This is Horizon House in Fort Lee, New Jersey

North view from 5 Horizon Road -#1601 (11375 bytes)

ORGANIZATION

Horizon House is owned by 1266 Apartment Corp., a New Jersey corporation. As a cooperative, Horizon House is owned in common by the shareholders of 1266 Apartment Corp., whose purchases of shares entitle them to what are known as proprietary leases on their apartment units. As with shareholders of any corporation, the shareholders of 1266 Apartment Corp. elect a Board of Directors to administer the business of the complex. The day-to-day management of the complex is carried out by Insignia Management Services under the terms of a contract with 1266 Apartment Corp.

HISTORY

Alexander Summer, a prominent area real estate developer, was the driving force behind the development of Horizon House. He purchased the several parcels that were merged to form the 32-acre site and brought in the Tishman Construction Company to construct and manage the project. Construction of the first of the six buildings was begun in March 1961. Four buildings, completed in 1964, are 14-story oblongs, containing a variety of apartment layouts. They flank the two 28 story towers, built from 1965-68.

GENERAL

Turning into Horizon Road from Lemoine Avenue, a major Fort Lee thoroughfare, you enter a different world: a self-contained village removed from outside hustle—yet within easy reach of New York City and major transportation routes. Two swimming pools, four outdoor playgrounds, tennis, handball and basketball courts, and winding paths through landscaped greenery reinforce the sense that you're living in a private estate. A convenience store/deli for your morning coffee and newspaper or your last-minute dinner items, a men's and women's hair salon, and a personal trainer are located in one building. Another offers residents a chance to socialize in the community room or match wits in the game room, or browse through donated books in the library. An indoor children's playroom and a youth game room offer diversion to the children in the complex on rainy days.

Through shareholder committees and group activities, Horizon House fosters the "village" feeling. Regular social events are scheduled during the year, and all shareholders are encouraged to participate in committees that oversee the various aspects of life at Horizon House. The shareholders of Horizon House believe that cooperative living means more than just owning stock in a real-estate corporation—it requires active contribution to creating and maintaining an attractive, harmonious environment. It is the people who live at Horizon House who make Horizon House a community, not merely an address.

Artists rendering of the view from a split level apartment (16181 bytes)