I can only speak for what I see at the center I bowl at. 24 synthetic lanes and for the past few years, by regulation, they have to keep the last four lanes available for open bowling at all times, so no leagues can be larger than 20 teams. They usually only oil for leagues, so the last four does not get as much oil. They usually start oiling at 1-2 and most leagues start on 1-2. For some strange reason, if they only oil 1-2 once, the lanes play very differently - lane 1 is usually drier than lane 2. If however, they either double oil or start from the opposite direction, then 1-2 play similar.
If you bowl on the other end of the house (towards 24), the lanes usually seem to hook more. The house says that since they are synthetic, they don't have to be oiled every day and that end of the house does not get oiled as often but even when they are oiled, as I said, they tend to hook more and break down faster. That end of the house also gets most of the open play and any youth groups that come in.
Both ends of the house have walls next to the end lane. The exits are also at the ends of the house.
So, in our house, lanes 1-2 tend to be very different, with lane 1 being dry and lane 2 being very wet. Leagues don't usually bowl on 23-24 but when I have bowled there, that pair hooks early and breaks down quick.