Boulevard Gardens Apartments facts for kids
The Boulevard Gardens Apartments is a large apartment complex located in Woodside, Queens, New York City. It has 960 apartments. This complex opened in June 1935, during a tough time called the Great Depression. Architect Theodore H. Englehardt designed these buildings for the Cord Meyer Development Corporation. His design was inspired by another apartment complex he created in Forest Hills.
A Look Back: History of Boulevard Gardens
This housing project included ten buildings. Each building could house 96 families, making a total of 960 families. These apartments were designed to be affordable for people with lower incomes. The average rent was about $11 per room.
The project was built with a large loan of $3,450,000 from the Public Works Administration (PWA). The PWA was a government program that helped create jobs during the Great Depression. Construction began in 1933. Boulevard Gardens was one of seven housing projects funded by the PWA through private companies.
By September 1935, all the apartments were rented out. A year later, there was a waiting list of 5,000 families! This showed how much people needed affordable housing.
Right next to the apartments, the Dick-Meyer Corporation built a block of fourteen stores. These stores were all rented by October 1935. The 3,000 people living in Boulevard Gardens had easy access to many shops. There was also a garage for 300 cars and a movie theater nearby.
Some people, like John Volpe, felt that even these "low-rent" apartments were still too expensive for the lowest-income families. He pointed out that other government-funded projects had even lower rents.
In May 1936, most families paid between $35 and $50 per month for rent. The New York State Board of Housing reminded the Boulevard Gardens management to keep the apartments for lower-income families. They suggested that families earning too much money should eventually move out. This rule affected Boulevard Gardens and eleven other housing projects.
Design and Green Spaces
Boulevard Gardens is made up of 10 buildings, each six stories tall. There are 960 apartments in total. The buildings only cover 22% of the land. The rest of the space is used for beautiful gardens and playgrounds.
The complex was called "A New Idea in Apartment Housing" and Woodside's "Model Village." It even won an award for its great design from the Queens Chamber of Commerce in 1936.
The main entrance has steps leading up to a formal archway with columns. This entryway, with its classic columns, leads to two open courtyards. The buildings are set back from the sidewalk, with grassy areas in front. Inside the courtyards, you'll find shady trees like oaks and maples, along with winding paths.
By November 1999, Boulevard Gardens had become a co-op. This means the residents collectively own the property. It covers about 12 acres and still has 10 buildings, each with 6 stories. It remains much the same today.
