‘Landmark’ NYC bowling alley may be on its last frame as locals slam city plan to make way for housing complex: ‘Devastating’
Whitestone Lanes may be on its last frame.
The landmark Queens bowling alley is the target of city plans to demolish the lanes to make way for a massive new housing development – leaving regulars of the hotspot-turned-relic beside themselves.
“As a bowler, this is no good,” said Jose Zambrano, a retired American Airlines worker who has been a regular at the Flushing lanes for two decades.
“To us, it’s like you’re taking our food away, our playground. This is, to me, devastating,” Zambrano, 62, said. “It’s been here for so long. I’ve been coming here for the last 20 years.”
“Where are we going to go?” asked another regular, construction worker Shawn Rolle, 38. “This is where I go. I live in Brooklyn. I drive all the way here just to come get a peace of mind, relax … It’s like family.”
Built in the 1960s, the family-owned 48-lane bowling alley was once a thriving recreational alternative for Big Apple families and bowlers of all skill levels, capitalizing on the one-time popularity of the sport.
Until the pandemic, it remained open 24 hours a day.
Whitestone Lanes remains shiny and well-maintained on the inside, but the cracked facade outside betrays the bowling alley’s faded glory.
In February, the City Council voted to rezone the property in the final hurdle to build a nine-story apartment building with 415 units, including 113 affordable units.
The plan includes more than 14,000 square feet of public space and recreational facilities.
“The bowling alley is done,” City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino told The Post on Wednesday. “It’s closing. The owner sold the property.
“You’ve got to go to Long Island if you want to bowl. You’ve got to Long Island to see a good movie,” said Paladino (R-Queens), whose district borders the bowling alley. “As an adult, I bowled there in two leagues. It was fun, [but] it’s a dying sport.”
Not if you ask the regulars.
“They can’t close it because it’s where the family comes to bowl,” said Lisa Moon, a 43-year-old Queens mom. “I came here before I got married. I came here after I got married and I also brought all three of my kids and they love bowling and this is the closest place that we have – the best place.
“We would have nowhere else to go,” she added. “It would definitely be devastating because this is where I grew up. It’s a good place where the kids can enjoy the game.”
Patrick Eweme, a married insurance adjuster, is on board – even if he’s only been there twice.
“We need something like this, for real,” said Eweme, 34. “It’s fun to bring your family here.
“It’s a place I would love to see stay open and keep coming here with my family,” he added. “I would love for it to stay. It’s a great place to be.”
