Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Move Over Bocce... Why Aren't There Any Real Shuffleboard Bars In NYC?
By
Jen Carlson
Published Apr 24, 2012
Modified Apr 24, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Carlson
Published Apr 24, 2012
Modified Apr 24, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A few weeks ago we were thinking about doing a piece on bars that we wish existed in New York City, because if our years of art classes taught us anything, it was about the importance of understanding "negative space." Or something. The problem is we got stuck on THE DREAM: bringing shuffleboard into the New York City outdoor bar scene. And not that fake table shuffleboard like they have at Lucky Dog, we're talking about the real deal, the kind your grandparents play in Florida.
Sure, bocce has had a good run in the city's bars (thanks in part to Floyd and Union Hall) and parks (as just written up by the NY Times), but by now it's getting a little played out.
For a while it looked liked like croquet was going to make a comeback (was everyone watching Heathers?) but the logistics of space got in the way, making it strictly refined to larger spaces found in parks. But what about shuffleboard, you guys? You can fit it nicely into the backyard of a bar or in a park. Plus, it would help burst that Boca trend that's been bubbling beneath the surface for years.
But that's not all—the game has a long history of being played in New York City. According to lore, it started to get big here in the late 1800s, when shuffleboard was found in "wealthy homes of New York City" (albeit, sometimes the table game). It really gained momentum after World War II, and eventually Hollywood hopped on the bandwagon. According to the history of the game, "when the pin-up girls and bandleaders and actors discovered they really liked the game, shuffleboards found their way into the studios and homes of the stars. People like Betty Grable, Harry James, Merv Griffin, Alan Ladd; all had their own shuffleboards."
And now, some visual proof that New Yorkers had respect for the game—here's one photo from LIFE magazine showing men playing shuffleboard at the Parkchester housing development in the Bronx, circa 1942:
Shuffleboard in the Bronx (via LIFE)
Even the WPA pools were adapted during off-season to house shuffleboard games. Check out the Highbridge Pool:
Highbridge Park Pool being used for shuffleboard, October 1, 1936 (via NYC Parks)
New York City's bar owners, landowners, parks supervisors: LET. THERE. BE. SHUFFLEBOARD.
UPDATE: Rumor has it in the comments section that the new beer garden in Bed-Stuy, the Brooklyn Tap House, has shuffleboard in their backyard. We're on our way to confirm!
Tagged
bars
real shuffleboard
shuffleboard
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Published Sep 12, 2026
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
Is it worth the high price and ridiculous wait? Gothamist needed to find out.
By
Sonia Rao
Food
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
Is it worth the high price and ridiculous wait? Gothamist needed to find out.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Where to eat in Greenpoint, Brooklyn right now, from Polish to Sichuan to Iberian
By
Robert Sietsema
Can a congressional candidate's dumpling diplomacy win over Queens’ immigrant communities?
By
Caroline Shin
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .