The Democracy Center

Amazing meeting space for free/cheap in the heart of Cambridge. Facility is in good shape with several rooms and a kitchen. Recently they have added a ramp for wheelchair access making it easy for everyone to come here. Facility is heated but no air-conditioning so gets hot and humid some summer days.

Such an amazing community space and resource! They are so supportive of people who are trying to create social change. I highly recommend this venue!

I had an event here that ended up getting double booked.However, it is a great spot for meetings and small workshops.

This is a privately owned community center. Which basically means that a lot of really great events can be hosted here for a low cost to the organizers. I've gone to a couple of events for varied things here and it's been pretty great. It offers a lot to the community.

The democracy center is one of the most important cultural points in Boston. It is a safe haven and a maker space for Bostonians *actually* from all different backgrounds. It is a wonderful space that strives constantly to include more and more dynamic and timely programming to better serve the community. I strongly encourage everyone with an intrest in rebuilding our fractured community and saving ourselves from the onslaught of gentrification and republicanism in this city to go see what the democracy center has to offer.

Everything from accessible dancing lessons and improv to social and economic justice organizing happens here. It's one of those increasingly rare old-school, affordable, low-maintenance, just-for-the-community spaces that provide a sense of human living and interaction in a world increasingly dominated by atomizing apps, parochializing paywalls, and disinformation-soaked social media echo chambers. I really hope this place is able to stick around.

Great location for hosting events. Street parking is free at nights. Large room for an event with multiple other rooms for social interactions, and a kitchen.

I regularly to go the Tuesday blues dance here and it's a great community facility, very inviting and welcoming.

ActBlue's donation app tricks donors into donating more than they intend. ActBlue took $25 from me; but I clicked on $3. ActBlue's donation app arranges donation amounts and donation buttons in a confusing way. On Sept. 10th I received an email from ActBlue soliciting a donation. I decided to donate three dollars and clicked on the $3 button. Then I clicked on "Donate." But, to my surprise, I immediately received a thank you email for a $25 donation. I immediately replied to dispute the charge as, indeed, $25 was already taken from my bank account. By email to ActBlue Receipts, I requested that ActBlue immediately return the $25 to my bank account.but ActBlue fails to respond. I have no wealth to support a $25 donation, which happens to be my weekly budget for groceries! ActBlue practices deceptive solicitations of donations. I want a refund of $25 and $100 for punitive damages.

This place is awesome and has great space to rent. Hands down. Not only is it super convenient and close to Harvard Square, its a great place to hold any kind of event or meeting. The staff was really friendly and extreme helpful. They were really nice and took me step by step through the place and process of renting a room. The place itself is kind of cool with an old vibe. Built in the 1800s, this place has a great atmosphere and the hardwood floors are really nice touch. The Rosa Parks room, which we rented for a photo shoot, was perfect for our needs, as it had really interesting furniture, a cool mantel and non-working fireplace that gave our project a nice flavor. They have a kitchen as well, and a few other rooms that vary in size that are perfect for certain events. Its not huge or overwhelming, but rather intimate which is all the better. If you are in need of a cheap (rooms run on a per event basis) and really great place to rent for your rehearsal/event/meeting needs, check The Democracy Center.

I have attended a few functions at the Democracy Center before. I certainly hope that the price is right, because the space lacks at least one, really important thing. It has no space conditioning in the summer. If you really, really, REALLY want to sweat in the shade rather than direct rays then the Democracy Center is the place for you, but you will become a hot, sweaty mess either way. To be fair, I have also attended functions here in cooler weather. It is a serviceable space for low budget, community meetings and every one there seems chill. Just check the weather report before scheduling here, and seek out cooler pastures on hot days.

I go to the Democracy Center weekly for blues dancing on Bluesy Tuesy. It is one of my favorite dance venues because the Center has a wonderful slightly run-down homey feel kind of like some of the extra rooms in a church. But the people that go there are usually 20 or 30 somethings. So with dancing and hanging out with food in the kitchen and chatting, it feels rather like an awesome church social event if church wasn't religious and was run by super cool young people. I think it's really the strong sense of community and coziness that makes it feel that way. There's just always something different going on. I've been blues dancing there and I've also been to a comic book artist's meeting there and seen improv theater and book club meetings going on. Just a cool place to hang no matter what event you go to. And I highly disagree with Alexa R. We blues dancers drink the water all the time and it is fine. The bathroom is so-so but not at all on the level where you would need to avoid using it.

The Democracy Center is both a great resource and a great place to hold various meetings. In terms of resource, there are offices of different groups within the Center itself (as I learned on Wednesday night, ActBlue got its start here, among others). Furthermore, there's the Papercut Zine Library, a resource I haven't had the chance to check out yet, but looks very cool. The meeting-space level is where the Center really shines. The spaces are available with approval for relatively cheap cost, and one can hold events and meetings for groups that range from a few people (the Rosa Parks and Cesar Chavez rooms seem to fit this bill) to larger book events (the Nelson Mandela room can comfortably fit at least 25, as I found out with our book event). The spaces are very well-kept, and easy to work with, especially considering that the Center has tables and chairs at the ready for moving in and out of the room based on how many people one has. Furthermore, the staff is incredibly friendly and helpful. It is incredible that there's such a great resource in Boston for meetings and groups. If you're a group leader, a group member, or just someone who wants to check out cool stuff, The Democracy Center is a great resource. They have a wide variety of different groups meeting, some open to the public, and have space available for people to work with that's relatively cheap. :)

My first visit to the Democracy Center was a d'uh moment. The place is steps away from my house yet I've been dragging my feet to explore it. Luckily the first event I went to was a big winner. The event was a Drinking Liberally event for Mike Lux, the author of the Progressive Revolution, prime time blogger and member of multiple White House teams. His words were appreciated but his community spirit was even more appreciated. He listened to questions with intense curiosity and didn't sugar coat anything. I can tell that this is a theme at the Democracy Center -- it is a beacon of hope and progressive politics -- I can hope that my next visit is as productive as my first!

A valuable resource for the community! One of the few spaces left in Boston/Cambridge that books all-ages shows.

I'm speaking as a frequent visitor, not as a person who has ever rented out the space. So apparently activism groups hold meetings here. Meh. I've just gone to a couple of shows here. I like that the kitchen is readily accessible so I can fill up on water. A night of skanking can get quite dehydrating. No complaints. It's a clean, well-maintained space.

I don't know why I only gave this place 4 stars initially. I love the Democracy Center, and I love the folks who work to put on awesome shows there. Great place, great people. Check it out.

Don't drink the water. Try to avoid using the bathroom.