Landmark Alley Cats

On Friday night some friends and I decided to get together for a couple drinks on the East Side. It was unseasonably hot all week – we all know warm weather never lasts in Wisconsin – so I recommended stopping by Von Trier to take advantage of their secluded patio for one last time before the cold temperatures take over for the next five months.

Many people must have had the same idea since the patio was brimming with beer drinking locals. We sat around a wooden picnic table that was canopied by a tree bearing autumn leaves and even though it was still about 80 degrees outside, it looked and smelled like fall. After a German brew we spontaneously decided to bowl a round at Landmark Lanes providing that the bowling alley would be open past 11 p.m.

Bowling holds a special place in the hearts of most Milwaukeeans. Even though our city isn’t responsible for the birth of bowling itself (disputes continue between Germany, England and Egypt), Milwaukee certainly has solidified its place in the bowling history books. In fact, the United States Bowling Congress is based just south of Milwaukee in Greendale.

Just like many Milwaukeeans, bowling has been a favorite pastime of mine. From bumper bowling at grade school birthday parties to weekly visits to the local lanes for a game or two and a pitcher or three in college, bowling was something my friends and I did quite often. Yet, over the past year or so bowling has almost completely fallen off my radar for a number of reasons: 1) many of my friends have moved to other cities. 2) I live in Milwaukee where there’s a ton to do besides bowling. 3) Most of my friends have significant others or are married, so they don’t get out much (I never want to be that couple) and 4) there’s a lot more on my plate these days.

Therefore, on Friday night as we crossed the street and headed underneath the Oriental Theater to Landmark Lanes, I was happy to get back into the game.

When stepping down the stairs and into the bowling alley, I felt like we’d gone back a few decades. It reminded me of a retro rec room, right down to the neon signs and pinball machines. And everything from the bar stools to the bowling balls were more than a little worn, plus we had to keep our own score (I can’t say I’ve ever done that before) and the ball return was above the floor, which made it even more dated but fun, well, as long as I wasn’t the one calculating the scores.

Landmark Lanes was established in 1927 and currently is among the city’s oldest and most storied bowling alleys. Anyone who has lived in this area or who has gone to school in Milwaukee knows that it’s a classic, which is why the Landmark is a dive that takes pride in such a title. It’s not the usual after-work tavern or hangout where being seen counts for way more than it should. In fact, the bars are refreshingly unpretentious, and it’s rather comforting to know that there probably isn’t a single martini glass in the entire place and that anyone is able to blend into the relaxed environment while playing a vast selection of attention grabbing or hands-on games, or just enjoying company while sipping on an inexpensive beer in one of the bars.

Along with 16 bowling lanes, Landmark features nine pool tables, a bumper pool table, four English dart lanes, two electronic dartboards, plus three bars – front, back and side – and an impressive arcade packed with more than 30 games, including five pinball machines.

But we were on a mission to bowl and just our luck, the alley is open until 1 a.m. on both Friday and Saturday nights. So we grabbed two pitchers of Spotted Cow to share between the nine of us, and then rented our red and green shoes that probably were worn by hundreds or thousands of people throughout the years, which is kind of gross, but what do you expect for $2?

Once we paid for a game, we found our lane and a decent ball (seldom do I find one that fits my man hands), and then began our night of cosmic bowling.

As rock ‘n’ roll tracks pulsed from the speakers in the ceiling, black lights painted the walls and retro lanes a bright shade of blue.

Meanwhile, Eric took score as the rest of us took turns aiming for pins and hoping for a strike. No one decided to sit out, which was great because bowling seriously is for everyone – you don’t have to be an athlete and you don’t even have to be skilled to play! Plus, since it’s a relaxed sport, bowling is a great way to spend time with a date or a group of friends since it doesn’t make it difficult to talk in between turns.

As we continued to move down the roster, I realized that I should have sat this game out. I was a bit rusty; then again, all of us were pretty awful (I blame the beers). I was eons away from my days bowling 200, in fact; this was probably the worst game I’ve ever bowled. I guess I won’t quit my day job.

On the other hand, the groups on the lanes to our right and left were playing like champions. A couple even carried in their own bowling balls and shoes.

After countless high fives and few fallen pins, we decided that since the Landmark has been dubbed one of the East Side’s favorite watering holes, we’d belly up at the bar after our game of bowling. We ventured into the dimly lit back bar and grabbed a high top table near the entrance where we talked until bar time.

Obviously Landmark Lanes is more than just bowling. In fact, I’ve been there probably 30 times and this was the first time I’ve bowled. But with three separate bars and a lowbrow entertainment Mecca all rolled into one, the Landmark truly is an East Side landmark and an extraordinary way to spend a Friday night with friends.

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Landmark Lanes
2220 North Farwell Ave. (Near the corner of Farwell and North Ave.)
Hours: Sunday 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Monday through Thursday 2:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
Friday and Saturday 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 a.m.
Prices range between $2.50 and $3.50
Shoes are $2.00 plus tax

Comments

[Eric]

We never did DDR....
we should do that next time...

[Kristin]

I was in Boston this past weekend and was introduced to a new kind of bowling, completely foreign to me. It's called candlepin bowling, and it's apparently more popular than regular bowling in the Boston area. (Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong... But a Boston-native friend of mine said that she's never actully been regular bowling, only candlepin bowling.)

The concept is the same, but the pins are really thin, and the balls are much smaller, about the size of a bocce ball. Also, the balls have no finger-holes in them, they're completely solid. I thought it would be an easy switch, but it was actually really hard to get used to.

Sorry, this has nothing to do with Milwaukee... but if you ever go to Boston, you should try it! :)

[Karen]

Kristin- thanks for telling us about your Boston bowling experience! I've never heard of candlepin bowling and I'd probably be pretty bad at it.

Anyway, don't hesitate to talk about non-Milwaukee related things. Actually, it's kind of neat to hear what's going on in other cities besides Milwaukee because it’s a good way to see how Milwaukee stacks up against other places.

[Justin]

I enjoy the landmark. they have a great variety of imports. I believe tuesday nights they have specials on imports.