Discuss Detroit » Archives - January 2008 » 2-story bowling alley in SW Det. I think « Previous Next »
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Little_buddy
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Username: Little_buddy

Post Number: 72
Registered: 03-2006
Posted on Thursday, March 20, 2008 - 5:23 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

When I was a kid my dad, who is very big into bowling, took me to one of his bowling nights and it was an old 2-story bowling alley. I remember that upstairs they had people setting the pins and downstairs had machines. Anyone remember this place?
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Paczki
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Username: Paczki

Post Number: 56
Registered: 02-2007
Posted on Thursday, March 20, 2008 - 6:03 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Pladium Lanes in Hamtramck was 2 story. Miss the place. Tuesday night womans league upstairs.
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Ragtoplover59
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Post Number: 218
Registered: 09-2006
Posted on Thursday, March 20, 2008 - 7:18 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Little_buddy
There was a place like that on Fort Street, I want to think it was on the corner of Central.
It was a Bar, I think it was only about 6 lanes both upstairs and downstairs. was abandoned in the late 60's or early 70's , Side door was left wide open and we would go in there and set up pins and play.

I also took a set of 10 pins and a couple balls to my house, I had set up an alley in my basement that was just too cool, With the slope of the floor for water to drain, I had set up the perfect ball return. Too bad I didn't use a wood backdrop behind the pins, those balls wreck havoc on cinder block walls lol

I also remember a large Bowling alley on Vernor about Junction that burned down in the 60's, I don't remember if that one had an upstairs?
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Gamblingabes
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Username: Gamblingabes

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Registered: 12-2006
Posted on Thursday, March 20, 2008 - 9:56 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

St. Hedwig elementary school had a 10 lane manual set bowling alley on the 3rd story. High School had it's gymnasium on it's 3rd floor. Bowling was a mandatory gym class for high school students until the school closed it's doors in 1990.
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Savannah
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Username: Savannah

Post Number: 21
Registered: 02-2008
Posted on Friday, March 21, 2008 - 5:31 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Ferndale had a 2nd story bowling alley on 9 mile. I think it burned down in '68
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Douglasm
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Username: Douglasm

Post Number: 1049
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Friday, March 21, 2008 - 6:59 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Savannah.....
....that was Ferndale Lanes. It was on the east end of the second floor, the building just west of Federal's on 9 Mile. Main level had the RB Shop, a jewelers, Fanny Farmer Candies among others.

It had pinboys right up until it closed in 1965. 16 alleys in two seperate "rooms". After it closed, Ed Sash, who was a history (?) teacher at FHS (who also 1)was a gymnastics coach and 2) had an alledged affair with a really good looking blond FHS student) put wood flooring over the lanes and opened up a gym.

Don't know when/if it burned down, but memory says it was still there when I moved west in '73.....

douglasm
Ferndale High '66
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Guideboat
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Username: Guideboat

Post Number: 14
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Posted on Friday, March 21, 2008 - 11:15 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

My father worked as a pin boy at the alley on Fort Street. Building still exists, but I suspect it will be Maroun-ized soon.
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Hamtragedy
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Username: Hamtragedy

Post Number: 122
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Posted on Friday, March 21, 2008 - 11:43 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Upstairs at the Majestic, there used to be 3 or 4 lanes. I remember watching all these rock-a-billy cats bowl up there. They took them out 10 years ago for more Magic Stick Pool Tables.
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Catman_dude
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Username: Catman_dude

Post Number: 280
Registered: 03-2006
Posted on Saturday, March 22, 2008 - 8:29 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

What's with all these old bowling alleys burning down? Is that a back-door way of getting rid of the alleys instead of removing the wooden lanes?
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56packman
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Post Number: 2114
Registered: 12-2005
Posted on Saturday, March 22, 2008 - 11:43 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Bowling alleys are a fireman's worst nightmare. The hardwood lanes are saturated with varnish and wax, the buildings are usually built with bow trusses and everyone there smokes! when they catch on fire the lanes love to burn, and they burn a long time. the bow trusses are dangerous once they start to burn.
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Toolbox
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Post Number: 1130
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Posted on Saturday, March 22, 2008 - 12:24 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

quote:

Hamtragedy

Upstairs at the Majestic, there used to be 3 or 4 lanes. I remember watching all these rock-a-billy cats bowl up there. They took them out 10 years ago for more Magic Stick Pool Tables.



The upstairs used to be all lanes. Half were removed when it was turned into the Magic Stick, the rest were removed later.

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