Space Gallery

I’ve been coming to Polk St for years and never knew this place existed. When you walk by the façade, it looks like an abandoned space. My friend was hosting a party there, so I stopped to try and find it. Someone came up to me and asked if I knew the password, and I knew I was about to go somewhere I’d never been on Polk St!
Inside there was a bar and a staircase leading up to the art gallery. Upstairs there was a small cove where the DJ was set up (and later a band), and then there were 3 separate rooms featuring hanging art. The run-​downness outside made me surprised at how nice this place was inside, and the dirty windows somehow became endearing and part of their «secret look».
A few downfalls:
–Like many bars in that neighborhood they only served soju, beer, and wine, which was a disappointment. Luckily they were serving red/​white sangria, which was delicious. They had some unique mixed drinks with soju (I got a pink lemonade sugary drink which was pretty good) but I don’t think soju drinks are worth $ 8 no matter where you are.
–We were dancing upstairs and it got ridiculously hot in there. They had one fan on the ground pointed towards the crowd but it hardly did anything. It was hot and people started filing downstairs to get away from it, which just made the bar overcrowded.
–The event ended too early! It was over at midnight and the staff became very rude very quickly, yelling at people to get out, as soon as the last song finished playing.
If this place was out in the open and was just another bar on Polk St, I don’t think it would do very well. The layout is limiting and I don’t think the two back room galleries are utilized well for all the space this place has. It was a fun one-​time experience, but I think it would take a pretty cool event to get me to go back there.

I came here for a friend’s birthday and I had fun, despite how hot it got. I guess I dont mind sweatin’ :P
Too bad this place only has one bathroom stall… so toilet paper and paper towels ran out fast and it just seemed gross in there.
The bar had limited drinks which disappointed me at first but its ok, the bartender made some pretty good soju for me… if you like super sweet drinks.
The upstairs portion had an art gallery which I thought was cool, but I prefered dancing.
Unfortunately the event had to end at midnight. I’d only come back here if my friend was DJing again.

My friend and I recently tried to book this space. Was in contact with the owner, Chris, since December about an event for the end of Jan. Through emails, texts, and phone calls, Chris told my friend the space was ours on our requested date and asked us to come in to see the space, sign the contract, and cut a check to secure the date.
Eager to lock it in, we agreed and reached out no less than 3 times to schedule a time to do this but never heard back. Finally, a couple days later, Chris replies that he booked the space to another party on our date.
Is this really how to treat prospective customers? And to make matters even worse, despite offering to recommend other spaces to us, when I called to ask for them, they never called me back.
I just think this is a terrible way to treat customers. Why would we ever consider renting your space again?

I stopped by this gallery on a Saturday afternoon, because I had read about the art show «Bad Dads: A Tribute to the Films of Wes Anderson» and was dying to see it.
Not knowing the area very well, finding the gallery was a bit of an experience. The article I read had advertised the gallery as «the brand new LoPo Gallery.» However, there was nothing to indicate the location I had found to be called by any such name.
There were bars on the window and a security door just barely unlatched blocking the entrance to a downstairs bar area. The place seemed abandoned, and my friend and I had actually walked past it several times dismissing it as the place we were looking for.
Finally, I yelled to a well-​bearded man up near the second story window and asked him if there was a gallery there. He confirmed there was indeed, and told us to come on up.
The whole fiasco just added to my enjoyment of it all. The show was so great, and I absolutely loved the shady, mysterious vibe the place gave off as a first impression.

Space Gallery is a great venue for hosting parties and just for an early bar night with appealing art work. The staff is very friendly and they accommodate all of your needs. I enjoy the two floors, and the fact that they’re expanding their space.
The bathroom could be a little more convenient and nicer, but the rest is solid.

great space.
great bartender, thus great drinks.
great art from the up-​and-​coming that already have the skills of masters.
great music.
great ppl.
great vibe.

«PAINLESS EVENT PLANNING» (…) «And while other venues provide a list of things you CANNOT do, we encourage creativity to make your event fun and memorable! So just drop us a quick note and tell us what you have in mind. We’ll get right back to you with some available dates… painlessly!»
Are we supposed to laugh at this description?!
I dropped the «note» — NO ANSWER
I called, and when I got to talk with someone, they said they would have to check with their supervisor and have them contact me with the details. It would have been around 3000 dollars which I said was fine, but NEVER got any details back.
If you don’t want my business just tell me you’re already booked instead of making me loose my time on emails and calls. There are plenty of places that will gladly take my business, PAINLESSLY and PROFESSIONALLY!

Coming to Space Gallery was like a breath of fresh air. It got my mind off of the everyday normality & familiarity of my life at the time by giving me a chance to meet new people in a previously unexplored part of the city.
I happened to make my way to Space Gallery in October for Ting’s lumpia cook off & to my dismay, I lost horribly. Well not horribly. out of 3 competitors I ranked 2^nd! Not bad being a lumpia virgin right? Well, only because my competitors tied for first LOL! I knew i should’ve made the easier, cheaper, more obvious decision to stick with shanghai!
Anyways, I haven’t been back since, but as for what I can remember, Space Gallery was pretty small but intimate enough for private parties & small functions. With the beer, wine, champagne & soju bar downstairs, it leaves the real drinkers feeling betrayed.
With a name like Space Gallery, you may be led to believe one of two things, 1) it’s pretty spacious in there, or 2) envision paintings of solar supernovas, meteorites, & sunspots. In actuality, Space Gallery might need more space as I could imagine could get pretty packed & heated in there especially upstairs.
The atmosphere was great, the art displayed was short of interesting & lacked the spark to engage in random conversation. Nonetheless, I would come back to see how a night at the Space Gallery unfolds on a non event night. Consider it 3.5 stars.

Dope little place. Alcohol, DJs/​beats, and really cool art = great time with friends. Not to mention it was FREE when we went. Not sure if it’s always like that. It gets pretty packed downstairs but hey, it’s tiny, it’s expected. Upstairs there’s plenty of room but it’s hot as hell, even when it’s not filled up. I’d love to come back. They only took cash at the bar when we went but there was an ATM machine inside. There are a few garages you can park at that are real close. Check it out.

Great balls of fire! At least that’s what I would have were I equipped with such to begin with… the temperature in here is INSANITY!
Perfect venue to host a fundraiser/​exhibit show– intimate, great bartender, good selection of soju based cocktails/​beer/​wine, not too crowded…
Word of advice for those looking to host here: establish good clear cut information with owner prior to event– such as minimums to meet, etc… I have heard from multiple previous hosts that owner will discriminate based off cash income potential (which honestly, what good business owner wouldn’t)… but just word of warning to lay the land so nothing is changed last minute…

Trying to decide on the next location of the night after a few drinks at Hemlock, and the suggestion of a «house show» next door, we stopped into Space. Yes, I know the show, and Space, wouldn’t necessarily cut it as a house show, but it sure did have that vibe which made thing somewhat more pleasurable.
I liked the layout. The entire time the band played I imagined ways that I would set up a living situation in the provided areas. The upstairs section has beautiful open windows looking down the street that would be a nice nightly view.
The sound wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t good enough to really be enjoyed. Red Strip bottles is a plus, but it gets WAYYY to hott up there.

This place is actually pretty dope for this part of Polk Street. It’s a different vibe than most other places near by. It offers very intriguing and thought provoking art, a very down to earth and artsy crowd, great drink selection, and *interesting* themed parties upstairs (I will never forget the first night I went there…).
If you’re looking to step out of the normal bar scene and experience something a little different you should check this place out.

So here’s the thing, we needed a place for our company holiday party — and I immediately defaulted to Space Gallery. I had stumbled into this place after an already hazy night at next-door’s Hemlock to find the Space Gallery buzzing with people and rocking some sweet skateboard art on the walls. Just my kind of thing… so I purchased a cocktail and roamed the art. Was one of those nights you trip and fall face-​flat on San Francisco’s little gems.
I digress, flash-​forward 7 months later and suddenly I am emailing the owner to get estimated for the night… come to find that Ray is literally one of the easiest people to work with in event planning that I have met in this city. Say what you will about «bringing money in» — if you are going to do it, do it right. Yeah, I understand completely why an owner of a f*cking art gallery would turn down your 19^th b-​day party. Deal with it.
Our modest (but equally rad) tech company ended up having a killer holiday party. Dope art all over the walls on top of it! Custom drinks (they went out to buy fresh guava for them!) make up for the fact that it’s only wine, beer, and soju cocktails. Not-​to-​mention that Ray has all the equipment to host a projector for video, a whole set up for your DJ to come spin, and will man the door himself to make sure your guest-​list is upheld.
In all, thanks to the Space Gallery for making my life easier and hosting an awesome party that made my company look as cool as it is.

«No. No no no no no. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO» — Michael Scott to Toby
I’m not a fan of this place. I tried to rent it out for a party, and similar to other Unilocalers, I was brushed aside because the owner didn’t think I’d bring enough money in. Luckily I found The Hive and my party turned into a total success.
Stay far, far away from this place unless you’re a baller with a ton of cash in which case, Ray will welcome you with open arms.

I came out to Space Gallery tonight because they were having a wine tasting event hosted by Spencer and Daniels.
This review is kind of going to be a kill two birds with one stone deal… both the Space Gallery and Spencer and Daniels are worthy of a 5 star rating. I’ll write another review about S & D’s some other time. But for now…
Space Gallery is a two story, kind of small and intimate gallery. It feels kind of ancient inside, but I feel like that’s part of the appeal. The wooden floors and the old church bench upstairs are pretty rad. It’s the little things in life that amuse me.
Anyway… the art on display tonight ranged from fun kooky cartoon monsters to graffiti to nude art. The crowd tonight was really friendly and approachable. Wine often helps to encourage this. Speaking of wine, the tasting selection was ample and delicious. The Spencer and Daniels staff were really nice and knowledgeable. There was also never a wait to try more wine. Oh! And the music was really nice. Not overpowering or distracting from the wine or the art. I can’t wait to come back to Space Gallery for another wine tasting event.

First experience here was for the tattoo artists’ exhibition this past week, where my friend and I both bought a piece. The space itself is pretty good — a little on the smaller side but a solid layout with a functioning bar (avoid the elderflower cocktail btw).
Chris, the guy who owns and runs the art portion of the gallery, was really helpful upon finding out that we wanted to buy pieces. He went out of his way to contact the artist, who had to finish his tattoo for a client so couldn’t make it, treated us to drinks and was extremely accommodating. They run different exhibits every week, and thus far I think it’s definitely a place worth checking out as they exhibit a pretty wide variety of shit and the crowd has been very non bourgeois.

I discovered this spot last month when I was attending an art showing put on by a talented group of artists called Surreality In Reality (
) and I absolutely loved this place!
Two floors with a cozy but wonderful feel and super nice bartenders. Show up on a Friday and you might be fortunately enough to run into Lee. This third grade teacher and part time bartender is super awesome. She makes a mean drink and is one of the most interesting people I’ve ever spoke with!
So if you have the chance, check out the Space Gallery’s event page and find an excuse to check out the many exciting events that the gallery puts on each month! Pick a SIR event and you might even find me!

Came a while back for a West Memphis 3 fundraiser, and really enjoyed the place. Beer and Wine available downstairs, great live art performances as well as wall /​displayed art upstairs.
Awesome hidden little gem — get on their email list, and go check them out!

This bar/​gallery does not serve liquor.
But they do sell 40s of OLD E!!!
On a random Thursday night, I found a small but formidable group of hip looking peeps having a pepper eating constest upstairs. The guy with the handlebar mustache won. It was pure joy to watch people cry, gulp down bottles full of CREAM OF TARTAR, and stomp their feet in pain… as I drank a 40 of OLD E!
Docked one star as the bar closed early without any real warning. No one was there once the pepper contest ended, but this left us with the option to go BACK to the Hemlock or go home.

Sun Ra said Space Is The Place**, and I must concur.
Space is the Place for:
–HOT boys. In abundance.
-$ 1 sake shots
–Great Art by talented Unilocalers
–Humidity (minus one star for the outrageous temperature in there)
–Lots of rubbing up on sexy strangers (it’s TINY and PACKED!)
–HOT boys. In abundance
–Tim V and Gabriel R’s AMAZING work (shameless plug)
Walking into Space is like dying and going to heaven. Ladies, take note! This place is a treasure trove of adorable single men. Walking into Space is also like being transported directly to the fiery pits of hell. It is HOT in here. My hair went from fab to fro in the five steps it took us to elbow our way from the front door to the packed bar. It is so hot in here, my boobs were sweating. My boobs! How does that happen? I actually would have stayed longer but I’m pretty hot as it is, and Space pushed me over the edge of reasonable hotness.
I love the space. Downstairs is tiny and (I imagine) cozy, when not so packed full of rowdy Unilocalers. Upstairs is a larger, well-​lit space that (I imagine) could make a great dancefloor and dj setup for a smallish gathering. The adorable little bartenders did their best to accomadate our pack of thirsty alcoholics. Thanks, guys! I can’t wait to come back when it’s less crowded. You should note that they have a very very limited wine menu but a very very extensive soju menu. Soju gets me very very drunk so I passed, but the drinks sounded delish! Cash only!
Oh! And on our way out, the police showed up about a noise complaint! Anytime the cops show up, you know it’s been a good time!
**If you have not yet seen Space Is The Place, I highly recommend you netflix it asap. Drop some acid, curl up with the one you love, and enjoy!