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Craft beer, pinball-themed locale opens on Roosevelt Avenue by 52nd street station

Solid State at 53-22 Roosevelt Ave.

Oct. 17, 2017 By Nathaly Pesantez

A bar with a focus on craft beer and pinball has opened on Roosevelt Avenue on the same block as the 52nd Street station.

Solid State, the name of the locale, opened on Oct. 10 at 53-22 Roosevelt Ave., and offers a rotating menu of 20 New York-based craft beers from places like Rockaway Brewery, the Bronx Brewery, and Transmitter Brewing. The bar area seats about 20 people, with additional seating around the 1,800 square-foot site.

Kristopher Medina, the co-founder of the bar who also founded the Pinball New York City league about a decade ago, said the idea for the site was borne out of a desire to combine two passions—craft beer and pinball.

“I’m very excited that pinball and craft beer are experiencing a bit of a surge in popularity,” Medina, a Woodsider of roughly eight years said. “The growing number of breweries is phenomenal and I think thats absolutely worthy of celebration.”

Seven “solid state” pinball machines, the type referring to the machines built in the 80s and the bar’s namesake, are already at the bar, and with room for one more. Some of the games featured at the bar are exclusive, and not found anywhere else in the city, including “Mousing Around”, “Tales of the Crypt” and “Super Mario Brothers”.

The site will also introduce food soon, but will primarily focus on craft beer. Board games are also available for patrons to play.

Medina, who worked as a Hollywood stuntman and as a web developer before fully going into running his own bar, said he has received positive feedback since opening a week ago on a stretch of Roosevelt Avenue that he hopes to make more bright and welcoming.

“So far our reception has been strong and I think, more importantly, very diverse,” he said. Medina added that the project wasn’t about opening a bar in Woodside, but more about combining his two interests in a communal place.

“We have a welcoming vibe and so far everyone is enjoying what we have to offer,” he said. “All backgrounds and all budgets are welcome to come in—my sense is that you don’t have to be a bearded white man to enjoy good beer.”

Solid State is open from 3:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. every day, and times may be subject to change in the weeks after opening.

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49 Comments

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Hold me, I’m scared

Wow! What a bunch of wusses on this site. Roosevelt Ave is scary!! I’m afraid of the dark!! You’ve spent way too much time in Sunnyside Gardens if big bad Woodside frightens you.

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I see brown people

I never knew there were so many frightened wimps in this neighborhood. If you’re so scared of this stretch of Roosevelt Avenue, may I suggest you move to Utah or maybe Montana? Clearly, city life just isn’t for you.

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718Native

Checked out the place and its a def a nice addition to the neighborhood for those who enjoy craft beer and a laid back yet fun vibe. Its also nice to have an option outside the typical sports/bro or Irish pubs in the area. The increasing 40 and under crowd moving to Woodside/Sunnyside will love it.

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John m

What a horrible part of Roosevelt to open a business. I wish them luck. I would never walk home from here late at night. Your asking for trouble.

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Mark my words...7-8 months and bye bye

I wonder if the pinball wizard bar will have a Rachel Maddow look a like contest. I heard Jake Tapper and Don Lemon will be guest bar tenders at the Bablu Charity Gala.

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QueensGal

Go back under your rock Brian. Life is TOO short to be so negative. I feel really sorry for you.

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Sucka Punch Sally

Wow. A place full of Hipsters dressed in Chuck Taylor bedazzled Converse and mismatched bland colored clothing ..I can’t wait to hang out there and hear all their political incite they bring to the area from their country day school academy’s in Maine.

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Country Day School Graduate

>political incite

>school academy’s

Say what you will but those academies in Maine at least taught basic spelling and grammar, unlike whatever school you went to.

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Country Day School vs PS 666

You might of been the spelling bee champ of your Country Day School but you are no match for Roosevelt Avenue after midnight without your Uber app. You can’t run fast enough in your bedazzled Converse.

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Grape Soda/ Barbeque Chips Barbara Queen of 39 Place

El Loco why haven’t you responded to the call out of you in the thread about the pumpkin festival?? Man up and answer up!!

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Neighborhood Watch

A certain type of people are aggressively panhandling outside 7-11 on 43rd st Qns Blvd, while others are prostituting themselves outside the “homeless” hotel on 38th st & laurel Hill Blvd.

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D03

We went last night. Nice selection, I’m sure they’ll keep adapting their menu. Good happy hour prices too!

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Travis Pickle

Craft beer and pinball? That’s going to attract lots of morons. I guess it’s better than the other places around there. But why can’t someone just open a regular bar instead of gimmicky hipster crap? This is what I hate about gentrification.

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El loco

Recently I’ve been banned from the esteemed Sunnyside Post because of my string views on illegal immigration but I’m back. I’m very pro pinball machine. I will invite Rikki, Al, Oil, RD, Anonymous and the rest of the gang from SP for some craft beer and pinball.

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Al from Sunnyside got his button

El Loco…what about Oran Juice Jones? Why has he distanced himself from you?

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OJJ LLC

Oran Juice Jones just pulled out of his Saturday night gigs there. He said the joint is full of Anthem Kneelers. He said too many Snowflakes wearing Birkenstock shoes and purposely mismatched clothing. Also he didn’t approve of the Snowflake non-American car charging station out front. He will now be appearing live at the White Horse Tavern on Woodside Avenue.

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Mac

“You don’t have to be a bearded white man to enjoy beer”!!!…and they call the Trump supporters racist?…Good luck “Kristopher” you’re going to need it

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BartStone

Went in last night just to check it out. Great pinball machines and the owners, Cody and Chris, were behind the bar and very friendly. Great selection of beers, plenty of space to hang out, what’s not to like. Nice addition to the area.

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Schweino

Just because a beer is local it means it’s good… just saying. Like, where do they get their water from in Brooklyn or The Bronx. Gowanus? Bronx River?

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Fan of Dough Boy Park

Hopefully , yes it’s delicious local water used in their breweries. There’s a reason why bagels/pizza and many other products ” native” to NYC that are terrible outside the tri-borough area.

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JustPaula

I know it is a term used in electronics. My guess is that the pinball machines are older models that used solid-state circuitry… Before computers took over the arcades and the world.

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Pathmark No Frills Can Beer, it’s Pinkies Up you Snowflakes!

El Loco was overheard at the bar in Donavans saying he’s goving them 6-8 months until their Snowflake mommy and daddy’s gifted money goes down the craft beer drain. Oran Juice Jones will performing there live on Saturday evenings. Neil wants to know if they have any Busch Beer. Barbara is hoping they Grape Soda and BBQ chips on the menu. Al from Sunnyside is the bar back.

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Bill

Uhh where are all the 40 year old skateboarders
with beards who are gonna populate this place and
ask for their $2 PBRs? Wrong neighborhood for this
type of joint.

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Zinsu

“My sense is that you don’t have to be a bearded white man to enjoy good beer.” Yes! Love it. Looking forward to visiting (especially when they start serving food).

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Tommy the Drunk Pinball Wizard

Well I went at 3:45 PM yesterday afternoon and they were closed. Was going to call them to find out what time they opened but their official website still says “coming soon” and their yelp page doesn’t have a number listed. Hopefully this sort of thing isn’t a trend….. I want to like you Solid State… Get Your Act Together or I’ll just keep going to sunshine to get my silver ball fix!

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Anonymous

I had a similar experience. How a business can open without at least a simple website or basic information on a site like Yelp is bizarre. Doesn’t bode well.

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