There are at least 3-4 centers around here that I can think of that have been around 50+ years. AMF Thruway Lanes is the biggest of those, which has held numerous PBA tournaments and tv shows over the years. It's also one of the top 3 maintained centers in the area.
Sad thing is that a few centers have shut down around here since the early 1990's. 1 of the early casualties around 1993 was Suburban Lanes in Amherst, NY. That place was located next to the Boulevard Mall and survived 36 years, having opened in 1957. The mall bought the property and it is now a Michael's craft store, Buy Buy Baby, and the Buffalo Athletic Club. The reason is that the mall now gets about 4-6 times the rent that the old center had.
The others just had a decline in bowlers to where it wasn't possible to remain open. I would have wanted to bowl at Southside Lanes in Buffalo, NY once before it shut down several years ago. That place held numerous tournaments throughout the years.
