Dismantling Chinatown Fair Arcade (RIP)

Posted on: February 28th, 2011 by Elie

Merely twelve hours after shuttering its decades-old home, Chinatown Fair Arcade wasted no time vacating the musty storefront of 8 Mott Street. We stopped by yesterday at around 12:30 pm to pay our last respects to a place which harbors some fond memories. It was a somber sight, and one we won’t soon forget.

A handful of headphoned teens congregated at the doorway to watch the destruction of their Mecca. Some learned of the arcade’s fate upon arrival from the outer Boroughs, and cracked a blank stare. Others were on cell phones explaining to their friends the bad news. And through it all, a team of laborers dismantled and unloaded the video games into a parked cargo truck across the street.

The machines were reportedly driven to a storage facility in Queens, where they will sit until the alleged Williamsburg location is ready.

Please feel free to leave any memories, condolences, and/or obituaries of the Chinatown Fair Arcade in the comments…

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JQuest

RIP Chinatown Fair… You were my sanctum when I was a child, a safe house, a boys dream that unraveled my inspirations and creativity. Where I built athleticism and cunningness when I ran away from the quincy police. You will forever be remembered *bows*
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CTownNostalgia

So sad…Chinatown Fair went way back for me back in the 70s when they had a kiddie section in the back with a mini ferris wheel type thing, and pinball machines. I always walked past the tic-tac-toe chicken and the dancing chicken. Then it was the 80s and after a visit to the infamous Dr. Lyons – they had pac-man, centipede, donkey kong. I feel like a lost a piece of my childhood hearing this news.
TristanH

somewhere, the tic-tac-toe chicken is rolling over in his grave… sad sad news. Another joint from my childhood gone. You’ll be missed CF… you will be missed…
;_;

The last Arcade in New York.
We’ll miss you.
http://www.atowngraphics.com Leland Wong

fond memories of the dancing tic tac toe chicken of Mott Street…I was there in 1976
Smackdaddyt

Fond fond memories from my childhood. I even remember the original Chinatown Fair which was across the street before this one. From the old games of pinball and whatchamacallit, where you roll the rubber spaldings down a lane and it landed on a bunch of numbers. Oh yeah, and there was the huge Dragon in the back where once your quarter was deposited, a window opened up and you can see a mechanical dragon come to life. Those where great days, when I played hookie from Chinese School and just hung out there all afternoon into the evening. I even remember when those gangsters type started to hang there. All part of Chinatown life back in the 70s.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Wai-Ho-Cheung/559039615 Wai Ho Cheung

About the Tic-Tac-Toe Chicken:
“One of Willy’s successors, called Lily, was rescued in 1998 by a concerned chicken lover and set free in Massachusetts to frolic with other farm animals. She may well have been the last tic-tac-toe chicken at the arcade.” http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2011/02/chinatown-fair.html and here http://www.upc-online.org/spring98/tic-tac-toe_chicken.html
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Mad@thecity

why did this place F@** close?? Money?? Damn real estate a-holes buying every inch of property in this city & making it in2 a Hard Rock Cafe or Dave & Busters or some other corporate American junk that replaces every single mom & pop shop.
I was born & raised in this city, now I’m starting to really hate it & I never thought I would say that.