Winter Park
Established on July 4, 1881 as a resort community, the City of Winter Park has was founded in 1882 and has since evolved to become one of Central Florida’s most beautiful and desirable locations.
The Winter Park Chain-of-Lakes covers 2,781 acres and consists of five lakes: Lake Virginia, Lake Osceola, Lake Maitland, Lake Mizell, and Lake Minnehaha. These five lakes are all interconnected with deep, narrow channels, allowing for navigation between lakes. The surrounding shores also feature some of the most exclusive residential estates in all of Florida. The best way to tour the lakes is paddling around by kayak, but if you are looking for something a little bit less athletic and a little more romantic, the Scenic Boat Tour is the next best thing.
Park Avenue in downtown Winter Park is home to many of the world’s most luxurious retailers, many fine dining establishments and sidewalk eateries and art boutiques galore. The Winter Park Art Festival is held here each year with works created by artists across the globe and in virtually every medium imaginable on display and available for purchase.
Casa Feliz or “Happy House” in Spanish, is the signature residential work of famed architect James Roger Gamble II. Built during the Great Depression for a cost of $28,000, the house was Rogers' only project at the time. He set up his drawing board on site, rolling up his shirt sleeves to help with the carpentry and masonry. In the year 2000, when the property faced the threat of demolition, more than $1.2 million was raised in private donations to save and restore the home. The first step was to move the house across Interlachen Avenue to its present location on the Winter Park Golf Course. The event became a media spectacle, as the 750 ton behemoth, balanced on 20 pneumatically leveled dollies, rode the 300 yards to its new home. Once the house was positioned in its new location, restoration began. Highly skilled craftsmen and artisans worked to restore the house to its original design. Copies of Rogers' original drawings and interior photographs taken in the 1930s by Harold Haliday Costain were used to ensure authenticity. Today, Casa Feliz serves the community as a historic home museum and rental location for private parties, weddings, and business events.
Art Galleries & Museums:
The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum: features the world’s largest collection of artwork by Louis Comfort Tiffany. www.MorseMuseum.org
The Cornell Fine Arts Museum: located on the Rollins College Campus and is recognized for its diverse and socially relevant exhibits featuring both local and international artists. https://rollins.edu/cornell-fine-arts-museum/
The Ocean Blue Gallery: founded by Guy Vincent and Jay Shaffer with locations in Winter Park, St. Petersburg & Tampa Bay with original artworks by Jim Carrey, Dr. Seuss and many other amazing artists. https://www.oceanblue.gallery/
Schools & Universities:
Rollins College: one of the premier liberal arts colleges in the country with famous alumni that includes actor Anthony Perkins, actor “Buddy” Ebsen, child show host Fred “Mister” Rogers and Nobel Prize winner Donald J. Cram www.Rollins.edu
Full Sail University: Founded in 1979 and originally specialized in providing audio engineering and recording arts degrees. Now, this internationally recognized university provides students from around the world degrees in Art & Design, Film & Television, Gaming, Media & Communication. www.FullSail.edu
Winter Park High School: Go Wildcats! WPHS is consistently ranked as one of Central Florida’s top public high schools both academically and athletically. www.WinterParkHS.ocps.net
If you are looking for a great community located in a city close to Orlando with a diverse & eclectic character, natural beauty, excellent schools, fantastic shopping and endless amounts of fine and casual dining, it’s hard to find a city better than Winter Park.
For more information about selling your house, buying your new home or investing in Central Florida’s amazing real estate market, please contact me today.