Bowlero Lanes (Gone)
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Photo courtesy Jay Lin
Check out the big neon letters for Bowlero Lanes along Barton Street East in Hamilton. The staggered BOWLERO name stretched across the front of the building, with the oversized red letters making this old bowling alley tough to miss from the road.
Bowlero opened in 1960 on the former site of Bar-Ott Bowling. The alley offered both Canadian 5-pin and traditional 10-pin bowling under one roof. Really? It became a longtime neighborhood hangout along this busy industrial stretch of Hamilton.
Unfortunately, Bowlero closed around 2015 and the building was left vacant. For a while, the old neon letters continued to hang proudly above the entrance even though the bowlers were gone.
UPDATE: The Bowlero Lanes sign has been removed from the building. Steel Town Salvage carefully dismantled the marquee and saved it from being scrapped. 08-26
Asbury Lanes
Asbury Park, NJ Photo courtesy Bob Jagendorf
Here’s the old roadside sign for Asbury Lanes, complete with bowling pins, neon lettering, and a big arrow pointing toward the action. It was a fitting introduction to this classic alley just a few blocks from the Asbury Park boardwalk.
Asbury Lanes opened in 1962 with 18 bowling lanes. By the early 2000s, promoters had built a makeshift stage over the lane gutters and turned the struggling alley into a gritty punk rock and indie music hangout. The B-52s even performed here.
The building closed for renovations in 2015 and reopened in May 2018 with six bowling lanes, a larger concert stage, bar, and 1950s-style diner. Bruce Springsteen helped celebrate the reopening with a surprise performance. Really?
UPDATE: Asbury Lanes remains open as a bowling alley and live music venue. The original sign is displayed inside the lobby, while a replica now greets visitors outside. 08-26
Sterling
Bowl (Closed)
New Hyde Park, NY Photo courtesy Louis Di Fazio
At first glance, Sterling Bowl looked like a rather small bowling alley along Union Turnpike. The glass-fronted building at street level was really only the lobby and entrance. Once inside, bowlers took an elevator or walked down the stairs to find an enormous 56-lane bowling center hidden beneath the parking lot. Really?
Sterling Bowl opened in 1959 with the entire bowling floor, front desk, restaurant, cocktail lounge, and other facilities located underground. Since the surface parking lot also served as the roof of the bowling alley, signs warned that trucks were not permitted on the pavement above. That probably made first-time visitors wonder what was hiding under their cars.
Sterling Bowl Entranceway
New Hyde Park, NY Photo courtesy Louis Di Fazio
The unusual center also featured plenty of late-1950s style, including terrazzo floors, abstract lighting fixtures, and broad glass viewing areas. Sterling became a major league bowling destination for residents of New Hyde Park, Lake Success, Great Neck, and nearby Queens.
After 42 years, Sterling Bowl closed permanently on May 31, 2001. The old exterior Googie sign, already partly broken by that time, disappeared during the major renovation that followed.
The underground space reopened in 2002 as Strike Long Island after a reported $10 million makeover. Bowling was reduced to 36 lanes to make room for laser tag, a sushi bar, and a 700-foot indoor go-kart track. Quite a change from the old neighborhood alley.
Check out the entranceway
and "NO TRUCKS" sign
New Hyde Park, NY Photo courtesy Louis Di Fazio
UPDATE: Sterling Bowl closed in 2001 and has
since been replaced by an underground entertainment center called "Strike!"
which has cosmic bowling and go-karts and things like that. Still has
that small building on top and everything else under the parking lot,
but sad to say, that old-time bowling alley is gone. Many thanks to John
from Glen Oaks for this update. 09-04
UPDATE: Strike Long Island eventually closed, but the underground building still survives. The space has been repurposed as Pickle N Par Club, with indoor pickleball courts and virtual golf simulators beneath the same parking lot. 08-26
Shenango Bowl-A-Way (Demolished)
New Castle, PA Photo courtesy Mark Hackett
What a sign! The roadside marquee for Shenango Bowl-A-Way featured a big bowling ball, two striped pins, colorful lettering, and a six-pointed star perched on top. A lower panel advertised 24 automatic lanes to anyone cruising along Route 422 east of New Castle. This one had just about everything a mid-century bowling sign needed. 12-08
Shenango Bowl-A-Way
New Castle, PA Photo courtesy Jim Zahniser
Shenango Bowl-A-Way opened on October 11, 1958, starting out with 12 lanes. The alley later doubled in size to 24 AMF automatic lanes and became a popular stop for Lawrence County leagues and regional tournaments.
There was even a little Italian flavor mixed in with the bowling. In 1959, the owners of Augustine’s Italian Village took over the alley’s diner and opened another location inside. A few games followed by pizza and spaghetti sounds like a pretty good evening.
After 56 years along Route 422, Shenango Bowl-A-Way closed during the summer of 2013. The property was sold that July, and demolition crews arrived in September to clear the 20-acre site for an industrial facility.
Shanango Bowl-A-Way
New Castle, PA Photo courtesy Jim Zahniser
UPDATE: The Shenango Bowl-A-Way also features a eye-catching sign on the bowling alley building. Many thanks to Jim Zahniser for update photos and info. 12-08
UPDATE: Shenango Bowl-A-Way and its colorful star-topped sign have been demolished. The old bowling center was located in New Castle, Pennsylvania. 08-26
Bowlero Lanes (Gone)
Asbury Lanes
Sterling
Bowl (Closed)
Sterling Bowl Entranceway
Check out the entranceway
and "NO TRUCKS" sign
Shenango Bowl-A-Way (Demolished)
Shenango Bowl-A-Way
Shanango Bowl-A-Way
