February 21, 2006

Century 21 Expansion to kill Leemark Lanes?


The NY Daily News reports that Leemark Lanes bowling alley may disappear by summer's end, as Century 21 wants to tear down the place and replace it with a parking lot.

Leemark Lanes has been around for 60 years. Century 21 is a great store, one of my favorite stores in all of NYC, but man...I don't want Leemark Lanes to follow Lento's and the Fortway into extinction.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi there. I'm a former Bay Ridge resident, now living in Las Vegas. You have a pretty cool blog. I visit whenever I'm fixing to get a taste of the place I call home.

I make it back to Bay Ridge every few years and have noticed that Century 21 has gotten bigger and bigger everytime I visit. While I used to love that store, I feel it has totally taken over the 86th St that I used to know. It would be a shame to see Leemark Lanes close down. We used to go there after school and have spent many Saturday nights bowling there.

The Phantom said...

Peg

Thanks for the compliment.

I still like Century 21, but if they force the closure of Leemark Lanes that will affect my feelings for them.

Wasn't that long ago when we used to have Birnbaum's and Key Food on that block. Used to bag groceries at that Key Food.

Anonymous said...

Awesome blog dude. Your coverage is as good as The Spectator or some other local newspaper. I agree the lanes are needed in Bay Ridge but, is it a lack of patronage or is the lease not up for renewal? If it's the latter it is sad to see so much "out with the old, in with the new". I love the local feel of movies, thin crust pizza and throwing a strike. I don't need more shoes and housewares. But if nobody is bowling than I understand.

Anonymous said...

I remember Birnbaum's and Key Food quite well. I went to Dyker and everyday after school, my friend and I would stop into Key Food and dump our quarters into the video games in the front of the store. I also remember the Asian guy that worked in produce that would give us the creeps as well. LOL!

My feelings for Century 21 has been changing. I was there just last month and I think it's getting too big for its britches. I usually could find something I like in there, but for the first time, I actually had a hard time trying to find something I liked.

Bay Ridge is lacking entertainment venues. No more theaters, and now...the lanes may be gone. Too bad...

Anonymous said...

Hi my name is Tom Brice you may have heard of me I am involved in trying to stop the take over of mark lanes. I have a petition you can view at www.petitiononline.com/rush06, I have worked with the councilmans office, and mark lanes on a compromise of some sort. I bowl at the lanes for 10 years, every saturday night, and this is an outrage, treason on our community, fort hamilton high school, the guild, ps 102, and so on use these lanes more than anyone, no one talks about them in this or the seniors. Where are our senator and congressmen who claim to love this community are doing? I have done several interviews in the bay ridge courier, brooklyn eagle and bay ridge paper as well as the times check em out. I have also filed complaints with the city on this, and If anyone needs I can pass out info on how to help.

WOLVERINE said...

I haven't gone bowlin' in years, but it's nice to know I'd be able to. Century's gettin' too big fer itself. 86th street offers very little to me these days, which's a shame since I used to spend every weekend there.

Anonymous said...

well I understand entirely, I bowl there every saturday for the past 10 years. This is an outrage, I will continue to fight, I will continue to file complaints, and I think we need to do something to grab their attention, ever notice that every block century is on, the surroundings are more slumier, ever notice each block century is on there are plently of vacant stores. Century is destroying this community, it is an absoulte outrage, we need to keep spreading the word.