Poll: Plenty of family-friendly options in Petaluma

A majority of respondents to an online Argus-Courier poll said that there is plenty of entertainment and dining options for families with children in Petaluma.

Here are some comments:

“Dining, yes; entertainment, no. It would be great to have an art house cinema that would show the great films on a big screen like Ben Hur, James Bond, Planet of the Apes (the original), Lawrence of Arabia, etc.”

“Our girls are now 41 and 39 years old, and when they were growing up in Petaluma there were not enough social events or attractions for them. The main draw was movies, sports, school programs and the occasional musical outlet. Things haven’t changed. Here it is 2017 and very little progress has been made. The proposed “mini golf and arcade” sounds like a step in the right direction and would be family focused. How about a different type of family dining experience?”

“Petaluma has numerous kid-friendly eating establishments. There are also many parks in this town with play equipment for children.”

“Way too many. Every restaurant we have been to in Petaluma has very young children with parents, which is fine, as long as parents remove them when they are screaming or tired. We don’t need to endure tired kids who need to go to bed, or mothers nursing, without benefit of cover, at the table.”

“We prefer to dine in more upscale restaurants to avoid the distraction of noisy and unruly children, which too often spoils the dining out experience. The parents seem oblivious to their kid’s annoying behavior.”

“Without fast food, most family households can’t afford to eat out very often. Same goes for entertainment. Except for their cell phones that everybody is attached to and absolutely has to have.”

“Would be nice to have a Chevys, Chilis, Cheesecake factory or similar style establishment.”

“Yes, but are there enough parents who keep their kids under control at public events? Nope.”

“Yes, and stop bringing kids to adult places such as beer gardens and tasting rooms.”