ought to be social. I never connected with people in the classes I took but you might.
posted by Smearcase at 11:49 AM on December 4, 2018 [1 favorite]
Not sure if this is helpful but group classes at the California Jazz School in Berkeley are fun and feel like they ought to be social. I never connected with people in the classes I took but you might.
posted by Smearcase at 11:49 AM on December 4, 2018 [1 favorite]
I made a ton of friends in the East Bay in the waltz-polka-swing-schottische social scene, e.g. at Vintage Invasion. Overlaps with theater and improv theater and costuming. Also at the Starry Plough, a bit.
And Ace Monster wasn't my main thing, but I remember them very fondly -- first hackerspace I ever heard of with organized childcare.
posted by clew at 1:49 PM on December 4, 2018
And Ace Monster wasn't my main thing, but I remember them very fondly -- first hackerspace I ever heard of with organized childcare.
posted by clew at 1:49 PM on December 4, 2018
What else is like that (harmony singing for people without a classical music education or who dont' sight-read)?
One search term is "pub sing," which tends to mean someone who feels like it will get up and sing an unaccompanied chorus song, everyone will join in or harmonize as they see fit on the chorus, and then repeat with a new song leader. (Popular choices: drinking songs, union and work songs, sea shanties, ballads with refrains, other stuff from the US and British trad repertoire, occasional folk revival things, etc.) I don't know what the Bay Area community for that is like, but in general they're often more sociable than Sacred Harp singings, with more chatting and banter in between songs. Despite the name, they aren't always at pubs, but they sometimes are.
Yet another thing to look into would be groups that sing Balkan, Corsican, or Georgian (as in Republic of ____) music. All three places have strong unaccompanied harmony traditions, and in my experience groups that sing from those traditions are more welcoming to non-music-readers than "regular" choirs. Again, I don't know what the Bay Area scene is like, but I'd be shocked if there wasn't something out there, given the ambient geekiness and the large folk community generally.
posted by nebulawindphone at 2:14 PM on December 4, 2018 [1 favorite]
One search term is "pub sing," which tends to mean someone who feels like it will get up and sing an unaccompanied chorus song, everyone will join in or harmonize as they see fit on the chorus, and then repeat with a new song leader. (Popular choices: drinking songs, union and work songs, sea shanties, ballads with refrains, other stuff from the US and British trad repertoire, occasional folk revival things, etc.) I don't know what the Bay Area community for that is like, but in general they're often more sociable than Sacred Harp singings, with more chatting and banter in between songs. Despite the name, they aren't always at pubs, but they sometimes are.
Yet another thing to look into would be groups that sing Balkan, Corsican, or Georgian (as in Republic of ____) music. All three places have strong unaccompanied harmony traditions, and in my experience groups that sing from those traditions are more welcoming to non-music-readers than "regular" choirs. Again, I don't know what the Bay Area scene is like, but I'd be shocked if there wasn't something out there, given the ambient geekiness and the large folk community generally.
posted by nebulawindphone at 2:14 PM on December 4, 2018 [1 favorite]
I don't have personal experience with it but I know someone who enjoys being a member of the Calling All Choir, a "Service-Based Singing Organization." You don't have to know how to read music.
posted by rogerrogerwhatsyourrvectorvicto at 2:22 PM on December 4, 2018
posted by rogerrogerwhatsyourrvectorvicto at 2:22 PM on December 4, 2018
The Bay Area does actually have a community Georgian choir plus a slightly less open-to-whoever offshoot. I feel like Kitka maybe also has sorta offspring choirs that sing Music from Over Yonder but I never explored much because Kitka is all women so it wasn't open to me.
posted by Smearcase at 8:29 PM on December 4, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Smearcase at 8:29 PM on December 4, 2018 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thank you guys, that was helpful!
anyone still reading this:
Any recommendations about non-music classes/meetups/clubs you've attended 'round these parts? Anything you wish existed but doesn't yet?
posted by twoplussix at 9:06 AM on December 5, 2018
anyone still reading this:
Any recommendations about non-music classes/meetups/clubs you've attended 'round these parts? Anything you wish existed but doesn't yet?
posted by twoplussix at 9:06 AM on December 5, 2018
What kind of writing do you do? I'm pretty involved in the literary scene in the Bay and run a writer's group that meets once every 3-4 weeks in Berkeley! We can talk more in messages if you'd like about that. We're at capacity at the moment but always looking for new members (membership sometimes fluctuates due to people moving), especially if they're serious about their work.
My friend runs a Shorts Reading meetup in Berk, which gets together to discuss short fiction/nonfiction. It's pretty low-commitment and fun because the pieces are of pretty digestable size: https://www.meetup.com/Shorts-Reading-Club/
Re: racism and social justice work, SURJ Bay Area does pretty cool anti-oppression trainings for Caucasians and is a great way to get involved in organizing and the activist community if you want to put your studies into practice.
I'd like to find a good book club too, either a fiction or nonfiction one, but haven't had luck yet!
posted by zestful at 1:55 PM on December 5, 2018
My friend runs a Shorts Reading meetup in Berk, which gets together to discuss short fiction/nonfiction. It's pretty low-commitment and fun because the pieces are of pretty digestable size: https://www.meetup.com/Shorts-Reading-Club/
Re: racism and social justice work, SURJ Bay Area does pretty cool anti-oppression trainings for Caucasians and is a great way to get involved in organizing and the activist community if you want to put your studies into practice.
I'd like to find a good book club too, either a fiction or nonfiction one, but haven't had luck yet!
posted by zestful at 1:55 PM on December 5, 2018
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posted by col_pogo at 11:32 AM on December 4, 2018