Pinball Wizard Alert: Rock Shop On 4th Avenue Morphs From Live Music Venue To Whiskey And Flippers Hangout

Pinball Wizard Alert: Rock Shop On 4th Avenue Morphs From Live Music Venue To Whiskey And Flippers Hangout
the rock shop
The new downstairs features a wall of pinball machines. (Photo by Donny Levit / BKLYNER)

If you’re looking for a place to exercise your “crazy flipper fingers,” The Rock Shop (249 4th Avenue near Carroll Street) has a wall of delight for you.

Enter into the redesigned first floor, and you’ll be met by a row of pinball machines — so fill those pockets with quarters.

While there are new additions to The Rock Shop’s first floor, the “rock” will no longer be live in this 4th Avenue dual-level space.

The Rock Shop
Brendan Niles, co-owner, in the new downstairs bar. (Photo by Donny Levit / BKLYNER)

“It’s hard to compete with the Williamsburg music scene,” said co-owner Brendan Niles, who opened the venue back in 2010.

Niles believes that neighborhoods such as Williamsburg attract more live music fans because of the concentration of venues within a small walking distance. “And it was harder to get touring musicians here, too,” he said.

the rock shop
Upstairs space with the outdoor deck. (Photo by Donny Levit / BKLYNER)

The Rock Shop stopped featuring live music towards the end of the summer, which then provided the opportunity for Niles to work on remodeling the ground floor. However the upstairs level remained open during the renovation, and patrons had access to both the bar as well as their comfortable outdoor space during the warm Fall season.

The Rock Shop
First-floor pool table area. (Photo by Donny Levit / BKLYNER)

Niles did say the local artists who played there would bring in a nice crowd, and always did well. Last June, musician Pete Sinjin — who is known Sinjin by the moniker “Hootenanny Pete” —  played a record release party at the Rock Shop for his album The Heart and Compass.

the rock shop
Photo via schoolofrockmem

Dynamic music venues certainly haven’t disappeared from the area. Threes Brewing (333 Douglass Street near 4th Avenue) is a few blocks away, as is ShapeShifter Lab (18 Whitwell Place between 1st and Carroll Streets), and Littlefield (622 Degraw Street between 3rd and 4th Avenues).

Union Hall (702 Union Street near 5th Avenue) is just up the Slope, and The Bell House (149 7th Street at 2nd Avenue) is relatively nearby as well.

Niles believes the change in the venue’s approach will appeal to a broader swath of neighbors. “We’re going to have an expanded menu of whiskey, which I’m looking forward to,” he added. “And I haven’t played pinball in forever.”

The Rock Shop is located at 249 4th Avenue near Carroll Street. The venue opens at 6pm every day.