9/10/2023 0 Comments Bowling shoes at fireside lanes![]() We were not a dance place we always had bowling. As a kid I remember being a little intimidated by all the noise and activity when the lanes were in use. After getting the shoes, we’d cross Kedzie, get a soda or ice cream, then cross back to the bowling alley. When I needed shoes, my Mom would take me to the shoe store while Dad went bowling. Krametbauer Shoe store was on the other side of 25th Street. I also bowled in the junior league on Saturday mornings. I think Sam was the owner and took great care of the kids. Started bowling in a Saturday morning junior league back in 1961. Sam Guido and his son Rick would pick up my fee. Prima was my after school and evening home! I was a floating sub for teams missing bowlers. We would stop at the hotdog place across the street for lunch after bowling.Ī lady named Molly ran the league in the early days.ĭid anyone at Prima know Phil Matievic, aka Crow? Sam was a great guy who drove our team down to Peoria in 1967 for the State Tournament. I bowled in the Saturday junior league from 1960 to 1967. Sam’s son Richard became a police officer for Summit, Illinos. ![]() Markov and Michael Giblin also worked there. I remember Richard Guido and his father was Sam. I used to work as a pin boy and then after I can back from the Army in 1969, i was a bartender. My grand parents n uncle rich have passed on. After the fire our family moved to las vegas. Across the street was a little hotdog stand. Wished i could get in contact with some of them. My grandfather used to own prima bowling alley. ![]() I hope so, it seemed like a very great place to hang out. Maybe the same thing will happen with Prima. Man how I wish I used to live back then when this was around.įireside Bowl, on Fullerton Avenue, changed over to a dance hall for about 10 years, then switched back to bowling. Wow! I can’t believe this place used to be a bowling alley! Now it’s just a nightclub (I know this because I grew up in this area). You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. And when the time comes, I’ll be ready with a gallon of hand sanitizer and my very own pairs of shoes and skates, just to be safe.This entry was posted on Maat 12:01 am and is filed under OLD CHICAGO BOWLING ALLEYS. Soon enough, I’ll be fishtailing around Fleetwood Roller Rink. In the not-too-distant future I’ll be rolling strikes again. But for now, Fireside Bowl’s doors remain open (with the proper precautions in place), and once I’m all vaxxed up it’ll be one of my first stops to make sure it stays that way. ![]() And it’s not hard to imagine why-there hasn’t been the same urgency to save recreational spots as there has been for bars, restaurants, and venues, not to mention the “sticking your fingers into holes other people have stuck their fingers into” of it all. Some speculate that bowling alleys might not survive the pandemic. Every glimpse of a four-wheeled skate gave me butterflies followed by a deep longing to be sailing in circles under a disco ball to 80s tunes with a rink full of people. Over the summer, the lakefront trail, parks, and sidewalks were full of skaters in shades and headphones, some skillfully weaving through crowded paths, others slowly scooting and trying their best not to wipe out. ![]() Roller skating at least took on a life of its own in the past year, thanks in part to viral TikToks and humanity’s desire to discover as many new hobbies to distract them as possible. Still, I miss the lanes at Fireside Bowl, the snack bar at the Fleetwood Roller Rink, the camaraderie and sense of athleticism that both activities afford to even the most sedentary indoor kids. Just thinking about being in a bowling alley or a roller rink incites a scent memory of greasy foods, stale beer, sweaty socks-I can practically smell the germs. Will we ever rent shoes again? It’s a required act for two of my favorite activities, one that feels downright irresponsible in a post-pandemic, hyper. Best of Chicago 2022: Music & Nightlife.Best of Chicago 2022: Sports & Recreation. ![]()
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