Are you a true West Sider??

[ogealbhain]

I am trying to think of all the West Side bowling allies that have existed and are still around.

Here's my list

Western Bowl
Glenmore Bowl
Stumps
Del-Fair
Hoinke's

I did not know St. Lawrence and Holy Family had their own lanes at one time. I was never a big bowling enthusiast but the history of the sport on the West Side is very interesting...

Difference between Hoinkes and Western Bowl?

 

[Der Boy 82]

Difference between Hoinkes and Western Bowl?

Just the location. You are right same owner for both.

 

[Purplemojo]

I am trying to think of all the West Side bowling allies that have existed and are still around.

Here's my list

Western Bowl
Glenmore Bowl
Stumps
Del-Fair
Hoinke's

I did not know St. Lawrence and Holy Family had their own lanes at one time. I was never a big bowling enthusiast but the history of the sport on the West Side is very interesting...

Del-Fair passed on about ten years ago. RIP

 

[Purplemojo]

If you are talking about the Hoinkes they did sell years ago. The slide started when the son(s) were running it but has really accelerated under the “new” ownership. Western Bowl is no longer owned locally and you can tell, there is no pride in the place at all. And most (not all) of their employees reflect that attitude. It really is a shame.

Now, I am thinking back and one thing stands out in my memory. Wasn't there a Hoinke daughter or daughter-in-law who worked there that was really good looking. I remember lingering around the shoe rental counter because she was kinda hot.

 

[PantherVOR]

Now, I am thinking back and one thing stands out in my memory. Wasn't there a Hoinke daughter or daughter-in-law who worked there that was really good looking. I remember lingering around the shoe rental counter because she was kinda hot.

That seems to ring a bell... I can’t remember if she was a daughter or daughter in law. If I recall correctly she was either a Hoinke that married a Goldfuss or a Goldfuss that married a Hoinke. The Goldfuss family was also big in the westside bowling community. I think Charlie Goldfuss either owned or managed Del-Fair.

 

[cincifbfan]

I agree, Del-Fair was a victim of the ban on smoking. They had a nice setup down there. I always bowled better at Del-Fair than I did at Western.

Del-Fair was neglected way before the smoking ban and always a ghost town. As a 13 or so year old I could walk up there no problem Friday or Saturday night and get a lane.

 

[cincifbfan]

Del-Fair passed on about ten years ago. RIP

Is Glenmore still open?

 

[PantherVOR]

Is Glenmore still open?

No. I think it’s a dance studio or something like that now.

 

[PantherVOR]

Del-Fair was neglected way before the smoking ban and always a ghost town. As a 13 or so year old I could walk up there no problem Friday or Saturday night and get a lane.

You may be right, I gave up bowling for about 20 years because I couldn’t stand the smoke anymore. I got back into bowling a few years after after the smoking ban. I missed the last 10-15 years of Del-Fair’s existence.

 

[cincifbfan]

No. I think it’s a dance studio or something like that now.

Thanks, I didn't think it was.

 

[SMARTY22]

Thanks, I didn't think it was.

The guy who owned Glenmore Bowl now operates and I believe owns Heids. Not sure if it still exist but I have family members who bowled in a Monday night KofC League at Delfair,Western Bowl, Glenmore and Heids. League has to have been around at least 50 years.

 

[cincifbfan]

The guy who owned Glenmore Bowl now operates and I believe owns Heids. Not sure if it still exist but I have family members who bowled in a Monday night KofC League at Delfair,Western Bowl, Glenmore and Heids. League has to have been around at least 50 years.

That's pretty cool. I forgot about Heids, another place I like but have only been to a couple of times.

Speaking of Del-Fair, I have been told by Tennant's of that strip that the bowling alley was under water years ago. The entire strip was under extreme disrepair. It looks like improvements have been made with Wishbone moving, the gym going in and the parking lot getting a decades overdue repair and refresh. The bowling alley is still a large space that could be used and so is the second floor of that strip.... Can't remember any businesses being there ever.

 

[Purplemojo]

That's pretty cool. I forgot about Heids, another place I like but have only been to a couple of times.

The bowling alley is still a large space that could be used and so is the second floor of that strip.... Can't remember any businesses being there ever.

Dr. Roll, a dentist, had his office on the second floor in the 1960's. There was an insurance company up there at one time. Seifert Construction, the developers and the owners of the center, also maintained their office on the second floor.

I remember as a kid, going to lunch with my dad in the bowling ally restaurant. I would have a barbeque sandwich at the bowling ally and then my dad would give me fifty cents to get a ice cream sundae at Kresge's. Live'n large in Delhi in the 1960's.

 

[cincifbfan]

Dr. Roll, a dentist, had his office on the second floor in the 1960's. There was an insurance company up there at one time. Seifert Construction, the developers and the owners of the center, also maintained their office on the second floor.

I remember as a kid, going to lunch with my dad in the bowling ally restaurant. I would have a barbeque sandwich at the bowling ally and then my dad would give me fifty cents to get a ice cream sundae at Kresge's. Live'n large in Delhi in the 1960's.

All well before my time

 

[ogealbhain]

Dr. Roll, a dentist, had his office on the second floor in the 1960's. There was an insurance company up there at one time. Seifert Construction, the developers and the owners of the center, also maintained their office on the second floor.

I remember as a kid, going to lunch with my dad in the bowling ally restaurant. I would have a barbeque sandwich at the bowling ally and then my dad would give me fifty cents to get a ice cream sundae at Kresge's. Live'n large in Delhi in the 1960's.

Did Dr. Roll later move to Delhi Ave?

 

[EHS 2001]

Speaking of Del-Fair, I have been told by Tennant's of that strip that the bowling alley was under water years ago. The entire strip was under extreme disrepair. It looks like improvements have been made with Wishbone moving, the gym going in and the parking lot getting a decades overdue repair and refresh. The bowling alley is still a large space that could be used and so is the second floor of that strip.... Can't remember any businesses being there ever.

The tenants fought for years for the owners to fix the many leaks in the building to no avail which caused some long time tenants—such as DelFair Barbers—to find new homes. Around the time that the repairs were finally made, at least part of the building that previously was home to the bowling alley was torn down/torn out. There are some photos on this Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Delfairlanes/photos/?ref=page_internal

 

[cincifbfan]

The tenants fought for years for the owners to fix the many leaks in the building to no avail which caused some long time tenants—such as DelFair Barbers—to find new homes. Around the time that the repairs were finally made, at least part of the building that previously was home to the bowling alley was torn down/torn out. There are some photos on this Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Delfairlanes/photos/?ref=page_internal

Good stuff, thanks.

 

[PantherVOR]

Dr. Roll, a dentist, had his office on the second floor in the 1960's. There was an insurance company up there at one time. Seifert Construction, the developers and the owners of the center, also maintained their office on the second floor.

I remember as a kid, going to lunch with my dad in the bowling ally restaurant. I would have a barbeque sandwich at the bowling ally and then my dad would give me fifty cents to get a ice cream sundae at Kresge's. Live'n large in Delhi in the 1960's.

They had the best sub sandwiches at Kresge’s lunch counter. I bowled in the Saturday morning youth league at Del-Fair in the early 70s and I would get a sub at Kresges when I was finished. Talk about livin’ large! I loved my Saturday mornings when I was a kid.

 

[yj_runfan]

You may be right, I gave up bowling for about 20 years because I couldn’t stand the smoke anymore. I got back into bowling a few years after after the smoking ban. I missed the last 10-15 years of Del-Fair’s existence.

I love bowling but I gave it up for the same reason. I always wondered why they couldn’t have one night a week for non-smoking leagues.

 

[yj_runfan]

Dr. Roll, a dentist, had his office on the second floor in the 1960's. There was an insurance company up there at one time. Seifert Construction, the developers and the owners of the center, also maintained their office on the second floor.

I remember as a kid, going to lunch with my dad in the bowling ally restaurant. I would have a barbeque sandwich at the bowling ally and then my dad would give me fifty cents to get a ice cream sundae at Kresge's. Live'n large in Delhi in the 1960's.

I went to Dr. Roll’s office up there. The sound of the crashing bowling pins was quite loud up there.

 

[yj_runfan]

Did Dr. Roll later move to Delhi Ave?

Yes. He converted a house to his office. After he retired it got converted back to a house.

 

[yj_runfan]

They had the best sub sandwiches at Kresge’s lunch counter. I bowled in the Saturday morning youth league at Del-Fair in the early 70s and I would get a sub at Kresges when I was finished. Talk about livin’ large! I loved my Saturday mornings when I was a kid.

Do you remember the balloons hanging over the lunch counter? You would pop one and there would be various discount amounts inside that they would knock off of your check.

 

[PantherVOR]

Do you remember the balloons hanging over the lunch counter? You would pop one and there would be various discount amounts inside that they would knock off of your check.

I didn’t until you mentioned it but yes I do.

 

[SC10EHS15]

Yes Stumps is still open and well taken care of, at least the last time I was there it was well taken care of.

I was there about 2 weeks ago subbing for a friend's league and live right down the street. Seemed fine enough inside and, given the small size, the lot sure is packed on some nights.

 

[SC10EHS15]

The tenants fought for years for the owners to fix the many leaks in the building to no avail which caused some long time tenants—such as DelFair Barbers—to find new homes. Around the time that the repairs were finally made, at least part of the building that previously was home to the bowling alley was torn down/torn out. There are some photos on this Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Delfairlanes/photos/?ref=page_internal

Some of the last haircuts I got from Greg in that building, the shop was a mess from the water damage. Garbage bags hanging out of the ceiling to direct water into buckets. It was horrible the way the owners treated the building and its' tenants.

 

[Purplemojo]

Most vivid memory of Del-Fair Lanes: In 6th, 7th and 8th grade I was in an after school bowling league. I think our team name was the "Rat Finks" or something like that. One day each week during the school year, I would walk from St. D to Del-Fair with a few bucks in my pocket. Enough to bowl my games, get a 100G candy bar and a coke. I was an ok bowler, but we had a great time each time we bowled.

 

[polar panther]

Is Glenmore still open?

the Glenmore site is now The Drama Workshop. They put on plays there, and pretty good ones too. They used to be in the Westwood Town Hall years ago.

 

[polar panther]

How has the popularity of bowling changed?

the cost to bowl went up, not so much the weekly fees, but bowling equipment went up drastically in the mid to late ‘90’s. Bowling had already been decreasing in numbers, but that cut it in even more. Then throw in the small king ban, then it really hurt.

I started in the 80’s at DelFair, on Mondays, with full lanes filled early shift and mostly filled late shift. On Tuesdays I bowled late shift that was half full, but the early shift was full.

 

[polar panther]

I am trying to think of all the West Side bowling allies that have existed and are still around.

Here's my list

Western Bowl
Glenmore Bowl
Stumps
Del-Fair
Hoinke's

I did not know St. Lawrence and Holy Family had their own lanes at one time. I was never a big bowling enthusiast but the history of the sport on the West Side is very interesting...

At one time there was a very small six lane alley on Warsaw. Around 1970. I also remember it had automatic score keeping. Anyone else remember that?

 

[oldstlcoach]

there were two bowling lanes on warsaw, one was Schochs lanes where I worked all of my teen years to pay my way thru Elder. they had automatic pinspotters and a billiards hall. The six lane place was woodlawn lanes which had pinboys, it later became the Chatterbox Lounge, I believe it is now some kind of Family center. Schochs lanes was right next store to the roller rink.