Best old-school bowling alleys in New York City

Seekers of suburban high-school nostalgia, take note: This 35-lane hub hosts cosmic bowling—you remember, the late-night, “crazy” kind that comes with disco lights and music videos playing on big screens—on Fridays and Saturdays (9pm–4am, $21 per person per two hours). For a more relaxed experience, take advantage of the $14 rate (per person per two hours) on weeknights after 10pm. Fun fact to share while splitting an affordable pitcher: An episode of The Good Wife was filmed here in February. 718-651-0440, amf.com

Cost per lane: $14–$21 per two hours (including shoes)
Cheapest brew: Pitcher of Budweiser, $11

Grabbing a seat along the bar at this Sunset Park staple, which opened in 1958, is a must. You should find tuxedo-wearing bartender Peter Napolitano, a smiling, super-chatty, philosophizing  fixture who’s been profiled in the Times, manning the taps. (Psst, there are half-off drafts on Thursdays.) The space is brightened by gum-ball machines and bowling balls neatly arranged on red shelves. Between rounds, swing by the snack counter, which peddles funnel cake ($1.50) and hot dogs ($2.50), and look at the Melody Lanes 300 Club bulletin board, honoring players who’ve achieved perfect scores here over the last 50-plus years. On Sundays, you can often catch these champions trying to match their records. 718-499-3848, melodylanesny.com

Cost per game: $6.50–$8, plus $4 shoe rental
Cheapest brew: Pitcher of Budweiser, $10

A retro sign with colored letters spells out the name of this long-standing Brighton Beach center, where big-league bowlers have played since the 1960s. On Monday, Thursday and Sunday nights (9:30pm–midnight), five bones (plus $3.75 shoe rental) gets you unlimited two-hour bowling, and on Saturdays, an absence of league players leads to all of the venue’s 32 lanes being up for grabs. 718-336-6700, shelllanes.com

Cost per game: $3.50 and up, plus $3.75 shoe rental
Cheapest brew: Bottle of Budweiser, $3.25

It’s not a flashy alley, no. But we love the lived-in charm at this Flushing spot, which has touches like rickety tables, scratched-up balls and occasionally malfunctioning score screens. Pay $4.50 per game (plus $4.50 shoe rental) during off-peak hours (6am–6pm) on weekdays, or show up for the all-you-can-bowl special (Mon, Tue 10pm–2am; Sat, Sun 8am–noon, $19 per person, plus $4.50 shoe rental) to really invest some time in perfecting your hook or curve. Best of all, the venue’s 24-hour schedule means you can show up morning, noon or night and always find a lane. 718-353-6300, whitestonebowling.com

Cost per game: $4.50 and up, plus $4.50 shoe rental