One of the most colorful and successful of all youth centers
is the Open Door at Hudson Guild House in New York City’s
Chelsea area. In the neighborhood once known as ‘‘Hell’s
Kitchen,’”’. the Open Door has brought many teens into the
settlement house for the first time. More than half of the
Open Door’s regulars. are newcomers: to Guild House
activities.

There is little regimentation at the Open Door. Teens
may not gamble but those who want to, play cards and
smoke. To critics of this policy, the sponsors have two
answers: It is better to let teens smoke and play cards at
the canteen than to send them away. It is noticeable that
there-are fewer teen-age smokers as time goes on.

The Open Door is noisy and the lights are bright. Chap-
eroning is provided unobstrusively by a young married
woman who grew up in the neighborhood and knows most
of the youngsters.

“‘We’re all here together, girls and fellers,’’ one of the
members said. ‘“‘You say what you want, do what you
want, dance, come and go as you want, and the more noise
the better we like it. We know we have to keep in line, or
they'll close the place, and then we’ll have no place to go.”’

Pattern for Success

By now, the pattern for such youth centers is fairly well |
set. Club atmosphere prevails; tables, a dance floor, milk
bar and juke box are standard equipment. Club names must
sparkle and entertainment must be varied. Often the high
school orchestra becomes the club orchestra, and plays for
amateur floor shows. Home-made decorations, changed
from time to time, add a theme to the program. A teen-age
Gay Nineties club may have singing waiters, costume parties,
and music to carry out the period. Again, the club may be
decorated in Mexican trappings, and the orchestra or juke
box will ‘‘give out’’ rhumbas.

An occasional radio singer or popular actor is a tremendous
drawing card.

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