Teen party club nights: Nonalcoholic fun
DJ Young K spins inside the Crazy Donkey in Farmingdale on a Teen Night. (July 21, 2011) Credit: Daniel Brennan
Silk
631-979-0400; lisilk.com
AGES 14 to 17, patrons must have high school ID
WHEN 8 p.m. to midnight Tuesdays
COST $17 with coupon at lisilk.com, includes Italian ice cart and juice, soda and water
'All my ladies, get your hands in the air," a DJ urges the pulsing crowd on the dance floor at Silk. This is the best part of the night for friends Jason Bates, 17, of Copiague, and Hudson Leogrand, 16, of Bayport. "The music is playing, you can dance with girls," Bates says.
There aren't enough things for teens to do on Long Island, says Alyssa Caruso, 17, of Islip, so the teen night provides needed entertainment. "Everyplace is too far to go. If you want to go to Six Flags, you have to drive forever. If you want to go to Splish Splash, you have to drive forever," Caruso says. "Some places cost a lot of money."
Caruso works for Incredible Events Inc., which runs the Silk parties in addition to The Crazy Donkey nights. She and other high-school-aged promoters are paid to cultivate a following for the parties -- she gets $4 for every person she brings in, so she creates Facebook events pages and invites all her friends.
Facebook is how Jataya Appling, 14, of Farmingville, found out about the Silk parties. Her mom, Holiday, gave Jataya permission to go as long as she was accompanied by a friend. "She's a straight-A student, so why not?" Holiday says.
The Spotlight
487 Newbridge Rd., East Meadow
516-809-9260; thespotlightli.com
AGES 14 to 17; must have high school ID
WHEN 8 p.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays
COST $20 with flier from Spotlight Facebook page
Spotlight is a new club with a beach theme on Fridays; suggested attire is beach gear, flip flops and sunglasses. On Saturday nights, the themes change weekly. The Spotlight has had a few teen nights but its official grand opening was Friday. "I'm the father of a 14-year-old myself, so I know what it's like out there," says Matt Reilly, co-owner. "My daughter will say, 'I'm going to Tanger tonight,' and there's kids there just hanging out. There's not many places where they can go and meet other kids and hang with their friends."
