Brooklyn Bowl.

I love bowling. I am not ashamed. The game that brings back memories of childhood birthday parties and eating pizza is one that I once stopped playing. For a time, my eyes didn't light up at the thought of putting on ugly, rental red and blue shoes and tip-toeing up to the line where I would drop that ball and cross my fingers that it didn't run into the gutter and see-saw the entire way to the end. Well folks, since my days of waitressing post-college (when my friends and I after lunch shift would bolt to the closest bowling alley and attempt to get in two strings before we had to return for the dinner shift) I have re-fallen in love with the game. And this time around it's better than before; I have traded in root beers for draft beers and gutter balls for strikes and spares. And I usually beat Matt, which of course makes me love it even more.

Well, enter New York City into this and we have a love triangle with bowler and bowling alley. It gets pretty pricey and a little too "club" for me at the big Manhattan bowling alley that I am sure most have been to. Now enter the neighborhood of Williamsburg in Brooklyn and instead of the one small, yet fabulous in its retro (though not TRYING hard at all) look alley called The Gutter, I have just read that there will be a second alley, Brooklyn Bowl, opening up just two blocks away. Two alleys within such a close proximity? Who knew there were so many bowling lovers as myself? This one will have food from one of Brooklyn's famous restaurants, Blue Ribbon, as well as have a 'green' design, space for live performances, and some pretty fancy-looking lanes. I love The Gutter as I used to live within walking distance and liked its quaintness, beers on tap and the ability to order food for delivery TO the alley. I am not sure about this new, flashier place but of course will have to go with Matt and check it out – all in the name of research of course.