By Dana Gerber Globe Staff,Updated December 24, 2024, 9:03 a.m.
Would a 25-year-old reporter go to an arcade?Default Mono Sans Mono Serif Sans Serif Comic Fancy Small CapsDefault X-Small Small Medium Large X-Large XX-LargeDefault Outline Dark Outline Light Outline Dark Bold Outline Light Bold Shadow Dark Shadow Light Shadow Dark Bold Shadow Light BoldDefault Black Silver Gray White Maroon Red Purple Fuchsia Green Lime Olive Yellow Navy Blue Teal Aqua OrangeDefault 100% 75% 50% 25% 0%Default Black Silver Gray White Maroon Red Purple Fuchsia Green Lime Olive Yellow Navy Blue Teal Aqua OrangeDefault 100% 75% 50% 25% 0%
1:00WATCH: Reporter Dana Gerber talks about her experience with arcades and their growing popularity
Decades out from their heyday, arcades are once again becoming space invaders.
From a 300-square-foot storefront in Somerville to a former pizza joint off Route 140 in Taunton, a spate of these electronic playgrounds have opened their doors across Greater Boston in the past few years.
Why the extra life? In the aftermath of the pandemic, operators found a public clamoring for experience-based brick-and-mortar spots, and communities hungry for businesses that could bring people out to play.
“Coming out of COVID, it was really clear that people had taken experiences for granted,” said Sean Hope, who got “good deals” on leases to open two locations of an arcade, called Dx, in Cambridge this year. “I felt that people really would be attracted to a curated experience that was something different than before.”
And though their inspiration may be retro, this new generation of arcades isn’t mere nostalgia bait. It’s more like a leveling-up,with these venuesoffering a mix of classic and high-tech games, modern pricing models, and on-site bars and restaurants.
One needs only step in the Dx location in Central Square to see that it’s playing a very different game than its grungy forebears. Gone are Frogger and his ilk, replaced by machines like a bunny-themed virtual reality experience and a two-person StepManiax dance floor. A small bar stocked with White Claws and Heinekens is nestled next to the prize selection — which includes stuffed animals, yes, but also grown-up novelties such as Bluetooth headphones and marbled water bottles. And there’s no need for pocketfuls of quarters; all machines accept only pre-loaded play cards.
It’s not the first arcade to arrive to the neighborhood; Roxy’s Grilled Cheese, which has an arcade bar in the back, is just a short walk away from Dx.
Michael Monestime, president of the Central Square Business Improvement District, was glad to see the all-ages hangout take over one of the neighborhood’s vacant storefronts.
“We have the foot traffic. They just need places to go and more reasons to stay, and this is one of them,” said Monestime. “That’s been a hard corner . . . now we have this great small business on a corner that sometimes feels hard, and now it will feel playful. I think that’s a big win for the Square.”