A typical complaint of local teens is that there's nothing cool to do after school and on the weekends. We hear you, guys, and so here's a list of places you can head to when school gets out or on a weekend night.
1. Barnes and Noble in Lake Grove. A cafe, comfortable seating throughout the store and plenty of new books and music to browse through make B&N a cool place to hang out.
2. is open until 8 p.m., and could make for a relaxing place to do your homework after school when it's still warm outside.
3. in Hauppauge offers open skating sessions a few afternoons per week plus Friday nights.
4. If you can't find a seat at – and there is no guarantee you will, once Stony Brook University is back in session – there's always in Miller Place. Tuesday nights are open mic nights.
5. With edgy artwork covering the walls and cool music playing, in nearby Port Jefferson is another option. During the week the cafe is open until 6 p.m., and Friday and Saturday until 8 p.m. Try their cookies, snacks and smoothies.
6. is a no-brainer. Teens already flock there for iced tea and after-school snacks, and thanks to recent renovations there's even more seating.
7. The Smithaven Mall in nearby Lake Grove is another obvious choice, but try not to spend your entire allowance in one place.
8. Movie theaters in , and Coram are options. Some theaters even have weekday specials and student pricing.
9. just opened up in nearby Port Jefferson Station, Cuzzin's Smoothie Cafe opened in Setauket, and Red Mango opened locations in and . Judging by the fact that these places are already packed with teens, it probably makes sense to list them as a cool place to hang out.
10. Don't forget about nearby libraries. and the offer teen programs and other resources teens can enjoy like computers and video games.
