Long - time residents and real estate agents in the Central Florida area have been known to joke about the contrast of perceptions by visitors to the region.
We welcome our tourist friends, but folks have been known to observe that if a conventioneer only stays in the I-Drive area, he or she will miss the many, many fabulous options this part of Florida has to offer. "They will never know Orlando is more than lines of strip malls!"
Staying at the well-known amusement parks is an absolutely amazing experience, but driving 30 minutes (maybe 40, in traffic) will put you in other worlds that have nothing to do with the famous destinations Orlando is known for - and that is a good thing, too!
Loosely speaking, there really are two sets of "Parks" in Central Florida:
1. The globally known tourist destinations
and
2. The "parks" of the metropolitan Orlando Area. Surrounding the new soccer stadium, the Amway Center, the I-4 renovation, and the new Performing Arts Center are the "parks" locals know: great areas to live with different community lifestyles.
When I speak to families relocating to the area, I speak to them about what they want in an ideal neighborhood. Many times we end up concluding they want to be "in any area with the word 'park' in the title"
-- Primarily I am referring to sections of Orlando: College Park (32804), Thornton Park (32801), Delaney Park (32806), Baldwin Park (32814), and even the city of Winter Park (32789/32792).
But there are so many other terrific spots to live and enjoy (Ex: Avalon Park, in SE Orange County) -
This blog will focus on pockets of Central Florida (among and outside "the Parks") that you may not hear about if you are a visitor. The locations may not even have 'park' in their names... .
"Among the Parks" is simply a shorthand term for great Central Florida living.
For starters, here is my list of favorite links to send customers that want to learn more about what this region has to offer (You MAY have to copy and paste to your server!):
The local paper: www.orlandosentinel.com
Arts, Activities, and Food Trucks throughout Central Florida: http://TheDailyCity.com
Alternative News and Information: www.OrlandoWeekly.com
Fabulous Small Town Newspaper for the College Park area : http://community-paper.com
Orange County Public Schools: www.ocps.net
City of Winter Park info: www.cityofwinterpark.org
Food Critic Scott Joseph: http://scottjosephorlando.com
More to come-
Shelley Peck, PA
Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate
