Were you an individual fortunate enough to visit the Pokémon Center New York? Do you have any fond memories to share? How about information regarding the store that would assist this website? Feel free to leave your stories in the comment section below! After all, the Pokémon Center New York has as many stories as there are people to tell them!
I’m from NJ so i remember going to PCNY a bunch as a kid! It’s crazy to me there isn’t pics or vids like that online anymore. I love what you both have done putting this together its so nostalgic to me I can cry😭 Yhis preservation is super special to me and I’m going to have my mom dig around for videos of this era and hopefully I have something! My mom ALWAYS recorded everything even back then with the fat back video camera 😂 Keep doing a great job keeping up with this website💗
Seconding visiting PCNY a lot as a kid because I lived in NJ lol. Unfortunately I don’t remember a lot of it because I was pretty young at the time (born in 1997). I stumbled onto this site last year while looking for info about the magical clock and I’m really really happy to see so much preservation being done!! I’m twice as happy to see photos of the Pokémon Colosseum launch event which I have been looking for for YEARS! I actually won the costume contest mentioned with a Jirachi costume made by my mom, I know for a fact pictures were taken but it’s a shame I haven’t been able to find any! I still have the gamecube (with a Colosseum stick-on skin) and Wooper themed Pokémon Mini they gave out as prizes🥺 There’s definitely old shopping bags, calendars, and booklets from this era laying around my house and I’ll donate pics if I’m able to find them, but for now thank you for all the work you’ve put into preserving memories and making this site such a great resource💕
I’m a Queens-born native that moved to New Jersey in 2000. I’ve been a fan of Pokemon since 98 or 99, but until 2005 I was a spinoff game kid. I played Snap, Stadium 1 and 2, Puzzle League, basically every Pokemon game except for the mainline games. I never knew they existed until my neighbor let me borrow FireRed in the summer of 2005. Still, I was fortunate enough to have my mom take me and my brother on the bus to Port Authority to go visit Pokemon Center New York once or twice before the store was renamed. The one time I remember visiting the store is when I bought some EX Sandstorm card packs which had a Golem EX and a Kabutops EX. I remember me and my brother were amazed at the cards on the bus ride back home, but I also remember shortly after that we lost those cards. Gone forever, oh well. The other Pokemon merchandise I have that we bought from the store is a 200 piece puzzle of the first 150 Pokemon, it prides itself as a collector’s chart. It’s hanging up next to me on my wall in my bedroom, but it’s missing 2 and a half pieces (don’t ask about the half piece!). I wish I was more involved with PCNY, because after doing extensive research on the gen 3 PCNY events, it would have been my dream to get events from the store. Not just the GCEA machine distributions, but the tickets like Aurora Ticket and Mystic Ticket.
Another kid who lived in NJ during the time PCNY was a thing! I didn’t get to go super frequently, but I went enough times to count myself very lucky.
I still have the large sized shopping bag my 1:1 Chikorita and Venusaur GBA SP came in; it’s got the logo on one side and Mewtwo pointing off into the distance on the other. Really cool bag; no idea why it was kept but I’m grateful!
One of my favorite memories is when I went to the center one day and really wanted a giant Entei or Suicune; but obviously they were expensive and I was turned down. Next time I visited was with a friend for a video game tournament event? I think? And there was a scavenger hunt? One of the questions was ‘How many teeth does Groudon have?’ (not sure why I remember that). After the game competition, I saw a giant Raikou and went over to grab him. I really liked cats and he was just a giant saber-tooth kitty. I wasn’t very old at the time so I don’t remember his exact pricing; but with NYC taxes (yikes) it was probably around 150$ for him. They put him in a big box that we had to drag through the subway and everything since we had taken the train in. I’ve had him with me for most of my entire life now, which is crazy to think about.
I also have some old papers and stuff; issues of Pokemon Fan from that time period. I attended the 10th anniversary party in Bryant park and still have my paper with my chosen event Pokemon on it (Latias and the flying Pikachu). During the journey across America tour; I also went to the Boston stop (dressed as a Skitty, I believe). I still have my trainer certificate from that.
Another really cool fun tidbit about the center; at the registers they had fanart and drawings that kids did hanging up. I remember giving them a Mewtwo that I made.
Thanks for preserving some of this history here. I wish I had some to add; but I don’t think we took any photos from that time period. The most I have (that I know of) are a few scattered photos from the 10th anniversary party.
My memories of going for the 1st and only time as a kid was that of a dream like trance.
I remember seeing the commercials on TV and really wanting to go.
My father at the time worked morning til night everyday of the week so I barely could ask.
As a kid living in New Jersey and never going to New York, I had though the globes on the exit of subways were pokeballs leading to the center, haha.
They had the distribution machine for Gold, Silver, and Crystal at the time with an event for a random Pokemon egg with a random move it may not be able to learn?
All I remember was hatching a Lapras with Fly and a Swinub with whirlwind.
That was pretty cool.
I was fortunate to visit PCNY in 2004 after traveling from Arizona. As a kid, it was an absolute wonderland. Details I distinctly remember from the time of my visit were the Hoenn imagery (including a Groudon and Kyogre statue) and promotions for movie 5. On one floor they had a wall that was end-to-end filled with figurines for every dex entry available at the time, sorted by number. I remember there being 1:1 plushies, but on a kid’s budget I only walked away with so much: a kyogre plush, mudkip plush keychain, and a couple of figures. At checkout, there was a large mewtwo bag and a special edition of a Pokemon Insider magazine with purchase. Having visited Nintendo NY several times since the conversion, I can say it’s far from the same. Maybe its rose tinted lenses, but I felt the store at the time was comparable if not better than some of the Pokemon Centers in Japan who now have too much to cycle between (7 of which I’ve visited as well). I hope they eventually create some experience for US fans to enjoy again, rather than a fraction via the online store (which I’m definitely happy to have back as well).
I visited PCNY around Thanksgiving of 2003. They were promoting the release of Pokemon Channel. Honestly don’t remember much except they had like every Pokemon for sale as a figure, I wanted a Blaziken but settled for Combusken because Blaziken was totally sold out. No idea where the Combusken went, I think I lost it within the year, sadly. I visited Nintendo World a couple times as well, like when they were promoting Wario Land: Shake It (most likely in the summer of 2008)
So I grew up in Westchester County in the era of Pokemania. I was a bit too young to keep up with gaming news in 2001, but since Pokemon was my life at the time, my parents became aware of PCNY’s opening. I will never forget the first time we went, because it was probably the single most exciting thing that happened to me before age ten. I can vivdly remember my father offering me the chance to pull the golden Poke Ball door handles, and the feeling that overcame me was probably what kids in Southern California and Florida got when they went to Disney. I left that day with a Neo Destiny theme deck, Wallop, and one of the Pokedex (Monster Collection in Japan) figurines. I believe I chose Mewtwo that day.
We ended up visiting at least once a year through 2004. though my mother insists we went way more often. I know I picked up a Pokedex figure every visit, and from the second visit, I would use the Gotta Catch Em All stations with my Silver Version, later Ruby, to get whatever was available. I recall that on the second visit I managed to get the Turmoil theme deck from the TCG’s Legendary Collection while it was sold out at the more local card shop. I ended up with a reverse-holo Mewtwo in that set, to match Charizard and Dark Raichu. Another timeless memory aided by the ambience of gold and silver decor everywhere, and the statues looking out the windows.
I also remember on a separate visit my older sister wanted the Channel game for GCN, and my parents obliged when I also agreed that it’d be cool. I knew nothing about the game then, but ended up loving it. In my own mind, getting some rare Pokemon on my new Game Boy Advance was more pertinent, as well as finding some cool merchandise to beg for. I was denied the brown fabric with gold outlines play mat for the TCG, but it ended up a Christmas gift later that year. The foil has faded but I still cherish that mat today.
When my family left NY, and I returned to Nintendo World, I was impressed but sad that PCNY had been lost in the change. Still, the museum impressed me and the PC presence on the first floor was a nice touch, I recall the statues still existing in various places in the store.
Since it became Nintendo NY I feel the last bit of PCNY’s spirit has been lost. The layout is the same as Nintendo World but the soul of the store is absent. The museum is smaller, the Pokemon presence is even smaller than that, and the majority of floor space is left to t-shirts and apparel. The days of a huge TCG section and life-sized Pokedex are long gone, and maybe the only vestige are the large demo stations which feel like the older ones. The second floor is similar, but the first floor is so different it’s sad.
I grew up (and still currently reside) in the state of NJ. Close enough to take the occasional trip to NYC, but not close enough to just go there whenever I pleased. I am currently 22, attending college at a campus that’s just a 10 minute train ride away from NYC. However, that’s not what my story is about. Growing up, my family would take the occasional trip to NYC. We would stay in nice hotels, spend several days exploring the city, eat at restaurants, go on tours, etc. It’s worth mentioning that I am a triplet, with 2 sisters where I am the only boy. During around 2003-2004, when I was 5 years old, my mother expressed interest in taking the two of my sisters to the new American Girl Doll Store. Of course, my father and I had no interest in visiting that store, so we agreed to split up and find something else to do while my mother and sisters enjoyed themselves in the American Girl store. My father ended up taking me to the Pokemon Center NY. My memories of the rest of this event are a bit hazy. I don’t remember a whole lot about the store, but I do remember bits and pieces. The most clear memory to me, is getting my picture taken with the Pikachu statue located inside of the store. I also believe I ended up getting a Poke Doll of Latios for myself, and a Poke Doll of Latias for one of my sisters (which we both still own to this day!) Nowadays, as a 22 year old attending college at a location very close to where this store was located, you can imagine that I make frequent trips to Nintendo NY. Despite the numerous changes that the Nintendo store has brought to the location, some of the roots of the Pokemon Center are still very apparent, such as the door frames that are still shaped like Poke balls. Although the energy that PCNY and even Nintendo World brought to the location now being gone, the store will always hold a special place in my heart, and I will continue to visit it for as long as I live close enough to do so.
In November 2001, 2 months after the horrific attack on the World Trade Center, New Yorkers were ready for some innocent fun. The Grand Opening of the New York Pokemon Center Flagship Store provided just that. I was the staffing specialist who found the man who was to become the general manager of the store. My entire staff and I received the VIP treatment at the Grand Opening. My grandchildren have long since received most of the memorabilia. I have one photo left of myself at the opening as well. It was an amazing store and a really fun day.
My two Florida kids aged 8 and 14 lost their minds while in the Pokemon Center New York when we visited back in the summer of 2002. They both purchased Gold GBAs along with the brown padded cases and PCNY screen covers. If I remember correctly they were able to download a “special” game while there. Somewhere in my video archives, I have a short video taken while inside the PCNY!!! I was quickly told by a store employee that it was forbidden to video record while inside so I shot some video through the windows from the street. We still have one of the Gold GBA with case and cover.
Lots of fond memories from that day and as someone mentioned before, it was the first summer after the 9/11 attacks so the City was starting to get back on its feet again.
Thank you for doing what you do!
Pokemon Center New York was a big part of my childhood.
Growing up just a mere 30 minutes outside of NYC, I was fortunate enough to get to visit to the Pokemon Center multiple times.
My favorite aspect of the store was browsing the seemingly endless amount of colorful TOMY figures!
I have a distinct memory of needing to use the bathroom while at the store and a staff member told my family there wasn’t a public bathroom (which is strange considering that the store was meant for kids), but in the end they kindly let me use the staff bathroom which had a humorous paper sign (most likely made by the staff, wasn’t anything fancy, I think it was basically just an image and text printed on computer paper) featuring a Caterpie with it’s name humorously spelled as ‘Cater-pee’ which I thought was very amusing, I don’t think was meant to be seen by the public. I wonder if anyone else remembers this sign?
I’m glad someone made something like this as I’ve been searching for information for hours lol. I could take an ear off about going to this place. I visited during the grand opening in 2001, after having won myself an invite during a card tournament earlier that year.
Now I was from Idaho, an 11 year old girl, never been on a plane, and I didn’t like those packed sidewalks lol.
I wish i could remember more details as some seem to but a lot is mashed time of no sleep, deck testing at the assigned hotel, and constantly trying to keep up with match seatings.
One thing really stuck with me however, an activity that was provided. Left out on a table were papers for people to draw their own pokemon cards, perhaps for a chance at publishing or just fun im not sure. But their was a girl younger then me that colored many of them while waiting on her family member playing. This kid was amazing with her gel and glitter pens, even reasonable with the moves she gave them. FYI, mine was horrid.
The trip was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me and an experience I hope never to forget. I sadly just sold my pokemon center card in 2019 not realizing…hindsight.
I only had the chance to go once to the Poke Center and it was as magical as everyone who went remembers. I took the stairs up to the second floor where right in front of me is the pinball machine and to the right in the back were Distribution machines. I believe I got a pack there where I pulled a secret rare Absol. But I also ended up with a pretty big pikachu and still have the shopping bag I carried it home with.
Thank you so much for making this website. I lived in Manhattan around that time period in Battery Park. I remember touching those golden Pokeball door handles like it was yesterday. Other activities included playing with the stuffed toys, being in awe over the Pikachu statue and seeing some newfangled device called a Gamecube with some game called Super Smash Bros Melee. As a kid, it was heaven on Earth and I’m a little saddened it couldn’t last a little bit longer. I moved away from NYC in 2003 and the USA as a whole in 2004 but visiting this wonderland was one of the happiest moments of my life. Seeing all of the things on this website has caused those dormant memories to come flooding back…
There was something magical about Pokemania back then. Had all of the games (only beat Ruby), watched the anime obsessively on Kids WB and even had some of the other merchandise. Sadly, my copies of Pokemon Ruby and Firered no longer function…