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The Local Really Is Local!

tiviachick
Apr 13
3 min read

I got the opportunity to end my work week with some local laser tag, which is a sentence I don’t get to say often! Usually I’m off traveling to find new laser tag arenas in other states, but this time I was delighted to discover something that is basically right in my own back yard. How astounding is that?!

I ended my day out in the eastern part of my region, as I often do, in the town where the company I work for has a satellite office. Then I kept driving just eight minutes to the east. Yep…eight minutes put me in the next town over where I got to play some Helios CE laser tag at The Local in Schenectady for the very first time!

This may be the best kept secret in the area. Let me explain how it is possible for a laser tag to be right under my nose without me knowing about it. I actually had a general awareness of Via Port, which I had looked up an online a couple of years ago. It appeared to have several cool things happening in a revitalized mall that includes a major aquarium and a few other unique attractions. At the time when I first looked into this, it appeared to not have laser tag, so in that moment I mentally just set it aside. However, we all know that businesses grow and evolve, and apparently laser tag was added at this location in the fall of 2023. And yet it took a trip to Virginia and a conversation with a mutual friend who mentioned “I think Jeremy is involved with laser tag in that area” for me to take a second look. I’m so glad I did!

The “Jeremy” he referenced is Jeremy Gaddy, a familiar name in the laser tag world, who is now general manager at The Local. It was awesome to get to catch up with him when I stopped by, as it had been several years since we first met down in Florida at IAAPA. I have played at many laser tag arenas that he has operated in the past, so what a pleasant surprise to now find him living up in my neck of the woods and to hear about all that The Local has to offer. This business includes a variety of attractions ranging from escape rooms to blacklight mini golf, arcade, food and drinks and even (my second favorite thing they offer) a karaoke room! But of course I walked in “laser focused” on playing laser tag, so he immediately set me up for a game with Alyssa and we went in to check out the arena.

This was all the more awesome to me because, while most people would enter and simply see a cool arena, I saw some familiar history. Jeremy gave me the backstory about the origins of the early-design CW theming inside the space as we prepared for the game. It’s a single-level arena, about 2000 square feet, with black lights galore and some extra lighting effects to keep things interesting! :)

My favorite design element is something that I recognize is being used in a completely different kind of way. Check out this structure that houses the blue base.

It’s a classic arena piece that has been repurposed in a new way to fit within the space with a completely different functionality than how you typically see it. Love the ingenuity!

Tagging with the CE equipment and the phaser style that I used when I first started playing is something that always feels special to me.

Who would have guessed I’d be playing laser tag tonight? Ok, anyone could have guessed that, but who knew I’d be playing so close to home?

While this visit was just a quick stop at the end of my work week, knowing that laser tag is now a truly local option for me at The Local makes me certain I will be back for more soon!