PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A new video game hub in North Philadelphia is working to help make the city the premier place in the country for gaming, and organizers want residents to be a part of that new wave.
Nerd Street’s new 40,000-plus square foot facility on North Broad Street is a temple for gaming.
"This is a major facility for the industry that’s going to bring in competitors from all over the world," said Nerd Street CEO John Fazio.
"It’s going to bring in awesome international events that will happen here, bring in a lot of attention to the city, provide a really awesome entertainment form for the city."
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Fazio said their nearly 200 computers and consoles are about more than gaming. It’s a major step to bridging the technology gap.
"What we saw during the pandemic was that a major chunk of our students didn’t even have high-speed internet to participate in remote learning, let alone play video games," said Fazio.
He described how their location, which is near multiple high schools and public transportation, is part of a multifaceted approach to engage kids of all different backgrounds.
"It starts really simple," said Fazio.
"Every single student can come in here and play for free, for an hour every day. That’s the entry point. You can come in and play. You can come in and do your homework."
Fazio added they are using the time kids spend with them to introduce them to different careers.
"This is the computer that you’re going to spend your career on," he said. "This a gateway to opportunity beyond gaming. So, it starts with gaming, but this is about access to technology."
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He said this safe haven is not a fix-all for teen violence in the city, but he hopes it’s a good start.
"You've still got to leave the building. You've still got to go home. You've still got to get on that subway," Fazio said.
"You still have to walk through that neighborhood, and we can’t change that, but what we can do is give you an opportunity to advance yourself and to get out of these situations you don’t want to be in."
