Ballpark Lanes is closing...but is it forever, or just for a while? A worried reader wrote to us last night about the 51-year-old bowling alley, bar and meeting place that faces the old Yankee Stadium: "Ballpark Lanes, is closing on Saturday due to a landlord dispute. Unfortunately that is all I know but I was there tonight before the game against the Orioles and heard it from the employees directly. Ballpark Lanes has been open since 1959, it's an institution, landmark, and beloved by New Yorkers for over a generation." However, we spoke to Ballpark Lanes and found out that's not the case.
Ballpark's success has been uniquely tethered to the fortunes of the Yankees; and since the Yankees moved stadiums last year, it's not hard to make the leap that the neighborhood institution would face some financial setbacks. However, when we called for comment, we were told the Ballpark was closing just for "renovations," and would be opened back up by September, just in time for playoffs. Still, it seems strange that they couldn't wait for the off-season to do the renovations, instead cutting into their busiest time of year.
