No drinking? No problem!

Portland, in all of its glory and culture, has a serious dearth of things to do for its underage residents. Heck, even most restaurants close by 10 p.m. and leave nary but bars to inhabit, leaving those who don’t drink (or aren’t yet old enough) with little to do.

Fear not, ye teetotalers and young’uns! What follows is a list of places on and near campus to visit that don’t require being 21 or hold alcohol consumption as their main attractions. If nothing else, Portland State and the surrounding area is very conducive to cyclists, so mount a two-tire steed and pedal away your downtown downtime.

Ground Kontrol

511 NW Couch St.

A retro video game haven, Ground Kontrol boasts dozens of arcade games and pinball tables to keep you entertained between classes. It’s a short ride away on the MAX Green Line; just ride up to the Southwest Fifth and Couch Street, stop, and you’re there.

Ground Kontrol is open seven days a week and opens at noon, allowing underage gamers in until 5 p.m., when they begin checking IDs at the door. Regardless, there are plenty of day hours for you to take a pocketfull of quarters with you and nerd out to your heart’s content.

Academic Student Recreation Center

1800 SW Sixth Ave.

This is the home of Campus Rec and clubs ranging from dance and yoga groups to martial arts teams and even a board game society. Your student ID grants you access to the building free of charge, and there are lockers and showers for anyone seeking a workout, a swim, a run or a pick-up basketball game.

There is a complete list of current Campus Rec clubs on its website, and most are willing to accept new members at any time. For the local history buffs, the City of Portland maintains archives on the fifth floor to assist in research, or just to learn facts about the city surrounding you.

Ondine TV Lounge

First floor of Ondine Residence Hall

If you’re too tired for city crawling, or just downright bored, head to the public space on the Ondine’s first floor and catch whatever is on the big-screen TV. If you’re looking for a place to watch a Portland Trail Blazers game but can’t enter a bar, you can typically find it here. Otherwise, it tends to simply provide an ambiance of MTV, ABC or some other member of the cable alphabet soup.

Viking Gameroom

Basement of Smith Memorial Student Union

This on-campus spot hosts pool tables, projection-screen video games, a bowling alley and a decent snack bar, all for under $6 per hour. Tuesdays are even cheaper at $2 an hour. The game room opens at 10 a.m. on weekdays and stays open until 11 p.m. through Thursdays and midnight on Fridays. It opens at noon over the weekend, remaining open through midnight on Saturdays and 6 p.m. on Sundays, so it’s a great place to make a regular hangout.

The game room hosts occasional themed bowling nights, as well as gaming tournaments where players can compete in sports games and shoot-’em-ups across several screens simultaneously.

It occasionally hosts parties for major game releases. Halo 3 led to a launch party with almost a hundred students guzzling energy drinks and controlling Master Chief into the wee hours.

Other places

If you’re underage, don’t drink, are broke or just plain love nature, the South Park Blocks and South Waterfront area are within walking distance and provide grassy spaces to stroll where you can breathe in some fresh air between classes. There is also the Keller Fountain at Southwest Fourth Avenue and Clay Street to swim in, at least while the weather is still warm. Come winter term, this won’t be an option, so enjoy it while you can.