Crossway Airport Inn at LaGuardia
Undated postcard advertising 100-30 Ditmars as “Alroy Motor Inn”. Likely late 60s. Note unaltered Crossway signage on building.
Known Name(s)
Crossway Airport Inn at LaGuardia
Address
100-30 Ditmars Blvs., Flushing 69 Queens, NY
Establishment Type(s)
Hotel
Physical Status
Extant
Description
Constructed in 1961, the Crossway Airport Inn was a large, upscale hotel primarily servicing LaGuardia Airport. The rectangular, seven-story buff-colored brick structure remains largely recognizable today, despite modifications over the years. It boasted 136 rooms in period advertisements. The site was constructed just south of La Guardia airport and is bounded by Ditmars Boulevard to the northeast and 23rd Avenue to the south.
During the historic period, a recessed drop-off entrance large enough to drive a car through was located on the north end of the building. Also on the north end, a tall, rectangular structure connected to the main building likely housed a stairwell and elevator shaft. Severe, geometric lines and a general absence of ornamentation reveal the hotel’s midcentury design character. The east and west sides of the building feature twelve bays of windows from the second to the seventh floors, providing each hotel room with natural light and a view. Each window has a metal awning, projecting outwards from the building at a perpendicular angle. Metal ornamental screens with geometric patterns were hung between the bays of windows in the historic period. Inside, the building was touted to host a restaurant, cocktail bar, and pool.
Following the historic period, a large addition was made on the ground level in matching white brick. The ground floor drop-off entrance, originally recessed into the first floor, has been adapted with a projecting covered entrance. The ornamental screens hung between the windows have been removed, but the distinctive metal window awnings have been retained.
A much larger adjoining property, 100-17 23rd Avenue, was constructed in 1999 and operates today as Elmhurst Care Center. Despite the fact that the two properties are physically connected, they are owned by different organizations and appear to be unaffiliated.
Detailed History
The Crossway Airport Inn was a large, upscale hotel primarily servicing LaGuardia Airport. The hotel featured a restaurant, cocktail bar, and swimming pool, with free transportation to and from LaGuardia. Its restaurant, The Global Room, was a popular meeting place for local politicians and service organizations, particularly the Jackson Heights Lions Club. It was part of the Crossway Motor Inn chain of hotels, with other notable locations in Miami and Cocoa Beach, Florida. Its sister location, Crossway Idlewild, was also a Green Book site and serviced JFK (Idlewild) airport. The two hotels were often advertised together.
In 1966, the Crossway Airport Inn was purchased by Alroy Motor Inn, Inc. The hotel may have been renamed Alroy Motor Inn at this time, but sources are conflicting. An undated postcard advertises the hotel as the “Alroy Motor Inn, formerly Crossway,” but depicts the hotel with its original Crossway signage. The property was resold several times between 1966 and 1987. It is unclear how long the property continued to operate as a hotel. By 1982, the property was operating as Elm York Assisted Living. Its current owner, Skatz Realty Group, has owned the property since 1987.
