Detroit Bowling Alleys

[Detroit Signal]

HSC will move to Wayne Bowl on Michigan Ave. for next season.

[Danny]

Mercury Lanes closing and so it Hazel Park Bowl. So there will no bowling alleys left in Metro-Detroit area by the year 2100.

[IrishSpartan]

When I was going to Cass Tech in 1963-66, we would sometimes be taken to Pla-Moor Lanes to go blowing instead of going to our normal gym class. It was on Henry, between 2nd and 3rd. I didn't remember the name of the place until I saw it listed on the Detroit Memories bowling alley listings. What ever happened to that place?

Paul Case was the Pla-Mor proprietor. It probably ceased as a bowling alley not long after you graduated from Cass Tech. By the 1970's, a small party store and market selling meats were in there. The Pla-Mor had 8 lanes. In the 50's, they had leagues with bowlers that worked downtown as well as neighborhood people. The parking on Henry could be tight because of the apartment buildings on the block.

[mtburb]

Mercury Lanes closing and so it Hazel Park Bowl. So there will no bowling alleys left in Metro-Detroit area by the year 2100.

Probably even sooner if there is a recession during that timeframe.

[jcole]

I just saw a new bowling alley on Dequindre and 12 Mile in the old Universal area. Also has escape rooms and other games.
Also, there is the Punchbowl Social on Broadway downtown that has some lanes

[jcole]

Now for my real reason for reopening an ancient thread:
Does anyone remember the bowling lanes at St Hedwig's church in SW Detroit? My husband was baptized and went to church there in the 40's and can't remember if they were above the church or in the school or how many there were and it's bugging him.

[Danny]

Cloverlanes CLOSED!
Hazel Park bowl CLOSED!
Apollo Lanes CLOSED!

Soon there will no decent bowling alleys left in Metro Detroit.

[Danny]

I just saw a new bowling alley on Dequindre and 12 Mile in the old Universal area. Also has escape rooms and other games.
Also, there is the Punchbowl Social on Broadway downtown that has some lanes

That is a recreational entertainment center called Allegiant.

[jcole]

And it has bowling lanes...

That is a recreational entertainment center called Allegiant.

[sw_kid]

St. Hedwig had a bowling alley? Very interesting...

[jcole]

Found a history of St Hedwigs on the web; answered a couple of my own questions.

In 1919, the Parish began building a large, three story school with a basement on St. Hedwig Street. On the first and second floors were to be sixteen large classrooms. The third floor was finished off as a eight lane bowling alley.

On September 15, 1945, Fr. Callistus Winiarz was appointed pastor. During his term, which lasted until 1951, the Parish hall was modernized and the lower church was remodeled. He also put rubber on the kneelers in the upper church. The bowling alley was modernized at a cost of $7,881.

Looks like 2 three story schools still on the property. Wonder if the alley is still there?

[pjbear05]

First post to this thread, bowled a lot of the east side houses, Van Dyke, Falcon, Nortown, both of the Klee's, etc.

Two unanswered locations: Westbound 8 Mile between Hoover and Van Dyke was either Linden or Minden Bowl. Northeast corner of 8 Mile and Sherwood was Motor Lanes.

When attending Wayne State I earned credits in a bowling class held at Garden Bowl; learned how to throw a proper hook, and the way to really do so by switching from conventional to a full fingertip grip.

Golden memories!

[Tig3rzhark]

The last time I went to Garden Bowl, the lanes were horrible. No professional bowler would ever use those lanes.

My father is a league bowler, and thank God that he goes to Westland to go bowling. It makes me sad that in Detroit, if you want to go to a local [[in Detroit) bowling alley, you can only go to Renaissance Bowl.

It makes me cry that all of the good bowling lanes are becoming extinct.

Do let me know when Garden Bowl gets it's act together.

[sw_kid]

I'm sure the St. Hedwig bowling alley is being used for classrooms now. I have a feeling that the maple and pine used for the alley are still there though, just not a functional bowling alley. I will inquire with a couple of teachers that have taught there in order to see if they know anything.

St. Hedwig School closed in 1990 when the neighborhood took a dive. Fleetwood, Clark Street and Fisher Body had just closed which broke up a lot of native SW Detroit families with many auto factory workers being offered jobs down South. Gang activity was prevalent throughout the barrio and property values were horrendous. Look at us now though!

The St. Hedwig campus is thriving. The church never closed and has clustered with St. Francis on Wesson and Buchanan and Sunday Masses are standing room only. Regarding the school building...it is a Detroit Public Elementary School - Academy of the Americas. Nice to see the hustle and bustle on Junction when school let out and seeing the kiddies playing during recess at St. Hedwig Park.

[sw_kid]

Ahem....back to bowling alleys. I'll toss in a few Southwest alleys to get the wheels in the noggin going.

Beacon Bowling alley on Vernor by Waterman

Bowling alley on Springwells by Navy Street on the East side of the Street...don't remember the name.

Bowling alley on Vernor by Clark. Clark Bowling alley maybe?

Bowling alley on Vernor by Wendell across the street from Sammy's Pizzeria.

Bowling lanes UPSTAIRS of the Blue Diamond Lounge on Campbell and Plumer [[not too far from St. Hedwig BTW)

I probably would be a decent bowler if all these joints would have survived and stayed open.

[Danny]

St. Hedwig had a bowling alley? Very interesting...

Yes St Hedwig Church did have a bowling alley once. But it's for church leagues only. Non competitive just fun.

Today Life Church at Eureka Rd. west of Telegraph in Taylor, MI. has a six lane bowling alley left over from Taylor Lanes.

[MikeM]

Thx jcole for the quick response! Now for other half of the story. Only in Detroit would a world renowned architect receive a commission to design a Bowling Alley. The one bowling alley that I have found designed by C. Howard Crane.

Stumbled across this today. It was not on John R. It was located at the intersection of Grand River and National [[renamed to Cochrane Street in 1962). Address in directories is 3745 National and is usually referred to as Olympic Recreation. I believe it is the building circled in this 1949 aerial:

[Ray1936]

It was that bowling alley at Grand River and National [[Cochrane) where Gordie Howe first met Colleen. They married shortly after.

[IrishSpartan]

It was that bowling alley at Grand River and National [[Cochrane) where Gordie Howe first met Colleen. They married shortly after.

Hi Ray,

The story always told was Gordie and Colleen met just up the street from Olympia at Lucky Strike on Grand River near the Blvd. Were you ever in there or Grand Central Recreation [[14th & Ferry Park) while on duty?

Olympic was a place that seemed like it was going strong into the early 60's. They still had the All Star Classic nights.

[Ray1936]

The story always told was Gordie and Colleen met just up the street from Olympia at Lucky Strike on Grand River near the Blvd. Were you ever in there or Grand Central Recreation [[14th & Ferry Park) while on duty?

.[/QUOTE]

I'll be darned if I can recall a bowling alley at that location. But jeez, we're talking over a half century ago. I guess I'm allowed to forget details. But I sure remember making my pulls from the call box at 14th and Ferry Park. Good beat; allowed me to hang out around old Providence Hospital and chat with some super nurses..............

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[IrishSpartan]

.[/QUOTE]

I'll be darned if I can recall a bowling alley at that location. But jeez, we're talking over a half century ago. I guess I'm allowed to forget details. But I sure remember making my pulls from the call box at 14th and Ferry Park. Good beat; allowed me to hang out around old Providence Hospital and chat with some super nurses..............

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[/QUOTE]

Grand Central [[address-1941 Ferry Park) burned down in 1980. I believe apartments were above the bowling alley. The building may not have appeared like the typical bowling alley or have been distinctive in any other way.

[IrishSpartan]

I learned to bowl [[well, as much as I ever learned to bowl) in a Detroit Public School program at the vast Great Lakes Bowling Center that once stood at the corner of Woodward and Baltimore. I also used to go with my cousins to Jefferson Recreation [[where they had human pinsetters much longer than anyplace else I remember) that was over near the Cinderella Theater, and with my Dad to the still-extant Garden Bowl as well as another corridor/midtown area lanes whose name and location I no longer recall.

Jefferson Club Recreation...bowling alley was upstairs and it was in the block between Lakeview and Eastlawn. Chene Trombly never had automatic pinsetters because of building layout and the alley behind the building.

[mikefmich]

Glad to see this thread resurrected again. Glad enough I just went thru 10 pages of it, just jogging memories that are getting fuzzier by the day.

[jcole]

Madison Park Bowl is still open

Mercury Lanes closing and so it Hazel Park Bowl. So there will no bowling alleys left in Metro-Detroit area by the year 2100.