Nalcrest, Florida
Nalcrest is a retirement community in Florida, due east of Tampa. To live there you have to have been a letter carrier. The name itself is an acronym for "National Association of Letter Carriers Retirement, Education, Security and Training." The community opened in 1963. Its founder was William Doherty, former president of the letter carriers' union.
The rules of Nalcrest includes a ban on dogs. Too many bad memories for the former letter carriers, I suppose. Mailboxes are also banned. In fact, there's no home mail delivery at all. Residents have to pick up their mail at the local post office.
More info: wikipedia
The rules of Nalcrest includes a ban on dogs. Too many bad memories for the former letter carriers, I suppose. Mailboxes are also banned. In fact, there's no home mail delivery at all. Residents have to pick up their mail at the local post office.
More info: wikipedia
Because dogs aren't allowed, some residents have dog replicas instead.
Honolulu Star Bulletin - Aug 5, 2004
Some of the founders of Nalcrest. William Doherty is front, center.
Orlando Sentinel - June 18, 1961
Comments
As a retired NALC letter carrier (and still a member of the union), I've known about Nalcrest for a long time. The rates are extremely cheap if we stay there, starting at only $372 per month. I've never stayed there, though, besides, I have two cats and they would not be allowed, just like dogs. For information about Nalcrest, just check the official page at https://www.nalc.org/member-benefits/nalcrest
The stories about letter carriers and dogs are somewhat exaggerated, and most of us get along just fine with the dogs on our routes, although there are many bites every year, as would be expected statistically. The last years before I retired, one of my customers and I had trained his dog to come out to the curb to get the mail, which I would rubber band and then put in her mouth. We also trained her to bring letters to me in the truck, when they were to be mailed. My experience was that there are no bad dogs, only bad owners. Dogs tend to be defensive of their homes, so we have to project to them that we are allowed to approach the house. It usually only takes a short time for them to learn to accept your daily visits, and many even enjoy us. Some of my coworkers would carry treats for the dogs on their routes. I didn't do that, because then the dog would come to expect a treat, and if I was on vacation and a sub was delivering my route, it could be awkward for the sub when the dog ran up and expected a treat.
The stories about letter carriers and dogs are somewhat exaggerated, and most of us get along just fine with the dogs on our routes, although there are many bites every year, as would be expected statistically. The last years before I retired, one of my customers and I had trained his dog to come out to the curb to get the mail, which I would rubber band and then put in her mouth. We also trained her to bring letters to me in the truck, when they were to be mailed. My experience was that there are no bad dogs, only bad owners. Dogs tend to be defensive of their homes, so we have to project to them that we are allowed to approach the house. It usually only takes a short time for them to learn to accept your daily visits, and many even enjoy us. Some of my coworkers would carry treats for the dogs on their routes. I didn't do that, because then the dog would come to expect a treat, and if I was on vacation and a sub was delivering my route, it could be awkward for the sub when the dog ran up and expected a treat.
Posted by Fritz G on 07/01/17 at 06:25 PM
One interesting tidbit in the Wikipedia article is that rent used to have to be paid by postal money order.
Posted by ges on 07/01/17 at 11:44 PM
Great comment, Fritz G: "No bad dogs, only bad owners." Barbara Woodhouse would be thrilled.
Posted by Virtual on 07/02/17 at 11:05 AM
I hope no one takes this the wrong way (I have the highest regard for postal workers -- as a writer, I live and die by the mail, and the post office has, for nearly fifty years, always, always, always been great!) --can you imagine working in the post office there? Every single resident knows more about your job than you do; they can tell you why every mistake happened; and they sense when you're slacking off, even a little.
I wonder if the staff there is hand-picked, the best in the country, or if it's USPS's equivalent to Siberia.
I wonder if the staff there is hand-picked, the best in the country, or if it's USPS's equivalent to Siberia.
Posted by Phideaux on 07/02/17 at 03:10 PM
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