North Shore Towers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids North Shore Towers |
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North Shore Towers from the Grand Central Parkway
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| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Type | Residential, retail |
| Address | 272-40 Grand Central Parkway, Floral Park, New York, US |
| Coordinates | 40°45′26.58″N 73°42′54″W / 40.7573833°N 73.71500°W |
| Groundbreaking | 1971 |
| Completed | 1975 |
| Owner | North Shore Towers Apartments, Incorporated (Cooperative) |
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| Architectural |
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| Technical details | |
| Size | 3 buildings 110 acres (45 ha) |
| Floor count | 34 per building |
| Floor area | 3,520,000 sq ft (327,000 m2) |
| Lifts/elevators | 24 total |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | A.H. Salkowitz & Carl Heimberger |
| Developer | Sigmund Sommer |
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| Main contractor |
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| Other information | |
| Number of units |
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The North Shore Towers and Country Club is a huge living community in Queens, New York City. It has three very tall buildings. These buildings are called Amherst, Beaumont, and Coleridge Towers. They are located near the border of Queens and Nassau County, New York.
The North Shore Towers is a "cooperative" (or co-op). This means that residents own shares in the entire property, not just their individual apartments. This gives them a say in how the community is run. The complex sits on a large property of 110 acres. It is built on the highest point in Queens County, a hill about 258 feet (79 meters) above sea level. This hill was formed by glaciers long ago.
The community has 1,844 apartments. They range from small studio apartments to large three-bedroom ones. It also has many cool features. There's an 18-hole golf course and its own power plant. This plant makes electricity for the whole community. There's also an indoor shopping area connecting the buildings. It has 22 shops, fitness centers, five swimming pools, and five tennis courts.
North Shore Towers is the only gated community in New York with its own U.S. Postal Service zip code, which is 11005. Even though the zip code says Floral Park, the towers are not actually in the Floral Park, Queens neighborhood.
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How It Started
The area where North Shore Towers stands used to be a quiet, rural part of Flushing. In 1923, a golf club called Glen Oaks Golf Club was built there. It was created on land bought from a famous person named William K. Vanderbilt II.
By 1971, the golf course was replaced by the North Shore Towers. The towers were built in Glen Oaks because the rules for building in Queens were less strict than in other nearby areas. Some people who lived in single homes nearby were worried. They protested because they thought the tall towers would block their views. However, for most New Yorkers, it was seen as an exciting new project for Queens.
The North Shore Towers were first built for people to rent apartments. But in 1985, plans were made to change them into cooperative apartments. This was a very expensive change at the time. By 1987, most of the apartments became co-ops.
The buildings are designed to be very safe from fires. The walls between apartments are built to stop flames from spreading. This is called "compartmentalization." For example, in 2004, there was a fire caused by a cigarette. No one was seriously hurt because the fire stayed in one apartment.
Its Own Power Plant
The North Shore Towers has its own power plant. This plant makes electricity for the entire community. It does not rely on local power companies. This was very important during big power outages.
During the New York City blackout of 1977, the whole city lost power. But lights were still on at North Shore Towers! The same thing happened during the Northeast blackout of 2003. The towers kept making electricity without any problems. This got a lot of attention in the news.
After seeing this, city tax collectors sent big tax bills to North Shore Towers. They said the co-op owed $1 million for fuel taxes from the past 20 years. This was even though they made their own power. Many city leaders, including Mayor Michael Bloomberg, worked to fix this. They wanted to remove these energy taxes for co-ops that produce their own power. They felt these co-ops should be rewarded, not punished.
In 2000, a resident found a mistake with the zip code. When shopping online, they noticed they were being charged a higher sales tax. It turned out that North Shore Towers was one of four zip codes that were wrongly charged Nassau County's sales tax. This was 8.5% instead of New York City's 8.25%. This error was fixed by the end of 2001.
Community Life
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North Shore Towers is a gated community with its own private country club. It offers many features for people living there and their guests. There is security at the front gate and security patrols all day and night. The buildings also have staff like doormen and concierges available 24/7. People often say North Shore Towers is "where the city meets the suburbs." This is because it's on the edge of Queens but feels like a suburban area.
Fun Things to Do
The North Shore Towers Country Club has lots of places for sports and fun. There's an 18-hole golf course and 5 tennis courts. You can also find a basketball court, shuffleboard, ping pong tables, and a billiards room.
The health club has 5 indoor and outdoor swimming pools. There's also a large hot tub, a fully equipped gym, and classes like aerobics. You can relax in saunas and steam rooms too.
The three main buildings are connected by an indoor, underground shopping area. This mall has a movie theater with 460 seats, a restaurant, a bank, and a supermarket. There's also a dry cleaner, a laundromat, a flower shop, a pharmacy, and a beauty salon. You can even find a golf shop, a library, and an art gallery. There are also public lounge rooms and a garden with a snack bar. For kids, there's a playground.
North Shore Towers has its own TV channels and two monthly newspapers. Residents can get free flu shots each fall. There are many clubs and activities too. These include day trips, cultural events, book clubs, walking clubs, and photography clubs. There are also concerts and holiday dinner dances. Many of these clubs are started by the residents themselves.
There is plenty of parking both above ground and underground for over 2,400 cars. Residents can even get their cars washed and repaired right there. A free bus service takes residents to local shopping areas. Express buses also connect North Shore Towers to Manhattan.
Board of Directors
The North Shore Towers is managed by a Board of Directors. This board has nine members, and they are elected for two-year terms. Each of the three buildings has its own voting area for these elections. Residents can also vote for U.S. government elections right on the property. The community hires an outside company to help with all elections.
Important Visitors
The North Shore Towers has a group that supports lawmakers and important issues. Because of this, politicians often visit North Shore Towers when they are campaigning. They want to win the votes of the residents, who are often retired. Many famous politicians have visited and spoken there. These include U.S. Senators like Joe Lieberman and Hillary Clinton, and New York City Mayors like Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg.
See also
In Spanish: North Shore Towers para niños
