Best bowling alleys

Bowlmor Lanes

Bowlmor Lanes
110 University Pl between 12th and 13th Sts (212-255-8188, bowlmor.com). Mon–Thu before 5pm $9.45; Mon–Thu after 5pm, Fri, Sat before 5pm, Sun $10.95; Fri, Sat after 5pm $12.95; shoe rental $6.
Sweet deals: Night Strike—glow-in-the-dark bowling on Mondays from 10pm to 2am—includes unlimited bowling, shoes and shot specials for $24 per person.
On the decks: Talking Heads’ “Burning Down the House,” the Bangles’ “Manic Monday”
Hits: This granddaddy alley draws a cool after-work crowd (think hot Wall Streeters) to its 42 lanes. The bistro sliders are huge, you can request drink service in your alley, and the ball return is the fastest we’ve ever seen.
Misses: Rainbow stools and shiny booths give it an ’80s roller-rink vibe. It’s also pricey and the ball selection is weak.

300 New York

Chelsea Piers, Pier 60 at 23rd St and West Side Hwy (212-835-2695,3hundred.com). Mon–Fri before 5pm $8, Sat–Sun before 5pm $9, Sun–Thu after 5pm $10, Fri–Sat after 5pm $11; shoe rental $6.
Sweet deals: Tuesdays 9pm–midnight are all-you-can-bowl for $25 per person.
On the decks: Gwen Stefani’s “The Sweet Escape,” the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back,” ABBA’s “Dancing Queen”
Hits: Everything here is big—the TVs, the lounge, the 32 lanes—so you’re never right on top of someone. Also, the arcade has four virtual GT machines, an air hockey table, Dance Dance Revolution and a photo booth for cheeky couples.
Misses: They recently updated the bar menu (from sliders to lamb chops), but much of it is bland and overpriced. And it’s next to impossible to flag down an employee in under 15 minutes.

Leisure Time Bowl

Port Authority, 625 Eighth Ave between 40th and 41st Sts, second floor (212-268-6909, leisuretimebowl.com). $6.50–$9.50, or book lanes by the hour ($50–$75); shoe rental $5.

Sweet deals: Every day after 9pm, the Night Owl Special buys two hours of bowling, shoes and a beer tower—11 pints—for $29 a person (minimum four people). You can also save 20 percent by booking lanes online.
On the decks: Rihanna’s “Please Don’t Stop the Music,” the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive”
Hits: This 26-lane alley boasts a full-service bar and will soon debut a fast-food bistro, a nightclub and a game room. The vibe is really fun too—bowling shoes turn into dance shoes at the drop of a needle.
Misses: Parts are still under construction; also, the B&Ters.

Harlem Lanes

2116 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd (Seventh Ave) at 126th St (212-678-2695, harlemlanes.com). Mon–Thu $5.50; Fri before 6pm $6.50; Fri after 6pm, Sat–Sun $7.50; shoe rental $4.50.
Sweet deals: The Family Four Pack, available Sunday–Wednesday 11am–8pm, includes one game, plus shoe rental, pizza or hot dogs, and drinks for four for $50. Unlimited Disco Bowl (Monday and Tuesday starting at 8pm) costs only $20.
On the decks: Lil Wayne featuring Bobby Valentino’s “Mrs. Officer,” Keri Hilson’s “Energy”
Hits: The 24 lanes, gourmet café and VIP lounge are great, but the best things about this joint are its theme nights: an old-school concert every Tuesday at 7pm, an open mike on Wednesdays at 8pm, college singles on Thursdays, etc. Plus, the jerk wings are killer.
Misses: The service is a crapshoot—you could get fast, friendly attention or none at all. The long waits can also be trying.

Melody Lanes

Photograph: Alicia Kachmar

461 37th St between 4th and 5th Aves, Sunset Park, Brooklyn (718-832-2695). Mon–Fri before 5pm $6; Sat, Sun before 5pm, Sun–Thu after 5pm $7; Fri, Sat after 5pm $7.50; shoe rental $4.
Sweet deals: Midnight Glow offers unlimited bowling on Friday and Saturday nights (midnight–3am) for $20 per person, plus shoes.
On the decks: JT’s “Sexy Back,” Kelis’s “Bossy”
Hits: This is the alley you grew up in—small and tight-knit, with a guy in a Totti shirt to your left and a little girl’s birthday party to your right. No snootiness, well cooled with overhead fans and offers classic (read: greasy) fare at its snack bar.
Misses: Serious kingpins should test their lane before shelling out cash; ours lacked oil. (And no, we didn’t just suck that day.) Also, beware the firestorm of screaming, whining children and the shitty ball selection.

Maple Lanes

1570 60th St at the corner of 16th St (718-331-9000, bowlmaple.com). Mon–Fri before 5pm $4.50; Mon–Thu after 5pm $6; Sat, Sun before 5pm, Fri–Sun after 5pm $6.50; shoe rental $4.25.
Sweet deals: Bowl for three hours on Sunday mornings for $25. (Arrive early—the lanes sell out by 8:15am.) Or pay a $6 cover charge and $1 per game on Sunday nights. On Mondays at 9:30pm, it’s $15 per hour, per lane.
On the decks: Whatever Q 104.3, 103.5 KTU and Z100 are playing.
Hits: Another nostalgia-fest throwback with a giant sports bar dividing the 48 lanes, a snack bar that fits large groups, and a well-labeled ball selection.
Misses: Teenybopper central. All day, every day, except when the leagues take over. (Shouldn’t these rats be in school?)

Shell Lanes

1 Bouck Ct at Shell Rd, Gravesend, Brooklyn (718-336-6700, shelllanes.com). Mon–Fri before 5pm $3.25; Mon–Thu after 5pm $5; Fri after 5pm $5.25; Sat after 6pm $5.50; Sat before 6pm, Sun before 5pm $3; shoe rental $3.50.
Sweet deals: There are two-hour specials for $5 per person on Mondays (4:15–6:15pm, 10pm–midnight), Thursdays (9:45–11:45pm) and Sundays (9:30–11:30pm), and an $18-per-lane deal on Sundays from 9am to noon.
On the decks: BYO CDs—they’ll play ’em.
Hits: Despite the sketchy nabe, this homey 32-lane alley is in fairly good condition.
Misses: The lanes are back-to-back and thisclose, making for one squishy game. Not to mention that the snack bar peddles more breakfast foods than anything, and many of the arcade games are sadly out of order.

Gil Hodges Lanes

6161 Strickland Ave at Mill Rd, Mill Basin, Brooklyn (718-763-3333, gilhodgeslanes.com). $5.95; glow ball on Friday and Saturday nights $8; shoe rental $4.25.
Sweet deals: Take advantage of the Nifty Fifty special on Tuesdays and Thursdays (noon–4pm): It’s a $6 cover charge and 50 cents per game.
On the decks: Chris Brown’s “Forever,” Nina Sky’s “Move Your Body”
Hits: It’s supremely spacious; weekend nights are bumping; there are three free parking lots surrounding the building; and its cheese fries are the best, like, ever.
Misses: Gil shares an owner with Maple, but you’d never know it: This alley is totally run-down—inside and out—and lane-to-lane etiquette is unheard of. Most of the lockers are broken, the staff is shockingly rude and the neighborhood feels unsafe. Why bother when it’s already in the butthole of Brooklyn?

The Gutter

200 North 14th St between Berry St and Wythe Ave, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (728-387-3585, thegutterbrooklyn.com). $6 before 8pm, $7 after 8pm; shoe rental $3.
Sweet deals: From 1am to close, Mondays–Thursdays, score two games for the price of one.
On the decks: Pearls & Brass’s “The Face of God,” the Grateful Dead’s “Help on the Way”
Hits: You gotta be at least 21 to bowl at this highly stylized hipster haunt, which features old-school score monitors, stained-glass lamps and a tap loaded with American craft beers, including Chelsea Checker Cabs.
Misses: Expect to wait an hour or longer for one of eight lanes, and don’t come hungry. The bar serves beef jerky, bar nuts and other uncle’s basement fare, though it does allow you to order food from nearby eateries.

Playdrome Bowling Center

1897 Guerlain St between White Plains and Unionport Rds, Bronx (718-829-4427). $7 for the first game; every game thereafter is $5; shoe rental $2
Sweet deals: Um, there are none.
On the decks: Kanye West’s “Gold Digger,” the clean version of N.O.R.E.’s “Still on the Run”
Hits: The employees are crazy-friendly, calling you “sweetie” and meaning it, and the 16-lane alley boasts a cocktail lounge, pool table and miniarcade. Oh, and jazz vocalist Melissa Hamilton often frequents the lanes’ weekly karaoke sessions (Thu, Sun 8pm–4am).
Misses: Hungry? Too bad. No food is served at this half-century-old alley, which is naturally a bit run-down. To its credit, the city is helping ’em remodel and update.

Ball Park Lanes

810 River Ave at 158th St, the Bronx (718-665-5800). Mon–Sun 9am–midnight (league nights Tue, Thu after 6pm). $4; shoe rental $2.
Sweet deals: None. But with prices like these, who needs ’em?
On the decks: [Silence]
Hits: Before, during and after Yankees games, this bare-bones 50-lane alley is jammed with beer-chugging pinstripe groupies. And hey, single ladies, BPL’s owner says he’s seen countless Yankees players stop in for a game. (One can dream, right?)
Misses: It’s a little dilapidated, but they’re hoping to remodel in 2009, swapping out their current wood lanes for synthetic ones. While the beer makes for a party-goin’ vibe, there’s, sadly, no music with which to cut a rug.

Rab's Country Lanes

1600 Hylan Blvd between Delaware and Raritan Aves, Staten Island (718-979-1600, rabslanes.com). Mon–Fri $4.75, Sat–Sun $5, shoe rental $2.50.
Sweet deals: They change regularly. Go to rabslanes.com for the latest discounts.
On the decks: Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl,” the Beatles’ “Birthday”
Hits: A bumper system allows adults and kids (and double-digit bowlers) to play on the same lane. We also like the in-house pizzeria (owned by Gennaro’s), the on-site pro shop, the High Roller Lounge’s pool tables and darts, and the 24-ounce Budweiser served in bowling-pin bottles. Plus, the bathrooms are spotless.
Misses: From the Holy Rollers to the pinsetter Madames, this alley is overrun with leagues. And weekend nights can net up to an hour’s wait.

Showplace Entertainment Center

141 E Service Rd, Staten Island (718-477-2695, showplacebowling.net). $6; shoe rental $4.
Sweet deals: From 9:30pm to 12:30am on Mondays, it’s Bowl-Till-You-Drop: all you can bowl for $10 per person (minimum four people per lane).
On the decks: Techno, hip-hop and rap
Hits: You name it, they have it: dartboards, pool tables, a pro shop, a sweet game room with five Skee-Ball machines, a sports bar with bucket specials, a deli/grill, even airbrush tattoos. Moreover, the pulsating Xtreme Glow-in-the-Dark Bowling is wildly bright.
Misses: Leagues, leagues, leagues—just looking at the schedule is nauseating. It’s also a haven for corporate events and birthday parties.

Whitestone Bowling

30-05 Whitestone Expwy at Linden Pl, Flushing, Queens (718-353-6300, whitestonebowling.com). $4.50–$7; shoe rental $4.50.
Sweet deals: Pay $15 for all-you-can-bowl on Saturdays and Sundays (8am–1pm), or $17 Mondays and Tuesdays (10pm–3am).
On the decks: This is a family place, so it’s Top 20 only, and no rap.
Hits: We repeat: 24/7. That’s a turkey right there, but we also dig the fab chicken wings, crispy French fries and whitestonebowling.com’s bizarre animated hostess.
Misses: These peeps are really big on the fact that this is a family-owned business; accordingly, they run a very family-oriented ship. This translates to lots of SpongeBob SquarePants parties, nasally moms and absolutely nothing getting licked like a lollipop.

Time Out New York / Issue 680 : Oct 9–15, 2008

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