Kohlreiter Square facts for kids
Kohlreiter Square is a large, green park in the Arverne neighborhood of Queens, New York. It covers about 8.6 acres, which is like more than six football fields! This park is located on the Rockaway Peninsula, right along the north side of the Rockaway Freeway. You can find it between Beach 67th and Beach 69th Streets.
The park is named after two important people, Nathan A. Kohlreiter (1880–1961) and his son Fred Kohlreiter (1913–1990). They were both "civic activists," meaning they worked hard to improve their community. They helped shape the political and social life of the neighborhood for many years.
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History of Kohlreiter Square
Kohlreiter Square has a long history, going back to the early 1900s. Back then, it wasn't just a park. It was a big open area in front of the Arverne – Gaston Avenue Long Island Railroad (LIRR) station. This train station first opened in 1887.
The Arverne-by-the-Sea Community
The train station opened just before a new community was finished. This community was called Arverne-by-the-Sea. It was a fancy place with nice summer homes and hotels right by the beach. The name "Arverne" is actually a shorter version of the name of the person who developed it, Remington R. Vernam.
Changes to the Area
In 1942, the train tracks were raised up onto an elevated structure. The Rockaway Freeway was then built to run underneath them. As part of a big city project, the city bought empty land and properties that were no longer used. This land was turned into park space. The area in front of the train station was bought from the LIRR in 1946. This is how Kohlreiter Square became a park.
New Developments in Arverne
In 2001, construction began on a brand new neighborhood. It brought back the old name, Arverne-by-the-Sea. This new community has many homes for families. It also includes a shopping area south of the subway station, right next to Kohlreiter Square.
Before 2001, there was a health center called the Joseph P. Addabbo Family Health Center. It was on the south side of the 67th Street subway station. There was also a synagogue (a place of worship) across the street. The synagogue unfortunately burned down in 2001. The health center moved to a new building in 2005. The old health center building was then taken down in 2006 to make way for the new shopping area.
