Final Goodbye to Kona Lanes~Costa Mesa, CA

Here, here and the best ones are here!

..judging from the pictures of the karaoke nights, it becomes clear why the kona lanes had to be destroyed.....the madness had to be stopped and that was the only way to stop it.

Thanx Boris....

I was lucky enough to have gone to Java Lanes one time. Me and a buddy had lunch in that amazing Coffee Shop. Never got To Kona Lanes tho :(

Bowling architecture and aesthetics have always been some of my favorite Mid Century Modern-isms, besides Tiki of course. Put them together and it's Pure heaven.

Luckily I moved to LA while some of these great places on PCH were still around, and did some of those great "I got nothin to do, I think I'll just go explore" driving trips through the South Bay.

One of those trips led me to Sam's Seafood, tho', I had a matchbook with address on it.

Someone needs to put together a list of cool stuff that's left, like say The Hot n' Tot in Lomita. Definitely worth the trip.

Other places I got to a few times, but miss dearly....Ben Franks, Ships, Hollywood Star Lanes....I still have a bowling pin signed by the owner when they closed.

[ Edited by: tikiyaki 2009-01-06 22:25 ]

[ Edited by: tikiyaki 2009-01-06 22:31 ]

....and the Kona lanes site is still undeveloped. Thank you very much Segerstrom family.....
That picture of the rock wall that is still standing was not part of the actual structure... It was across a small, one car lane from the front entrance, in the parking lot. I remember it vividly. Still bums me out that that lot is vacant...

On 2009-01-07 09:38, Luckydesigns wrote:
....and the Kona lanes site is still undeveloped. Thank you very much Segerstrom family.....
That picture of the rock wall that is still standing was not part of the actual structure... It was across a small, one car lane from the front entrance, in the parking lot. I remember it vividly. Still bums me out that that lot is vacant...

Wow, really ? What a god damn waste. I started thinking about Bowling alleys and how great their designs were...architecturally, as well as decor and signage.

Does anyone know of any other Tiki Bowling Alleys besides Kona, Java and the Kapu Kai ? Any pics ?

Sven ?

On 2009-01-07 10:07, tikiyaki wrote:
Does anyone know of any other Tiki Bowling Alleys besides Kona, Java and the Kapu Kai ? Any pics ?

Covina Bowl is still there in all its Googie/Tiki glory:
http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-trw-0518-googie-pg,0,4985265.photogallery?index=09

Hot Damn ! TC Bowling/Tiki Event ?

I am proud to say that Kevin Bullat (Tiki Bong) who is our steel player, was interviewed by the Times when Kona shut down! Kevin has a LOT of memorabilia from closed tiki places in his possesion!

On 2009-01-07 10:23, congawa wrote:

Covina Bowl is still there in all its Googie/Tiki glory:
http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-trw-0518-googie-pg,0,4985265.photogallery?index=09

My father-in-law was married there several years ago. It was a crazy biker wedding; he wore a braided Willy Nelson wig.

On 2009-01-07 10:07, tikiyaki wrote:
Wow, really ? What a god damn waste. I started thinking about Bowling alleys and how great their designs were...architecturally, as well as decor and signage. Does anyone know of any other Tiki Bowling Alleys besides Kona, Java and the Kapu Kai ? Any pics ?
Sven ?

You are so right. Bowling alleys are the most under-documented Googie icons so far.

There is the Mar Vista Bowl and the Lucky Lanes Bowl in TIKI MODERN...the latter not being Tiki, but, like the Covina Bowl, an A-frame. Somehow, even more than Motels, 60s bowling alleys really took a shine to the A-frame concept. There even was one in Waikiki. How about the Willow Grove Lanes in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania?:

My favorite mid-century modern non-Tiki bowling alley is the Rose Bowl Lanes in Tulsa, Oklahoma:

Check out that interior! There were dozens of such amazing examples across the United States. Someone should make a book about them.

From OC Historical Blog Spot .com Oct. 28, 2008 ~

"At Costa Mesa's recent City Council candidate forum, everyone agreed on only one thing: Tearing down Kona Lanes in 2003 was a big mistake and a significant loss to the community. Where were these people five years ago? Not only did they Costa Mesa lose one of its most popular entertainment venues and landmarks, but Southern California lost yet another of its nearly-extinct classic Googie buildings. Worse yet, it has been replaced only with a vacant lot full of weeds. I was there on closing day, and watched the constant procession of people paying their last respects to this nostalgic landmark. Some had tears in their eyes, including married couples who had met while bowling there. Costa Mesa may someday get another bowling center, but it will never replace Kona Lanes."

andThe OC Register article it was linked too. Oct. 23, 2008 ~

"The vacant lot on in Mesa Verde where Kona Lanes used to stand was also addressed. Sneen, using a line McEvoy said at a previous debate, said it best: "They should have never torn down the bowling alley!"
The room erupted in applause. Candidates had different ideas for that property, which is privately owned by the Segerstrom family. Some suggested having a bowling alley brought back to the site, while others said it would be a perfect location for senior living."

It’s nice that people realize it was a mistake to tear it down but Tipsy’s also right, if only they could have just demolished the Karaoke Machine.

Wow, BigBro...amazing pics.

You're right...a book needs to be made about Bowling architecture. I guess I need to start collecting photos and memorabelia and in 5 or so years I can
create "The Book of Bowling Alleys" or "Bowling Alley Modern" :)

You never know with me, I just may try to do it :o

[ Edited by: tikiyaki 2009-01-07 23:29 ]

Photos like these have probably been posted elsewhere on this site, but just in case, here is the sign in the American Sign Museum as of July 1, 2007.

Curator Tod Swormstedt talks about the construction of the Kona Lanes sign.

This exhibit photo shows the sign in situ. If memory serves, Tod explained that the "Bowl" portion of the sign was too deteriorated to move.

I highly recommend the museum; it's well thought out and Tod's small tours are the type you wish you could have in any museum. To our surprise, there was even something for the kids - neon letters that lit when in proximity to their power source. The kids with us could arrange the letters to spell their own names. Cincinnati is under-rated for coolness. It also has Cincinnati Union Terminal, the model for Justice League Headquarters.

Seeing all these pics and browsing through my collected images of polynesian restaurants and lounges of the past really depresses me.

What a sad country (world?) we have become where greed is the inspiration for development and change.
In days past, it would seem an idea for development was more apt to grow out of a desire to create a unique and memorable venue that would not only serve the public but give them an experience they would love and long remember. The belief that the customer would return again and again, with more friends. There was an attention to detail, service and quality. Customers would not just be given the service they expected but would be immersed into a unique environment, that multiplied their happiness - that was the 'Tipsy' factor. Success was never based on 'quick return on investment' but expected through customer satisfaction, volume of sales, longevity, and not to mention making an impact on the community.

Now, it would seem, greed and profit has extinguished this desire to 'create' and connect. Todays cookie cutter construction is quite simply based on cost effectiveness. Developers and owners now look for the quick way to 'turn a buck'. The cheapest construction, eliminates unique shapes and ornamentation, the cheapest signs eliminates our streetside wow factor. The cheapest construction minimizes cost and maximizes potential profit. Inside we find the same 'crap', in every mall, on every street corner, in every strip mall across America. Unfortunately over the years - the coming generations will not have the first hand memory of "what was" and they will no longer have that memory to compare to their present situation. Corporate and Individual greed will succesfully blindside everyone, consumers actually will believe, that a $3.50 Double Mocha Latte is "Awesome", and they will expect that Latte to be duplicated and available on every street corner, in every town, across America, and across the World. It would seem the 'Tipsy' factor has been replaced by the 'Madoff' factor.

This is not intended to be a soapbox, but rather true heartfelt sadness.

Sad but true. That's what I am trying to hint at in Tiki Modern when I talk about the basically great concepts of modernism -simplicity, functionality, lack of extraneous ornament -having been abused as excuse and license to build cheap and boring boxes. Sliding glass windows are my favorite example: They were innovations in the 50s, allowing "the outside to come in" in modern homes, now I hate their airtight flush/no windowsill cheapness.

Jim, while you collect material for the bowling alley book, on the side start with collecting images of mid-century modern church architecture, the next subject worthy of a book -and one of which a lot of examples are still standing!

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2009-01-08 09:02 ]

jpmartdog....How eloquently put. These amazing buildings and signage, ESPECIALLY the signage, were designed to draw the consumer in, by exciting them with an amazing visual.

Economically , neon is is costly, and it's understandable that it's not used as much anymore, but who is the one that said ALL sign fonts have to be helvetica or times roman style ?

The lettering on signs is SOOOOO boring now. Alot of cities have regulations that prohibit creative signage, so what you get, besides the boring architecture , is even MORE boring signage.

It makes me sad too. Sad even more is that bowling alleys just don't seem to get built anymore, and if they keep getting bulldozed like Kona and Java Lanes, what is to happen to the good sport and recreational activity known as kegling. ? Ralph Kramden must be rolling in his grave.

BigBro...If I wasn't so anti organized religion, I would consider the book of churches...they certainly have amazing architecture.

I imagine it will not be long before a few select few of us will be the lucky (or unlucky) ones to be riding horseback on the beach, clad in nothing more than a loincloth of animal skin.

Taylor: Oh my God. I'm back. I'm home. All the time, it was... We finally really did it.
[screaming]
Taylor: You Maniacs! You blew it up! Ah, damn you! God damn you all to hell!

Hey, Tipsy! How bout a Kona Lanes sign?

I have mixed feelings about what you wrote jpmartdog (no offense).

I, like you, am saddened when I see pics of how amazing things use to be. Most of the past flows with my personal taste and style.

But it is a tricky argument when you say the country is sad where greed is the inspiration for development and change.

Hasn't this always been the case? Do you think Kona Lanes was built because they wanted to be original? Or that they wanted to invent a new style? No, they were picking up on what was popular so that they could attract the most people and make the most money. Just like every other tiki inspired place. I would bet that some of the the older tiki establishments might have replaced something that was amazing from the 1800s. Especially the tiki places in New York. It just happens that we prefer the tiki/googie style. It just happens that it is not that popular now. Can you imagine how awesome we would think things were, if back in the day, tiki/hawaiian/tropical style was as popular as the faux Mediterranean look has been the past 10 years?

Are our kids/grandkids going to lament the destruction of all of the faux Mediterranean stuff 50 years from now? Though we feel that construction today is cheap compared to the past, the 50's/60's construction was cheap compared the the hand crafted wares of the past.

The bottom line is it is almost impossible to upkeep anything custom today, with out it costing an arm and a leg. I can't imagine how much it would cost to upkeep a vintage tiki restaurant compared to a franchise. I personally like knowing that my latte is going to taste correct every time I go in to a Starbucks. Can you imagine how awesome it would be to know that your Mai Tai is going to taste amazing every time you go to a Trader Vic's? Hell, half of the complaints on this site are from people complaining about bad drinks they got at restaurants!

I guess part of this is the libertarian in me. I always have mixed feelings when people try to prevent people from doing what they want to do with their own property. The bottom line is it is based on personal taste and preference (or lack there of).

I've always thought that the best way to solve the complete cultural destruction of the past is education. Educate the people you know. Let them know why tiki is good and important. Let them know the importance of googie and space age. At least then they will develop an appreciation for it. Or at least a respect for it. Once that happens, they will understand the importance of preserving some of the things from our past.

For example, I live in an apartment building in Oceanside CA. When I moved in, people thought things were looking odd when I was bringing my furniture in. Then they saw me set up shelves to display my cocktail shakers. They started asking questions. I had extra barware and one day I invited everyone over and let them take cocktail shakers, barware and other fun things I had. I was going to sell the stuff, but I thought it would be fun to give it to people. After a while they would ask me about my furniture. They would look at a eames chair and said it reminded them of school. Then they would sit in it and think it was comfortable. After a while, most of my neighbors have grown an appreciation for MCM and tiki.

I always thought that the best way to prevent amazing buildings from being destroyed would be by having Historical/Style Suggestion Committees. How they would work, is before anything is torn down or "remodeled" the committee would invite the owner/developers over. Present them with historical photos and descriptions of how and what their property use to be. Give them a style suggestion packet describing how they could remodel or update their property and at the same time, preserve or reintroduce it's historically significant style. I know a lot of times, people buy property and don't even know what it was. Especially if they have already been altered before they purchase it.

I don't know, that's my ramble for the day. It went in a couple of directions but I thought I would introduce other perspectives.

Tiki Shaker. I've seen you post on here before defending developers, and I think you mentioned that you yourself are in the Real Estate development business.

While I DO understand your POV, and am the last person to want to knock the way a person makes an honest living, I have to agree that below bottom line thinking seems to be the prevailing concern when it comes to new development. Of course, the architects on the 50's had bottom lines to deal with as well, but that time was a rennaisance period for many things, especially architecture.

Yes, there were alot of generic boxes built during that time, but the adventurous stuff was FAR more adventurous than today, and far more abundant.

Let's take signage.

Then

Now

and Architecture...

Then

Now.

You'd be hard pressed to find something as adventurous as The Rose Bowl Lanes or those old signs nowadays for something as common as a bowling alley. Now, everything is all very standardized, chain store oriented, and even if it's not a chain store, the average strip mall, looks like EVERY other strip mall. Have you been to Waikiki lately ? It could be Los Angeles. or Kansas City, or Carson...

Is this progress ?

And while I like my Starbucks tasting the same every time I have it, a BAD Mai Tai, only makes one realize how GOOD a correct one tastes.:drink:

As for greed. Building cost effectively is one thing. They certainly did that in the 50's and 60's .

Example : Eichler Homes were designed to be cost effective in their building process...simple post and beam construction, standardized building process etc...but LOOK at an Eichler !

Somehow, I doubt that kids now will think back about the houses being built today in 50 years,and consider this time period revolutionary for architecture.

I may be wrong about this...time will tell, but I can tell you this....my 17 year old stepdaughter looks at those Stucco Taco bell Tuscany crackerbox homes and thinks they're as FUGLY as I do.

.

Do you have your TIKIYAKI ORCHESTRA CD YET ?
http://www.myspace.com/tikiyaki
http://www.tikiyakiorchestra.com

[ Edited by: tikiyaki 2009-01-08 21:04 ]

[ Edited by: tikiyaki 2009-01-08 21:06 ]

[ Edited by: tikiyaki 2009-01-08 21:07 ]

The Rose Bowl still stands, but is no longer a bowling alley due to a rift with AMF.

Apparently this place is beloved as a piece of outstanding Route 66 Mid Century Modern Architecture

http://collectingbuzz.com/rosebowl/rosebowl.htm

http://www.losttulsa.com/2007/05/rose-bowl-renovation-although-i-cant.html

http://flickr.com/photos/losttulsa/sets/1085457/

...by the way there tiki shaker, I don't think Costa Mesa was that built out in the 1800's. Kona Lanes was probably not 'replacing something that was amazing from the 1800s'. I would bet that it might have been the first building on that spot in 1959 or whenever it was built (there was an amazing mosaic by the door that had the date in it, I think it was 1959)... I get your point though, and I am very much a proponent of capitalism, but I would think that someone who is into mid-century ANYTHING would do ANYTHING BUT support the constant destruction of these places of architectural and historical significance.

Tikiyaki just made a very compelling argument with his paragraph and photo montage there.... or am I wrong and we REALLY need another Subway/ Kinkos/ dry cleaner/ liquor store mini mall?

Fuck those jerks that took away my bowling ally and my karaoke bar.....Yeah, you heard me... my karaoke bar too..... I guess that vacant lot has been just as fun as the bowling ally was for the last four years...Thank you Costa Mesa city council and thank you Segerstrom family....

sorry for off topic,
and not nearly Exotic as some of those signs,
lets not forget about the Lin-brook bowl.

its still open and hopping,
I drove by last sat at 10 pm, and the parking lot was packed,
and the Coffee shop is supposed to have to die for food.
Huell says its Amazing.

more info,
http://googier.blogspot.com/2006/09/linbrook-bowl.html

Jeff(bigtikidude)

[ Edited by: bigtikidude 2009-01-08 23:52 ]

[ Edited by: bigtikidude 2009-01-08 23:58 ]

I don't recall ever defending developers in the past.. maybe I did, I don't remember. Yes, I am in real estate, but nothing amazing. I'm a simple real estate broker who sells affordable housing to senior citizens. (most of the homes were built in the 60's)

Yes, I am aware that Costa Mesa was a dirt field in the 1800s. That's why I used New York as the example.

As for Eichler, of course the homes are gorgeous. Unfortunately the rest of the world preferred poorly designed garbage. Otherwise things wouldn't look the way they do. Yes, I know his homes are as popular now than ever before... but they are popular to only a select few. Ask the average person on the street.. they would laugh at it or mock it as being something their grandparents had. You have to remember, our taste is the minority. Most people do not have our taste.

I totally agree that most things now suck. It's just that I don't know how anyone is supposed to be able to afford to do what use to be done. How could any business person trying to make a living afford to have that kind of amazing signage or architecture created today? Like I said.... I wish it all looked amazing. I just feel that it is inevitable that things are going to be cookie cutter. It costs too much for it not be. I don't like it, sure... but how is it going to change? I agree that we should encourage the people who are lucky enough to own some of this amazing stuff to preserve it. I fully support that and encourage it.

That's why I think the owners of these properties should be educated by people like us and encouraged to respect what they have. Even if the business is failing, they need to learn how to change their business and at least reuse the property and try and keep the flavor of what was originally intended. It's awesome when a business can reuse a space. Like when a restaurant moves into and old bank and keeps the old mosaic tile and reuses the counters. It's awesome when a person finds a 40's gas station and turns it into an art gallery. It's all about us encouraging and motivating these property owners. As tragic as the loss of Kona Lanes is... there is at least that small glimmer knowing that it sounds like the city council has admitted that they made a mistake. Hopefully that will encourage them to take a second look the next time something is slated to be torn down.

The intended point of my comments in my earlier post was me trying to state that we have to at least try and understand it from these peoples perspectives. We don't have to agree with it, but we have to look at it from their point of view. Once we understand why they think they way they think, then we can hopefully come up with a way that will benefit them AND us.

I admit, I know nothing about what happened at Kona Lanes. For all I know, the bowling alley was losing money, it was infested with asbestos, it would cost millions to clean up, they were afraid of lawsuits, someone gave them the bright idea to tear it down and build something that made them money. That ended up not working about, but it is costing them less to pay taxes on a vacant lot than what was going on before.

Yes, what I just wrote was made up, but things like this do happen. Would that be greed for them to do that? Is it bad that they wouldn't want to lose money?

Sooo many bowling alleys have shut down. Why? They don't make money. If the business plan no longer works, they should be encouraged to preserve the signage and hopefully reuse the building. Someone like us should show them what could be done with it.

What we need to do is let current owners know why we like them, Tell an owner that you frequent their establishment because of the design. Encourage others to do the same. I have stopped at so many random places just because I saw a kick ass sign. There have been plenty of times when I stopped at some highway dive and have had the person behind the counter ask "first time here?" My response is "yep, i stopped cuz your neon sign was so damn cool." People have to learn why people like us support their establishments.

I've stopped and taken pictures of tiki apartment buildings. I have had managers ask what I was doing. I'd tell them I thought the place looked amazing and i wanted to document it. I told them so many have been lost, I was worried that perhaps their building was going to be next.

Tikiyaki, when you posted that horrible generic sign with the current businesses and compare them to the old signage, it obviously shows your point.. which I totally agree with. Obviously it doesn't compare. But now look at each business. Imagine how much it would cost to create amazing signage for each one? Sure.. who needs another McD's or Starbucks or Kinkos? Well, obviously the public does.. otherwise it wouldn't be built. This is SoCal... we want to cram people in here like a New York, but we expect one business... like a bowling alley to take up as much space as it does? We wont' build vertical here.. how do we cope? Unfortunately it's those damn strip malls.. I know. What is the solution? Besides trying to reuse older buildings?.. I don't know.

Believe me.. I had dreams as a kid that I would become as rich as someone like Bill Gates and buy every cool building I ever saw.. just so it could be preserved. Just so someone would leave it alone. Just so another damn Walgreen's wouldn't come and tear it down. Unfortunately, if we don't educate people better, we are going to have to bank on us buying everyone of these amazing properties out there so we can control it.

...in the 50's and 60's the economic landscape was much different than today....developers had more money to sink into making their projects more visible and marketable to the tastes of the time.....

things change....always......

it's regrettable that we who appreciate this style are seeing it vanish on a regular basis.....we do what we can to document, frequent and save what establishmnts we can.....but life goes on....no use whining about the past and lamenting it's inevitable passing....

I think we all agree that as far as architecture goes we are living in a sort of "dark ages" these days...hoping for a rennaisance......the barbarians of boring have invaded and pushed our fun and funky googie back 100 years....now we are stuck with them.

i don't ever imagine a day when people will look back with fondness on a strip mall or cement and glass box office building of today like they do of achitecture of the past...it just ain't gonna happen folks.....ugly is ugly and nothing is ever gonna change that.....

again, the world is changing all the time....cultural tastes change all the time......we have to make the best of it when up against forces beyond our control.

[ Edited by: Tipsy McStagger 2009-01-09 05:20 ]

Points taken, Shaker. Actually what happened with bowling alley is the lease came up on the land and SUPER rich Segerstrom family (they own most of Costa Mesa, including the South Coast Plaza) decided that they could make more money by putting up a Kohls on that site. They already had knocked down an ice skating rink and a movie theatre in the direct vicinity in order to put up an Ace hardware and a car dealership....

So yeah, the bowling alley wasn't doing that well, but the owners we're willing to take out a loan, clean the place up, and modernize the scoring system and stuff. Bring people back in. I remember it always being busy on the weekends...

So, the Kohls couldn't be built because of the lack of parking. They figured this out AFTER the bowling ally was knocked down... The whole sitation was pretty messed up, all because a family of 'hundred millionaires' were looking for more money rather considering the good of the people who exist on their land (just about all of Costa Mesa).

....and speaking of Wallgreens, it looks like the former site of the Tower records in Costa Mesa is going to be turned into a Wallgreens... The building itself is not a fantastic building by any means, but the historical context is pretty interesting. It was the first air conditioned, smooth floor, roller skating rink in Costa Mesa. Built in 1950, before Costa Mesa had become incorporated as a city. It's a good quick read too: http://www.dailypilot.com/articles/2008/04/06/features/dpt-goodolddays040608.txt

But at least we get a Wallgreen's in it's place... ugh.... Well, with economy going how it is, maybe not...well see...

Spike
http://www.myspace.com/thehulagirlsband

[ Edited by: Luckydesigns 2009-01-09 08:08 ]

On 2009-01-09 00:15, Tiki Shaker wrote:

As for Eichler, of course the homes are gorgeous. Unfortunately the rest of the world preferred poorly designed garbage. Otherwise things wouldn't look the way they do. Yes, I know his homes are as popular now than ever before... but they are popular to only a select few. Ask the average person on the street.. they would laugh at it or mock it as being something their grandparents had. You have to remember, our taste is the minority. Most people do not have our taste.

Who says ? I don't think the world prefers poorly designed garbage. I think that people see what's in front of them, and think that's their only option.

On 2009-01-09 00:15, Tiki Shaker wrote: I totally agree that most things now suck. It's just that I don't know how anyone is supposed to be able to afford to do what use to be done. How could any business person trying to make a living afford to have that kind of amazing signage or architecture created today? Like I said.... I wish it all looked amazing. I just feel that it is inevitable that things are going to be cookie cutter. It costs too much for it not be. I don't like it, sure... but how is it going to change? I agree that we should encourage the people who are lucky enough to own some of this amazing stuff to preserve it. I fully support that and encourage it.

You know, Eichler, Fickett, and Cliff May were cookie cutter homes too....but the designs of those homes were based on some really sound principles...alot of which were inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright. Those developers just found a way to make it more affordable.

*On 2009-01-09 00:15, Tiki Shaker wrote:*That's why I think the owners of these properties should be educated by people like us and encouraged to respect what they have. Even if the business is failing, they need to learn how to change their business and at least reuse the property and try and keep the flavor of what was originally intended. It's awesome when a business can reuse a space. Like when a restaurant moves into and old bank and keeps the old mosaic tile and reuses the counters. It's awesome when a person finds a 40's gas station and turns it into an art gallery. It's all about us encouraging and motivating these property owners. As tragic as the loss of Kona Lanes is... there is at least that small glimmer knowing that it sounds like the city council has admitted that they made a mistake. Hopefully that will encourage them to take a second look the next time something is slated to be torn down.

Ironically enough, education is what caused the demise of the beautiful Hollywood Star Lanes, which was taken by eminent domain - The City Of Los Angeles forced the owners to sell them the property at market value to put up a school. Developers, for the most part don't want to be educated, and they certainly hate historical preservation laws...it keeps them from making top dollar from their properties due to things being deemed "historical" by the city.

*On 2009-01-09 00:15, Tiki Shaker wrote:*The intended point of my comments in my earlier post was me trying to state that we have to at least try and understand it from these peoples perspectives. We don't have to agree with it, but we have to look at it from their point of view. Once we understand why they think they way they think, then we can hopefully come up with a way that will benefit them AND us.

Believe, I DO get it, money speaks very loudly, and I'm not trying to attack you in any way, just to be clear. I know you and I are on the same side. I just think trying to see the side of people who want to destroy our historical sites to make more money isn't something I can get with

*On 2009-01-09 00:15, Tiki Shaker wrote:*I admit, I know nothing about what happened at Kona Lanes. For all I know, the bowling alley was losing money, it was infested with asbestos, it would cost millions to clean up, they were afraid of lawsuits, someone gave them the bright idea to tear it down and build something that made them money. That ended up not working about, but it is costing them less to pay taxes on a vacant lot than what was going on before.

Yes, what I just wrote was made up, but things like this do happen. Would that be greed for them to do that? Is it bad that they wouldn't want to lose money?

Sooo many bowling alleys have shut down. Why? They don't make money. If the business plan no longer works, they should be encouraged to preserve the signage and hopefully reuse the building. Someone like us should show them what could be done with it.

There are definitely cases where things like you describe here are the case, I agree. But, as Lucky Designs described, the case of KONA lanes doesn't fit into that scenario. It just needed a little TLC....that was a case of greed from a VERY wealty family.
Also, How does a bowling Alley NOT make money ? Every one I see is packed, almost all the time. I can never get a lane at Pickwick in Burbank,, or Mar Vista Bowl...there is always a wait.

*On 2009-01-09 00:15, Tiki Shaker wrote:*What we need to do is let current owners know why we like them, Tell an owner that you frequent their establishment because of the design. Encourage others to do the same. I have stopped at so many random places just because I saw a kick ass sign. There have been plenty of times when I stopped at some highway dive and have had the person behind the counter ask "first time here?" My response is "yep, i stopped cuz your neon sign was so damn cool." People have to learn why people like us support their establishments.

You prove my point. If more businesses had more attention grabbing, creative signage, they may have more sustainability in the marketplace. But the problem is alot of the time, not with the business owner, but town ordinances, which have become very strict on sign restrictions. Most city ordinances will not allow a big sign, with odd 3-D shapes that are over 40 feet in the air. I'm guessing that most business owners would LOVE a nice big sign beaconing potential customers into their establishments...they're just not allowed to have it. And in the case of a strip mall l, if there is a major chain in there as a retail anchor, you can bet that they don't want, say, Tony's Pizzeria having a bigger, cooler sign that them, so I'm willing to bet they seek to get these kinds of restrictions and standards in place as part of their lease agreement, if they don't own the property themselves.

*On 2009-01-09 00:15, Tiki Shaker wrote:*I've stopped and taken pictures of tiki apartment buildings. I have had managers ask what I was doing. I'd tell them I thought the place looked amazing and i wanted to document it. I told them so many have been lost, I was worried that perhaps their building was going to be next.

That's awesome...documentation is all we can do at the end of the day.

*On 2009-01-09 00:15, Tiki Shaker wrote:*Tikiyaki, when you posted that horrible generic sign with the current businesses and compare them to the old signage, it obviously shows your point.. which I totally agree with. Obviously it doesn't compare. But now look at each business. Imagine how much it would cost to create amazing signage for each one? Sure.. who needs another McD's or Starbucks or Kinkos? Well, obviously the public does.. otherwise it wouldn't be built. This is SoCal... we want to cram people in here like a New York, but we expect one business... like a bowling alley to take up as much space as it does? We wont' build vertical here.. how do we cope? Unfortunately it's those damn strip malls.. I know. What is the solution? Besides trying to reuse older buildings?.. I don't know.

Personally, I need another Starbucks :D. Starbucks is one chain that I think is community minded, and a little creative in design. McDonald's...all unhealthiness aside, DOES still build some of their old designs. They understand that they are a big part of "Americana" as we know it, so sometimes you see the vintage McDonalds building, and it makes me think that they are not all that bad.
With bowling alleys...they NEED that much space to have a bowling business...Lanes are 60 feet long, and all that machinery...it takes alot of space, and they provide a great community service in that it is a family activity, kids, adults, teens, everyone can bowl.

At the end of the day, all of my complaining doesn't do anything, but TC is a place for preservationist spirit, so there ya go.
It's just my opinion that architecture has gotten VERY BORING...I know you agree. I just think that bottom line thinking is a big reason why. I know there are great architects out there designing cool buildings...just look in a place like Venice. There are some really nice homes being built there. I just think developers are not interested in "interesting", just "cost effectiveness and maximum profit.

Anyway. Jeff, did you take those pics of Linbrook bowl ? What great shots.

[ Edited by: tikiyaki 2009-01-09 09:28 ]

[ Edited by: tikiyaki 2009-01-09 09:30 ]

I guess my experiences have been different when it comes to the average persons opinions when it comes to design. Sure, when I lived in LA a lot more people got it. A lot more people knew what good design was... but once you get beyond that... and go inland, it's a hard sell.

As for the Hollywood Star Lanes.. I miss it greatly. I use to bowl there about once a week. I even started every game with one of their poorly made White Russians (hey, the Dude abides).

I wish the school district could have been convinced to take land from someone who owned an ugly vacant building. But no... another one bites the dust.

Yesterday I had to drive our to Diamond Bar to pick up some stuff at my company's warehouse. The freeways back to Long Beach were a mess, and I was on company time :D, so I ended up coming back Valley Blvd all the way up to Rosemead Blvd, and then Rosemead back, about a 90 minute drive though the cities of Industry, El Monte, Rosemead, Pico Rivera, and Downey. There is still a lot of Googie and Mid-Century out there, in these little cities that time has forgotten. I wished so bad that I had my camera with me to take pictures of some of the signs and buildings along the way. Take pictures people...if it looks cool to you, it looks like a site for a future Coffee Bean/Bed Bath and Beyond/Jamba Juice to a developer and like an eyesore to the local city councils.

I too bowled at Star lanes every week...on Sunday Nights.

True, They could have put that damn school ANYWHERE. That was a real travesty.

I wonder if the sign and all the big star lights got saved.

On 2009-01-09 16:56, Jason Wickedly wrote:
Yesterday I had to drive our to Diamond Bar to pick up some stuff at my company's warehouse. The freeways back to Long Beach were a mess, and I was on company time :D, so I ended up coming back Valley Blvd all the way up to Rosemead Blvd, and then Rosemead back, about a 90 minute drive though the cities of Industry, El Monte, Rosemead, Pico Rivera, and Downey. There is still a lot of Googie and Mid-Century out there, in these little cities that time has forgotten. I wished so bad that I had my camera with me to take pictures of some of the signs and buildings along the way. Take pictures people...if it looks cool to you, it looks like a site for a future Coffee Bean/Bed Bath and Beyond/Jamba Juice to a developer and like an eyesore to the local city councils.

Indeed, there alot of great MCM places in El Monte, and all those surrounding San Gabriel Valley towns, like Alhambra, Monterey Park etc.

There very ethnic neighborhoods, either Asian or Latino, on the lower side of the income scale, so they might not get wiped out too quickly, as those neighborhoods don't have alot of money to spend on those dreaded "revitalization" plans.

One neighborhood that embraces it's MCM character is SilverLake. Neutra has his own street there, and some of his students built houses in the area. Really nice stuff.

On 2009-01-08 17:31, tikiyaki wrote:

Let's take signage.

I live a road's width away from this bowling alley. Love the sign and the bowling alley is always packed.

One of the first pictures I ever posted on TC (now to small in see in the original posting)

Change it to a Kon-Tiki sign. Would probably be cooler

Now if everyone is done grandstanding :lol: here's a nice and ugly 1970's Yellow Pages listing ~

Unfortunately, the really cool Anaheim Googie bowling alley, Anaheim Bowl (which was on Lincoln just west of the 5, and had that big sculpture at the entrance that looked like something from the 1964 NY World's Fair) got torn down just a couple of years ago (like a lot of these places).

It seems like the new "hipster" idea of bowling alleys are the Lucky Strike lanes, which are stuck inside "happening" malls (like Hollywood & Highland or the Block of Orange) with no stylistic building structure other than a "retro" neon sign.

On 2009-01-12 11:22, congawa wrote:
Unfortunately, the really cool Anaheim Googie bowling alley, Anaheim Bowl (which was on Lincoln just west of the 5, and had that big sculpture at the entrance that looked like something from the 1964 NY World's Fair) got torn down just a couple of years ago (like a lot of these places).

It seems like the new "hipster" idea of bowling alleys are the Lucky Strike lanes, which are stuck inside "happening" malls (like Hollywood & Highland or the Block of Orange) with no stylistic building structure other than a "retro" neon sign.

God, I know. I just saw that my childhood bowling alley in Long Island is now a "300", which is the same as Lucky Strike. Gourmet Restaurant food, swanky bar, Britney Spears light show style lighting, and $7 a game bowling, all packaged on a "city nightlife" style website, with, young models wearing CK and DKNY.

http://www.3hundred.com/

Nothing is sacred

Bowling as "upscale"...Ralph and Norton are rolling over in their brooklyn graves.

Do you have your TIKIYAKI ORCHESTRA CD YET ?
http://www.myspace.com/tikiyaki
http://www.tikiyakiorchestra.com

[ Edited by: tikiyaki 2009-01-12 11:33 ]

How about the Willow Grove Lanes in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania?:

I use to bowl here as a kid, now it's the Willow Grove Park Mall :( This picture brings back many memories.

My first visit to TC and I find pictures of one of my favorite places while growing up.

This place could grow on me :)

Mooney

I love the Willow Grove Bowl above...

...but I will NEVER forgive the destruction of Willow Grove Park in 1977 :(

Long live the memory of the 1896 SCENIC, the 1905 ALPS and the 1928 THUNDERBOLT wooden roller coasters - beautiful architecture that you could RIDE..

I know this is a Kona Lanes topic but you have opened an old wound of the coveted Java Lanes!

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=2077&forum=1&hilite=java%20lanes

My hubby was born in Costa Mesa..okay well, Hoag in Newport, in 1957, and has lived here his whole life. He spent YEARS in Kona Lanes, from the age of 7 up to the time it was razed. We have one of the alley pins, and one of the original bricks from the building, which I snagged for him as mementos. One of our friends bought a lane (Lane 17 to be exact) and it is now his prized kitchen countertop. So every now and then, we at least get to "visit" a visage from our past. Our courtship began at Kona, and when we met, he was bowling on two leagues; a FEDCO league (there's another blast from the past that no longer exists!) and a scratch league, every Wednesday (FEDCO was closed on Wednesday, so it was the only night employees could bowl) and Friday night. We "grew up" at Kona Lanes, and decades later, took our kids there.

When the Segerstroms decided to tear it down, we remember and were part of the "Home Ranch" outcry. Unfortunately, it landed on deaf ears. I recall having heard that the Segerstroms were "promising" that as a "good faith" effort at outreach, they would build a community center in another location on one of their soybean fields to replace Kona Lanes and Ice Capades Chalet. This, so that the community wouldn't feel such a loss. Years went by, and land was instead donated to the school district in Santa Ana and a new school was built on it and named Segerstrom High. But nothing for Costa Mesa. So we lose our beloved Kona Lanes with the promise of "something reciprocal" and get nothing in return.

Luckydesigns mentions "They already had knocked down an ice skating rink and a movie theatre in the direct vicinity in order to put up an Ace hardware and a car dealership...." Are you talking about a plan they had that also never came to fruition? Because the Ace hardware (formerly Kerm-Rima Hardware) and car dealership (the one that took over the blue and white "carosel" nursery building? Hollister, I believe) are on the diagonal corner from where Edwards and Ice Capades were located behind Kona. Still, I guess the point is, it's pretty sad that the Segerstroms were so short-sided.

Anyway, glad the Kona sign found a good home. But, like many hometown Costa Mesans, I know my husband wishes it were right back in its original home, shining over its original building, and we were all still bowling there while ordering "Sunrises in a bucket" from the cocktail waitress and getting fried zuccini from the snack bar. Ah, great memories.

Went to the store tonight that is now i the lot where Kona Lanes used to be, for anyone that is not in the area, the bowling alley is now an ugly overgrown eyesore. As I was loading up my car I noticed a sign of days gone by, did they even pay attention when they started tearing things out such as the Ice Rink and the Movie Theater.

I drive by the old site all the time, so it just came to mind
sorry if these photos are elsewhere...

Way back when...

That's Crazy Al & Lapu Rocker on the very last day of bowling at Kona Lanes

I just found this on the net, when they had band night at Kona Lanes...

Better days! What's there, now?

Just this....

Actually the lot is totally razed and graded now. Not even those 1960s rock walls that stood in the parking lot are there any more.
The only trace left of Kona Lanes are the old palms that they have pulled up and grouped in the middle of the lot, probably to be replanted.

Still bums me out.

Well, doesn't that just suck!? I drove by the remnants of Premier Lanes in Santa Fe Springs last trip. What a great sign that is!

How come there are no pics of the exterior of the building in this thread !? I don't have much, and my scanner that had the slide function does not work with my current laptop anymore, so I took some shots with a hand slide viewer in front of my ol' Canon G9...kinda worked:

The place had some seriously jetting outriggers! Took these in 1996, tried to get my Buick in the shot, not quite successful: