Bowling alleys

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Manhattan

300 New York
23rd St at the West Side Highway (212-835-2695, 3hundred.com). Subway: C, E to 23rd St. $8.25–$11.25 per person per game; shoe rental $6.
If you’ve been missing the nightclub scene since you had kids, you can catch a facsimile of it any afternoon with the whole family at this Chelsea Piers alley, where glitz meets gutter balls.

Bowlmor Lanes Union Square
110 University Pl between 12th and 13th Sts (212-255-8188, bowlmor.com). Subway: L, N, Q, R, 4, 5, 6 to 14th St–Union Sq; F, M to 14th St. Mon-Wed $11.95 per person per game; Thu-Sun $12.95 per person per game; shoe rental $6.50. Kids not allowed after 7pm.
Take five-and-older kids to the original Union Square mainstay, and tell them it’s Willy Wonka’s personal bowling alley. They’ll totally believe you.

Bowlmor Lanes Times Square
222 W 44th St between Seventh and Eighth Aves (212-680-0012, bowlmor.com/timessquare.com). Subway: N, Q, R, 1, 2, 3, 7 to 42nd St–Times Square. Family hours 11am–8pm daily. Half-hour of play for up to eight people: Mon-Thu $24–$29.95; Fri $24–$34.95; Sat $31–$34.95; Sun $29.95; shoe rental $6.50.
Opened in 2010, this NYC-themed bowling spot features seven funky lanes (only five are appropriate for kids, though). At the "Chinatown Lounge," young players can hit a giant gong when they bowl a spare or strike; there’s also a three-dimensional dragon that pops off the wall. The subway-styled room has cool graffiti art on the walls and seats that look like subway benches. Other kid-friendly lanes include Central Park, Art Deco and Pop New York. As with most bowling alleys, lightweight balls and bumpers are available for tykes. If you get hungry while bowling, order treats from chef David Burke’s menu (pigs in a blanket are a kid fave) and they’ll be delivered straight to your lane.

Frames
625 Eighth Ave at 40th St, second floor (212-268-6909, framesnyc.com). Subway: A, C, E to 42nd St–Port Authority. $7–$10.50 per person per game; shoe rental $5.
Though this swanky bowling mecca (formerly the less chichi Leisure Time Bowl) has obvious appeal for grown-ups (cocktails, a lounge and dance club), it also offers packages for families. Twenty bucks per person covers bowling, soda, shoes and pizza Monday through Saturday before 5pm and all day Sunday. Kids' parties and family brunch are also available.

Harlem Lanes
2116 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd (Seventh Ave) at 126th St, third floor (212-678-2695, harlemlanes.com). Subway: 2, 3 to 125th St. Per person per game: on–Fri $7.50, children under 13 $6; Sat–Sun $9, children under 13 $6; shoe rental $5, children under 13 $3.
Head uptown for the Family Four Pack available on Sundays 11am–8pm. Forty bucks gets every person in your bowling brood one game and a shoe rental. You can play at other times for the regular prices above.

Strike 10 Lanes
624-660 W 42nd St at Twelfth Ave (646-829-0170, strike10lanes.com). Subway: A, C, E to 42nd St–Port Authority. $9.95-$11.95 per person per game; shoe rental $5. Kids not allowed after 5pm Mon-Fri, and after 7pm Sat–Sun.
This Hollywood-inspired alley enforces a strict dress code at night, but families that visit during the day can take advantage of a more relaxed atmosphere. An extensive menu (chicken bites, cheese pizza) rounds out the experience.

Brooklyn

Brooklyn Bowl
61 Wythe Ave between North 11th and 12th Sts, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-963-3369, brooklynbowl.com). Subway: L to Bedford Ave; G to Nassau Ave. Family hours Sat–Sun noon–6pm. Half-hour of play for up to eight people: Sat $20; Sun $20; shoe rental $5.
Although this concert-venue-cum-16-lane-alley typically attracts party-seeking, PBR-drinking twenty-somethings, on weekend afternoons it caters to families. Nosh on comfort-food faves like Sloppy Joes and fried chicken while trying for a lucky strike or two.

Gil Hodges Lanes
6161 Strickland Ave at Mill Ave, Mill Basin, Brooklyn (718-763-3333, gilhodgeslanes.com). Travel: C to Euclid Ave, then take bus B47 to Mill Ave at Avenue U. $4.50–$6 per person per game; shoe rental $4.25. Kids must be accompanied by adults after 9 pm.
Strike a bargain at this spacious spot with two hours of play plus shoe rental for up to five bowlers for $50 on weekdays, $70 on weekends. Spend your savings on sinful cheese fries to celebrate a good game.

Maple Lanes
1570 60th St, Borough Park, Brooklyn (718-331-9000, bowlmaple.com). Subway: D, N, R to 62nd St–New Utrecht. $4.50–6.50 per person per game; $4.25 shoe rental.
If you’re looking to knock down some pins before dinner, gather up that pocket change and head to this 48-lane locale for 99 cent games Monday through Friday from 3 to 6pm.

Melody Lanes
461 37th St between Fourth and Fifth Aves, Sunset Park, Brooklyn (718-832-2695, melodylanesny.com). Subway: N, R to 36th St. $6.50–$8.50 per person per game; $4 shoe rental.
Every night is kids night at this straight-up alley with non-ironic bowling teams. From 5-6:30pm daily, families pay $17 per person for two games and shoe rental, complete with soda and popcorn.

Shell Lanes
1 Bouck Ct at Shell Rd, Gravesend, Brooklyn (718-336-6700, shelllanes.com). Subway: F to Ave X. $3.50–$5.50 per person per game; shoe rental $3.50.
This classic nine-pin joint offers $3 games on weekends: Saturdays noon to 6pm and Sundays noon to 5pm. The venue’s pretty basic, but the prices make this hub worthwhile.

Queens

Astoria Bowl
19-45 49th St between 19th and 20th Aves, Astoria, Queens (718-274-1910, astoriabowl.com). Travel: N, Q to Ditmars Blvd, then take the Q69 bus to 49th St. $4-$6 per person per game, $2.75 per person under 16 per game; shoe rental $4.
Formerly Maric Lanes, the revamped bowling spot boasts glow-in-the-dark lanes and touchscreen scoring monitors. With bumpers and arcade games for kids, and a swanky sports lounge and bar for parents, Astoria Bowl offers fun for everyone.

Jib Lanes
67-19 Parsons Blvd between 65th and Jewel Aves, Flushing, Queens (718-591-0600, jiblanes.com). Travel: E, J, Z to Parsons Blvd, then take the Q25L bus to Jewel Ave. $3.25-$6.25 per person per game; shoe rental $4.
Get ready to play! Enjoy two hours of bowling and free shoe rental for up to six people 9am to 5pm on weekdays for $49.99, and $59.99 on weekends. Strike!

Whitestone Bowling
3005 Whitestone Expwy at Ulmer St, Flushing, Queens (718-353-6300, whitestonebowling.com). Travel: 7 to Main St, then take the Q25 bus to the Whitestone Expwy. $4.50–$7.50 per person per game; shoe rental $4.50.
Early risers can catch $19 all-you-can-bowl sessions from 8am to 1pm on Saturdays and Sundays, as long as they don’t mind eating chicken wings and fries for breakfast.

Staten Island

Rab's Country Lanes
1600 Hylan Blvd between Delaware and Raritan Aves, Staten Island (718-979-1600, rabslanes.com). $3.50–$5.50 per person per game; shoe rental $3.
Gutter balls be gone at this alley, which uses automatic bumpers that can be turned off when aspiring Lebowskis play. Bonus: Bathrooms are squeaky clean, perfect for washing those little hands before hitting the in-house pizzeria.

Showplace Entertainment Center
141 E Service Rd, Staten Island (718-477-2695, showplacebowling.net). $6 per person per game; shoe rental $4.
This alley is perfect for tech-loving gamers. Video screens let you watch yourself bowl, while ice cream, ices and shakes keep everyone fueled for multiple games of air hockey and Skee-Ball in the game room.

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