Bayshore Bowl (Demolished)
Santa Monica, CA
Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo

Even a rainy day couldn’t keep customers away from Bayshore Bowl in Santa Monica when this photograph was taken. Inside, the lanes offered a good way to spend a few hours while the weather handled the scenery outside. A bowling outing didn’t require much sunshine, even this close to the beach.

The Pico Boulevard center became a familiar stop for coastal league bowlers, families, and friends looking for an evening out. Its roadside “BOWL” sign made the invitation easy to spot, giving passing motorists a landmark beyond the usual beachside attractions.

Later known as AMF Bay Shore Lanes and then Bowlmor Santa Monica, the center continued operating well into the 2010s. Renovations changed the surroundings, but customers still came through the doors for the familiar challenge of keeping the ball out of the gutter.

Bayshore Bowl
Santa Monica, CA
Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo

Unfortunately, the games eventually ended. The closed building stood awaiting redevelopment before demolition took away another longtime recreation spot. The photograph preserves an earlier chapter, when a rainy afternoon could still lead to a few frames inside.

UPDATE: The former Bayshore Bowl at 234 Pico Boulevard was demolished in November 2024 for a planned residential and retail development. Redevelopment plans call for preserving and reinstalling the historic “BOWL” sign. 10-26

Eastland Bowl (Demolished)
Covina, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Just off the San Bernardino Freeway, Eastland Bowl in Covina offered motorists a convenient place to pull in for a few games. The location made bowling an easy addition to a shopping trip or an evening out, with the nearby Eastland Shopping Center bringing plenty of activity to the area.

The bowling center belonged to the postwar idea that a growing suburb needed places to play as well as places to shop. After looking through the stores, customers could head over to the lanes and see whether their aim was any better than their bargain hunting.

Inside, league bowlers and families settled in for the familiar challenge of turning ten standing pins into none. A cafe and billiards offered other ways to spend time, especially when the bowling score needed a little distance. There was enough going on to make a longer visit of it.

For regulars, the place became part of the weekly routine. League nights brought familiar faces back through the doors, while casual customers could stop in without much planning. The freeway made getting there convenient, but the games and company gave people reasons to return.

Eastland Bowl (Demolished)
Covina, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Unfortunately, that convenient location couldn’t keep the building standing. Eastland Bowl eventually gave way to redevelopment, joining the older bowling centers that disappeared as their commercial surroundings changed.

UPDATE: Eastland Bowl was demolished, and its roadside signage was removed. The former bowling property was cleared for commercial redevelopment. 10-26

Shatto 39 Lanes
Los Angeles, CA
Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo

Check out the giant bowling pin at Shatto 39 Lanes in Los Angeles. Signs like this once made the neighborhood ten-pin alley easy to find, with oversized equipment doing the advertising above the street. These days, spotting one is an attraction of its own. At least this pin isn’t likely to fall over after a well-placed shot.

Opened in 1954, the center has been part of the Shatto Place and Fourth Street neighborhood for more than seven decades. Its 39 lanes continue welcoming local bowlers, keeping the old roadside invitation connected to an actual game inside.

The exterior pin appeared dark when the original photograph was taken, but the neon indoors supplied another reason to look around. The Shatto Tap Room lettering added a familiar glow to the lounge, where a drink and a game of pool could follow the last frame.

The bar, coffee-shop counter, and arcade help make an evening of the visit. Someone can concentrate on improving a score while others find their own entertainment, carrying on the old bowling-center tradition of offering more than lanes alone.

Shatto 39 Lanes
Los Angeles, CA
Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo

The setting has also attracted film and television productions looking for a recognizable bowling atmosphere. For neighborhood customers, though, the place doesn’t need a starring role. A familiar meeting spot and a few available lanes can be enough.

Fortunately, the photograph records a landmark that continues serving its original purpose. The giant pin still marks the destination, and the sound of falling pins remains part of the activity inside.

UPDATE: Here are more photos of the Shatto 39 Lanes, still thriving after all of these years. Many thanks to Sal Garcia for update. 11-08

UPDATE: Shatto 39 Lanes remains open at 3255 West Fourth Street in Los Angeles. Its giant bowling-pin sign survives, and the center continues operating with 39 lanes and the Shatto Tap Room. 10-26

Shatto 39 Lanes Los Angeles, CA Photo courtesy Sal Garcia	Shatto 39 Lanes Los Angeles, CA Photo courtesy Sal Garcia