Wonderville, Brooklyn

Bar arcades are nothing new—Atari founder Nolan Bushnell installed his first cabinet game, Computer Space, in a Stanford University bar in 1971—but creative technologist Mark Kleback took a novel approach to the concept when he and his wife, Stephanie, opened Brooklyn's Wonderville in 2019. Launched with the help of a crowdfunding campaign, Wonderville is a haven and permanent home for independently made arcade games. The event space is community-minded and socially driven—groups gather for tournaments, workshops led by local game developers, live music, or rotating art installations, plus a menu of small plates and full-service bar to be enjoyed on their back patio.