If you want to buy in Floral Park

With homes on the west end of the community backing up to the Belmont Raceway, the Village of Floral Park gears up for its annual street fair in June to celebrate the Belmont Stakes, the third and final race in the Triple Crown.

“It's a big deal in town. Those homes, which are very desirable, actually buffer up to the track. It's right in their backyard,” says Village Clerk Susan Walsh.

But Floral Park has much more to offer. The incorporated village of nearly 16,000 residents has its own police force, Department of Public Works and mayor, and a short commute into Manhattan. There is a Long Island Rail Road station, which many residents use on a daily basis to get to work. “We are both a blue- and white-collar community,” Walsh says.

You'll find no big box stores here, only small stores and restaurants. “People just love it here,” resident Linda Ferrara of Abbott Realty says. “Everyone knows everyone, especially since most people that live here grew up here. Everyone wants the same for their kids. And those that have left, many come back. The community is very family-oriented.”

The neighborhood itself is made up of homes of various styles and ages, with many of them on standard 40-by-100-foot lots. It's hard to find a street not named after either a flower or a tree, with the main road even getting in on the action: Tulip Avenue.

The school district, Floral Park-Bellerose, serves students who live not only in Floral Park but in Bellerose. It is home to two elementary schools (grades K-6) and one high school (7-12).