Mahall’s is an institution to eat, drink, dance, perform, get married, bowl, take a trip down memory lane, see live music, catch an improv show, tango, celebrate a birthday, screen a movie, shoot a film, pose for photos, see great art, ring in the new year. The list goes on. Founded in 1924 by John K. Mahall, Mahall’s started out as a dance hall, before adding a confectionery store then a barbershop. It’s latest — and longest running — iteration is as a restaurant and bowling alley. Prior to its first and only change of ownership in 2012, the establishment was passed down through three Mahall generations — with each family at some point living in the apartment above. Mahall’s occupies a unique and distinctive section of Lakewood’s Birdtown neighborhood - initially built to house Union Carbide and Standard Oil (mostly immigrant) workers. There, Mahall’s 20 Lanes appealed to the close-knit community and business thrived for decades.