Public works for a partying public

Head down an out-of-the-way alley near an electrical goods warehouse in San Francisco’s Mission District and keep going until you see a colourful Banksy mural on the side of a nondescript beige building. You’ve reached Fog City’s go-to place for gritty urban entertainment, Public Works.

“We cater to the underground scene,” says owner Jeff Whitmore. “We’re not very commercial and we do a lot of events with crews from Burning Man festival.” The evolving mural outside is only the start of the art scene at Public Works. Step inside and you’ll find a multipurpose space housing studios, workshops and a gallery.

Art often spills onto the stage as well, such as when Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra collaborated with a bunch of artists including Shepard Fairey. Anything goes at Public Works. Basement Jaxx, Diplo and Mumford & Sons have all played here. One event turned into a “toilet paper party”, as Whitmore puts it, when a group of Pagans performed rituals on what turned out to be a faulty waterbed.

PRE- PARTY

Hitting the Mission District? Start at Dolores Park, where the people and music revive my love for the city.

PRIME THE PUMP

Try Picaro for tapas or La Cumbre and Pancho Villa for burritos. In Bernal Heights (aka Outer Mission), it’s El Rio and Virgil’s for drinks and outdoor backyards.

MAIN EVENT

Public Works never disappoints. I booked Krewella’s first SF show here, and I’ve seen Too Short with a live band. Use the FlyWheel app to taxi to an after-hours party or home—no surge pricing!