[beethove]

I'd like to augment my studies with actual practice, but live in an apartment.  Is there a way to practice chemistry as an amateur in San Francisco? Chem lab for the public? Do it yourself chem lab for the home (I live in an apartment though and don't have a garage)?

[curiouscat]

Try your local Hackerspace?

Or visit a local school or college & be extra nice to a Professor / Lab In charge.

[Arkcon]

Some public libraries are considering setting up hackerspaces, or techspaces or makerspaces.  Ref: http://news.slashdot.org/story/14/01/27/199234/public-libraries-tinker-with-offering-makerspaces  The question is, what experiments do you need to perform, to help you learn?  You'll have to be concrete if you want to convince people to let you use their resources.  If you want to practice fractional distillations, recrystallization, maybe a library would stock a lab for that purpose.  If you want to practice techniques that are the same as those used to manufacture crystal meth -- well, you shouldn't be shocked if no one wants to help.

*{EDIT}*

Some places to start:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tool-lending_libraries#California

Notable hackerspaces:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackerspace#Notable_hackerspaces