Orlando, Florida
Not Just Mickey Mouse's Home

HOW TO FIND ORLANDO, FLORIDA

When Walt Disney was looking at places in the 1960's for his new theme park, he observed that Orlando, Florida is in the center of the state and served by major highways.

This is still true all these years later, even more so.

The city is at the intersection of I-4 and the Florida Turnpike, and is surrounded by one of the country's greatest toll systems.

Other major roads that go through town are US-17, US-92, SR-50 and US-441.

HISTORY OF ORLANDO, FLORIDA

It has saddened me for years that most of the millions of tourists who visit central Florida's theme parks each year have never seen the real Orlando.

Walt Disney World, for example, is almost 20 miles west of downtown Orlando.

International Drive, Lake Buena Vista, Osceola County and the area around the theme parks has expanded to serve the tourists. But it is not the real Orlando, Florida.

The U.S. Army built Fort Gatlin southeast of present day downtown Orlando to protect settlers from the Indians.

By 1840, a small settlement known as Jernigan had grown up around the Fort. The name came from the Jernigan family, early settlers in the area.

By 1850, Jernigan had a post office.

By 1856 the community had expanded northward, and changed its name to Orlando. In 1857, the U.S. Post Office adopted the name change.

The Town of Orlando was incorporated in 1875 with 85 residents, 22 of whom were qualified voters.

Now for the part of Orlando's history that is still cloudy: where did the name come from?

There are at least five versions that I know of about how the town became known as Orlando.

Orlando citizens have their own favorite version.

Having lived in Orlando for many years, I like the one about the planter Orlando Reeves who carved his name on a tree.

The story of Orlando since the end of the Seminole Wars has been one of pretty steady growth.

Shortly before the Civil War, Orlando became the seat of newly created Orange County. It was a quiet country town during the war, but had a population explosion in the years from 1875 to 1895.

In that 20 year period, Orlando became the center of Florida's citrus industry.

The "Great Freeze" of 1894-1895 forced many small owners to give up their groves. Owners of bigger groves added to their holdings, and they became "citrus barons".

Many of them bought land and expanded their operations south of Orlando in the area around Lake Wales.

The Town of Frostproof south of Lake Wales did not get its name by accident.

Orlando, as Florida's largest inland city, became a popular resort during the years between the Spanish-American War and World War One.

The Florida Land Boom also affected Orlando in the 1920's. Land prices skyrocketed.

Many magnificent tourist facilities, such as the elegant San Juan Hotel, were built during these heady years.

During this period many neighborhoods near downtown Orlando were developed. The many small bungalows that still exist in these areas are part of Orlando's charm.

During World War Two, many Army personnel were stationed in Orlando. Many of them stayed after the war was over to settle down and raise families.

In 1956, Martin Marietta (now Lockheed Martin), built a major aerospace defense plant south of Orlando on Kirkman Road.

It became a major employer in the Orlando area.

In addition to jobs at Martin Marietta, Orlando is close enough to Patrick Air Force Base, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and Kennedy Space Center for residents to commute to work from Orlando's eastern suburbs.

The Beachline Expressway allows easy access to Port Canaveral, an important cruise ship terminal.

Because of its proximity to the Space Coast near the Kennedy Space Center, many high-tech companies have shifted to the Orlando area.

The biggest thing that ever happened to Orlando, however, was when Walt Disney announced in 1965 that he was going to build Walt Disney World near Orlando.

Walt Disney World opened in October 1971.

Tourism rather than high-tech industry and agriculture became the majority of Orlando's economy.

The population has exploded since then, and there are now probably as many tourism industry service jobs than high tech jobs.

Orlando now has more theme parks and entertainment attractions than anyplace else in the world.

What was a sleepy small town airport shared with McCoy Air Force Base is now the giant Orlando International Airport.

When Walt Disney World was being built, the tallest building in Orlando was the 10 story Angebilt Hotel. Now there are buildings as tall as 35 stories downtown.

It is a city bejeweled by lakes. The street grid pattern is constantly meandering around lakes.

The streets are lined and canopied with ancient oaks draped with Spanish moss.

A GPS in Orlando is useful if you know the address of your destination. If not, just enjoy the scenic ride.

Orange Avenue is the beautiful main north-south drag in Orlando.

It starts in the rural areas south of town near Taft and passes through the busy downtown business district on its way to Winter Park.

Many of the neighborhoods surrounding downtown Orlando were created during the 1920's land boom.

Most of these areas have been "gentrified" with wonderful streetscaping.

Private residents have restored many of the houses, and these neighborhoods are great places to live and visit.

College Park, Delaney Park,Lake Eola Heights, Lancaster Park, Thornton Park and Orwin Manor are just a few of these lovely communities.

Another oasis is Lake Eola in the center of downtown Orlando. This lake and its beautiful surrounding public park have always been a part of City's culture.

A beautiful fountain in the center of the lake is lighted at night, and a bandshell offers a venue for musical concerts.

Orlando's slogan before Disney was "Orlando, The City Beautiful".

It still resonates today.

The major concentration of hotels in Orlando is around Walt Disney World, SeaWorld and Universal Studios. Those are fine places to stay if you are visiting the theme parks.

I will tell you about some nice places to stay in Orlando that are a bit removed from the parks and their activity.

1. Grand Bohemian Hotel. This is a small five star experience in the heart of downtown Orlando. It is within walking distance of all downtown attractions, and a place to stay if you want to be pampered. 325 S. Orange Ave., Orlando, Florida 32801. Tel: 407-313-9000.
2. Embassy Suites Orlando Downtown. Very nice place, not as pricey as the Grand Bohemian but right in the heart of downtown. 191 East Pine Street, Orlando, Florida 32801. Tel: 407-841-1000.
3. Park Plaza Hotel. Okay, I know Winter Park is a separate town from Orlando, but it is close by. I love this little 28 room hotel. It is full of antiques and 1920's charm. When I worked at Universal Studios, our California executives loved this place. 307 Park Avenue South Winter Park, Florida 32789. Tel: 407-647-1072.
4. The Courtyard At Lake Lucerne. On the edge of downtown, quiet neighborhood. A couple of buildings with a total of 30 rooms. Some are in the former mansion of Dr. Philip Phillips, an Orlando legend. He was one of Florida's biggest citrus barons, and a world class philanthropist. 211 North Lucerne Circle East, Orlando, Florida 32801. Tel: 407-648-5188. Book this B&B or others in Orlando now! Click Here

ORLANDO, FLORIDA RESTAURANTS

There are many fine restaurants at or near the major Orlando theme park. On this website, however, I will tell you about some of the lesser known but popular Orlando restaurants.

If you happen to be a member of Club Corp, the Citrus Club in Orlando is, in my opinion, one of the best restaurants in town. It is a private club, or I would have it listed below with my favorite Orlando restaurants.

1. Dexter's Thornton Park. Pleny of beautiful people to watch. Great food and drinks. 808 Washington Street, Orlando, Florida 32801. Tel: 407-648-2777.
2. Linda's La Cantina. This local favorite has been around since 1947. When I lived in Orlando, it was called Al and Linda's. They got divorced and it became Linda's. Although Linda has retired, the steaks are still great. 4721 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando, Florida 32803. Tel: 407-894-4491.
3. Cedars Restaurant. My favorite ethnic restaurant in Orlando. In the Dr. Phillips part of town. Mediterranean with all the Lebanese goodies like shish kabob and more. 7732 W Sand Lake Rd, Orlando, Florida 32819. Tel: 407-351-6000.
4. Hamburger Marys. For years locals got in the habit of avoiding tourist oriented Church Street. This place is luring them back. Marys has great big burgers, well prepared and delicious. Friendly staff and attractive decor. In the heart of downtown. 110 Church Street, Orlando, Florida 32801. Tel: 321-319-0600.

ORLANDO, FLORIDA ATTRACTIONS

Other websites can tell you everything you need to know about Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, SeaWorld and the other major Central Florida tourist attractions.

I will focus instead on a few Orlando places that the average tourist will never see.

1. Harry P. Leu Gardens. This is a wonderful place to get back to nature. It has a formal rose garden, a butterfly garden, herb and vegetable garden, and plenty of camellias and azaleas. Harry P. Leu's historic home is also available for tours. Harry was a successful Orlando businessman. 1920 N. Forest Ave., Orlando, Florida 32803. Tel: 407-246-2620.
2. Orlando Museum of Art. Tremendous collections of African art and art of the ancient Americas, along with modern American art by artists such as John Singer Sargent, Georgia O'Keeffe, Ansel Adams, Robert Rauschenberg and others. 2416 N Mills Ave, Orlando, Florida 32803. Tel: 407-896-4231.
3. Orlando Science Center. The Orlando Science Center is a favorite of local kids. It encourages curiosity, innovation and discovery. It pulls together all of Central Florida's cultures through participative programs that foster an appreciation for the importance of science and technology to our way of life. It does this by being fun. 777 East Princeton St., Orlando, Florida 32803. Tel: 407-514-2000.
4. Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre. This is a theater and concert hall with continental style seating for more than 2500 people. Many events take place here during the year. Among these are traveling Broadway shows, symphony concerts, ballet presentations and big time entertainers like Tony Bennett. Check to see what is happening in this downtown gem. Contact Orlando Venues, 600 West Amelia Street, Orlando, Florida 32801. Tel: 407-849-2000.

Orlando Venues is a city organization that can also give you information about Amway Arena, Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium, Tinker Field, Leu Gardens, Mennello Museum and the various displays of public art in Orlando.

Several interesting photo and postcard books are available at Orlando at Amazon.com

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