Nave Lanes bowling alley demolished!

I was driving up Hwy. 101 yesterday and to my shock I saw it was gone! The bowling alley located in Marin County was closed in the mid-90s but I got to bowl there a few times before it closed. For the last several years it stood vacant and there was always a bit of hope that it would be saved. But in November it was destroyed to make way for an Albertson's market.

Here's an article on it's destruction from the local rag.

http://www.savewright.org/chat/wwwboardS/messages/1283.html

Everything about this alley was unique, from the round shape of the interior spaces, the great bar and interior garden atrium, to the lights in the parking light that looked like something from the movie "War of the Worlds". Last night I looked for pictures I took of the place but couldn't find them. I'll post them in a few days if I can find them.

Yeah... that was actually a long time ago now - I take that exit to go to work every day, and when I came back from Thanksgiving break - it was a heap of rubble... really, really tragic... I think it's slated to become an Albertson's/Starbucks complex. :( My friend who grew up here says that the place was amazing on the inside...

"Those who think conventionally will never read my thoughts..." - The Black Lizard

http://www.compulsiveobsessive.com

[ Edited by: Frenchy Polynesia on 2004-01-26 14:10 ]

Here's an ad I found online:

Hi Jab!
Here is an interesting article.
I don't see Frank Loyd Wright in this picture at least.

http://www.plannet.com/news/navelanes.html

ARRRGHHHH! What a big 'ol bummer! That was such a beautiful building and quite the local landmark. I'm sure glad I got ten frames in a few years back. There was also a very retro-seeming Chinese restaurant in there that had some intriguing dragon decor. ARRRGHHHH!

-Weird Mourning the Bowling Alley Uncle Tiki

The design was definitely inspired by the Marin County Civic Center just down the road. Nave Lanes was an amazing place and the sight of many of my evenings growing up in Marin County. Sadly, I was a little young to fully appreciate it, but I did know where the dark corners of the parking lot were so you could drink under age in peace. The interior had excellent mid century and classic bowling alley elements. It also, if I remember right, had large dome lights like the civic center. The restaurant was very dark- particularly the lounge- but nothing special as I remember. In fact, the food was awful and it had a reputation as the source of a lot of food poisonings. My father-in-law was one of the victims. The Naves are a wealthy old time family in Novato- lots of property and political positions, etc. Really really sad to see it go after keeping hope alive for so long. Only lanes left in Marin are Country Club Bowl which has very little character. Those are in the slightly seedy Canal district, which has an interesting history all it's own: the area was to be built like a modern suburban Venice. No roads- just waterways. Almost nothing left, sadly. Interesting history:

http://www.co.marin.ca.us/depts/lb/main/crm/ephemera/santavenetia/svmain.html

[ Edited by: martiki on 2004-01-26 15:19 ]

I just found out that an uncle of mine in Vancouver BC used the wood flooring from a bowling alley that was being demolished to floor his entire house!

I wonder what's happening with that place?

On 2004-01-26 23:26, Tikiwahine wrote:
I just found out that an uncle of mine in Vancouver BC used the wood flooring from a bowling alley that was being demolished to floor his entire house!

I wonder what's happening with that place?

I heard from a coworker that they auctioned off everything inside the building on Ebay, including the alley floors.

This is indeed sad. I'm sitting here at work, which is just 3 miles from Nave. I must have driven by it a hundred times, never went in. The article says it closed in '99, but it seems to me it closed long before that. It's looked abandoned for at least the last 7 or 8 years.

Martiki - that's fascinating about the canal district. I'm a former Marin resident of 8 years and had no idea. Only things I've ever ventured in there for are a car repair and the Re-cyclery shop. It's a pretty run-down, light industrial and low income apartment area.

I used to live in apartments just south of the bowling alley in the early 90's. We would bowl there often on weekends it was very retro cool.

Bummer