Times Square is ready to roll — or at least, its latest sprawling fun house is.
When the $25 million Bowlmor Lanes Times Square opens Tuesday in the former New York Times building, it will boast 50 lanes, a David Burke-backed sports bar and restaurant, a nightclub and two bar-lounges — all open 365 days a year.
Bowlmor CEO Tom Shannon calls the 90,000-square-foot pleasure palace — housed in the Gray Lady’s former newsroom on the third and fourth floors — the “spiritual heir” to massive Midtown playgrounds of yore, such as the Hippodrome.
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It’s also the latest member of the city’s luxe bowling league, which includes recent upscale arrivals such as Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg, Lucky Strike off the West Side Highway and the relaunched Frames in the Port Authority Bus Terminal. But Bowlmor’s backers are betting that its numerous theatrical touches and its location will set it apart.
“[The goal is to] do something in Times Square that’s relevant to New Yorkers and has the glitz factor for tourists,” says Shannon, who transformed the Union Square Bowlmor into the city’s first hip bowling haunt back in 1997.
A 25-foot-high neon sign of “Bowlmor Bob” will greet visitors at the 222 W. 44th St. entrance, while inside the spectacle continues with seven bowling areas inspired by iconic NYC settings such as Central Park, Chinatown and pre-Giuliani Times Square.
“We tried to make the theming authentic enough that a New Yorker will come and say, ‘Wow, that’s pretty cool. That’s a pretty good interpretation of what it is,’ ” adds Shannon.
There will also be a nightclub with live entertainment (open till 4 a.m.), a large sports bar and an extensive list of specialty cocktails and small plates available throughout the space.
Bowling lanes, for up to eight people, will cost $35.95 to rent per half-hour. Those looking to drop in for a drink will pay a cover charge of $5 to $10 that can be deducted from their tabs.
From art deco-inspired decor to naughty burlesque shows, here’s what you can expect when the lanes open on Tuesday.