Not your grandmas game! Young New Yorkers are hooked on old-school gaming clubs and willing to pay up to $2K to be a part of them

This ain’t your grandma’s weekly gaming club.In New York City, a growing number of Gen Z and millennials are seeking out activities traditionally associated with older crowds, in other words, games your grandma Alice would play weekly with her gal pals, like backgammon rooms, chess matches, mahjong nights, and listening salons.The rise in popularity of these hobbies comes amid growing digital fatigue and a shared craving for more intentional forms of connection.And in 2026 NYC, these old-school hobbies come with a twist.Over on the Lower East Side, trendy participants engage in the nearly 1,500-year-old game of chess amidst sexy dark lighting and a DJ spinning tunes at Club Chess — a downtown pop-up series blending nightlife and chess matches.The club emerged as a response to the times, co-founder Alexander Luke Bahta, who grew up playing chess from a young age, explained to The Post.

After the pandemic, he felt there was a clean slate of possibilities in both nightlife and helping people find a new way to socialize.What began as an experimental Wednesday-night chess gathering in 2023 quickly exploded into a series of eclectic events, sometimes ticketed, sometimes open to the public, and sometimes invite-only, held throughout the city, turning a classic game into a nightlife attraction drawing patrons who “are a mix of chess aficionados, beginners, and people who simply come to enjoy the total experience.”“It just made sense to combine my obsession with music, worldbuilding, and chess into one thing,” Bahta said.“We offer people a space that is surreal enough to make playing chess feel new and exciting.Founded around the same time as Club Chess, avid chess players Münter and Simone Roberts created Pawn Chess Club, a pop-up chess event designed to bring people together in a low-stakes environment.The club, which welcomes both beginners and experienced players, has hosted events at Manhattan hot spots like Casino and Time Again, Happier Grocery, and...