The famed Patterson Bowling Center, an institution in Southeast Baltimore since 1927, has rolled back into the game under a new moniker, "Patterson Pins," following an evident closure that left the community bereft. Having been shuttered in December 2022, the historic duckpin bowling alley re-opened yesterday after receiving a $2 million facelift, including a nod to the pastime of yesteryear but a suite of modern apartments and a speakeasy-style cocktail bar.
Partners Kristian Spannhake and Jesse Vann, who purchased the building last year, conceptualized a mixed-use space that ties the building’s storied history with Baltimore’s current housing needs. After fervent renovations and transforming the location into a community hub with arcade games, the alley is again ready for spare and strike-seekers. "It was an opportunity to bring life back into a building, that had been left behind," Spannhake, a lifetime resident of the area, WMAR-2 News reported.
The boutique bar within the alley, curated by Bar Director Shaun Stewart, presents a quirky cocktail menu that enhances this blend of old and new. Throwing in some classics and stirring up new twists, Stewart's concoctions are drawn from video game inspiration – a playful tribute to the arcade games nearby. In conjunction with local food joints like Johnny Rads and various food trucks, Patterson Pins intends to escalate the leisurely experience, a move celebrated by community members. "We see people grabbing our video game-inspired cocktail menu off the welcome wall, ordering from the bar, and then heading downstairs to hang out in our arcade," Stewart explained per CBS News Baltimore.
The project garnered praise from local officials, including Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohen, who recognized the dual achievement of preserving an iconic piece of Baltimore's identity and adding to the city's housing stock. Enthusiastic about the multi-faceted development, detailed by CBS News Baltimore, "Baltimore, we are often faced with this choice around preserving our unique, funky neighborhood character or building new housing," Cohen said. "And what this project proves is that we can do both." It's not just about the strikes and spares anymore, but laying the groundwork for a revitalized, vibrant community mainstay, replete with urban dwellers and history buffs mingling over a turkey or two.
