For the ultimate in DIY ethic, you can't beat Noisebridge. This space is a gathering place for hackers and builders of all kinds, including computer hackers and life-hacking urban farmers. You can learn how to solder, join an iPhone developers' meet-up, take vegan cooking classes, play Go, or join a sewing circle. The guiding principle of the space: "Be excellent to each other." Noisebridge has a democratic vibe and a distinctive sense of humor. At a party late last summer, the staff collected donations, proposed ways to spend it, voted — and then sent a random partygoer on a whirlwind trip to Singapore as the Noisebridge "ambassador." (One of the rejected ideas: mash $1,000-worth of Hostess cakes into a ball, set it on fire, and roll it across Dolores Park.)