This year was especially difficult to come up with a birthday party idea. Kids birthday parties in New York run the gamut from over the top to I would say boring. Combining hipness, the cool factor and active participation from guests, Bowlmor Lanes Union Square was the perfect choice for my daughter’s 10th birthday party and fun place for kids in New York.
At first, I thought none of the tweenster girls would want to come to a bowling party but I was wrong. With the exception of two girls (they were out of town), all the girls accepted the invite.
I have been to Bowlmor for numerous corporate events so I know how much fun it is but when someone else is doing the planning, you just never know what it will be like when you have to do it yourself.
Let me say as a single mom, this was the easiest most relaxed birthday party I have ever planned. The Bowlmor event planner customize each event to meet your needs, are professional, thorough and have everything planned to the nth degree. Once we agreed on the specifics (date, time, number of girls, food, goodie bag and the cake), it was a done deal – signed, sealed and delivered. Of course, nothing can go as planned, right!. I got a last minute addition (don’t ask) but my party planner took it in stride and even though it was her day off, she contacted me and told me not to worry. Of course, I did worry but when I arrived, it was all taken care of with my additional guest all set.
When we arrived, talk about organized. There was someone to take the girls to get their bowling shoes, someone had already picked out the lighter bowling balls, there was a coat rack for the girls coats and the food and drink table were set up. There was a waitress assigned to our party who was more than attentive ensuring drinks were plentiful and ever mindful of checking in to see if I needed anything.
I literally did nothing but sit and watch the girls bowl. OMG, if I had known how easy it was and how little I had to do, I would have invited another mom along to talk to while the girls bowled because they had no interest in talking to me during the party.
Along with the excellent guest experience, I have to say kudos to all the personalized touches from the lane with my daughter’s name to the Happy Birthday sign over the food table. For the food selection, I pretty much went with simple party fare that included pizza, fries and a birthday cake. The food menu was pared down because the party took place in the afternoon after lunch. I thought the pizza was quite yummy and the Birthday cake (yellow cake with chocolate frosting) was absolutely delicious. Surprised, yes!
And who is going to forget the coolest gift ever, the signable bowling pin. Talk about a gift my daughter will have for a lifetime. Do not opt for any party package with out the bowling pin, you will regret it.
I can not say enough about how wonderful our birthday experience at Bowlmor Union Square was from the planning stages to the final event. I highly recommend it for kids and adults parties you may be planning plus of course for just stopping for a couple of hours of playtime on the weekends.
Bowlmor
Location: Union Square and Times Square
Cost: Walk in Price per game/per person: Weekdays, $12.95, Weekends, $75 an hour per lane
Shoe Rentals: $6.50 per person
Hours: Open at 4:00 pm during the week and 11:00 am weekends.
Age Restrictions: 18 years and older after 7 pm daily.
Disclosure: NYC Single Mom was not compensated for this post.
I’m glad you had a great experience, and happy birthday wishes from me!