Hall of Fame Billiards

This weekend I was out in Borough Park, Brooklyn for an assignment. When I was finished I decided to walk over into Bay Ridge to check out Hall of Fame Billiards. It's a nice place to play. And cheap. I practiced for what felt like an hour and then went over to pay and the cashier said "That'll be $3.25." With 50 pool tables (split among two floors), it's among the largest pool halls in the city.

In my many internet searches about pool in NYC, Hall of Fame Billiards has frequently come up, along with the name Jean Balukas (above). Jean's family runs the place, and just inside the entrance to the building is a wall covered with photographs and news clippings of her and other athletes and celebrities. Jean is the youngest-ever BCA Hall of Fame inductee (age 26). She entered her first US Open at age nine and came in seventh place. She won it three years later and went on to dominate the sport. But by 1988 she had nowhere to go. Click here to read an excellent 1991 article about her retirement. Apparently she keeps in touch with the professional pool community, as there were many recent photos of her and other top players. The trip to Bay Ridge is worth it, just for the wall of history. I'm told she runs a 9-ball tournament there every Thursday.