Orlando

Home Sweet Home

The housing inventory is as diverse as the tastes of homebuyers. Prices are reasonable, supply is adequate and choices abound, says the Orlando Regional Realtor Association, which includes both Orange and Seminole counties. Right now, Orlando has some of the best housing deals in the nation. While extremely affordable housing exists, home prices start at about $80,000 and run upward to several million, varying a bit depending on the community. New or newer homes, especially in gated communities or areas with lots of amenities command higher per square foot prices.

Newcomers -- especially those from New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and California -- are absolutely astonished by Central Florida housing values. "They think they've died and gone to heaven." says the Orlando Regional Realtor Association. Single-family homes account for 90 percent of sales. Choices range from modest bungalows to magnificent mansions; locations from urban to rural and from lakefront to fairway, from historic neighborhoods with brick streets to new, gated communities -- some with their own golf courses. The best values can be found in southeast Orange County and Northeast Seminole County. New communities include Waterford Lakes, a golf course community with homes from the low $100's to the upper $200's; Keene's Pointe, a golf course community with homes from $300,000 to several million on the Butler Chain of Lakes; and Rock Springs Ridge, a golf course community with homes from $150,000 to $250,000.

In Osceola County, home prices have gone up dramatically according to the Osceola County Board of Realtors. Homes in Disney's planned community of Celebration are decidedly upscale. Yet there really is a tremendous price range in the county with many very affordable single-family homes on the market -- some smaller, older homes and some brand new houses. The most active corner of the county is the northwest section near Disney and neighboring Polk County.

Vital Stats

(Orlando Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA): Lake, Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties)

Population: 1.5 million
Median age: 33.9
New citizens: 118,740 yearly
New job creation: 4.4 percent (1999)
Unemployment rate: 2.8 percent August, 1999
Cost of living: 101.88 percent (U.S. average: 100 percent)
Per capita income: $22,951
Median household income: $34,558

Rain & Shine

The semitropical climate pleases residents and visitors alike. With the average yearly temperature a perfect 72 degrees Fahrenheit, there's not much cause to complain about. It rains at least a little 116 days of the year, and the annual rainfall averages 51 inches, but it doesn't snow. In July the average high is 90 degrees Fahrenheit; in January the average low is 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Occasionally, very occasionally, the temperature dips below the freezing point for a few hours and area old-timers start threatening to move to some Caribbean island where it's warmer. Few carry out such idle threats, however, as the weather soon returns to idyllic.

Job Market

More than 25,000 new jobs are created in the region each year. Barbara Rylands, president of the Greater Orlando Association of Realtors, credits the strong housing market in large part to the strong, diverse job market that crosses many categories but includes tourism, transportation and high-technology. Besides being one of the fastest growing major metro areas in the country, the Economic Development Commission of Mid-Florida projects that Orlando will create many new jobs during the next 10 years. According to the Orlando Business Journal, major employers are Walt Disney World Co. (38,600), Lockheed Martin (15,000), Orange County Public Schools (14,761), the State of Florida (12,300), Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. (12,000), Florida Hospital (8,523), Publix Super Markets Inc. (6,300), Orlando Regional Healthcare System (6,312), AT&T (6,000) and the Naval Training Center Orlando (5,564).

Class Notes

Extensive information about the schools in this area is online at the state's Department of Education (http://www.firn.edu/doe/doehome.htm). There you'll discover everything you'll need to know about Florida schools -- in general and in particular. All you need is the name of your county and the names of the schools students from your neighborhood attend.

Use links from the DOE home page for general information about entrance requirements, immunizations and so forth.

For the nitty-gritty details that really matter, click on the logo for the "Florida School Indicators Report."

In the mid-1960s, Walt Disney noticed the giant X on Central Florida maps where Interstate 4 crosses the Florida Turnpike. Disney decided, in large part because of these two roads, that Central Florida would be a good place to locate Walt Disney World. He was right. Nowadays the area boasts the Beeline Expressway (toll), the East-West Expressway (toll) and the Central Florida Greeneway (toll), but traffic is heaviest on I-4, which is free and delivers many millions to the numerous attractions southwest of the city.

Since locals also rely heavily on I-4, it can be frustrating to travel at times. Two state highways, 436 (north and south) and 50 (east and west) also transport locals to and fro. Many commute via the less-crowded toll roads. Lynx, the tri-county bus system, improves and expands yearly and currently offers more than 50 routes. Taxis appear downtown and near the airport but are rarely used by locals. Tourists take numerous shuttle systems and taxis. Most residents drive their own cars; they have to.

Mass transit got a late start in Orlando, but its future looks bright. A dream of the Metropolitan Planning Organization--called the 2020 Plan--is on the books and drawing boards. If the money to implement the vision is forthcoming, transportation in Central Florida should be more efficient in the future. One fascinating element of the plan is the establishment of a major system of bikeways and pedestrian passageways.

Getting to Orlando is easy. Amtrak stops in Sanford, Winter Park and Orlando. The famous AutoTrain travels 900 miles from Sanford in suburban Seminole County to a northern Virginia location in suburban Washington, D.C. It accommodates folks who would rather ride than drive but still want to have use of their cars. It's not cheap, but it is convenient, safe and popular, especially with snowbirds and the over-50 set. Greyhound buses also come and go with passengers. Orlando International Airport (OIA) recently ranked No. 1 in four of six categories in a survey by Airport Monitor, published by the International Air Transport Association. Its overall ranking was No. 1 in North America and No. 4 in the world for customer convenience. Frequent flyers already love the well-planned, attractive facility that handles 425 flights--or 850 airline operations--daily. During the next six years, the aviation authority will spend $1 billion to expand OIA. Several smaller airports dot the region, including the Orlando Executive Airport and the Orlando/Sanford Airport.

Great Outdoors

The real Florida beckons Central Florida's natives and newcomers from every corner. You don't need to travel even the 50 miles north to the Ocala National Forest or the 50 miles east to the Canaveral National Seashore to enjoy nature's glories. Already the 10-mile West Orange Trail--a rails-to-trails project--attracts runners, inline skaters, joggers, hikers and bikers. Eventually is will extend 21 miles. Seminole County is currently planning a major recreational-trail system of its own. Countless lakes, rivers and wilderness areas remain. Many are being preserved because of prudent compromises, particularly during the '80s, between development interests and environmental protection advocates, when they concluded--after a little governmental pressure--that both economic growth and a sound ecology were necessary for a viable and vibrant region. The city itself offers 82 lakes and about 4,000 acres of park, including gemlike Lake Eola and the lovely Harry P. Leu Gardens. You can canoe on the quiet Wekiva River or sail on Lake Monroe, see manatees at nearby Blue Spring during the winter months or view all kinds of critters--alligators, frogs, raccoons, deer, herons, egrets, pelicans, opsreys and eagles--in the St. Johns basin.

Good Sports

Golf is played and watched on television with an enthusiasm approaching fanaticism. Arnold Palmer and about 20 pro players make Orlando their off-tour homes. A golf magazine and an all-golf cable channel originate from here and--most importantly--17 courses in the region made a recent ranking of Florida's top 100 golf courses. But even if you're not a scratch golfer, one of Orlando's 80 courses should suit you.

Fishing, boating and waterskiing are popular on Central Florida's 1,500 lakes and rivers, many accessible via public ramps. Soccer rules in youth sports categories, and Orlando was a World Cup city in 1994 and an Olympic soccer venue in 1996. Walt Disney World's massive international amateur sports center will soon be the headquarters of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), and it's expected to host numerous AAU events. The popular Atlanta Braves hold spring training at the awesome new Disney baseball field, part of Disney's Wide World of Sports complex. Hometown pro teams include the popular Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association, the Orlando Rays, a minor league baseball team, the Predators of the arena football league, a minor-league ice hockey team called the Solar Bears and a championship inline roller-hockey contingent, the Orlando RollerGators.

Hot Times in the City

Talented performers originally lured by the attractions found the place so pleasant many stayed on after their gigs were over. There's still plenty to do, to see and to hear in Tourist World. In fact, if you really love theme parks, this may be the time to move to Central Florida. Downtown Disney opened recently. It features the Wolfgang Puck Cafe, Gloria Estefan's Bongos Cuban Cafe, the Virgin Records Megastore, the Houses of Blues and Cirque de Soleil. Animal Kingdom, Disney World's fourth park, opened to large crowds on April 22, 1998. A 145-foot carved creation called the Tree of Life as its premier symbol. Universal Studios Florida is involved in a $2.6 billion expansion, which will include a second theme park, Islands of Adventure; a nighttime entertainment complex, Universal CityWalk; and 13,000 hotel rooms, starting with the 750-room Portofino Bay Resort and a new 650-room Hard Rock Hotel. The current Hard Rock Cafe will be relocated within the park.

Long-time residents and recent arrivals, however, find plenty to do without visiting attractions. Complaints about living in a cultural desert have diminished since the '70s. The Orlando Opera Company hosts three or four operas and the Southern Ballet Theatre performs three or four ballets yearly. Museums like the Morse Museum of American Art in Winter Park (home to a noteworthy collection of stained glass by Louis Comfort Tiffany), the Cornell Fine Arts Museum at Rollins College in Winter Park and the Orlando Museum of Art offer visual delights and instruction in various combinations. The Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival expanded recently, the Civic Theatre of Central Florida provides first-rate community theater, and Theatre Downtown offers the best of alternative drama. The Bach Festival, the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orlando Concert Band make beautiful music, but lots of high-quality local sound comes from student/faculty concerts at the universities or live jazz and rock at Orlando's clubs.

Local libraries present story hour for kids, there's a small zoo in Sanford, and the younger set favor an occasional trip to visit Mickey, E.T. or Shamu. Rollins College offers a busy summer schedule of cultural and sporting activities for the youngsters, Crealde Art Center hosts art classes throughout the year, and the opera, the ballet and the symphony all sponsor youth instructional programs. Commercial play places planned for kids only like Discovery Zone, local YMCAs and regional park districts offer plenty of places for kids to enjoy themselves.

All ages love Central Florida's best festivals: The Zora Neale Hurston Festival of Arts & Humanities in January (which celebrates African-American culture), the Bach Festival in February, the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival in March; Arts in April with lots of events including the Fringe Festival and the Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival; Lake Eola Picnic in the Park complete with a spectacular fireworks show on the Fourth of July; and the Lake Mary/Heathrow Festival of the Arts and Winter Park's Autumn Art Festival at Rollins College during the fall.

Shop 'til you Drop

Besides excellent and abundant malls all over the region (Seminole Towne Center in Sanford, Altamonte Mall in Altamonte Springs, Fashion Square Mall in Orlando and Florida Mall on Orlando's southside), there's the bustling Belz Factory Outlet World, a big discount mall. And another discount-dominated cluster just opened on what was once the site of Orlando's Colonial Plaza Mall.

For upscale specialty stores and plenty of ambience, try Winter Park's famous Park Avenue, across from the city's Central Park. Locals also like Saturday outings to Farmers Markets in downtown Orlando under I-4 and near the railroad tracks in Winter Park. If you're into antiques and collectibles, try the funky and fine shops along North Orange Avenue's Ivanhoe Row and Antique Row. You can acquire an expensive 19th century mahogany breakfront or an old teddy bear, junk jewelry or a classic rock record, vintage patio pieces or elegant love seats. Three or four quaint restaurants are interspersed with the shops, so locals can stay all day.

Nightlife

Downtown's Church Street Station, a massive entertainment complex with three major clubs and several places to eat and the adjacent Church Street Market area with Jungle Jim's, Howl at the Moon and other party-friendly places draws both tourists and locals. The rock and alternative clubs downtown like Sunset Strip, Barbarella, The Club, Zuma Beach Club and others remain the haunts of local youth, mostly in the 18-28 age group. Disney's Pleasure Island (seven clubs) and Universal's club complex E-Zone, still under construction, offer multiple choices and attract some local revelers but more visitors.

Area adults prefer eating out at one of the region's 4,000 eateries, but often at old favorites--Coq au Vin, Maison & Jardin, Enzo's on the Lake and Linda's La Cantina--or at Peter Scott's, the new suburban super club where they can dine and dance. Manuel's on the 28th in downtown Orlando and Victoria & Albert's at Walt Disney World received coveted Golden Spoon awards from Florida Trend in 1997. On the magazine's list of 1997's best new restaurants are Nicole St. Pierre in Maitland and Flying Fish Cafe at Disney's BoardWalk Resort.

College Scene

The University of Central Florida (UCF) offers a four-year undergraduate program to more than 22,000 undergraduates; another 6,000 enroll in advance-degree programs. UCF, part of the state's 10-school university system, excels in computer science and engineering and laser-optics, but provides a broad range of educational programs from which its 28,000-plus students may select their majors. Rollins College, a private, four-year institution in Winter Park, enrolls a total of 3,356 students -- 2,013 full-time and 1,343 part-time students -- in its undergraduate school, its popular and high-quality Hamilton Holt School that serves working adults and other non-traditional students with undergraduate and graduate programs, and the MBA graduate program offered by the Crummer Graduate School of Business. A propriety business and career school, Orlando College, enrolls about 1,500. About 750 attend Full Sail Center for the Recording Arts in Winter Park, which specializes in two-year programs--at about $20,000 a year--that train people to become pros in audio engineering and film and video production. Served by two community colleges, Valencia Community College (VCC) with several campuses and Seminole Community College (SCC) with a south Sanford location and plans for a second campus, Central Florida is blessed with hundreds of class offerings for full-time enrollees doing their first two years of college in the community and for part-time and adult education students as well. SCC serves approximately 6,500 full-timers but enrolls a total approaching 30,000 for at least one class during the average year. VCC's enrollment hovers at nearly 25,000 full-time students, but annual enrollment approaches 60,000 people involved in at least one VCC class.

Just for Seniors

Most Central Florida seniors live active, productive lives. Community service, volunteer jobs and church or club-sponsored events keep the 60-plus crowd entertained. For those who are isolated or at risk nutritionally, senior centers and congregate meal sites are scattered across Orange and Seminole counties. Anyone of any economic level is eligible for assessment, but interested seniors need to apply or have their families help them apply because their social or nutritional need must be established. In addition, six venues in Orange--including Alzheimer's Respite Care--and three in Seminole provide adult day care, usually for a fee. In Orlando, the Senior Resource Alliance and the city's firefighters established ElderLinks to assist the isolated elderly remain independent and living in their own homes whenever possible.