Comment permalink

Dear Mr. Coney Island...
I was sitting by the water over near work and it made me miss Coney since I haven’t been over in months. Anyhow, it got me to wondering about where my parents met – Surf Lanes in Coney. Do you guys have any photos from Surf Lanes? Thank you!
- Scott

Hello Scott,

Here's a photo of Surf Lanes on Surf at 32nd Street taken shortly before it was demolished. It was formerly the Surf Theater and I remember it well because it was where I saw my first movie at the age of three. It became a bowling alley around '58 or '59. Also had a great bar! The yellow Art Deco building survived the urban renewal project that brought us the surrounding O'Dwdyer Gardens housing project but was torn down around 1980. The empty lot became an urban vegetable garden, and recently the site of a senior housing development.

Comments

Submitted by Marilyn (not verified) on Thu, 06/21/2012 - 15:42

May 24th, 2012 at 11:26 pm
I lived over the Surf Lanes. Actually when I was 7 we moved in that building while it was still the Surf Theater. I could walk out on the marqee. At the corner was Al and Daves Candy Store and on the other side was Frances Dress Shop. The Coney Island Houses were being built then and I had many friends there and hung out there all the time. My Mom worked in the theater. There were 3 tenants in that building. I lived there till as I was 16 and then moved to Luna Park Houses. I have lots of great memories of Coney.

Submitted by Marilyn (not verified) on Thu, 05/24/2012 - 23:26

I lived over the Surf Lanes. Actually when I was 7 we moved in that building while it was still the Surf Theater. I could walk out on the marqee. At the corner was Al and Daves Candy Store and on the other side was Frances Dress Shop. The Coney Island Houses were being built then and I had many friends there and hung out there all the time. My Mom worked in the theater. There were 3 tenants in that building. I lived there till as I was 16 and then moved to Luna Park Houses. I have lots of great memories of Coney.

Submitted by Marilyn (not verified) on Fri, 06/22/2012 - 16:02

I lived over the Surf Lanes. Actually when I was 7 we moved in that building while it was still the Surf Theater. I could walk out on the marqee. At the corner was Al and Daves Candy Store and on the other side was Frances Dress Shop. The Coney Island Houses were being built then and I had many friends there and hung out there all the time. My Mom worked in the theater. There were 3 tenants in that building. I lived there till as I was 16 and then moved to Luna Park Houses. I have lots of great memories of Coney.

Submitted by Evan stone (not verified) on Sun, 07/15/2018 - 20:29

I lived at the crystal hotel on w.32nd street between surf and mermaid...and am trying to remember what month and Year did it close down....the manager or employee was cool in that if we came after 10 or close to 10:30 p.m. he would let us in free....which would still be more than half the last film viewed.. so what month and Year did the thea

Submitted by michael jacobsen (not verified) on Fri, 06/08/2012 - 00:01

Torn down in 1980.Someone should have put this building on the historic register.Art decco buildings are rare

Submitted by Walter Kalinoski (not verified) on Thu, 12/28/2023 - 06:29

I grew up bowling at Surf Lanes but this one was 8 ally’s located on Surf and Stillwell Ave. it was owned by 2 brothers the Falcones. One brothe was Skooky. Can’t remember the other brothers name but Butchie was his son. We were good friends.

Submitted by Jeff Simon (not verified) on Sun, 01/28/2024 - 15:32

The name of this facility was Oceanview (Either "Billiards" or "Bowling") and Recreation. It was situated over a scooter ride. I started bowling there, after school, with my 6th grade class from Mark Twain JHS probably in 1957. It had pinboys and no automatic poinsettias. A row of billiard tables were situated in front of the Lanes.

Add new comment