Monday, September 04, 2006

Linbrook Bowl

Linbrook Bowl, Anaheim, CA.





As good ol' Googie bowling alleys featuring 40 lanes shut down all over California, at least some outstanding examples remain. Linbrook Bowl, so named because it sits on the intersection of Lincoln Ave and Brookhurst in Anaheim, and has operated as a family-owned business since 1958.

The marquee is fantastic! The typography on the Coffee Shop sign-- to die for! That welcome sign? So Mid-Century! All the flagcrete? Phenomenal!

The designers here had something right-- what went wrong between then and now?

5 comments:

Major Pepperidge said...

Wow, there really were alleys like this all over the place at one time! This is a great example, the signs are really wonderful!

melissac. said...

Yes, as it stands right now, they ARE all over the place, but I really don't know how much longer it's going to last. With Kona Lanes going down only a couple years ago in Costa Mesa, and Premiere Lanes in Santa Fe Springs being threatened, it's easy to wonder whether there's any hope left...

I originally posted this because I was supposed to go out to Linbrook after work tonight, but no one ended up sticking around. And one can not very well bowl alone! (And Linbrook wasn't on my way home). Otherwise, I would have taken photos of the sign at night!

Chris Merritt said...

Gorgeous - just gorgeous architecture! It's sad - commercial architects (and the corporations that hire them) simply have no sense of style or imagination any more... That's the problem. Take a look at that link I sent you about the de-evolution of Sambo's for proof. I have something on the de-evolution of Denny's in the works as well...

melissac. said...

tangaroa-- I checked out that link about Sambo's! I didn't realize that the Coco's on Katella and West street used to be such a magical place. Corporations are ruining the world.

the angry patron said...

i also shot here for my documentary. weird folks bowl at 3am on a tuesday morning.