Downtown pool rooms.

smoooothstroke

JerLaw
Silver Member
Are there any left?
Vegas has a few?
In Houston they are all in the " outskirts ", there is one on Westheimer , just outside the loop but it is no players room.
In Seattle the last attempt at a " real pool hall" was in the late 90s. Even Tacoma recently lost is 9 ft tables.
Was Hard Time Bellflour in a metro area?
 

336Robin

Multiverse Operative
Silver Member
Are there any left?
Vegas has a few?
In Houston they are all in the " outskirts ", there is one on Westheimer , just outside the loop but it is no players room.
In Seattle the last attempt at a " real pool hall" was in the late 90s. Even Tacoma recently lost is 9 ft tables.
Was Hard Time Bellflour in a metro area?

Its actually a good time for them to come back after this covid thing is over.
 

smoooothstroke

JerLaw
Silver Member
Its actually a good time for them to come back after this covid thing is over.
IDK if the downtown rooms will ever return. Pool tables take up to much real estate to be viable in a high rent high density area.
Hopefully pool will see a resurgence though. In TX things have been open and normal for 6-8 months. All the rooms reopened, none are booming though, at least not in the daytime.
 

rexus31

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Was Hard Time Bellflour in a metro area?
No. Bellflower is part of the Greater Los Angeles Metro area but it is considered a suburb of Los Angeles. To my knowledge, there are no pool halls in Downtown Los Angeles and haven't been for some time.
 

Cuebuddy

Mini cues
Silver Member

G-Cue Billiards on Morgan St. Was opened by pro player Tommy Karabatsos and his sister in (I think) 2004.

Good food and equipment (Gabriels 9-footers). Pretty expensive ($22/hr for pool).

pj
chgo
I was downtown a few years ago and happened on City pool hall. It was not horrible and had 9ft Gold Crowns, It may not be a hard core players room but close to down town. Have you been there?
I frequent Chicago and find pool rooms all over the area a surrounding suburbs.
 

Cuebuddy

Mini cues
Silver Member
Denver has a fairly active pool scene in the downtown area with Gerard's, Wyncoop and Zanzibar. Tarantula is also in the same area as well.
 

smoooothstroke

JerLaw
Silver Member
Denver has a fairly active pool scene in the downtown area with Gerard's, Wyncoop and Zanzibar. Tarantula is also in the same area as well.

I worked in Colorado for a year and a half. I liked Felt? Good room but the main action/1P table didn't fit my playing style. I like the set up of the room and the staff was great. Also they had no problem with my big Ole RV in the parking lot. I only checked out 1 other room, on the east side it of town, don't recall the name.
 

Cuebuddy

Mini cues
Silver Member
I worked in Colorado for a year and a half. I liked Felt? Good room but the main action/1P table didn't fit my playing style. I like the set up of the room and the staff was great. Also they had no problem with my big Ole RV in the parking lot. I only checked out 1 other room, on the east side it of town, don't recall the name.
Felt is the room right now although its not close to downtown. Always a great place for action and yes the one pocket table is a beast but the players that use that table handle it very well...super tight! There are quite a few other rooms around the Burbs and I got word of a new room that will be opening on the North side in a month or two. This new place may have potential.
 

arnaldo

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
No. Bellflower is part of the Greater Los Angeles Metro area but it is considered a suburb of Los Angeles. To my knowledge, there are no pool halls in Downtown Los Angeles and haven't been for some time.
Not a pool hall, but that giant Elks club in downtown L.A. has had many well-maintained 9-footers (and great tournaments) for decades. And most fraternal orgs anywhere are continually soliciting, sponsoring, and inducting new members. Even the guy (or lady) who shows you around on a first visit to most clubs can step up and sponsor you after the details of your signed paperwork are fully vetted and dues are collected. New members are the heart of survival for these always-friendly kinds of clubs. If you happen to be a veteran, initiation is especially expedient. Same with the American Legion, Moose, VFW, etc. but I can only vouch for that particular L.A. Elks club when speaking about downtown places to play in that area.

Arnaldo ~ I score-kept many professional national 14.1 Invitational championships at that L.A. Elks club during the 60s and early 70s on a team of volunteer LA-area score keepers. Met and spent enjoyable time with all the leading Straight Pool masters of that era.
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
I frequent Chicago and find pool rooms all over the area a surrounding suburbs.
If you haven't tried any of my friend's 3 rooms in Chicago, you should - you might like them even though they're not "players" rooms (very nice rooms with good equipment, food and drink).

Pressure - 6318 N. Clark St.
Surge I - 3241 W. Montrose Ave.
Surge II - 3716 W. Fullerton Ave.

pj
chgo
 

smoooothstroke

JerLaw
Silver Member
If you haven't tried any of my friend's 3 rooms in Chicago, you should - you might like them even though they're not "players" rooms (very nice rooms with good equipment, food and drink).

Pressure - 6318 N. Clark St.
Surge I - 3241 W. Montrose Ave.
Surge II - 3716 W. Fullerton Ave.

pj
chgo
I once stepped into a pool room in Chicago,was on the South Side if I recall..in the baddest part of town....
 

Cuebuddy

Mini cues
Silver Member
If you haven't tried any of my friend's 3 rooms in Chicago, you should - you might like them even though they're not "players" rooms (very nice rooms with good equipment, food and drink).

Pressure - 6318 N. Clark St.
Surge I - 3241 W. Montrose Ave.
Surge II - 3716 W. Fullerton Ave.

pj
chgo
My son was living at Old Irving Park and we went to Surge Coffee bar near there more than once. It has a cool vibe and the tables were in good shape. I was close to going to the new room at Logan square but was raining and the women did not want to shop Logan Square in the rain:mad: I have had my a$$ drug around that district more than a few times before Surge opened up and it will be nice to have a room in that area for me to hang in while they are doing their thing.
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
No. Bellflower is part of the Greater Los Angeles Metro area but it is considered a suburb of Los Angeles. To my knowledge, there are no pool halls in Downtown Los Angeles and haven't been for some time.
The last big room in downtown L.A. was "4th and Main." All the top Mexican players used to hang out in there, and it was open all night. I think they closed it in the mid to late 90's.
 

rexus31

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The last big room in downtown L.A. was "4th and Main." All the top Mexican players used to hang out in there, and it was open all night. I think they closed it in the mid to late 90's.
You're right, Jay! I forgot about that place. Ernesto told me Richard Ramirez (The Night Stalker) used to frequent that place and sell jewelry that was most likely lifted from his victim's homes. Creepy!
 
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