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Categories: Bowling, Sports Bars [Edit]
Neighborhood: Greenwich VillageUnion Square (4, 5, 6, L, N, Q, R, W)
14th St-6th Aves (F, V, L, 1, 2, 3)
14th Street (PATH)
Mon. 4:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Tue-Wed. 4:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Thu. 4:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Fri. 4:00 p.m. - 3:30 a.m.
Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 3:30 a.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
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3.23 stars
i used to bowl here in the 80's.
ah, but it was so much older then, it's younger than that now.
Apparently a lot of my friends like bowling, and I will have to agree that it makes for a pretty entertaining social event. Bowlmor Lanes gets a 5 from me because of the experience I had on the Wednesday night I went.
Firstly, if you decide you should go out and do something on a Wednesday, definitely consider Bowlmor because of their 'Formerly Employed Wednesdays!' promotion. $4 drafts couples with $4 games of bowling make for a relatively inexpensive night while partaking in a not-to-exerting sport that still allows you to be competitive with your friends.
The staff here was pretty good, we received our orders rapidly and the person managing the shoe rental area was actually helpful in getting you the right size rather than having you try an figure it out yourself. Make sure you're legal or have an ID (though I'm not promoting any tomfoolery) because you need to be 18 to get in Sun-Thur and over 21 Fri-Sat.
I'd like to go back on a Monday for their $24 unlimited bowling from 9PM to 1AM promotion, so hopefully I can get my friends convinced to make a return trip.
An upscale bowling alley which celebrities like Michael Phelps and others come here. It's my first time at an upscale bowling alley as I've been to others which are all dumpy and run-down desperate need of a major cosmetic structural make-over.
Bowlmor and Strike properties indeed offer "stylish, glow-in-the-dark bowling with big screen video walls and a thumping sound system" as per their web site. There are three levels of bowling including a full-service bar as well as (I believe) a restaurant. For a Sunday afternoon I came here with a good friend whom I was by his side to release his individual struggles and frustrations by imaging the bowling pins as the source of his problem. Unlike other bowling alleys, Bowlmor lets you keep your own shoes. The bowling shoes are all fairly new.
I agree with other reviewers: the games and shoe rental are indeed over-priced. Thus, my four star rating. I believe the over-price comes with the ambience and atmosphere.
A friend invited me here for a Yelp Elite Members event (I heart Lily N.!...she introduced me to the world of http://Yelp.com). The event was fun, but I'm glad it was free because I'm not so sure I would actually pay to go this place. The venue was huge -- I stood at the upper level the whole time, which included a bar and snack area, a dance floor, and a game area. It's kind of funny how I went to a bowling alley and didn't even see not one bowling lane, bowling shoe, or bowling ball (I'm telling you, the place is huge!)
First of all, it is redikulously expensive for bowling. I mean isn't this a blue collar sport? Second their lanes are a joke. If you can bowl a 200 here, you dropped acid or you're trashed and ain't seeing straight...it's probably a 20 (I've bowled in living rooms with better kept floors than their lanes, though I have come close to 200 there). If you want to chuck a few balls as hard as you can at some pins and have a few laughs with some friends, then it's perfect cause it's right by Union Sq and everyone can make it to Union Sq. But if you actually want to bowl and care in any way about the sport, game, or whatever it is that bowling is; then don't go here because you will leave feeling cheated.
I leave 2 stars because the experience is completely pleasant. It's convenient, the waitresses wear short skirts, and I get to play a game while chatting with friends and drinking beer. How is that not a win?
P.S. a pair of brand new bowling shoes could set you back about $20 to $30...name brand. They charge $6 to rent. You do the math.
Finally made it to Bowlmor after seeing it advertised on the subways for so long, listing all the celebrities that have bowled there. To be honest, I wasn't thrilled for a few reasons. First of all, there is a dress code. No hats. But you could wear football jerseys and basically any other article of clothing. Just no hats. Pretty stupid. We got there around 6:30 and were told there would be a 45 minute wait, yet we could see a few open lanes. So as soon as we drop about $50 at the bar on food and drinks, our lane is miraculously ready. Literally in less than 10 minutes. We bowled 2 games, 4 people, and it came out to $108 just for the bowling. Shoes were $6 as well. To be fair, the best deal at this place was probably the food, which gave pretty good portions and wasn't over the top expensive. The actual bowling experience was no better than I have had in similarly themed alleys, like Dave and Busters for instance. Perhaps if we ran into a celebrity I would have added a star. Sadly enough I have already bowled next to an NBA player in the past, and it was at a local dump bowling alley that costs probably $10 to play 3 games. Go figure...
So I went with two of my friends and we had a really good time, but then again we have a really good time doing nothing so...
The place is cool, definitely, but expensive.
One friend ordered there "fresh baked pretzels with mustard dipping sauces" and got three obviously frozen that were simply warmed up pretzels and served with yellow mustard. Ummm.....nice way to jazz up your description of the food Bowlmor.
The drinks were expensive and not that good, so I guess go with beer if you want to drink there.
The are doing a promotion now on Wednesday nights where bowling from 10-12 is only $4 a game and $4 drafts so we may try that. Otherwise it is overpriced for nothing really that special.
There were 4 of us and we all payed $6 for shoe rental + $13 per game + $10+ per drink.. Maybe it's because I had a few too many gutter balls but our first game seemed to go by fast and we couldn't afford number two.. which is unfortunate because you always need a warm up game to really get going, right? We payed up, finished our drinks, counted our pennies... then spotted light up squares under the stairs and did a fab Michael Jackson-esque photo shoot.
My Manhattan was tasty, music was pop top 40, swanky feel compared to other bowling experiences I've had in the city - cool, but kinda spendy if you ask me.
P.S. I did kick royal ass the next day in a friendly but competitive round of bean bag toss and was thankful my aiming skills had been honed.
$12 dollars per person per game... what happened to 99 cent bowling? +6.50 for shoes
$32 dollars for 2 drinks at the bar?...
WE ARE IN A RECESSION PEOPLE... I want to bowl for cheap!
Then we get our lane walk over and someone is using it... we go back they give us another lane... someone is in that one too!
Now I'm getting frustrated... I sip my $16 dollar drink to calm my nerves...
bleh ugh cough spit or swallow?
I had to speak to a manager... it was unacceptable malarkey all of this...
He did give us our bowling for half price and bought us drinks... then we had a good time...
all and all I don't know about this place though
Don't be fooled by the glitz and glamor of this place or the fact that a number of celebrities have bowled here. It's all smoke and mirrors. The decor is just a mirage to get people to forget that they actually paid a ridiculous sum of money to bowl and for watered-down drinks. Frankly, it's not worth one's money or aggravation to go to BL. For no frills bowling at a reasonable price, I much prefer the bowling alley at Port Authority. Yeah, it's obviously not an aesthetically-pleasing place, but who the heck really cares if the whole point of one's visit is to go bowling??
So, in closing, if one is seeking to waste money, lose patience and deal with an overcrowded space then I certainly recommend coming to BL. And, if you enjoy hanging out with a number of B & T folk and/or undergrads making douches of themselves, do visit BL.
If one isn't a fan of the above, then do avoid BL.
I like this place, or the concept at least. It's a social activity that isn't hindered by weather, dress-code, athletic talent, or group-size. Bowling and drinking - what's better? It is admittedly expensive, but the place is still packed so what intelligent business is going to reduce their prices?
People keep complaining about the weak cocktails, so my suggestion is to put your money in a pitcher of beer. Still expensive, but prevents numerous trips to the bar.
Turns out, it is possible to get too much of a good thing. Take unlimited bowling as an example. I learned one Monday night at Bowlmor that more than five consecutive games of bowling may, in fact, be too many. And when I woke up the next morning with a sore thumb and shoulder I was pretty positive of this.
Another realization I came to at Bowlmor is that I'm better at Wii bowling than I am at real bowling. My big brother, who taught me how to bowl in various Las Vegas casinos, would be so disappointed. . .
Still, I had an awesome time with a big group of yelpers at Bowlmor lanes. The entire process was easy - from the shoe rental to the acquisition of pitchers of beer. Everything seems set up to ensure maximum fun and that's pretty hard to argue with.
Bowlmor is a great place to go with 3 or more friends. It's really big and hectic on the weekends, but they seem to have a good system down, which makes things move quickly and relatively smoothly.
My only complaint is this:
When I went up to the bar to order a drink, I was asked by this big bouncer-type guy to clear the bar area and stand in the dining area (where people were ordering dinner via table service). He told me I could order a drink from one of the servers. So, I followed orders and asked a server for a drink. The server told me to go stand by the bar. This back and forth thing happened 2 more times until I was personally escorted by the server to the bar and was told, "here! just order from the bar". i was made to feel like an idiot for wanting to order one drink and two people were telling me two different directions.
Anyway, this was a minor setback and I ended up having a good time bowling.
I will go back, but not for a while...
One word of advice, go on unlimited bowling day. My girlfriend works at a school close to here, so one day when they had a half day we decided to go by for lunch and bowling. We were the only ones in the building besides the staff, would there be a mid-day discount? No. I think we spent 30ish dollars on 1 game, 10 frames, and shoes.
So in short, yes its fun, its popular and it's bowling. Go on unlimited bowling night or take stacks of cash.
Okay, secret Vanilla Bean fact #67945: when I was little, my dad and I were on a bowling league together.
I less than three bowling for many reasons
1-it's considered a "sport" but doesn't require running
2-you can suck at it and still have a good time
3-bumpers make you look like Walter Ray Williams (http://library.thinkqu...) Okay, I admit to googling the last part.
4-it's cool to wear ugly clown shoes
5-you really like giggling every time you say the word "balls"
Bowlmor takes all of the fabulous qualities and adds the following ingredients to the recipe for fun:
Alcohol
Greasy finger good that you've loved since you were a kid
Groups of friends who are even funnier in clown shoes after a few beers
It's on the pricey side, but quit yer bitchin' you ungrateful New Yorkers-I can't even imagine how much it costs Bowlmor to have as much square footage as it takes to host this fun house of balls. Get a group of friends together and get ready to play with some balls!
NICE setup - good music - neon lights & greasy bar food. This is a fun place to visit if you've got a group of people or even a small company gathering. The waitress service was great and always kept our drinks fresh and the food was good. Just beware it can start to add up real quick, bowling, beers, food, shoes etc - you can easily spend a couple hundred dollars with a small group of 4 people so pay attention to the prices - we were there at night on a friday and I'm pretty sure they charge a premium to play during the peak times.
It had been years since I came here, and I must say that time has been good to Bowlmor. Granted, the last time I came here I don't remember showing my ID or that there was even a velvet rope with doormen but whatever.
Quite frankly, I can do without all the bells and whistles of places like this. But since this is a tourist trap and a light at the end of the (Holland) tunnel for the B&T'ers I really shouldn't complain. But let's face facts: I don't care about the glow in the dark pins, or the 2,323 TV screens or the live DJ or the signed pins by celebrities or the waitresses that look like they're on loan from 1942
Actually, i do love the waitresses because they do look like they're on loan from 1942, and they were so attentive to our group. And I liked that the lanes weren't as narrow as the lanes at Gutter, so it was rather easy for me to curve the ball. But I'm a simple man with simple needs when it comes to bowling. All I need are balls, and lots of them.
Bowling balls too.
A visit to Bowlmor is like being immersed in melted Velveeta cheese-product. At first, you are kind of grossed out by the florescent, glowing colors, bridge & tunnel crowd and full-throttle top-40s muzak. After a couple of beers and warm up throws, it is warm and comfortable, and you barely notice the garishness.
The menu (sliders, skins, nachos) is reasonably priced but lacks the bowling alley classics of grilled cheese on Texas toast with rippled pickle slices, ballpark hot dogs and tater tots. The quality is fine. Mixed drinks were weak but whiskey tango foxtrot was I doing ordering Stoli at a bowling joint anyway? Pitchers are better. They carry Bass for some flava.
Not sure what the normal rate is. For our group it was $35/person for 2.5 hours which flew by with much laughter, a few strikes and one or two alley balls.
All in all, it's a great location, a fine bowling experience and that's just fine. Velveeta, anyone?
Good times at Bowlmor. Now while I have not been back in a few years to this New York institution, which was established in 1938, I highly recommend you check it out when you need something to do with a group or even for a date. It is not just an ordinary bowling alley...it is like an art gallery with some bowling lanes in it.
They have 2 floors of lanes, so you will not have to wait long to play. If you get tired of bowling then check out one of their great pool tables or grab a bite to eat at their hip looking diner.
Bowlmor loses a few stars due to the overpriced food and overpriced games. They have been known to get a few celebrities here including Michael Phelps, Drew Barrymore and Richard Nixon. So maybe you will get to see a celeb while throwing a few gutter balls...but probably not.
The games / shoe rental is overly priced
The drinks where a bit over priced as well
Have to wait in line if no lanes are empty
Barley can find a ball that fits my fingers and the preferred weight - everything is always take
Balls are never put back after the game is finished by any one
If you just wanna play night bowling and hate to travel far away to do it - this is the place for you. make sure you have $$$$ on hand
The night bowling experience was fun
This place is so much fun.. Passed by many times and never knew, shame on myself =)
It was a super fun event with all the yelpers.. Monday 10pm-2am 24$ unlimited bowling with shoes.. how can you beat that in manhattan. I am so coming back
Shout out to few new yelper I met. Victor L, Remi C. Paul R and Jimmy. and some familiar faces Jane K. You rock!!! =)
Im not sure if i can review since i couldnt even get in!! ...YOU HAVE TO BE 21 TO BOWL WTF!! I was planning a nice afternoon date at this retirement home for a bowling alley :-/ The place was a hole in the wall I pass by it all the time and never noticed... after I gps it on my iPhone it's like BAM right in my face im thinking this club right here this is it SMH I shoulda known it was a problem when they had a velvet ropes and bouncers in the mid afternoon.. fatboy checks my id and turns me away I'm like this is not pink elephant or heaven why can't I get in LOL I was so embarrased
I vowed [even when I turn 21 I will NEVER go to this place!!]
this is like dumbest place ever it's like turning a student away from a library it's like being under 21 and getting turned away from an arcade sidebar: I HATE YOU TO DAVE AND BUSTERS SMH
GO TO HARLEM LANES!! or chelsea peirs for a good time
I'm giving Bowlmor Lanes 4 stars for their Monday night special! For $24 you get a shoe rental and unlimited bowling from 9PM- 1AM. Its a pretty amazing deal. Our server was kind, quick and helpful. We bowled our fingers off. The place is really cool looking with glowing pins, and good music. Good times! My only issue with this place is that their food & drinks are expensive! By the time we got got our food and drinks, it was like we paid for all the games we played anyway. So I highly recommend coming here, on Monday night and just make sure you do your eating & drinking before hand!!
Bowlmor is great if the bowling, shoe rental, food, and drink are free (i came here for an all-inclusive party). the staff was on top of everything and operated the event impressively smoothly. food abounded and the drinks we were poured stiffly. they even ushered us into a private room after our reservation ended so we could use up the rest of our drink tickets.
i also must say that i've never seen newer, more stylish bowling shoes... my feet have never looked this good before while bowling!
if you're considering renting this place out for a party, your party attendees will surely have a good time. i doubt i'd come here otherwise.
Question...
Shorts are permissible @ a Bowl Alley, Yes?
Think about it for a second... Bowling is an active sport! Active sports require active wear! Active Wear = Shorts!
So then why the heck in the world was I denied entry into Bowlmar Lanes!?!?
Dearest Owner of Bowlmar Lanes... Perhaps you haven't understood the concept of your business presentation. Despite your attempts in producing an environment that resembles a night club, you are in essence a BOWLING ALLEY!!! People come to your establishment to throw Strikes and Gutter Balls. Think about it for a second... When was the last time someone was @ your establishment shaking it like a salt shaker, or dropping it like it's hot? I'm sure those looking for a night club scene, are more inclined to go to Slate or Duvet.
Here's a simple question for you... Do you see people wearing Tuxedos to go to Papaya King for a Hot Dog!?!?!?!?
Or better yet... Do you see people on Riverside Drive running in a pair of Bruno Magli's?
In all honesty. If your establishment is looking to cater to the pretentious swine (while charging $20 a game w/ shoe rentals) then please omit my entry from your establishment permanently.
I think I'll stick to Bowling Alleys in Brooklyn that understand the concept of being comfortable while conducting activity.
Sure... You may look good. But who gives a rat's behind when you're bowling a 42 on the 10th frame while wearing Banana Republic!?!?!
This place gets props for their multimedia Yelp video thing! (are you seeing this up there) I haven't experienced THIS before. Steee-RIKE, Bowlmor.
I think this place is a lot of fun and I like the vibe of the bowling alley cum sleek bar with music videos, but I do think it's a bit too expensive (though not as bad as Chelsea Piers). Good for a fun group event, but I couldn't make it a habit.
A rip-off. Lousy food, booze, balls and shoes. Arm-twisting sales staff.
I'm not much of a bowler...didn't grow up bowling, my friends and I never "just go bowling"...so maybe I'm wrong, but $100/lane/hr seems a bit ridiculous for a place that doesn't offer much more than: bowling lanes, bowling balls, dim lighting with colored lights, and screens with 80s videos playing on them (whilst super American classic rock sounding stuff blares from the speakers).
I was amused that on my way in, the "bouncers" standing by the velvet ropes (literally) where there was not a single person waiting in line wouldn't let in a gentleman who simply wanted to give something to his wife who was inside, because he was wearing "sweats," which were actually Adidas track pants. The bouncers were being ridiculous about the situation, and when I went inside the bowling alley, I found that there were plenty of people in there who were much less attractive and worse dressed than this guy.
Why all the pretense? Why the velvet ropes? Why $100/lane/hr???
I had no idea that you could make bowling alleys into club-like places. I didn't even know they were club worthy.
Bowlmor is filled with booze, black lights, bowling shoes and bowling balls. You have to be 21 to get in... at least on a Friday? It was odd because I have never head anything about this place so I expected it to be like every other bowling alley I've been to: filled with nacho cheese, beers, and middle-aged men with their bowling leagues.
Bowlmor is very trendy looking and has 40+ lanes for your bowling needs. The crowd seems to be in their mid-20s and above. It must be very popular because we went rather early and it took us about 1.5 hours to get a lane. While we waited we went to the third floor which is a lounge-like place called 'Pressure' that has pool tables and more black lights and booze. I liked it up there because it wasn't overly crowded and they had big couches to use as long as you ordered drinks or food (they have a full menu).
After we waited, the bowling lanes were quite nice with a nice offering of balls for me (and I'm not talking about the bowling! hi-yo! ok... actually, I AM talking about the bowling). The games went smoothly and I enjoyed their computer system for the bowling complete with cheesy 90s style CGI animations. I also enjoy their stylish bowling shoes with the word 'Strike!' emblazoned on the side.
All-in-all... a nice place although I couldn't for the life of me justify the $13pp charge for bowling (not including the $6.50pp fee for shoe rental). (Expensive!)
No, no no.
Being put on a three hour wait for a lane + $11 cocktails + weird nightclub/rave tent = No.
If you want to actually bowl, go outside the city. This place just isn't doing it for me, no matter how many celebrity sightings they boast on their ads.
The entrance is impressive and is quite deceiving, you think you are being escorted to some vintage club with chic service, but the bouncer is just there to check IDs and the elevator smells most acrid.
I went to Bowlmor in a group of four people just before New Year's and the best thing about the bowling alley was the waitresses were dressed up in Mrs. Santa Claus dresses.
Otherwise, the atmosphere was lame, videos from the early 90s were on the screens(i had a few flashbacks), but strange music from the 80s played from speakers.
The food was not too over-priced, but the actual bowling was-
We were in a group of four people; I misunderstood that it was $13 per person, per game. So instead of playing as two teams, we played as four players. FIFTY-TWO DOLLARS FOR A GAME OF BOWLING?!!?!?!
I have never wanted to scream profanities in a bowling alley, but that was pushing me to the limit. Including the food and shoes, our bowling bill was over $100.
Not too cool. Bowling is supposed to be an affordable activity!! I refuse to waste my money here! Never again!!!
After a great meal at Japonica, we wanted to do something semi-active--haha. This place has a very new and cool feel. It's really, really expensive, but it's to be expected for the area it's in. The bar area had a good amount of seating and the service at the was good, but at the lanes it was spotty. Plus the waitress over there tried to rip my friend off "umm oh I totally forgot about your change" Then up at the register--"hey, did you pay for that drink?" Are you serious?! Overall it's ok place.
Bowlmor has a few things going for it, and it's definitely not the bowling.
Of course, it's been around forever and has a monopoly on Manhattan bowling because of location, and a great club/bar atmosphere. Bowlmor is a great place to get ridiculously drunk and eat awful food.
At 12 bucks per game, and some of the shittiest bowling balls and lanes in the country, I repeat again, do NOT come here for the bowling unless it's a company party.
On the other hand, the music blasts, the waitresses are hot and this is a totally cool hangout place but you'll be paying $150 an hour for 3-4 people.
Be warned, if you puke on the lanes, you will be kicked the fcuk out!
This place is dangerous...the game distracts you from the amount you're drinking, so a game later you are slipping, dropping bowling balls, and dancing in the alley.
...or in my case, throwing strikes. alcohol must be my performance-enhancing drug.
If you need a place to go with a big group this is perfect. I've been here for two work functions and one personal.
You can get drinks and food right at your lane. I'd order the much needed bar food to soak up all the beer/vodka/whatever you've been pouring down your throat. The always have loud music (sometime too loud I think), dark colorful lighting and TV's for the sports fans.
I'd suggest taking clients out for an alternative to your typical dinner or rallying friends for something different and active.
LIKES:
lighting/ambience - nice fun party vibe
tvs to watch bball games when you're bowling
tastly delicious munchies
good times for a group of people
drunk while bowling
DISLIKES:
$20/per person/per game - are u fking kidding me
beer and apps are much cheaper anywhere else
The prices when I went this weekend (April 12 08) were $10.95 per game until 6pm and then $12.95 per game (per person) after 6pm. Plus $6 for shoe rental. That is crazy. And two pitchers of beer cost us $40. I don't know about you, but I remember $6 pitchers in college. I guess those really were the days.
This place is a big rip-off. But it is conveniently located near Union Square, and bowling is so fun! I have no complaints except the price, so it gets 2 stars. Too bad I have to save up to go bowling again...
I was here last weekend and had a great time. It was $12 a game per person...which is less than what i pay in Chicago. It was nice to not wait for a lane-- I usually dont pay $5 for socks....but we were flying by the seat of our pants so to speak so didnt have socks on me.
All in all we had a really good time. Our server was nice and for a bowling ally our drinks werent that expensive. Esp for NYC
this chicago girl says thumbs up
Not for everyone, and definitely meant more for larger groups, Bowlmor can make bowling seem almost like an afterthought with its nightclub-esque atmosphere. Mixed drinks are weak--but not expensive by NY standards--so get a pitcher of beer instead. Servers are friendly and cute, but with near-identical uniforms and darkened lanes, they can be difficult to discern individually. Shoe rental cost is average, though games run high. (There are specials on Monday nights.) Good selection of alley balls to choose from which is a big plus for my girlfriend and I, since her fingers are small and mine run large. Would definitely go back with more friends.
I really like bowling, and i would imagine that if you like bowling you would go to a bowling alley to bowl. I do not feel that Bowlmor lanes feels the same way. The lanes are slanted, not one, not some but ALL of them. I think the last time i went we ended up spending 200 dollars between the 4 of us for 2 games each and a few beers each. So if you want to go waste a lot of money go here. Its easy to do.
20% OFF Flanagan's Wake!
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