Aside from being the home of the historic Alex Theatre, Museum of Neon Arts, and the center of rich Armenian heritage, Glendale, California is most notable for its lively shopping areas, such as The Americana at Brand. There was hesitation among community members when this entire project began in the late 2000s, as people were worried about logistics and traffic. Before the opening of Americana, teenagers spent their free time at the Marketplace or the Glendale Galleria. The Americana was a perfect solution because it was in central Glendale, just a short walk away from many community members’ homes.
Over time, the Americana became less affordable to the teens, practically pushing them out. In the past, teens were able to go to the Americana with fifty dollars, and shop at stores like Urban Outfitters, Anthropology, and even Madewell, which have now been replaced by high end stores like Gucci, Saint Laurent, and Bottega Veneta with significantly higher price points. The Americana at Brand has slowly shifted into a Rodeo Drive-like setting.
When the Americana was first opened people thought it would be similar to the Grove in Los Angeles, a community center in Glendale where people could walk around, enjoy the outdoors, grab a bite to eat, and window shop. The proposed idea was the perfect place for the younger demographic to meet up and spend time together, but with the gradual shift in the environment leaning towards a luxurious shopping center, teenagers have found themselves foreign to the environment.
“It’s intimidating when even a simple lunch or coffee date costs so much, making it unrealistic for me to spend time with friends without being pressured to spend an excessive amount of money,” senior Emily Titizyan said. Teenagers, unlike adults, aren’t suited to the economic challenges of the world yet; although some may work, others rely on their parents’ money. This poses a challenge during friendly outings, especially as the Americana— one of the main hang out spots for teens— continues to boost its prices.
Teenagers face many constraints when it comes to planning meet ups with friends such as the location, how they are going to get there, budget, and a few other factors. Most teens don’t drive yet, which is why they rely on their parents for a ride. With busy parents that can’t take so much time to give their kids rides to places outside of the constant chauffeuring they are doing for extracurriculars, drop offs in neighboring places is the most reasonable.
It is ironic that teenagers are scolded for spending excessive time on electronics at home, when there aren’t enough community spaces intentionally made for teens to be able to hangout in safe and convenient manners. The simplicity of being able to create memories as a teenager has become substantially difficult with the rising impact of materialism, and the new atmosphere created at the Americana. Hopefully there will be a shift or turn of events for places in Glendale to become more welcoming and affording to teens.
