| My Neighborhood - Long Island, New York |
| Floral Park Center |
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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 spirited 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 housing. 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.
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