Breaking: Chinatown Fair Arcade Shutters

We start this Sunday off with some terrible news.  Hope you said your goodbyes, because Chinatown Fair Arcade is officially closed for good.  Yesterday evening, we received a tip from @Newyorkist explaining that it was to be the final night in existence for the storied neighborhood institution.  We stopped by just before closing and confirmed that the arcade is indeed moving to an unspecified location in Williamsburg.  So sad to see the crew emptying the machines for the last time.

This news comes precisely one week after word first leaked that owner Samuel Palmer lost his lease on 8 Mott Street, and that he was planning to close the establishment on March 23.

This photo by Josh Shabtai shows the demise of the Street Fighter machines…

Last call was at approximately 12:45 am, nearly two full hours before normal Saturday close.  Rest in peace.