Parkway Lanes
Elmwood Park, NJ Photo courtesy Paul Bauke
Cruising along Route 46 near the Garden State Parkway brings you to the towering sign for Parkway Lanes. The old pylon stacks the letters P-A-R-K-W-A-Y vertically above a big sweeping arrow and the word LANES. It was built to catch highway traffic, and after more than six decades it still does the job.
Parkway Lanes opened in 1959, when Elmwood Park was still known as East Paterson. Its location near Garden State Parkway Exit 157 made the name an easy choice, although getting into the parking lot near the busy on-ramp could be an adventure of its own.
Parkway Lanes
Elmwood Park, NJ Photo courtesy Paul Bauke
The bowling center became a longtime stronghold for Bergen County league play, with leagues reportedly accounting for more than half of its business. The original neon on the sign was eventually removed and replaced with white LED rope lighting. Not quite the same glow, but the familiar roadside shape remains.
Parkway Lanes nearly disappeared after its owner filed for bankruptcy in 2015. A proposal called for replacing the alley with a self-storage facility, but bowling alley owner John Fatigati stepped in and bought the property for $3.875 million in 2016. Really? The sale agreement required Parkway Lanes to remain a bowling alley.
UPDATE: Parkway Lanes remains open at 200 Route 46 in Elmwood Park. Its altered 1959 pylon sign still stands along the highway, now illuminated with LEDs instead of its original neon. 08-26
Echo Lanes (Gone)
Cuba, NY Photo courtesy Mark Hackett
With its low, wide roofline and brightly painted walls, Echo Lanes looked a little like a roller-skating rink that happened to have bowling inside. The colorful exterior stood out along Water Street and gave passing travelers a good reason to stop and roll a few frames. 11-00
Echo Lanes was more than the local ten-pin alley. The large building also contained a restaurant and bar, with Friday night fish fries, Country Western bands, and other live entertainment joining the regular league schedule.
The lanes were once operated by Ronald Threehouse, a regional bowling entrepreneur who also managed Coral Lanes in Olean and Bowl O-Var Lanes in Bolivar. Echo Lanes became a longtime gathering place for Cuba residents and served as the home of the community’s Junior Bowling League.
Echo Lanes gutted by fire
Cuba, NY Photo courtesy Dave Wagner
Late on Sunday, November 30, 2008, firefighters were dispatched to Echo Lanes after a fire broke out inside the enormous 200-by-300-foot building. Crews initially attempted to battle the flames from the interior, but the fire quickly spread into the wide open roof structure. Firefighters were forced to retreat, and the entire bowling center was lost. Really?
The colorful facade, exterior signs, lanes, restaurant, and entertainment spaces were all destroyed in the collapse. Nothing could be salvaged well enough to reopen the business, and the remaining rubble was eventually cleared from the property.
Echo Lanes - Firefighters tackle a rekindle in the fire on Saturday afternoon Cuba, NY Photo courtesy Dave Wagner
According to firehouse.com, over 100 firefighters from two counties battled the blaze for six hours. No injuries were reported and investigators are still searching for a cause. The Olean Times Herald report stated that the business had plans to expand into a restaurant.
UPDATE: Echo Lanes has closed its doors as its owner passed away recently. Many thanks to David Wagner for update. 12-05
Interior gutted
Cuba, NY Photo courtesy Dave Wagner
UPDATE: Echo Lanes, the old ten pin alley in Cuba, NY was gutted by a fire on Friday night 11/28/08. Echo Lanes was re-opened recently in the past 6 months by a new owner trying to get the place going again. Unfortunately, all is now lost after the huge fire. Many thanks to David Wagner for photos and update. 12-08
UPDATE: Echo Lanes was never rebuilt after the 2008 fire. Old online listings occasionally make it appear that the alley is still operating at 45 Water Street, but the building and its colorful roadside facade are gone. 08-26
Hy Way Bowl (Demolished)
Union, NJ Photo courtesy Paul Bauke
Here’s a great bowling pin sign that once greeted traffic along busy Route 22. The marquee for Hy-Way Bowl featured a giant pin with the name running down its face in classic block lettering. Those letters had once been outlined in neon, making this one quite a roadside sight after dark.
Hy-Way Bowl opened in 1960 and became a familiar stop for generations of Union bowlers. Inside were 40 genuine wooden lanes, an increasingly rare feature as most bowling centers switched to synthetic surfaces. By its final years, it was said to be one of the last alleys in New Jersey still offering an all-wood bowling experience.
The complex also housed Danny’s Continental Cocktail Lounge, giving Route 22 travelers a place for a drink after a few games. The lounge later took on a much different personality as an adult entertainment club. Bowling, cocktails, and a giant neon pin all sharing one highway property. Really?
After nearly 60 years, Hy-Way Bowl closed on May 24, 2018. The closure came rather abruptly because of the longtime owner’s failing health. The building sat abandoned for several years, with the lanes, scoring equipment, bowling balls, and other remnants still scattered inside.
UPDATE: Hy-Way Bowl has been demolished for a self-storage development. The old bowling pin marquee was dismantled and scrapped along with the rest of the Route 22 landmark. 08-26
Crystal Lanes
Corning, NY Photo courtesy Mark Hackett
The roadside sign at Crystal Lanes finds an imaginative way to spell out the name. Each letter in “CRYSTAL” sits inside its own sharply angled panel, creating a colorful stack of crystal-like shapes above the simpler “LANES” cabinet. 11-00
The family bowling center has served the Corning area for several decades. It continues to offer league and open bowling along with a snack bar, trivia nights, and community events.
UPDATE: Crystal Lanes remains open along Route 352. The unusual mid-century roadside sign still stands at the entrance. 08-26
Parkway Lanes
Parkway Lanes
Echo Lanes (Gone)
Echo Lanes gutted by fire
Echo Lanes - Firefighters tackle a rekindle in the fire on Saturday afternoon
Interior gutted
Hy Way Bowl (Demolished)
Crystal Lanes
