Keeping Tabs on Montrose Bowl — Renovated, With New Owners

[Update 9/8/25 11:18 AM PT—Rewrote this to reflect that Montrose Bowl hasn't been listed for sale in years and to add new photos of the restoration.]

In 2018, a real estate listing alarmed fans that Montrose Bowl would be sold and demolished for a new development. 

At the time, its owners (from the same family since 1981) insisted that this tiny, eight-lane bowling alley in the Crescenta Valley was not for sale. But then it was sold to Tzvi Ratner-Stauber of Ratner Property during the pandemic.

circa 2018

The 1930s1940s-era lanes haven't been open to the general public for decades, save for birthday parties and occasional "open bowling" nights for the community. And that's still true—it's really just a "special event" venue, with a remarkably preserved exterior of glass brick and green tiles.

circa 2018

I first high-tailed it over there in 2018 when I heard it was for sale...

circa 2018

...and documented it in its pre-renovation condition. 

circa 2018

I wasn't fortunate enough to gain access by working on one of the many film productions that shoot there—not the least of which have included Teen Wolf and Pleasantville, whose production crew gave the alley its 1950s look in 1998.

circa 2018

But I did get an invite to a couple of private parties.

circa 2018

At a friend's birthday celebration, I bowled a game despite some temperamental equipment...

circa 2018

...kept score manually via an overhead projector...

circa 2018

...and actually won.

circa 2018

I didn't break 100, but then again, I barely ever break 100. That's not the fault of Montrose Bowl, that's my fault.

circa 2018

I love bowling, but I don't get to do it nearly often enough, so I'm not very good at it (despite having bowling trophies for being on two different winning teams). It's one of the few things I remember doing with my father as a kid. But those times going to our local bowling alley in Syracuse, New York were so few and far between that I never learned proper technique. And perhaps I never will.

Update 2025:

I was a little worried when I'd heard that Montrose Bowl had reopened from a renovation and update in September 2023. I was worried it would lose its vintage charm. 

 

Especially when it launched its onsite restaurant with a vegan menu, Never Caged. The neon sign for the old "cruelty-free" concept still glows—but now the kitchen is slinging burgers and chicken sandwiches just like a good ol' bowling alley should.  

The rest of the alley has gotten a glow-up—with comfortable, retro green-and-pink seating that's more conducive to a casual hang rather than a competitive sport. (There's no longer any machinery to help you keep score anymore. Just rent the place and start slinging balls!)

 

If I had had $3 million to spare back in 2018, I might've bought Montrose Bowl to try to keep it alive while having my own personal practice space.

 

Because it's never too late to learn how to do something properly. Especially if it's something you love to do.



Watch the scene from Teen Wolf in the video player above to see what Montrose Bowl looked like before its Pleasantville makeover.

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