Oh, Playdium! This dingy, dirty place has quickly become one of my favorite Albany haunts.
Which is surprising, considering how I'm usually a lousy bowler and have a paralyzing fear of used shoes and all things feet. That said, I would consider the Playdium the closest thing Albany has to a dive bar. It's dark, dirty, and totally kitschy, and you'll probably end up with a chipped sparkly ball with some random person's initials engraved into it.
The staff is always courteous, and they're quick to pick up on regulars (or maybe that's just because the boys I go with spend endless amounts of money on their pitchers of beer).
If you go on a Monday through Thursday from 9 p.m. until midnight, you can get shoes and unlimited bowling for $6. Not bad! Otherwise, it's not super-duper cheap, but it won't break the bank, either. Normally, two games and shoes will set you back $10. You'll pretty much always have a good time, so I can't complain too much.
These guys saved my ass.
When I thought my kid's birthday party was going to be rained out by a freak tropical storm, I got them on the phone and called the Playdium.
Most kids birthday type places required a minimum number of kids. Â Mine is still young, and we like to keep the parties on the smaller, more manageable size. Â
No problem at the Playdium. Â
They just charged us for the games that we played, the pizza we ate, and the fruit punch we drank. Â They let us bring our own ice cream cake, and let us set up our own balloons and stuff in a private room.
On top of all that, the pizza was surprisingly good. Â Apparently they stretch their own crust from fresh (never frozen) dough... and they say it makes all the difference. Â
Have I mentioned that I love this place?
It's a dirty place (where in Albany isn't?!!) but you can play while you clean your clothes because the laundromat is next door! Â How convenient!
My roommate and I always had fun starting laundry then passing the time with a game or two of bowling, putting funny names up on the screen (Viva "Stinky Feet"!)
The staff is friendly and the prices are reasonable, even on regular nights that are not college nights. Â The place is no-frills but when you are just looking for cheap fun and to roll a ball down a wooden floor you do not need frills. Â Seriously!
It's totally hidden down Ontario so just turn down the street and it will randomly be there. Â Like others have said it is right in the middle of a residential neighborhood...truly "hidden".
Ahh, the Playdium, one of Albany's hidden gems right smack in Pine Hills. Â The previous reviews hit it right on the head, as Playdium does have a very "old school bowling alley" feel.
Tuesdays and Wednesdays during the college school year is $2 games of bowling in the evening with $1 shoe rentals so the place gets pretty crowded. Â The bar always seems to have some kind of beer specials going on and the staff is pretty friendly for the most part.
The scoring system registers the mph of how fast you throw the ball which makes wailing the 8lb balls down the alley a fun pastime (until management asks you to stop of course).
Saturday's is rock n' bowling (or whatever it's called there) with the lights out and the black lights and the whole nine yards. Â I believe it's unlimited bowling for $15 from 10pm-1am but don't quote me on that.
Always a fun time at Playdium
Definitely a place with a lot of regulars, both in the bar and on the Lanes, Playdium is a weird oasis of entertainment in the middle of an urban residential neighborhood. It's only a few blocks from Western Ave (and therefore the busline) and is also local to SUNY Albany, so there were definitely some college kids coming in when the evening league bowling let out.
The place has obviously been around a while; it's a teeny little plaza, housing the bowling alley (with its built in bar, which has a separate entrance) along with a laundromat and a $.99 store. The art on the walls inside show the place has been around a while, but it's very clean, and has state of the art scoring systems - those, combined with the friendly service, are probably WHY it's been around so long.
The leagues definitely are serious business for them, but that's not to say there's nothing for the casual bowler - just call ahead to make sure some lanes are open, and you can get a shoe rental and a string for just over $6. Some nights there are specials on shoes, beer, and food.
I finally got to check out the Playdium and ya know what - I loved it! Â The decor is still perfectly "70s bowling alley". Â The lanes are in good shape and there are a whole slew of them. Â They have a state of the art scoring system and plenty of seating with room for drinks, food, or whatever. Â The personal coat racks are a nice touch which I don't think I've ever seen at a bowling alley before (and I've played at my share of lanes).
The bar is your typical bowling alley bar, with its fair share of regulars and great beer specials. Â You can't beat $2.50 pints of Yuengling. Â They have all sorts of specials during the week on food, beer and games and their weekend rock and bowl was advertised at a very reasonable $13 per person - quite the steal! Â Make sure you call ahead to find out if it's a league night before going.
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