Over the weekend, Classic Game Junkie and Retroware Arcade held their official grand opening on Main Street. If you happened to go by the event, you would see it was packed with families and residents all looking to see what their new game store and arcade would be like and how it would enhance our community.
They would not be disappointed.
Both the store and the arcade are top notch retail locations with unique offerings packaged in a family friendly atmosphere that is specifically geared toward bringing people out for a fun and light-hearted experience.
Over the last several years, borough council, the Economic Development Committee, and myself have been focused on Main Street development and how we can support efforts to continue positive business growth in the borough. In the time everyone has been working on this — specifically alongside our Main Street consultant Stephen Barth — we have coalesced around the idea that our Main Street needs to, ideally, be filled with experiences that get families and friends out of their homes for a night and help them relax on any given day of the week.
A gaming store and arcade would not, on the surface, seem to fit that bill. Certainly, you can have an awesome experience playing your favorite game online with your friends without ever leaving your basement — something you could not do 30 years ago. However, the arcade is not just about gaming: It is about hanging out with your friends and beating their top score; It is about grabbing a coffee at Backyard Beans with your friend and heading over to the arcade to see which character in Tekken 2 is actually the best.
Arcades, and gaming in general, are about camaraderie and fun.
Critically, the night out with the family appeal is what we need to keep developing our downtown. People want unique experiences that they cannot have at home alone. Dining out is one important part of it, but restaurants are not enough to sustain growth. We need to give residents more to do, more to explore. First Friday’s, Escapepolis, Retroware Arcade, Scent and Sip, and the growing brewery scene are all part of that. These are experiences you have with friends. Things you do not want to do alone at home.
As a community, we are dedicated to building and supporting a vibrant downtown that embodies our slogan of life in motion. The addition of the arcade and gaming store are adding to that vibrancy and will encourage more business owners and entrepreneurs to invest in our community because they know people want to be where they can have fun in a safe environment, which is what Lansdale is and will continue to be for years to come.
(Mayoral Musings is a weekly op-ed column submitted to North Penn Now, courtesy of Lansdale Borough Mayor Garry Herbert. The views expressed are his own.)
See also:
Mayoral Musings: Preliminary Lansdale Police Community Survey Results
Mayoral Musings: Preparing Lansdale for the Electric Vehicle Revolution
Mayoral Musings: 2023 Infrastructure
Mayoral Musings: Goals and Objectives for 2023
