The Year of the Teen
The year 2011 needs to bring more activities for teenagers to Temecula.
If you're three or nine or 30 or 50, you might think Temecula's a pretty rocking place to live. If you're between 12 and 21, you might as well be living in a bubble. A very boring bubble.
Temecula needs a nightlife for teens and young adults. If you want proof, go to Barnes & Noble.
Pull up to the Barnes and Noble outside the Promenade mall on a Friday night and what do you see? Aisles and aisles of teenagers chatting and lounging with nary a book sale to be seen.
Everyone knows that teenagers don't read anymore, so that can mean only one thing: there is nothing else to do in Temecula.
In 2008, the city shut down Cuppy's coffee house on Winchester Road, a live music venue where kids hung out and listened to local bands. Since then, the Vault opened on Enterprise Circle North, but they are not open every weekend, and it's more a concert venue than a nightclub.
When I was a teenager in Orange County in the 1980s, there were multiple nightclubs for underage kids – all the way from Orange to Huntington Beach to San Clemente. It was a rare Friday or Saturday night when I wasn't crammed in the back of a Volkswagen Beetle being driven to some smoke- and alcohol-free club where the pulse of Bananarama and Madness music shook the floor.
There were security guards to keep out the creepy old guys and no booze or cigarettes – which were usually clove back then – were allowed.
Look a little drunk? No entry. Feel like fighting? Step away from the door. Want to go to the roof for a quick makeout session? Think again. We kids thought we were running wild what with the dim lights, the pounding beat of the music, and the thrill of being away from the grip of our parents for a few hours. We had no idea that we couldn't have been safer if a SWAT team was keeping guard outside.
Why can't Temecula do something like that? Because it would be shut down in a nanosecond, that's why. A place where teenagers would go and listen to music and dance and talk to each other? Here? That's crazy talk!
This is the same city that got apoplectic when the Vagina Monologues played at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater in 2008 and when a painting by Jeff Hebron of a nude woman went up in an exhibit at The Merc early last year.
Don't get me wrong, I love Temecula. It boasts great schools, public pools, city-sponsored classes in the summer for kids and adults, walking trails and sports facilities. For the parents, there are wineries and microbreweries for tours and tasting as well as nightclubs and a comedy club at the Pechanga casino, and don't forget the golf courses.
Mom and Dad can take their little ones to parks or a kid's museum in Old Town. There's lots of stuff for parents to do with preschoolers and elementary-age children. Just nothing for teens.
If the leaders of Temecula want to entice young people to stay in the city and not flee as soon as they get out of high school, they need to woo businesses that cater to teens.
A bored teenager is an unhappy teenager and apt to get into trouble. I think alcohol and drug use could go down if the kids had somewhere to go and something to do other than sit in a bookstore for three hours or hang out in a parking lot until midnight and drink beer.
Security at a club could protect the teens from themselves and make sure no alcohol or drugs make their way in and no one could sit in the parking lot to get high or drunk either.
This isn't a wine tasting party, for Pete's sake. For a city with empty industrial buildings begging for tenants, a club for teens could bring in needed cash for a landlord, tax money to the city, raise employment for maintenance and security people who are looking for work and it just might make your kid consider the town you love to be something more than a huge bore.
What would you like to see in Temecula in 2011?
Tell us in the comments.
Bill Gould
11:40 pm on Monday, January 3, 2011
I agree for the most part, and fully support more activities for teens. I do host an event at The Merc (http://www.liveatthemerc.com) every Friday night and at least 2 of the Fridays are geared toward teens. I have had teens drive from OTHER cities as far away as Yuma Arizona to see events at The Merc and tell me they WISH they had that. Teens also have The Vault as you mentioned. The both venues put together are a lot more than most cities have, including Murrieta, Menifee or Lake Elsinore to the best of my knowledge.
The unfortunate reality is running a teen club is very expensive with very little return on investment, thats why people with money are not lining up to finance such a venue. I know first hand as the guy who started Madlins Coffee House music events in February 2004 and then moved to Java Joz / Cuppy's in January of 2006......
**they wouldnt let my entire post up, so check my blog at http://http://mrbillgould.blogspot.com/2011/01/need-for-teen-activities-in-temecula.html
Susan Marsh
7:21 am on Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Jennifer makes an excellent point, actually several excellent points.
We need to give the kids safe alternatives to hang out with friends.
The kids need to show some respect and appreciate the opportunity or it won't last long.
deleted
8:46 am on Tuesday, January 4, 2011
A company has looked at building a multi use entertainment facility in Temecula and I hope they still plan to. They will have bowling, arcade games, rollerskating and a cafe, maybe also a dance/concert area. Such a business would do well in Temecula in my opinion. There was an arcade that opened briefly here but it was full of old secondhand games and it did not last long.
Amy Bentley
1:34 pm on Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Jennifer- I hear you and you are 100 percent right. Teens are an overlooked population here.
We have a senior center and the CRC and kids museum in Old Town for kids, why not a Teen Center like the City of Thousand Oaks has? That would be great. Or a bowling alley, coffee place (so ok, charge a cover charge to make $$) or roller skating rink. I'd support and vote for any of those, and I don't have a teen!
David Leonard
3:27 pm on Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Jennifer:
I appreciate your advocacy for Temecula youth, but please remember: some teens do read. This may sound nit-picky, but I don't think it's fair to say that those crowds in Barnes & Noble are all transients looking for a good time and ignoring the shelves around them.
My friends and I frequent B&N to pick out good books and read, and nary a one of us in the group is over 20. I know plenty of high school aged youth who go there to grab a book and read, too.
Don't count out the young literary lovers.
Jennifer Smith
1:51 pm on Wednesday, January 5, 2011
I didn't mean to imply that NO teens read. My own kids are book hoarders and a new rule for 2011 is they have to buy their own books, which should mean I will have about $1200 more in my pocket come December!
Jennifer Cartell
9:45 am on Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Judging from the incredible success of the ice rink down in Old Town over the holidays, an ice rink and a roller rink that also served food items and featured good music and lights would be a real HIT it the Temecula area. Coming from the Mid-West, I can tell you that many good sized towns have this and they are full to capacity on Fridat and Saturday nites as well as during the day on Sunday. Some serve pizza and have long tables that good sized groups can sit at. There is the occasional problem with fights but for the most part, it is a great way for people of any age to have a great time and get excercise. Would have been neat if the mall could have featured a ice rink in the Promenade and if the Roller Rink could be located somewhere around Temecula. Both were equally popular in my town. The teens and young adults seemed to really enjoy the skating, including my kids. Temecula is a great place to live but does need a bit more exercise for the teens and young adults in an exciting venue. Great discussions. Thanks to you all. Now if I only had the money to build such a place. :)
Jennifer Smith
1:59 pm on Wednesday, January 5, 2011
What a good idea! I don't know how popular skating is nowadays, but I used to skate at a place that is now a furniture store in Lake Forest and well remember the wallflower moments when they put on Journey's "Faithfully" and everyone would do a "slow skate." I'd sit there feeling like a loser. I hate Journey.
Adriana
3:23 pm on Monday, February 14, 2011
I've tried in the city of Wildomar and Lake Elsinore and city officials make it impossible to open such a place. Over Halloween we thru an event and 800 teens showed up. No problem at all just a good time, unfortunately the city said No More. I guess they prefer to have them loiter. I'm not giving up Wildomar, temecula or Lake Elsinore will eventually open there eyes.
Adriana
3:27 pm on Monday, February 14, 2011
Having 3 teens myself, I know the importance of having them occupied. I've manage to throw a few teen events in teen friendly city, like San bernardino and Riverside, but want to do something between Temecula and Lake Elsinore. Last Lake Elsinore event we did, we had 800 Teens. So if your a building owner that has over 5k sq ft and adequate bathroom facility....contact me!
Kitty Moma
6:43 am on Thursday, March 3, 2011
Not only is there no night life there is nothing to do in the daytime for teenagers and young adults either. And a Junior College would be a great help. Junior Colleges draw club activities and sports activities. Our kids have to go all the way to Palomar or Mt. San Jacinto College.....I've often thought there was room to build a Junior College over by Great Oak High School, the land is owned by the Pechanga Indians though so that could be tough.
Jason Schutz
1:43 pm on Saturday, March 26, 2011
Great commentary everyone! As a father of two teens myself I couldn’t agree more! I talked to an investor who was trying to rent the Mervyns and turn it to a bowling ally and fun center. If and when it comes before the city council, lets all support it.
DunDe
11:33 am on Monday, April 11, 2011
Kids here in Temecula need activities rather than drugs!! Why don't the investors with all the money invest in a few teen centers that might include fun things to do such as: bowling;karaoke;dance contests;singing contets; acting; serious art and crafts; sidewalk art; fashion design art ; contest for best teen business ideas; photography contets and so much more!!!!! If i had the money i know what i would do... GET INVOLVED
jenni
12:41 pm on Saturday, November 5, 2011
We need: Laser tag, maybe a lounge where teens can come in and play live music and listen to music [like a talent show but geared towards musicians and performers], or something like a poetry read, a dance club, amusement park, more museums geared towards pop art/culture something more mature than for younger kids, LAN game places for gamers