![]() ![]() Unlike many other states, New York does not allow minors in the halls and prohibits liquor and food. Some devotees believe New York's stringent laws have driven pool halls out of the city. There is stiff competition from video games, coin-operated tables in bars and the sale of tables for use in the home. ![]() Pool halls across the country still face long-term problems. ''New York City is the only place the game isn't flourishing,'' said Billie Billings, two-time world champion women's billiards player. ''Across the country playing time has increased an average of 30 percent,'' he said. Simonsen, publisher of Pool and Billiard Magazine in Roselle, Ill. The newer movie has ''caused a maxi-resurgence'' in the game, said Harold L. ''The Color of Money'' was a sequel to ''The Hustler.'' One spark was the release last November of ''The Color of Money,'' featuring Mr. The sport is also receiving more exposure in television commercials and network sports coverage. Membership in the Iowa City-based Billiard Congress of America - encompassing billiards and pool, sometimes referred to as pocket billiards - has doubled to 11,000 in the last two years. ''Now this is the only big pool room left in the city.''Īs Manhattan's last two pool halls struggle to survive, interest in the game appears to be growing in general. ''There used to be a pool hall on every block in Manhattan,'' said 66-year-old Raymond Tenebruso, setting up a shot at Julian's. Now, there are 24 halls in the entire city. When the movie ''The Hustler,'' featuring Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason, was released in 1961, there were 24 parlors in Manhattan. In a few years, even the surviving halls may pack up their cue sticks after their leases expire. The demise of the pool halls is attributed mostly to high rents, stringent regulations and competition from video games and video cassette recorders. On a recent night, Julian's Billiard Academy, a cavernous hall on East 14th Street, resembled a fraternity party, with young people, in groups and on dates, far outnumbering the old-timers. Fewer are the dollars changing hands over ''8 Ball'' or ''Straight.'' At Guys and Gals on 207th Street and Broadway, the manager says customers are now more likely to bet a bottle of rum than a wad of cash.Īnd the other pool hall is no longer a male haven. Only two parlors remain in the borough and they have changed. Manhattan's pool halls, smoky dens that were the stuff of neighborhood legend, have nearly disappeared, even as the game is in the midst of a resurgence in much of the country. ![]() Not too long after this article came out, Tek Billiards (Fat Cats) and Corner (Amsterdam) opened up. Here's a picture of Julians that I never seen posted on AZ. ![]()
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