Welcome to Beacon New York, where good out-of-home fun is out of the question. For eighteen months, the 70’s themed Retro Arcade Museum had been providing a great escape into classic gaming, featuring a mix of retro pinball and arcade games (including an original Pong machine), until the city flexed their muscles and ordered him to shut down because an old anti-pinball law was still on the books. The future remains uncertain for the Retro Arcade Museum and at least the city is taking a look into changing the law but they are taking their sweet time in doing so. Perhaps the local coverage on the story will get them to move along faster but it’s still irritating to come across these stories in this day and age. It was only a couple of years ago when we covered a story where a pinball ban had been lifted in Los Altos Hills, CA and one has to wonder how many other cities out there still are enforcing these outdated laws.
You can visit the Retro Arcade Museum website here.
Here’s a video of what Retro’s was all about (and still can be)
Source: WTHITV.com
I wonder if there is more behind the story, as the decision to enforce this outdated law is up to the city. So someone must be behind the action. Is it a business competitor, and old curmudgeon, or a publicity stunt by the owner himself in internet grass roots marketing? I joke on that last one. 😉
If that last one is the case then the owner struck gold! 😀
I do wish them a speedy resolution to the matter, as its no joke when business operations have to stop. But with 18 months of solid operations behind them already, hopefully they can bare the current situation.
Agreed. It raises a red flag where the city had let him do business for that long only to turn around and threaten him with a fine or jail time. If his busy had become the stereotypical “den of iniquity” one might understand the problem the city has but there is no indication of that and I doubt that a place dedicated to games from the 70’s is pulling in a seedy crowd anyways.
Incredible backlash to the story, I am wondering if the guy really did leak the story to make the council look stupid!
Sounds like the council needs no help in looking stupid. Enforcing old laws like these that are still on the books is a great way to look foolish!