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Thursday, December 15, 2022

What to Know About Living in Winter Park, FL

Winter Park, Florida

What to Know About Living in Winter Park, FL

Imagine a town surrounded by freshwater lakes, ancient moss-draped oaks, and pine forests. To see this in person, you’ll need to visit Winter Park, FL, a town frequently cited as one of the coolest and best places to live in the Orlando Metro. Its beautiful scenery, an abundance of open spaces, and cultural offerings make it easy to understand why people choose Winter Park as their home!

Locals are very particular that you don’t confuse this suburb with Orlando and its theme parks. Winter Park has a character very different from most theme park cities, which is evident in its architecture, suburban feel, and waterfront living. For those looking to live in Winter Park, the many real estate options cater to all kinds of lifestyles, from the executive to the college student.

Let’s explore what makes living in Winter Park so attractive and learn about its real estate market.

Why live in Winter Park?

Beautiful place in Winter Park Florida

Winter Park has a distinct vibe in a city brimming with vacation condos and master-planned suburbs. The city’s picturesque tree-lined streets and historic buildings contribute to its old Florida charm. So does the parks and recreation system, which offers 11 parks from one acre to over 66. The department was a National Gold Medal finalist in 2013, recognizing its exceptional management.

Enjoying the outdoors is a big part of living in Winter Park. Central Park, one of the city’s great parks, offers residents year-round sunshine and plenty of opportunities for activities like dog walking and jogging. Both humans and dogs love Lake Baldwin Dog Park, while the community playground is a haven for families thanks to its sprawling set of features guaranteed to keep kids occupied for hours.

The Winter Park Sidewalk Arts Festival is one of the oldest outdoor art festivals in the country. The event is held every spring and features a juried exhibition of over 250 local, national, and international artists.

The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art and the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens are two great art museums in Winter Park. The former showcases glass art by Louis Comfort Tiffany, while the latter is home to works of the notable Czech-American artist.

The strong arts and culture scene are part of what makes Winter Park unique. Park Avenue has many art galleries and boutique shops. Winter Park has a playhouse and the Bach Festival Society for Classical Music.

Don’t forget that Winter Park is only a few minutes away from downtown Orlando with numerous attractions and amenities. You have all the shopping, dining, entertainment, cultural events, and more at your fingertips while living in a charming, old Florida-style atmosphere.

What is the Winter Park, Florida, real estate market like?

Real Estate market in Winter Park Florida

Winter Park is home to some of the most stunning residences in central Florida. Many of the buildings in Winter Park sport a Spanish and Mediterranean style, but plenty of traditional American-style homes are found throughout the area. With options ranging from luxurious lakefront estates to humble bungalows, there truly is something for everyone in this vibrant community.

The many lakes in Winter Park are one of the area’s most popular features, and many homes are within walking distance or a very short drive from them.

Winter Park’s December 2022 real estate market had 329 homes for sale with a median sale price of $493,600. The median price per square foot was $301. The prices ranged from $105,000 for a studio condo to $16 million for a four-acre estate home with over 12,000 sq ft on four acres. Home prices were up 12% year-over-year.

Are there condos and townhomes for sale in Winter Park?

Condo Homes in Winter Park Florida

Being near the urban Orlando Center, Winter Park has an abundant selection of condos and townhomes in various styles for you to choose from. The town has its own college, too, which adds to the interest in condo living.

December 2022 has 95 available on the market. The most expensive was listed at $1.6 million for a three-bedroom, three-bathroom unit with access to Lake Virginia. The most affordable was $105,000 for a studio condo with 756 sq ft.

Are there waterfront homes in Winter Park?

The Winter Park chain of lakes is a series of six interconnected lakes you can navigate through narrow canals. These include lake Virginia, Osceola, Mizell, Maitland, Nina, and Minnehaha. The lakes are a popular destination for kayaking, water skiing, fishing, and boating.

For residents looking at Winter Park, you can find a waterfront home with stunning lakefront views and boat slips. December 2022 had 21 homes with some form of waterfront. They included single-family real estate, as well as condos and townhomes.

The most affordable listing with a waterfront was a $260,000 condo with over 1,000 sq ft. The most expensive was waterfront on Lake Virginia, listed at $16 million on four acres with over 12,000 sq ft.

Are there golf course communities in Winter Park?

Winter Park Florida Golf Course

While not a formal or gated community, the Golfside neighborhood beside the Winter Park Pines Golf Club was developed as a golf course community in the 1970s and 1980s. The tree-lined streets and mature landscaping add to the community’s character. Golfside Villas provide condo-living options, while other homes are single-family.

What are the property taxes in Winter Park?

Florida has a more complicated property tax structure that you can learn about here. Orange County administers and levies taxes for Winter Park residents. The 2022 property tax rate for a Winter Park home was 15.4511 mils. The county offers a 4% discount for paying early in November and drops the discount by 1% each month until March 1.

What is the cost of living in Winter Park?

a man using his calculator for monthly bills and cost of living

Living in Winter Park is slightly more expensive than the national average. This is due to high housing, grocery prices, and higher-than-average taxes. The cost of living index for the city is 110, which means it’s 10% higher than the United States average and 7% higher than the Florida average.

Housing costs are considerably higher in Winter Park by about 25%. All expenditures are slightly above average, a testament to the suburb’s desirability amongst Orlando area residents.

Is Winter Park growing?

Winter Park’s population was estimated to be around 30,000 in 2020, increasing slightly since 2010. The city is constrained in its available land for development and housing, so chances of significant population growth are slim.

What is golf like in Winter Park?

Winter Park has a few great courses to play in the city limits. The Winter Park Pines Golf Club offers a par 67 18-hole course and driving range with spectacular city views.

For a quick game, try the nine-hole public course built in 1914. The city manages the Winter Park Golf Course, which is surrounded by the community and the Casa Feliz Historic Home.

Private courses are available, like the Interlachen Country Club, for members only. Joe Lee designed the original championship course which was modified by Steve Smyers in 2007. The scenic course makes use of bunkers and numerous water features.

What is near Winter Park, FL?

Rollins College sits shoreside to Lake Virginia. This small private university is the fourth-oldest college in Florida, founded in 1885, and one of the most prestigious liberal arts private colleges in the nation. The 80-acre campus features Mediterranean architecture.

The UCF College of Medicine is within 15 minutes of Winter Park, providing plenty of higher education opportunities.

The Mead Botanical Gardens on Lake Sue is a tranquil green space with rentable facilities and 47 pristine acres.

Many Orlando suburbs and neighborhoods border Winter Park, including popular neighborhoods like Baldwin Park and Audubon Park. Maitland and Eatonville are on the north, and Aloma is on the east.

You can’t mention living near Orlando without its theme park attractions like Disney World, Universal Studios, and SeaWorld. The city is easily accessible from major highways like I-4 and 408.

Living in Winter Park

The City of Winter Park has a lot to offer, from waterfront real estate to higher education and a large art scene. With its abundance of outdoor spaces, museums, and boutiques, you can live in the heart of Florida without sacrificing your creature comforts. Plus, you’ll be close to nearby Orlando attractions, making the city even more desirable. Come explore all the possibilities of living in Winter Park.

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Preston Guyton

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