I love bowling. It’s a fun way to get a group of friends together, but more importantly, I can roll a decent frame and usually take home the trophy. Only problem? Bowling in Manhattan is a challenge if you’re looking for an alley with a little character and don’t want to spend half your salary for one night on the town. The fancy pants lanes of Manhattan are great – if someone else is paying.

Luckily, only a quick L train ride away is The Gutter. The lanes are as old-school as they come. Picked up from a Midwest bowling emporium and transported piece by piece back to Brooklyn, the vintage look, feel, and even the smell is the kind of nostalgia trip I love. And even though the lanes are quirky (think divots in the wood, touchy reset functions, etc.), it feels real, like bowling should. No screeching techno music, glow bowling, or cosmo-tinis here thank you. Add in lots of excellent craft beers on tap, and I’m even happier than when I was in my YMCA bowling league when I was 12 years old.

It’s still not cheap, but if you go on the early or late side, then you can hit happy hour which gets you $ 1 off beers and 2-for-1 bowling on Fridays from 14:00 – 18:00 and Sunday – Thursday after 01:00.