Ball Square bowling?

[subtledagger.livejournal.com]

Does anybody know whats up with the little bowling place in Ball Square?  I looked in the window, and everything is still set up, but is it ever open?

Comments

[ron_newman]

An always-interesting question! I asked it here a couple of years ago, so please read the many comments there, but I'd be curious to hear any update.

(There was also a second post later that year, but not much response that time.)

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

heh, this question gets asked often, and answered to satisfaction never.

some friends of mine went there recently (it was closed) but one of them swore she saw lots of ppl going in and out.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

From the chatter I'd be inclined to say the "mob front" theory isn't far off the mark. Either that or it's an exceptionally picky social club.

[apricot3.livejournal.com]

i live right around the corner from that place and have spied it during many a walk home. i may have been hallucinating, but i thought Once i saw people in there. it was cold, though.
i think i asked someone and they said it's only open for league events on tuesday nights? as in it's not open to the public i assume.

mayhaps we can leave a little note on the door for them, see if they respond. or sequester the business taxes from last year, see if they had any income! ;D

[josephineave.livejournal.com]

Yep, pretty much what she said. I'm working on a screenplay about a mysterious ghostly bowling alley that opens up only on nights with a full moon based on this place. It's written with John Goodman and Jessica Simpson in mind for the leads. Jimmy Tingle will play the mute bartender.

[curiositykt.livejournal.com]

I live near by and have seen people twice in three years.

[nonnihil.livejournal.com]

I definitely see leagues playing there some evenings. I'd love to have a nearby place to get my candlepin on, but it just doesn't seem particularly... inviting.

[joifulgurl.livejournal.com]

i was totally convinced that it was closed down - after all, it looks likely to be haunted. but i saw folks in there a few weeks ago, not sure about the night of the week it was, but sure enough, there were tons of folks in there, bowling their little hearts out.

so weird. weirdest bowling alley OF LIFE.

[spatch]

Mob front.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_mattt/]

I drive by it every day on the way home. I have seen it open perhaps a half dozen or so times this year. There does appear to be something very peculiar about it. Specifically, I get the distinct impression that they are not trying to attract customers.

[lac.livejournal.com]

I was told by a lovely little old man on the bus once that they mostly rent it out for bachelor/bachelorette parties. They provide the all the bowling stuff and the people bring their own food and drink. This was quite a few years ago. He may have mentioned league bowling but i definitely remember he said that it was rented out for parties. He worked there at the time.

[ron_newman]

Once upon a time, league bowling at Ball Square was listed on True Grounds' events page. It isn't anymore, but perhaps someone at the coffee shop knows more.

[obie119.livejournal.com]

I've seen people bowling there...I think it has been on Thursday nights that I've noticed it.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I've been inside (http://community.livejournal.com/davis_square/465306.html), albeit very briefly. I'll do it again if a tempting enough dare is presented...

[ron_newman]

If you do, I'd like to go with you.

[nuns.livejournal.com]

If this is the place on Boston Ave, I see guys in there bowling all the time.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

I think if you have to ask, you're not welcome. If you were welcome there, you'd already know about it.

I get my (very occasional) bowl on at Sacco's Bowl Haven.

Curiouser

[wallacestreet.livejournal.com]

Anyone know the address? The Ball Square Auto Repair next door is 664 Boston Ave. and looks to be part of the same building. Very curiously, the assessor's database (http://data.visionappraisal.com/somervillema/findpid.asp?iTable=pid&pid=275) lists it as vacant land worth $35k, while clearly showing a picture of the auto shop/bowling alley. Of course, there's no ownership data.

There are no other addresses near it on Boston Ave. in Somerville, and the highest Boston Ave. address in Medford (according to the Medford Assessor) is 646 (Sako's auto body), so this must be the right place. An assessor's database error or a rat, I'm not sure which.

Re: Curiouser

[chumbolly.livejournal.com]

According to the Registry of Deeds, it looks like 664 Boston is owned by R&F Realty Corporation, but note that 664 Boston is only 664 square feet in total. A single bowling lane is, what, about 240 square feet in area? So I don't think that's your parcel. I'd bet it's a random piece of planet that was part of a larger lot that was cut down by the railroad ROW, and is now a parking lot.

R&F Realty owns multiple parcels on Boston Ave, but its deed is not online, so my sleuthing ends there.

[pearlythebunny.livejournal.com]

Ball Sq Bowling Alley Incorporated
(781) 306-0716
662 Boston Ave, Medford, MA 02155

[ron_newman]

Where did you find that listing?

[ron_newman]

Here is a Somerville assessor's map for the area in question. There may be similar maps on the Medford assessor's site but I'm too lazy to look right now.

[somertricky.livejournal.com]

Looks like a small chunk of Ball Square Auto Body building is at 664 (don't know why the database lists it as "vacant"), hence the 682 SF lot size. The Somerville Animal Clinic/Scirocco headquarters is actually listed at 675 Broadway. I'm not sure how to determine where the back portion of that lot (listed as "3" on the map, 830 SF) is listed.

That Medford map would be, um, interesting, to say the least. Wasn't there a poster a while ago who was talking about living in some sort of parallel universe existing between Somerville and Medford, or something like that?

[pearlythebunny.livejournal.com]

According to Manta.com:

Ball Square Auto Repair Inc
664 Boston Ave, Somerville, MA 02144, United States Phone: (781) 396-3394
SIC:General Automotive Repair Shops
Line of Business:General Auto Repair

This company profile is for the private company Ball Square Auto Repair Inc, located in Somerville, MA. Ball Square Auto Repair Inc's line of business is general auto repair.
Company Profile: Ball Square Auto Repair Inc
Year Started:1985
State of Incorporation:N/A
URL:N/A
Location Type:Single Location

It goes on to give more info, such as the owner's name, number of employees, annual sales, and stuff.

I haven't found the bowling alley yet.

One word

[jokabri.livejournal.com]

One word: fuggetaboutit.

[ah42.livejournal.com]

I can't believe nobody's realised.. the imaginary bowling alley *must* be at 666 Boston Ave, and being superstitious, neither town wants to claim it.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_mattt/]

They're open now. I just drove by 5min ago if you want to stop by. There appeared to be one guy in there.

I found some serious dirt - Winter Hill Gang

[an0n0.livejournal.com]

The business filing with State of MA is at http://corp.sec.state.ma.us/corp/corpsearch/CorpSearchSummary.asp?ReadFromDB=True&UpdateAllowed=&FEIN=042381889

As of 1992 the owner was:

HERBERT FOSTER
No. and Street: 65 BROMFIELD ROAD
City or Town: SOMERVILLE

I found some interesting pages on Google but the most shocking info is that Mr. Foster is named as a cohort in a famous indictment of Howie Winter and Sal Sperlinga. See http://masscases.com/cases/app/9/9massappct512.html. Howie Winter was the boss of the Winter Hill Gang until he went to jail and then Whitey took over. Sperlinga was the victim of a mob hit at Magoun Square print shop (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvatore_Sperlinga).

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howie_Winter)

The indictment (http://masscases.com/cases/app/9/9massappct512.html) details the threats they made against various business owners ("put my pinball machines in your club or i will break your face"). It is an entertaining read.

So, you guys still want to go in there and poke around? I think I'll pass.