These Nostalgic Chinatown Fair Photos Capture A Bygone New York Staple

The Chinatown Fair is one of New York’s many great relics. The video arcade defined a slice of the city’s downtown teen culture until economic and technological change forced its closure in 2011. The venue has since been modernized and reopened, but the nostalgia for its less-digitized heyday in the 1980s and ‘90s remains.

The Huffington Post has an exclusive collection of photos from the Chinatown Fair, which is now the subject of a documentary called “The Lost Arcade,” opening in New York this weekend and premiering on VOD platforms next month. Henry Cen, who grew up nearby and worked his way from 11-year-old floor-sweeper to game curator, captured these scenes in 2001. They showcase the diverse clientele who made the Manhattan hangout such a fertile ground for friendship and amusement.