Florida has a rural atmosphere, small-town retail and easy city access
Deep in the countryside of Orange County, the village of Florida has the quiet atmosphere of an old farming town and easy access to larger cities. “Overall, it’s a beautiful area,” says Jennifer DiCostanzo, a Realtor with Re/Max Town & Country. “There’s a lot of open space, a lot of farms that blend with the village.” This community, long reliant on onion farming, has since become a bedroom community for regional hubs like Middletown and Warwick, and its population recently exceeded 3,000. Manufacturers like Zircar Zirconia and a small downtown area offer local jobs and daily conveniences. “There’s a lot of restaurants in the area, a bank, gas stations…and it’s centrally located to other shopping centers. It’s got really good access to daily needs,” DiCostanzo says.
Historic properties and new homes mix along Florida's streets
Florida’s hilly streets feature a mixture of historic and recently built homes and tend to not have sidewalks. Houses built before 1990 have sold for $270,000 to $670,000, while those built since 1990 go for $570,000 to $730,000. Townhouses sell for $360,000 to $370,000. Though the oldest properties in Florida were built from the 1860s to the 1890s and a handful were built in the 2010s, the majority were built in the second half of the 20th century. “In Florida, the market is strong, and the prices are increasing,” DiCostanzo says. “There’s some new construction in the area with additional housing to come to market as rentals.”
Main Street is full of small eateries and shops
Social life in Florida revolves around Main Street. “There’s a strip of stores on Main Street, where there’s a hardware store, banks…it’s not overly commercialized,” DiCostanzo says. “The integrity of the area is ‘shop local, support local.’ It’s not over-saturated with commercial franchises.” Zoe’s Latin Café serves Caribbean dishes like Cuban sandwiches and roast pork in a small space decorated with photographs of Puerto Rico. At downtown’s northern end, Copper Bottom offers a higher-end bar and grill experience, sourcing its ingredients locally and hosting private events like wedding and business lunches. Other eateries include a pizzeria, a Chinese restaurant and a local bakery. Local creativity is also displayed at the Glenmere Brewing Company, which serves local craft beers with live music accompaniment on weekends. Local grocery options include Dollar Tree and Sam’s Meat Warehouse, while the ShopRite of Chester Plaza is a 5-mile drive up New York Route 94.
Local parks offer outdoor activities for all seasons
Florida is surrounded by small parks, from sporting grounds to preserved nature. “In the area overall, we have Glendale Lake, the Appalachian Trail, seasonal apple orchards that are now up-and-coming, breweries, and wineries,” DiCostanzo says. “It’s only a couple minutes from Legoland, so, again, it’s year-round. It’s not just summer and spring – you can go skiing only about 15-20 minutes away.” Florida’s own JFK Memorial Park includes basketball courts, a baseball field, a playground and a field where local youth soccer teams compete. The Orange County Sports Club offers an indoor exercise venue, featuring a gym, boxing ring, gymnastics facility and “ninja warrior” obstacle course. Residents can also immerse themselves in nature at Glenmere Park, which surrounds Glenmere Lake. Hiking and quadding trails run along the lake’s western shore and lead to a boat launch, volleyball court and picnic pavilion.
Seward Institute offers robust athletics
Students can start at Golden Hill Elementary School before attending the S. S. Seward Institute from grades 6-12; both schools receive B ratings from Niche. Seward touts a strong athletic record despite its small student body, with its softball and cheerleading teams becoming state championship finalists in the past few years.
Florida is close to larger cities and health care conveniences
Though Florida’s rural location means that it’s not connected to regional bus or train routes, it’s a 6-mile drive north of Warwick and 11 miles from the regional hub of Middletown. New York City is just over 60 miles down a handful of state and interstate highways. The nearest hospitals are Warwick’s St. Anthony Community Hospital and Middletown’s Garnet Health Medical Center.
Important to know
Florida has a CAP Index Crime Score of 2 out of 10, lower than the national average of 4.
Written By
Jacob Adelhoch
