With school out for the summer, teenagers will invariably be searching for things to do to occupy the sudden abundance of free time on their hands. An infusion of new developments in Petaluma in the last decade has given teens in the city more choices of places in which to hang out with friends, shop and spend time.
Today’s Petaluma teens have witnessed the construction and evolution of the downtown theater district and, more recently, the East Washington Place shopping center. As these venues have developed, teen life has changed.
Before the establishment of Petaluma Cinemas, historic downtown Petaluma was the destination for teens. These were the days of enjoying a sweet treat at Winsome Lass, browsing the stores along Kentucky Street, and grabbing a Starbucks at what was then the only location on the Boulevard.
If you were older, cooler or more rebellious, you may have passed time doing more suspicious activities along the Petaluma River or in the American Alley. Then, the movie theater opened, and Basin Street launched construction of a modern downtown theater district. For quite a time, this became the new teen hangout. On any given night of the week, and especially during the weekends, there was sure to be fifteen or so kids hanging outside the theater, maybe two or three different groups sitting or climbing on the iconic ice cream cone sculpture, and handfuls of other teens enjoying a gelato from Powell’s or a milkshake from Blu American Eatery.
Yet even this did not last. Just in the past six months, teen life has once again relocated. This time, however, there does not seem to be any one epicenter. In their free time, teens are spread all over the town, some still along Kentucky Street, others in the theater district, some at the Phoenix Theater and perhaps more than ever outside of town hiking or at beaches.
Still, some teens complain that there isn’t enough to keep them occupied.
“As it goes for teens, there really isn’t much to do, unless you’re willing to spend money on food or just hang out downtown,” said Celine Mughannam, a Petaluma High School senior.
In her free time, Mughannam said her favorite things to do in town are eat at restaurants and shop at small businesses. She and her friends also enjoy going on hikes in Helen Putnam Park.
The new East Washington Place, with its proximity to the city’s skate park and public swimming pool, has done incredibly well at appealing to teens. From Target to Yogurtland to Chipotle, at least for the moment, teens seem to be responding positively to the new selection, lower prices, and greater accessibility.
Olivia Stewart, a Petaluma High School senior, said Petaluma is “an easy place to make your own fun.” Besides going to the movies, restaurants and shops, she said she enjoys just “walking along the streets” or “sitting on a bench in Walnut Park and enjoying the view.”
Petaluma High School senior Dimitri Papageorgacopoulos said it is the people that make Petaluma a great place to live.
“Petaluma has an amazing history and an amazing culture,” he said. “Petaluma is full of so many opportunities as it is comprised of so many different people. We have ranchers, artists, computer programmers, extreme sports athletes. If there’s something you want to become better at, odds are there is someone in Petaluma who can teach you.”
In his free time, Papageorgacopoulos said he goes to pool halls and watches concerts at local venues. His favorite things to do in Petaluma are playing frisbee, going longboarding and playing pool.
Petaluma teens say the city needs more entertainment options for them.
“Petaluma should definitely look into having more social events and places, rather than just the movie theater and Phoenix,” said Mughannam. “If they would ever clean up the Petaluma River, it would be a perfect summer spot to go swimming or canoeing.”
The view of Petaluma from teens foreign to this country is generally mixed.
Yannik Kilb, an exchange student from Germany, said teen life in Petaluma is “influenced quite a lot by school,” whereas “German social life isn’t influenced by school. Kilb explained that in Europe, there are no school sports. Teens belong to private sports clubs. Also, U.S. schools include more non-athletic social activities, like spirit rallies and yearbook classes. Dominika Michalicková, an exchange student from Slovakia, called these activities “more of an American thing.”
Kilb, a member of the Petaluma High School track and field team and the yearbook staff, said these activities are a great way to bring teens closer together.
Max Gierden of Germany said in his country, teens need only be 16 to purchase alcohol legally. In Slovakia, the drinking age is 18.
“It’s normal that you hang out with your friends in bars and clubs on the weekend,” he said.
Henrique Scomparin of Brazil concurred.
“In Sao Paulo, we always go to parties and stuff like that,” he said.
For teens in the U.S. however, earning a little spending money is another way to pass the time. Petaluma People Services Center is offering a work readiness program for teens looking for a summer job. Positions in water/land conservation, park trail maintenance, landscaping, community gardening, parks and recreation, sustainable farming and fire prevention are available. For details, call PPSC at 765-8488, ext. 137.
(Contact Victoria Leoni at argus@arguscourier.com)
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