Space12

I have been playing music here regularly here for the past 2 years with the Mosaic community. The sound system is great, very clean sounding, and the flexibility of the space is suitable for most things under 200 folks. The staff running it is clear, thoughtful, and very communicative. I recommend the space, and both of the church communities who meet there on Sundays very highly!

We rented Space12 for my wife’s birthday party. It was a great experience from start to finish. Everyone loved it. The atmosphere there is fun, and it had everything we needed. Also, I was happy to support a non-​profit group with a great mission. Can’t recommend Space12 enough.

Agree with Sarah S.
Space 12 is the perfect symbolic place for the July 7^th Police accountability summit due to the history of what took place there. The mission for this event closely aligns with the mission of bringing austinites together to make our streets more peaceful. Unfortunately in order for our streets to be more peaceful and to stop Austin Police from shooting and murdering unarmed African American males, we need to bring the entire community together to hold them accountable. There is no other way.
Due to the proximity to the date of our event, Space 12 has placed our initiative in jeopardy because of their judgement that we are not a positive action BUT, exactly the opposite is true as NO ONE else has decided to challenge the Austin Police Department except the Occupy Austin people… and everyone sees what they got from it. This initiative will build a coalition of Occupy Austin, liberty activists and the disenfranchised East side austinites who have paid the biggest price of all. What a shame that Space 12’s management cannot see how this would benefit the very community that they reside in.
We are holding training sessions at various venues in town from now until the end of June that will examine what our civil rights are. We will be bringing in civil rights attorneys and scholars. We will teach ourselves exactly what our rights are. We will train our community on how to protect ourselves and each other. We’re not going to stop there. This movement will grow organically and when the people unite, there will be no stopping us. Too bad Space 12 is to short sighted to see that. Even local area east side churches have turned a deaf ear to a movement that would empower and engage their members to make their streets safer. What a shame.
If anyone has a venue that may be willing to host our event, please contact us at

They claim «Space12 aims to host positive community initiatives that bring Austinites together.» Too bad this is a lie.
Space12 refused to book an event that aims to bridge communication between Austinites and police, help people understand their rights, learn audio and video recording techniques, and more.
After several warm emails and a visit, the staff turned. In 2007, before Space12 was there, 25 yr. old Alexander Brown was shot and killed by APD Sgt. Michael Olsen. This should have made Space12 the perfect location for a forum on accountability, community activism, and citizen empowerment. 5 years later, here we are, joining together to make a positive change!
Instead, Space12 made a terrible, offensive, divisive, political choice not to ally with people they say they want to bring together. For a community space to decline both the money from a grassroots group, and the partnership, is unnecessary and beyond disappointing. Their mentality makes no sense when there is no side to take.
I wanted to like this place. If you have personal needs such as a wedding reception or celebration, I’m sure Space 12 is just another venue, happy to accommodate you.
If you’re excited about building community, making a positive impact, bringing together people of all different backgrounds, helping Austinites, helping yourself, or other efforts, don’t believe the hype. Space12 falsely represents their mission.
Also, they quoted $ 50 for a cleaning fee, then changed it to $ 85.

I just used Space12 for a big birthday celebration and it was great! My guests all asked how I had found this place as it’s a little hidden away and dark on the outside, but once you get in – it’s totally Austin and has a great vibe! We had about 100 guests with dancing and a buffet. Harmon was great and easy to work with. I love that this is a multi-​use space and a non-​profit. I’d definitely recommend it!

My wife and I chose Space12 as the spot for our wedding ceremony and reception. there was ample space for 120 people to sit for our ceremony, and eat and dance during the reception. We were given essentially carte blanche to decorate as we pleased, though honestly it didn’t take much, given how wonderful and unique the space is already. The bathrooms were fine, and there’s even a well-​stocked playroom in the back that we staffed with a babysitter for the kids. There was plenty of parking, and Harmon, the staff member who took care of everything for us, was generous, unobtrusive, and incredibly helpful. We got great reviews from all the guests who were blown away by the uniqueness, warmth, and coziness of the space. The rate was WELL below what you’d pay elsewhere in Austin (for 7 hours of setup and 4 hours for the event, plus two hours the day before for rehearsal), and all the money goes towards their community programs. An amazing place like no other in Austin with a great conscience, helpful staff, and a killer price, Space12 was the perfect venue for our wedding.
(PS: Written by Beth’s Husband)

Great urban, raw, artsy space which was what my husband and I were looking for when planning a small DIY reception. We got married right on the bamboo stage and set up the remanding space to accommodate fold out tables and chairs for guests that were included in the rental. Harmon was helpful and was a pleasure to work with! You get a great space at a great rate and it all goes toward helping their wonderful programs and community efforts. I’d recommend Space 12 to anyone, just make sure you have a crew with you if you are renting (kind of a «leave no footprint») deal. As long as you have helpers though, it’s not too bad!

My wife and I recently hosted our wedding reception at Space12 and we loved it! We had about 80 people show up for food, drinks, dancing, and a Friar’s Club style «Roast» of yours truly and the missus. We had a blast here, and nearly every conversation with guests started with «How did you find such a cool place?!»
Paul Wang (one of the directors of space12) was truly amazing to work with. He gladly worked around our schedule, which was crazy b/​c he had a new baby to take care of at the same time! The man is indefatigable. He kept in touch with us the whole time we were planning the party, even suggesting places to get supplies. I’d definitely recommend working with Paul.
We chose Space12 not JUST for its reasonable rate (which was exceedingly reasonable) but also for the community oriented feel the place has. In addition to Space12’s ability to host a kick-​ass party, they also house a prison book exchange program, free yoga, a church, creative writing workshops for local youth, and presumably much more. And all that stuff? They do it for free. Paul gave us a quick tour of the building, and speaking with him about his work at Space12 quickly convinced me that we were definitely helping something great happen in East Austin.
Needless to say, I heartily recommend Space12 for your next gathering.

This is a fantastic space (no pun intended) for all your meeting and gathering needs.
Our organization (the Austin Coed Soccer Association) was looking for a place to hold their thrice a year, all-​hands meeting. Someone in the organization suggested I look into Space12 (I was tasked with booking our meeting space). Used the website to contact them and Paul got back to me very promptly. We discussed what our organization needed, and what kind of accommodations they had. Paul was very helpful and patient through the whole process.
Showed up this past Wednesday, not knowing what to expect. I was instantly blown away. As someone mentioned previously, it had a very clubhouse feel to it. There was a ping pong table set up, a coffee/​snack bar setup in the back, a library, and plenty of seating. In addition to their lounge style couch seating, there was also more than a plentiful amount of folding chairs, and tables were also available to us; they really can handle groups of all shapes and sizes.
Our members have been raving about Space12 ever since; I never thought we would get that kind of response from a meeting venue, but when you look at all the positives, it is not hard to see why. It is easy to find, easy to park at, very comfortable interior, and they were a pleasure to work with. If you are looking for a place to hold any kind of meeting or event, I strongly urge you to get in touch with the staff at Space12 and talk to them about hosting it there. It will be an experience you won’t soon forget.

I hosted a surprise 40^th b-​day event for my husband here last weekend.
All different kinds of people were there: families with small children, older folks, and young hard-​to-​impress artist types. It’s hard to find a venue other than a restaurant (yawn) for a group like that. This space was not only appropriate, it had the whole room raving out loud all night and asking me over and over «How did you FIND this place?»
To call Space 12 a hidden gem is an understatement.
It’s an art gallery *and* a cool lounge, and it pulls of that combo somehow with zero pretense. It’s a community center by day so it’s comfortable, homey, and joyfully colorful (without looking like a daycare center). It’s like being in a really cool loft apartment in lower Manhattan, but there’s a surprising amount of space.
And since it’s a community center you know that renting this venue is actually a good karma move on your part, too!
Also, the guys there were great to work with, which was a refreshing surprise ~ Thank you Paul & Sam!
Five stars is not enough! 12 stars for Space 12!!!

I recently hosted an event at Space 12 and they were a pleasure to work with. Very nice and reasonable rates. We had both a screening and a party there.
Space 12 is a fantastic party venue with plenty of seating. At first it appears to have a club house feel, but after dark and with the right furniture arrangement it can be lounge-​like. You should have your event here, but if you’re doing it in the summer, make sure you cool down the building well in advance of your event.

I was impressed with Space 12 because its the kind of place my husband and I could spend the day at just hanging out reading or doing art… whatever. The brochure says it all, they are all about community and uniting everyone. Doesn’t matter where you are from, what your nationality is… here you can just hang out and be one. The place itself is roomy, colorful and chill. I wish I had the brochure so I could quote these guys. They just seem so into bringing people together its really awesome and rare.

Nothing like a sweet ass Unilocal event to introduce me to a new venue. It is such a great space, lots of room but also easily sectioned off. Colorful and funky yet clean and modern. Driving through the East side is always an interesting experience but I certainly didn’t feel unsafe once I arrived.
Ping pong, foosball, a built in bar, and audio/​visual capabilities, this place is one of the best new venues I’ve come across in a long time.
By the end of the night I had decided that it is the PERFECT place for one of our kickball parties. So hard to find venues that have bars, games, and technology already in place for you. Thanks to Kelly S for finding this sassy spot that I’ll hopefully be able to use in the future!

I stumbled upon this joint during an aimless drive on the East Side. Tired of those closer to 35 establishments, i decided to just kick around and see what I could turn up. On my drive east on 12^th, I saw this gem… an artistically graffiti-​ed wall, an empty parking lot and a strange allure.
So i parked it and walked in the coolest new space I’ve been in for a while. Not only is it colorful and funky, it’s got foosball, ping pong, drinks/​snacks by donation, a library of donated books (that they bundle and send to prisoners), mismatched furniture and a hell of a lot of potential.
The guys who found the building gutted it, painted it, and have turned it into a community coworking space of sorts. An investment in the area and a neat place to boot. I spent some hours working there today and enjoyed the no pressure, low key atmosphere of a place you can actually get work done in. Unless, of course, you get lured away by the ping pong. Then it’s procrastination heaven :)

Really wonderful community space in East Austin. The paint job is funky and bold, and there is always some sort of artwork on display inside. They did a superb job transforming a rundown bar into a modern venue for community events and gatherings. People can even come here to work if they usually work from home. You can truly feel the love, effort, and «local flavor» put into here.
Props for coming up with the name, brook s.

this place has come a long way since its days as Chester’s.
i’m slightly biased since i put blood and sweat into the walls and floors while remodeling, but this place is fantastic.
tutoring, meeting space, parties, concerts, art shows, it’s a jack-​of-​all-​trades venue.
hell, i even had my wedding here.
if you’re in east austin, or anywhere near austin, stop by some time and check it out.
everyone here is amazingly friendly and helpful, and they even have snacks, drinks, and computers to use.
additionally, they have a sweet name (shameless self-​plug) and an amazing logo (via greg formager).
here’s to many more years of awesome on 12^th street.