Chinatown Fair opened as a penny arcade in Manhattan’s Chinatown in 1944. Over the decades, it became an institution, surviving turf wars, changing tastes and the growth of home gaming. As the neighborhood gentrified this haven for a diverse, unlikely community faced its strongest challenge yet.

For many of us, nothing evokes the pure nostalgia for adolescence (or the ’80s!) more than arcade games. This intimate look at the iconic New York video game arcade Chinatown Fair captures the colorful and open-minded characters whose sheer determination makes the gaming community what it is.