The people's movement against extension of the rail track in Floral Park is an acknowledgement in a sense, of the advanced stage of the town's development. The Rail Road that was the fulcrum of Long Island from awakening to the worlds of commerce, tourism and suburban residence, from the somnolence of agriculture, fisheries and rudimentary agricultural engineering, has now become the objective of a citizen's rally against environmental degradation.

A tour of Floral Park is likely to generate much sympathy for indignant residents. Their schools, library, parks and other carefully crafted community assets need protection. Expansion can dilute the quality of life so Floral Park can enjoy the luxury of refusing new entrants except those of the highest quality and special value.

This remarkable transformation has taken less than a century. Floriculture gave the area a fillip as a gardening assistant established an enormously successful business of seeds of plants with colorful flowers. Floral Park was incorporated in 1908.

Education is always at the heart of every urban movement and Floral Park has followed this trend as well. The Floral Park School , renamed later after the pioneer John Lewis Childs, started in 1895. The Bellerose School, St. Hedwig School and the Victory Parochial School followed soon after. The Sewanhaka School brought High School Grades to town in between the 2 World Wars. The Floral Park Memorial was established in 1957 in response to the post war boom. The Public Library moved to its present location in 1964.

Floral Park had its first brush with the downsides of development in the early 1960s when the State widened a turnpike at the cost of the town's land and buildings. It disrupted the peace for about 2 years. This led to a kind of frenzy and old buildings were torn down to accommodate malls. The Post Office got the boot as well and had to find a new site on Tulip Avenue. Not all of this displacement has been without benefit; Floral Park's public tennis courts are on such land. The Creedmoor Spur has become a parking lot. The renovated Memorial Park holds shows apart from its named purpose of homage to the country's heroes. However Floral Park has learnt from the past and new projects are carefully vetted for their harmony with nature and the past. Local benefit is always a prime consideration and funds and efforts are not wanting for worthwhile projects. The recent beautification of Tulip Avenue is an example not just for Floral Park but for urban conglomerates everywhere.