Summer Checklist: Go Bowling!

This summer, take advantage of some of the things close to home that you’ve always been meaning to check out. Over the next few weeks, we’ll take a look at a bunch of places and events that are within a reasonable distance of Ditmas Park that are worth a trip this year.

Up this week, bowling alleys! They’re there for you when a heatwave strikes and you’re looking for an air conditioned place to spend the day, or when it’s raining yet another day in a row and the kids are getting antsy, or when you just want to hit the lanes instead of the beach. And you might not know it, but we have several nearby.

Maple Lanes
1570 60th Street at 16th Ave
Getting there: A quick drive or bike ride or even walk, since it’s only about 2 miles from most parts of our neighborhood. Or, take the B8 bus, which runs down Foster to CIA to 18th Avenue.
Specials: This summer, Monday to Friday from 3-6pm, all games are 99 cents. Kids can get one game free between 9am-9pm every day this summer (with online registration). There are deals late night on Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays, and an early-bird special on Sundays before noon. Wednesday night is cheap for teens. And on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights they’ve got glow-in-the-dark bowling.
Food: They’ve got an extensive menu that gets mixed reviews, and you can get beers by the bucket.
Nearby: Stock up on Italian products at Coluccio just up 60th Street.

Melody Lanes
461 37th Street at 5th Ave
Getting there: A little further away than Maple Lanes, it’s still pretty quick via car, bike, and even walking (on foot, you could take a nice detour through Green-Wood). Or, catch the B35 at Church and CIA.
Specials: Sign up kids for a Kids Club Membership for $20, and they get one free game every day for the year, $1 shoe rentals, and if you upgrade to the $40 membership, it’s all that plus they get a bowling ball. Sign up for their mailing list or check their Facebook page for specials throughout the year.
Food: Standard stuff like nachos fried things, and cheap pitchers of beer.
Nearby: If you’re heading to Sunset Park, why not grab some tacos and watch the sunset from the park? Try Tacos Matamoros, which is down 5th Ave at 45th.

Shell Lanes
1 Bouck Court at Shell Rd
Getting there: A decent drive or bike ride (you can take the Ocean Parkway path almost the whole way). By public transportation, your best bet is to walk to the F train, which will take you right to the Ave X stop.
Specials: Deals on late nights on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays (most of those nights, it’s $5 per person for 2 hours of bowling). Before noon weekend mornings, get 3 hours of bowling for $18.
Food: They’ve got a bar and food, but why eat there when you can…
Nearby: …grab a square slice from L&B Spumoni Gardens just up 86th Street.

Strike 10 Lanes
6161 Strickland Ave
Getting there: It’s not a bad drive or bike ride, but it’s the furthest in this list at about 5 miles from the neighborhood. It’s a but of a hike by public transit, taking the Q to Kings Highway, then switching to the B100 bus.
Specials: It’d be interesting to hear from people who’ve been here recently who used to go when it was Gil Hodges Lanes. They’ve got a ton of specials these days, like all-you-can-bowl on Mondays and Wednesdays from 12-3pm for $15/person, deals during late night hours on Mondays through Thursdays, 50 cent games after a $6 cover on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12-4pm, and early morning and late night deals on Sundays. They also do glow-in-the-dark bowling on Friday and Saturday nights.
Food: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and buckets of beers.
Nearby: Just wander around Mill Basin if you’ve never been. Or grab a pastrami sandwich at the Mill Basin Kosher Deli.