Real-World MySpace

Social Networks/Youth Trends/Myspace/Erika I. Ritchie
Found on: ocregister.com

Justin Roman met his girlfriend through the Internet.

They chatted online and, after a month, met at Kaleidoscope Courtyards.

"Meetings like this are very common," said Roman, 17, of Mission Viejo. "People see you and say, 'Aren't you that person on MySpace?' "

Every day, unsupervised kids, most 10 to 16, come to K-scope, as the popular outdoor, six-story mall in Mission Viejo is known among teens. They see friends and meet new people from all over Orange County, even Los Angeles.

Other popular malls such as The Block at Orange and the Irvine Spectrum Center are also go-to spots for teens, but are now less alluring because of stronger police presence. Kaleidoscope, meanwhile, has become like the reality version of a chat room.

To help keep order, sheriff's deputies have added weekend patrols that both merchants and customers say have helped. Surveillance cameras are expected to arrive soon, too.

Teen-serving businesses welcome the daily rush. At Howie's Game Shack, 250 PCs and Xboxes are in demand from opening at 10 a.m. to closing at 2 a.m. Most weekends, more than 100 kids get in line to get on.