By the way, for some reason, many people don’t know how the [building address] and [building entrance search] link works in the US.
If you need to get to the building at 4301 21st Street, Queens, New York 11101, and the building occupies an entire block, that gives you four possible sides/options for the main entrance.
The answer is that there’s a 99% chance the doors will be on 21st Street. Therefore, the entrance is on the street indicated in the address. For example, if the address includes 65th Street, the entrance will be on 65th Street, not Second Avenue.
But there are a couple of well-known exceptions (in general, this blog is more about interesting exceptions to the rule than about well-known facts):
- One of the most expensive, prestigious, and recognizable residential buildings in the world, 432 Park Avenue (locals call it “The Pencil Case”), has an entrance not on the prestigious toponym Park Avenue, but on 56th Street. The most interesting thing is that 432 Park Avenue doesn’t even face Park Avenue; there are a couple of other buildings between it and the Avenue. Was that even possible? For money, yes.
- Another fun fact: 4301 21st Street has a small door on the other side, facing 22nd Street, and a small sign on the facade reads 4301 22nd Street. This means the building can have two addresses, making it easier for mail carriers and delivery people to find their way around.
By the way, I get calls every month in perfect English asking, “Hello, is this a laundromat? What street is your entrance on?” Apparently, not all Americans know this rule.
