South Floral Park (formerly known as Jamaica Square) is a village in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 1,741 at the 2020 census. At 0.096 sqmi, the Incorporated Village of South Floral Park is the smallest village in the State of New York by total area.

History

The Village of South Floral Park was incorporated in November 1925 as the Village of Jamaica Square. This name had been used since the area was first developed ca. 1905; the name was originally chosen so as to reflect the fact that it was down the road from Jamaica, Queens and next to Franklin Square. However its name was changed to South Floral Park in 1931 due to confusion with said neighborhood in Queens; the new name was chosen based on the fact that the village is located immediately south of and adjacent to Floral Park. Residents decided to incorporate their community because they felt that the Town of Hempstead was unable to adequately fulfill the needs of their community, and believed that a more localized government would be able to govern it better. In 1953, South Floral Park Village Hall was constructed. The building was expanded in 1984 to rehouse the village's fire department in a more modern and efficient facility, which was dedicated on October 19, 1986. South Floral Park was one of the earliest racially integrated villages on Long Island.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.096 sqmi, all land. South Floral Park is the smallest village in the State of New York by total area.

Climate

The Village of South Floral Park features a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) under the Köppen climate classification. As such, the village experiences hot, humid summers and cold winters, and experiences precipitation throughout the entirety of the year.

Economy

The Village of South Floral Park is considered to be a bedroom community of the City of New York. The village itself is residential in character, consisting of a single residential zoning district which covers South Floral Park in its entirety. As such, there are no areas zoned for commercial or industrial uses anywhere within South Floral Park. Despite this, there have historically been a couple of formal businesses which operated within the village – including a deli. The majority of lots in the village consist of single-family residential homes, with the only major exceptions being the village hall and fire station complex and a church.

Demographics

2020 census

2000 Census

At the 2000 census there were 1,578 people, 456 households, and 383 families in the village. The population density was 15,776.3 PD/sqmi. There were 462 housing units at an average density of 4,618.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 22.18% White, 59.06% African American, 0.25% Native American, 3.80% Asian, 6.15% from other races, and 8.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.56%. Of the 456 households 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% were married couples living together, 22.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.0% were non-families. 12.3% of households were one person and 5.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.46 and the average family size was 3.72. The age distribution was 26.7% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males. The median household income was $64,205 and the median family income was $68,000. Males had a median income of $36,250 versus $37,292 for females. The per capita income for the village was $21,091. About 0.8% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government

As of August 2022, the Mayor of South Floral Park is Nyakya T. Brown, the Deputy Mayor is Jennifer Bellamy, and the Village Trustees are Jennifer Bellamy, LeRoy Graham, Jr., Randy Jaques, and Porscha Lyons. All elected officials on the Board of Trustees serve 4-year terms. The South Floral Park Village Hall is located in the heart of the village, at 383 Roquette Ave. The following is a list of South Floral Park's mayors, from 1925 to present:

Parks and recreation

The Village of South Floral Park owns and maintains a small park, known as Firemen's Memorial Park, which was dedicated in 1974. Located off Arthur Avenue, the park contains a historic bell dating to 1875, which was formerly utilized in alerting the community's volunteer firefighters; the bell was installed at the park in 1973.

Education

South Floral Park, in its entirety, is located within the boundaries of (and is thus served by) the Elmont Union Free School District for elementary education and the Sewanhaka Central High School District for secondary education. As such, all children who reside within the village and attend public schools go to school in one of these two districts, depending on what grade they are in.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Road

All roads within South Floral Park are owned and maintained by the village. Major roads either partially or wholly within the village include Arthur Avenue, Roquette Avenue, and Tennessee Street.

Rail

No rail service passes through South Floral Park. The nearest Long Island Rail Road station to the village is Floral Park on the Main Line and the Hempstead Branch.

Bus

No bus routes pass through the village.

Utilities

Natural gas

National Grid USA provides natural gas to homes and businesses that are hooked up to natural gas lines in South Floral Park.

Power

PSEG Long Island provides power to all homes and businesses within South Floral Park.

Sewage

South Floral Park, in its entirety, is served by the Nassau County Sewage District's sanitary sewer network.

Trash collection

Trash collection services in South Floral Park are provided by the Town of Hempstead's Sanitation District 6.

Water

The water supply in South Floral Park is provided by the Water Authority of Western Nassau.