Remember bowling in your hometown when you were growing up?  20 lanes, bright overhead lights, arcade games and shoes that never quite matched.  This was an affordable past time first done with family, then high school friends, then again with the same high school friends but after you had moved away and were back visiting; the last example being primarily for cheap beer.

Fast forward a few years and you have moved to the Big Apple and find yourself in a bowling alley. The circumstances are most likely for a hipster birthday party or after work corporate team building event.  You look around and the “we’re not in Kansas anymore” quote from The Wizard of Oz is playing in the back of your mind.  The music is DJ club loud, the couches leather, the servers (yes, people come to you when you bowl in NYC) offer cocktails and food.

Before I go any further and people call me a liar, the city is a big place and there more family oriented options. However, I have been to Bowlmor in Union Square and Times Square and Lucky Strike off the west side highway and there you will find some high end bowling.

The prices reflect the atmosphere so be prepared to spend a little dough.  However, there are some real benefits in these places.  They are clean, have a really fun vibe and are worth a try with some friends.

If you are interested you can check out Lucky Strike and Bowlmor