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It's not surprising, then, that its pool halls tumbled alongside the at-large pool industry. Point being, Philadelphia doesn't just have a history with pool, it has the history. Alas, Longo's burned down in 1978, and the others boarded up when regulation table standards changed, and they suddenly were left with dozens of 5-by-10 tables no one wanted to play on. And Center City (yes, tightly packed Center City) used to be home to massive pool-hall spots like Allinger's, at 13th and Market streets Longo's, at South Street and Passyunk Avenue and Newby's, at 11th and Chestnut streets - the latter of which was founded by former Philadelphia detective Earl Newby, who also started the first billiards publication, the Billiard News.

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(So popular and talented - he once shot 526 consecutive balls into pockets without missing - that he even consulted for the film ' The Hustler' and performed all those nifty trick shots that Paul Newman surely didn't know how to do.) Meanwhile, Allen Hopkins, a South Jersey-based, pool-playing star in his own right, has hosted the Super Billiards Expo in Valley Forge for 23 years. We're the city that's home to Willie Mosconi, whom many would cite - without wasting a breath - as the greatest pool player who's lived. Understand this: Philly's pool hall scene wasn't always reaching for a life vest - far from it. What happened to a game that, a short two decades ago, was a $2 billion-a-year industry that was reaching a point of ' craze,' not curse? End of an Era? No one has stepped in to fill either void. Tacony Billiards - debatably the most popular city-limits pool hall since Longo's - closed in 2013 (a charter school bought the real estate), and Boulevard Social and Athletic Club closed in 2007.

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Still, Philly's not just missing the 'Seventh Heaven' pool hall that calls back to times of teens galavanting about on a Friday night in search of soda pop and their high-school crush it's also missing the type of pool hall that attracts serious pool players like Abbonizio, halls that, as of now, only exist in the suburbs in the form of Fusco's The Spot (owned by Philly professional pool player Pete Fusco) in Trevose, Bucks County, and Drexeline, in Drexel Hill, Delaware County.

'And there are detriments,' he added, 'but they don't take away from the passion that comes with playing pool - with being a part of something.' You can build hand-eye coordination it's a chess game - there are lots of positives to this.' 'That's something severely lacking in Philly right now: a clean place to send kids to go do something that's not only good for the mind, but the body. 'I don't think there are many young people on board to play pool at a higher level,' he said. He's a rare find in an age when, if you ask the average teenager to play a round, they'll likely whip out a smartphone and tap a billiards app. But Abbonizio's a bit of an anomaly as a pool player in an Internet-driven age: He's young (28), plays seriously (he hopes to win a tournament-awarded trip to Vegas) and can spot a poorly kept pool table a mile away (don't you dare sit your drink on that felt). So, he followed in his father's footsteps and signed up for a league: He first joined Philly's American Poolplayers Association league in 2008 and, for the past two years, has been joining seven teammates as representatives for Buffalo Billiards. 'I found myself rooting for him, and I was suddenly like, 'Yeah, I want to do this,'' Abbonizio told. Quickly, he realized something that would later be essential to his adult life: This was exciting. He lingered in the back and watched, scene by scene - ball-tap by ball-tap - as his father shot stick with a bar-side pal at Bumpers Bar. The Wylie Jubilee Bluegrass on Ballard is presented by Wylie Downtown Merchants Association, City of Wylie, Bluegrass Heritage Foundation, North Texas Equestrian Center, Credit Union of Texas, and the following sponsors.Stephen Abbonizio was 13 when he first played pool. A day of fun for the whole family.īring your instrument and pick and jam with other musicians on the street or in shops and restaurants throughout the day and don't forget your lawn chairs or blanket to enjoy a summer evening with Grammy award-winning bluegrass bands in the shade of Olde City Park.ġ0 am - 9 pm Arts & Crafts, Children’s Activities, Fair Foodġ0 am - 5 pm Battle of the Badges Blood Drive ( Register)

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For other questions, email Downtown Wylie will indeed be wide awake on June 25 for this free festival featuring top bluegrass bands, a 200+ car show, 100+ arts and crafts, great fair food, and children's activities.

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