Let Everyone Know - I Give Living Here Five Stars

For many, Orlando is the place where you vacation, not live. However, this city, located in the central region of Florida, offers a vibrant tech community, plenty of outdoor activities, and some of the best schools in the country. And, of course, there is the weather.

Locals enjoy more than just the theme parks year-round. Orlando offers a little bit of everything for every member of the family. There are trails to explore, lakes to fish in most neighborhoods, and no state taxes. What’s not to love? And if you are all about the theme parks, as a resident, you get a discount. 

Local Guide to Neighborhoods That Make Orlando the City Beautiful

I’m Darla, your ApartmentHomeLiving.com Local Expert for Orlando, Florida. I first moved to Orlando in 1996. While on vacation here with some friends, I was so taken by the atmosphere that I moved my whole family.

Of course, Orlando is known for its fabulous theme parks, but there is much more to enjoy. It has a thriving culture with low unemployment.

Orlando is home to high-tech companies such as Lockheed Martin and Hewlett-Packard. It hosts the seventh-largest research park in the world. The Central Florida Research Park employs thousands of people. There are also thousands of restaurants, hotels, and other entertainment-related businesses that support Orlando’s travel industry.

Living in Orlando puts you in the center of a vacation mecca – the Sunshine State of Florida. You can travel to any hotspot in the state in hours. There is even a high-speed rail that takes you from Orlando to Miami.

In this guide, I will sort through my top 10 neighborhoods in the City Beautiful. We’ll talk about what life is like in each and what makes them unique.

1. Audubon Park

During my first few months in the city, I lived alone while my family stayed in New Jersey to finish the school year. During this time, I lived in Audubon Park. This allowed me to be in the center of everything that makes Orlando unique. The area is a hip section of town known for its vintage shops, craft beer, farm-ettes, and dining. You are within walking distance of just about anything you need.

Audubon Park is a practical choice for business professionals, which included me at the time. The cost of living is higher than in other areas, but the ideal location cuts down on your daily commute, which is a critical consideration in Orlando.

The major thruways like I-4 tend to have heavy traffic. Now tack on the infamous toll roads in the city, like the Florida Turnpike and the East-West Expressway, and commuting can be tricky. Ideally, you will choose a neighborhood that is close to work. Rentals in Audubon Park is your top option if you work in the business district.

2. Winter Park

Winter Park is technically a suburb of Orlando, but one that puts you close to the city's downtown area. The thing that stood out for me about Winter Park was the beauty. This is an excellent area for people to retire. There are about 50 golf courses in or around this neighborhood.

Winter Park is ideal for the outdoor lover, too. It is home to many beautiful lakes in Orlando, such as Lake Virgina.

Another thing that stands out in Winter Park is its vast artistic community. It hosts art museums and culture gardens, including The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art.

3. Baldwin Park

When I was looking for a place to live with my family in Orlando, one of the neighborhoods I researched most was Baldwin Park. It sits in the northeast portion of Orlando, right off East Colonial Dr. Lake Baldwin takes up a large part of this neighborhood, so this is the place if you love water sports.

Lake Baldwin is the place lots of middle-income families choose to live, especially ones with a parent who works downtown. There are various housing opportunities, including single-family homes, townhouses for rent as well as numerous great deals on cheap apartment buildings as well.

4. Downtown Orlando

You won’t find a more vibrant neighborhood than Downtown Orlando. It is the go-to spot for young professional couples because you are within walking distance of many businesses.

The downtown area hosts a number of major attractions, too, such as the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. It puts you a short drive away from front-row seats to see the Orlando Magic play at Amway Center.

5. Doctor Phillips

When I finally settled down with my family in Orlando, I chose the Doctor Phillips neighborhood to call home. Dr. Phillips is a family-oriented neighborhood known for its school system, walking trails, and community park. It hosts a 43-acre county park on Big Sand Lake.

Dr. Phillips is also near the family attractions that make Orlando popular, like Universal Studios and Walt Disney World. Families with year passes can get there quickly without going on I-4.

6. Vista East

Vista East is another family-oriented community with a diverse population. It is a convenient home for families whose parents need easy access to the major roads in Orlando for carpooling. It also sits near the Orlando International Airport, so travel is effortless.

Like the other family neighborhoods in Orlando, Vista East has various indoor and outdoor activities. It is home to the South Econ Community Park.

However, real estate tends to draw families to Vista East. Houses here are slightly less than in the more affluent neighborhoods like Winter Park. The downside is you are farther away from the major attractions and downtown areas, so that commutes will take longer. You do have easy access to 417 and 528, so jumping on a major thoroughfare is quick.

7. College Park

College Park sits on the southeast side of the downtown area. I always found the name confusing. It comes from the titles of the streets in the neighborhood, not its proximity to a university. Homes sit on streets with names such as Dartmouth, Princeton, and Harvard.

This area of Orlando is known for its charming bungalows on tree-lined streets. People call it a small town inside a big city because it has that feel.

Living in the College Park area puts you close to Lake Ivanhoe and Lake Silver if you need your water time. It also sits near enough to downtown to make commutes easy. That closeness also means you can enjoy the nightlife of the city and the eclectic restaurants in downtown Orlando.

8. Delaney Park

Delaney Park is your top consideration if your ideal community involves historic homes. This picturesque neighborhood is situated south of downtown and has houses built chiefly between 1920 and 1960. It is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Orlando and was founded by one of Orlando's pioneer developers, James Delaney, in the 1870s.

I always thought it was one of the most beautiful neighborhoods. My family and I loved cruising through this area, admiring the houses there, especially during the holidays. For the most part, Orlando is a modern city with new houses on every corner. Delaney Park takes you back to a time that was a bit simpler and more elegant. You’ll still find cobblestone streets in some areas.

9. Winter Garden

Winter Garden is a family neighborhood known for its award-winning schools. Situated just west of the downtown region, it offers a small-town feel with all the modern amenities you need to live a happy life.

This area is where you find the Morse Museum of American Art. It’s the place to see if you love Tiffany Glass. There is also a 22-mile paved trail for the bikers in the family. Living in Winter Garden puts you close to Lake Apopka, as well, for plenty of boating and fishing.

10. Lake Nona

Lake Nona is one of a number of trendy “planned” communities in Orlando. By planned community, I mean it didn’t evolve organically but was carefully mapped out. Because of that, it is full of cutting-edge businesses and technology. Located southeast of the airport, you’ll find sleek homes with all the amenities.

Lake Nona is home to the USTA National Campus and the infamous Wave Hotel. Families in this neighborhood enjoy the thriving town center, the Lake Nona sculpture Garden and Boxi Park, my favorite dog-friendly outdoor venue. It is an open-air entertainment spot full of restaurants and live music.