The Place: Times Square’s brand-new, hypersanitized, 45-lane dining-drinking- dancing-bowling theme park, Bowlmor.
The Time: Wednesday, 12:10 a.m.
The Mission: Chat up every bowler in sight.
1. David Zinn
42, theater designer
“My very old friend and colleague is visiting and he wanted to go bowling, so here we are, drinking and bowling and talking. I am having fun, but I like my experiences dirtier and weirder than this place promises.”
2. Breanne Madigan
30, banker
“I kind of dread Times Square, but this is a really cool concept—especially for tourists after a Broadway show or something.”
3. Jessica Forst
26, event planner
“I’d so rather be at a new place than an alley that’s gross and sweaty with smelly, old bowling shoes. They don’t police you here, either. We were just dancing in the lanes and on the booths.”
4. Nadia Moshtaghi
28, real-estate finance
“The music is a mix of, like, ‘99 Luftballons,’ then a rap song. The food and drinks are pretty great for a place like this—sliders, tacos, calamari. And I’m surprisingly a really good bowler. At least tonight.”
5. Jennifer O’Hara
26, sales administrator
“This is over-the-top in a good way compared to, say, Lucky Strike Lanes. The different theme rooms are kind of exciting—what those themes are, exactly, it’s hard to say. We’ve been here for a good four hours. After a couple drinks I’m a better bowler. It’s like beer pong—you’ve got to warm up to get good.”
6. Scott Haladay
34, consultant
“I live in Portland, where people are into kitschy throwback random sports. There are a couple bowling alleys at home that have recently been redone into nightclubs, but it’s funny to see that in New York, too.”
7. Tricia Murray
30, interior design
“I’m here with my husband, Frank, who is definitely the better bowler. I’m improving, but I’m not ready to get my own ball or anything.”