An Indoor Family Activity That’s Right Up Your Alley

We love the idea of a bowling alley play date where the kids (and adults!) can get some much-needed exercise and have a little fun, too. Why not transform your nostalgia for the awkward teenage dating years into a family-friendly activity that’s the perfect fix for rainy days or just good old-fashioned fun? Here are our picks for the best place in every borough to don some questionable used shoes and get rolling with a heavy ball.

Harlem Lanes
As the name suggests, Harlem Lanes is the place to get bowling uptown. We love that they offer a Family 4 Pack for $40 every Sunday that includes an hour of bowling and shoe rentals for the whole gang. Harlem Lanes opens at 11:00 am every day – perfect if you feel like skipping the PB&J and want to indulge in gourmet kid-friendly bites like sirloin sliders and mini Jamaican beef patties.

2116 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd, 3rd Floor
New York, Ny
(Harlem)
212-678-2659
Online: harlemlanes.com

300 New York
Okay, so there were so many cool bowling alleys in Manhattan we had to feature two. Chelsea Piers is a pretty cool complex of all things sports and home to another favorite alley, 300 New York. Doors open early at 9:00 am, and if you bowl before 5:00 pm you’ll save $2 a game. Another reason to check out this alley is they are famous for entertaining and over-the-top kiddo birthday parties!

Pier 60
West 23rd Street & West Side Highway
New York, Ny
(Chelsea)
212-835-2695
Online: threehundred.com

Melody Lanes
Melody Lanes will bring music to your ears when you hear about the many kid programs available. They offer an after-school bowling program and a youth bowling league throughout the year. The kicker is Melody Lanes’ Kids Club, which will get your kid a free game every single day of the year and $1 rental shoes all for just $20. Early birds rejoice, they open at 9:00 am every single day.

461 – 37th Street
Brooklyn, Ny
(Sunset Park)
718-832-2695
Online: melodylanesny.com

Gun Post Lanes
No, it’s not time for a cowboy shootout at Gun Post Lanes. If you can get past the alley’s name, you’ll find that the lanes are more family friendly than Wild West. There’s bumper bowling for the little ones who hate throwing a gutter ball, 48 lanes so your impatient kiddos never have a wait, and affordable games and shoe rentals. Gun Post Lanes is classic 1980’s alley with neon lighting, slightly sticky carpets, and fat (not flat) screen television scoreboards. You’ll feel nostalgic about a like this from your own youth while the kids ask about the vintage scoreboard.

1215 East Gun Hill Road
Bronx, Ny
(Pelham Gardens)
718-881-0331
Online: gunpostbowling.com

Whitestone Lanes
Only in New York is there a bowling alley that’s open 24 hours a day and 7 days a week! Weekdays 6:00 am – 6:00 pm are a great time to visit. Games are only $5 a person and you’ll have the whole place to yourself while everyone’s at work. Or get a game in when you’ve got a jet-lagged toddler awake at 2:00 am for a few hours. Don’t forget to bring your paper – it’s cash only.

30-05 Whitestone Expressway
Flushing, Ny
(Queens)
718-353-6300
Online: whitestonebowling.com

Rab’s Country Lanes
Rab’s is a great example of how a bowling alley should be. Families, friendly groups and bowling leagues mixing it up along 48 lanes ready for action. Decor with that nostalgic feel we mentioned earlier, but featuring state-of-the-art lanes and scoring systems with touch screens computers and LCD monitors. And you can’t beat the $50 Fun Pack – a pizza, pitcher of soda, shoe rentals and 1.5 hours of bowling for four people. Doors open early at 9:00 am every day except Saturday.