After years of planning, a new teen center opened in Brownsville, giving local youth a much-needed place after school to build skills, find support and form community.
The Brownsville Teen Lounge, the first-ever teen lounge in the neighborhood, according to organizers, sits in the center of the Brownsville Houses, a public housing complex. The center, at 350 Blake Ave., is open to middle school and high school-aged children and provides a lounge space, a podcast and media production station and a learning area with computers.
“It’s more of an intimate setting for the teens to be in, and a social recreation space where they can enhance their emotional, social and learning skills through interactions with adults and peers who are a part of the program,” said Vincent Hurst, the teen lounge supervisor.
The lounge was created through the Mayor’s Action Plan for Neighborhood Safety, in conjunction with the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ), the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD), and the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). The proposal to build the lounge was first announced in 2017.
Organizers wanted to make sure that residents of Brownsville were aware of the new initiative. “One of the first things we did was invite the residents of the building to come and speak with us,” Hurst said. “We wanted to give them an idea of what we wanted to do in terms of programming and transforming the space that we have here.”
After the lounge officially opened its doors in November, the teens who have so far utilized the space said they are happy to have a place like that to go to once they are dismissed from school.
Lance Lewis, 14, a resident of the nearby Van Dyke Houses, said that he loves being part of the teen lounge and has referred it to friends.
“Since I’ve been here, I’ve been able to share mutual goals with my peers, and it’s a safe space for the youth of the community,” he said.
Kiana Suber,14, who lives in Brownsville Houses, was one of the first kids to join the teen lounge.
“Being at this lounge has been a good thing for me because it allows me to interact with others more, and it gives me something to do besides sitting in my house and doing nothing," she said.
Suber revealed that she goes to the teen lounge almost every day after school and never expected a space like this would ever be built in her neighborhood.
“For years, I’ve seen the signs about the teen lounge coming to the neighborhood, but it would always be closed," said Suber, who hopes that more kids will start coming so long-lasting friendships can be forged.
The Brownsville Teen Lounge is open Monday through Friday from 4:00pm to 9:00pm. On the last Saturday of every month, teens go on a cultural field trip. Teens can sign up to be a part of the lounge by filling out an application directly at the center with their parents or guardians.
