Teen night out ends at Beach Haven as trial looms

As dozens of teenagers danced and mingled inside the walls of a Beach Haven restaurant and bar, police officers stood around the corner, waiting for them to come out.

The Beach Haven City Council banned teen parties, a longtime Beach Haven tradition, on June 19 after reports of unruly behavior swirled around the annual summer events. Michael Battista, a local business owner who organized the gatherings, hit back at the city with a lawsuit, saying the events are safe, supervised and an invaluable part of the island’s teen culture.

But as local politics raged in the background, teens were getting wilder under the hazy strobe lights of Marlin Restaurant and Bar on June 27 during what was potentially one of Beach Haven's last teen nights.

“It’s a very trendy place and everyone is looking forward to it,” said Sophia Im, a 17-year-old vacationer. “Some people think it’s not a good idea to have all of us in one place, but it’s a safe and nice place to have fun and chat with people. It’s like people going to the beach and relaxing.”

Im, who attended his second teen party on June 27, said the get-togethers are “something everyone knows about,” having been the main event for teens on the island for decades.

Most of the teens spent the night on the dance floor, dancing to a mix of hits ranging from The Killers' “Mr. Brightside” to Kanye West's “Carnival” to a dubstep remix of Vanessa Carlton's “A Thousand Miles.” As the night wore on, groups of teens made their way to the stage and partied alongside the DJ as he spun from song to song.

Around the dance floor were tables and bars where kids chatted with their friends and made new ones. No alcoholic beverages were served at the event, as required by law, but bartenders were present and offered cups of soda and bottles of water to the teens chatting on the stools.

“It’s a very social activity and you make new friends,” said Kayla Clinton, a 16-year-old vacationer. “If we took that away, I don’t think teens would be able to meet new people. Teen parties help us avoid the daily grind of going to the beach or shopping.”

This year’s teen night was a new addition to the program, incorporating voter education. Battista, a former Beach Haven mayor, said the goal was to show young patrons how they can make their voices heard in the lead-up to a crucial presidential election.

To get into the line that snaked around the Marlin, teens had to scan a QR code that directed them to a petition asking them to pledge to vote in the upcoming election or, if they weren’t old enough to vote, to pledge to encourage others to participate. The petition also asked for a first and last name, email address, phone number and zip code. Inside the Marlin were flyers with more information about voting, including how to take action and stay informed.

Beach Haven police were present outside the restaurant throughout the event, stating that they were not there to interfere with the event or confront Battista, but only to enforce the city's 10 p.m. curfew and ensure that teenagers did not linger on the streets after the event ended around 11:45 p.m.

The Marlin is the only venue offering teen nights in the area, and with new liquor licenses that include conditions restricting teen nights going into effect July 1, the bar's June 30 teen night will likely be its last of the summer and possibly its last of the summer, pending the outcome of Battista's trial.

“It brings people together in a unique way,” Clinton said. “They shouldn’t have a 10 p.m. curfew if they want us to have fun and make new friends.”

—Jake the Tiger

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