New City Bowl Renovations Going Smoothly, Almost Done

With 24 new flatscreen TVs, couches and designated sitting areas, there is now a much more accommodating feel to New City Bowl.

A little more than a month ago, the bowling alley began its ever, and now sits just a few weeks, at most, away from its completion.

“It’s gone pretty smoothly so far,” said Alice Lenna, manager of New City Bowl for 22 years. “Between contractors, flooring, electrical, we’ve had a lot of people in here while everything was going on, but it’s been fine. We’ve used mostly people who bowl here regularly, too. All local people.”

All that’s left to be done, Lenna said, is some additional painting and finishing the bathrooms. Both the men’s and women’s bathrooms were completely gutted, one piece of the renovation Lenna said she kept a secret when telling people about the plans. She said she hopes both bathrooms will be finished by Labor Day, but they might not be done until the week after.

What is done already is that each lane now has a flatscreen overhead with a new scoring system, a more “user-friendly” one, Lenna said.

“People really love the new scoring system, and all the graphics,” Lenna said.

The TV has a number of graphics that pop up during games. After each first ball is rolled, if it’s not a strike, the screen will show the location of pins that are still standing. There are a bunch of different screens for spares, strikes and not picking up spares, such as showing a bowling ball out in space with the word “open” on the screen. 

There’s a woman with the word “spare” tattooed on her eye lid, two electrical towers that shoot down lightning creating an “x” for a strike, a man with an “x” tattooed on both sides of his chest for consecutive strikes, and much more. The screen also tells you how fast each roll was in miles per hour.

All lanes also have new seating areas with more aesthetically pleasing and comfortable couches than the previous plastic drab blue seats. The vibrant couches are also on the main level of the alley so people can sit up there when not actually bowling.

“So far people seem to love it,” Lenna said. “They can’t believe it’s the same place. One guy said, ‘This must’ve taken years to plan out,’ but the truth is we didn’t have that long to plan it at all.”

Greg Zamalkany, 19, of Pomona, backs up Lenna’s claims. Zamalkany really enjoys bowling, and although he’s not in a league, frequents New City Bowl. Tuesday was his sixth consecutive day at the bowling alley, where he said he and some friends like to go rent an alley for an hour and get a bunch of games in.

“I really like [the renovations], especially the new seating area and the couches,” he said. “It created a better environment, it’s a lot better. I also like the new scoring machines. They’re easy to use, but also tell you exactly what to do in case you’re not sure.”