About Green Island NY
Home to the Starbuck Island Luxury Apartment Community, Green Island NY is a unique town-village in Albany’s Capital Region. It is unique in that it is both a town and a village. One of only five such coterminous municipalities in New York State.
Despite being the tiniest town in the Empire State, Green Island has a lot to offer, even supplying residents with electricity from from its own hydroelectric power company.
New York State’s Smallest Town
Covering less than one square mile, Green Island is New York’s smallest town by area. It is located just south of where the Mohawk River joins the Hudson River, and it was at one time, a true island, separated by water from Troy to the east, Watervliet to the south-west and Cohoes to the north. However, the river branch between Green Island and Watervliet was filled in during construction of Interstate 787 in the 1960s.
Geography
Today, the Town-Village of Green Island includes the original island land, now connected to Watervliet, plus two other islands. The larger of the two is Center Island, located to the east of Green Island, and surrounded on all sides by the Hudson River. Sometimes referred to as Starbuck Island, it is where our apartment community resides and where it got its name. Center Island is easily accessible from downtown Troy via the Green Island Bridge, which was opened in the fall of 1981. The other island, known as McGill Island, is a small unpopulated piece of land north of Center Island, which frequently floods.
History
Much like neighboring Troy, Watervliet and Cohoes, Green Island was a major manufacturing and transportation center. In fact, the industry of automobile manufacturing was particularly significant for Green Island.
After fishing and camping on the island with his friend Thomas Edison, Henry Ford built The Ford Motor Company’s plant for manufacturing radiators and springs here. He chose the location largely because of the Federal Dam, which was used to provide hydroelectric power to operate the plant. The Ford plant remained Green Island’s largest employer until it closed in 1989, and although the factory was demolished in 2004, the dam is still active. Today, it provides affordable electricity to the homes and businesses on the island via the Green Island Power Authority (GIPA).
Landmarks & Attractions
The affordable electricity supplied by GIPA has attracted many businesses to Green Island, which in turn have created jobs for the area. Among the businesses located here are Honeywell, Long Island Pipe Supply, the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, Sealy Mattress Company and Case Window and Door.
In addition to industry, you’ll find Victorian lamps lining the streets, as well as beautiful Victorian homes and historic buildings, like St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the church currently houses Green Island’s town offices. There’s also a Vietnam Memorial located here, and two parks, Paine Street Park and Lower Hudson Avenue Park.
Luxury Apartments in Green Island NY
Starbuck Island Luxury Apartments are located on Center Island within the town-village of Green Island NY. Just across the bridge from Green Island and downtown Troy, our apartments provide residents with access to all the best the Capital Region has to offer, yet they are far enough away to offer a respite from noise and hurried metropolitan life.
To experience the unparalleled luxury and distinctive style of our Green Island apartments for yourself, schedule a tour or call (518) 478-1172.