Brooklyn Bowl, the new multipurpose venue from Charley Ryan and Peter Shapiro that was originally planned for a fall 2008 opening, finally debuts tomorrow, Tuesday, July 7. Inside a renovated 19th-century ironworks foundry, the North Brooklyn site has 23,000 square feet of space specifically designed for events, live music, film screenings, video performances, and, of course, bowling. Like many other spaces in New York looking to go green, Brooklyn Bowl was built to meet the standards for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification.
Located just around the corner from the Brooklyn Brewery, the facility offers 16 bowling lanes, a stage for live performances, a café, two bars, and a green room.
The open-plan space provides multiple options for events. In the front, brothers Bruce and Eric Bromberg from the Blue Ribbon Café supply a menu of comfort food to the 150-seat eatery, and drinks are served in the adjacent lounge as well as in the main bar area, which overlooks the stage. The stage itself measures 35 by 20 feet and has access to an upper-level green room for talent. Further in are the bowling lanes, where old Chesterfield couches comprise the seating and a digital scoring system keeps track of the game.
In keeping with the surrounding neighborhood, this spot showcases a range of industrial pieces. Recycled tires cover the floor of the stage, glass from the Brooklyn Navy Yard is integrated into design accents, reclaimed floorboards are used in both bars, and reclaimed cork tops the floor of the bowlers lounge and the green room. For energy efficiency, Brooklyn Bowl uses wind-powered electricity and LED stage lights.
Additionally, the 600-capacity site comes fully equipped with nine high-definition video projectors, a 12- by 9-foot video screen, wireless Internet access, stage lighting, and gear for the DJ booth.
