Discontinued: Pins Down for Good at Woodhaven Lanes

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Glendale, Queens: Super-old bowling alley Woodhaven Lanes kicked the bucket yesterday. The reason for the closure isn't exactly known, but owner Brunswick Lanes decided not to renew their lease, and that was that. The Times reports:

No one involved with the closing would discuss the matter in detail. But John LaSpina, who operates bowling alleys elsewhere in the metropolitan area and who unsuccessfully negotiated with Woodhaven Realty to take over the operation, noted that bowling alleys generally could not pay as much rent as large chains like Staples and Trader Joe’s, which are both located nearby.

In mourning are regulars like 43-year-old Maspeth resident Chris Vulpis, who for 18 years "has dyed the same pair of bowling shoes with a new pink coating before every season."
· Along Cherished Lanes, the Last Strikes and Spares [NY Times]
—Photo credit