Even though I live in north/central New Jersey, I bowl just about anywhere I can.

Check out the houses I’ve been to and my thoughts on each. I’ve included direct links to each bowling alley for more information.

New Jersey

Bowler City
85 Midtown Bridge Approach, Hackensack
I like Bowler City, even though the ball return chewed up two of my husband’s bowling balls (bowler beware). There are 50 lanes; it’s clean; and the TV screen/bowling technology is relatively new. Definitely recommend.

Linden Lanes
741 North Stiles Street, Linden
Linden Lanes is a great place to bowl. While they often have leagues on the weekends, it’s usually in the morning hours. During the afternoon to evening, you may even be able to partake in “disco bowling” (of which I am not a fan). The manager at Linden Lanes is an incredible bowling coach and teacher, and a high-scoring bowler in his own right.

There’s a bar and an arcade (need tokens, not quarters) at the front of the alley, plus a new pro shop.

Bowl-Rite
714 Summit Avenue, Union City
I LOVE this bowling alley. It’s on the second floor of a building that has a CVS (with a sign that’s propped up against the exterior, because that’s how CVS in Union City rolls). There are about 20 lanes on the first floor of Bowl-Rite, and about 10 lanes on its second floor. The house is well-kept (including the bathrooms, even though one of the sinks is inoperable), and the staff are kind and friendly.

Jersey Lanes
30 Park Avenue, Linden
This is a huge bowling alley with a lot of league activity. For whatever reason, it’s my least favorite bowling alley. I can’t put my finger on what the issue is, but I consistently bowl poorly and have a bad time here.

Hudson Lanes
1 Garfield Avenue, Jersey City (but really Bayonne)
This is a gigantic house. They must have something like 60 lanes, at a minimum. I love bowling here, even though the tech is old and the staff are … difficult. Even with its issues, Hudson Lanes is one of my favorites.

Garwood Lanes
346 North Avenue, Garwood
Garwood Lanes is just like the town of Garwood: tiny and charming. There are eight lanes (yes, only eight), and it’s often difficult to grab one. Garwood is one of my favorite places to bowl, even though there is no parking that I know of (street only, if you can get it).

Someday I’d like to join a league here.

New York

Frames (in Port Authority Bus Terminal)
550 9th Avenue, New York City
Frames is a pretty basic bowling alley located in the South Wing of Port Authority Bus Terminal. Many years ago, it had an arcade attached to it that was sketchy at best, but beloved to me because it had the basketball game.

Anyway, I don’t typically bowl at Frames because the lighting is too low. It’s challenging to see the guide arrows on the lanes, and this lady loves her arrows.

Lucky Strike
670 W. 43rd Street (at 12th Avenue), New York City
Lucky Strikes is what I would call a “high-end” bowling alley. It’s unnecessarily posh, with prices to match. Like Frames, noted above, the lighting is relatively low throughout the bowling alley to set the lounge-esque mood.

What’s nice about Lucky Strike is that you’ll have a waitress to order drinks and food from, and the food isn’t bad. There are billiard and ping-pong (I think) tables on offer, as well.

I don’t bowl here regularly because I’m not a millionaire, plus it’s a hike from Times Square/Port Authority.

Astoria Bowl
19-45 49th Street, Astoria
Astoria Bowl is literally in middle-of-nowhere Queens. Don’t let that keep you away, though! It’s a great, family-friendly bowling alley that has two sides, with about 30 lanes, all told. Dino’s Pro Shop is here, and Dino is literally the best pro you’ll find in the tristate area.

Pennsylvania

North Bowl
900 N. 2nd Street, Philadelphia
Definitely a hipster spot, North Bowl is a cute, tiny bowling alley with about 10 lanes (maybe even fewer, I don’t recall). If you’re a casual bowler, this place is for you. For serious bowlers, such as myself, places like North Bowl are slightly frustrating, as the people around you are typically uninterested in bowling etiquette or simply don’t know about it. If you can grab a lane, you’ll have your own waiter or waitress to bring you drinks and food, so I definitely recommend it for a fun night out with friends.

Massachusetts

Whenever we go to Cape Cod, we do candlepin bowling, which is fun and somehow harder than 10-pin bowling.