Why Orlando?! Central Florida Real Estate, location, location, location.

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “Orlando”? For most people, “Orlando” conjures images of smiling cartoon characters, roller coasters and mini golf. And while these are extremely tempting draws, they don’t even begin to cover the benefits of living in Central Florida. Living in Orlando is truly like living on vacation, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. With proximity to places like Daytona and Tampa, Orlando affords you access to the best of both Florida coasts. The hardest choice will most likely be which coast is best!

On one hand, you have the culturally diverse and vibrant city of Tampa, Florida. Tampa sits on the West coast of Florida and is less than an hour and a half from the heart of Orlando. In Tampa, you not only have a number of beaches but also a number of types of beaches. Tampa features two bays not far from the downtown area that boasts with amazing beaches, snorkeling, fishing and water sports. This means days can be spent swimming and playing at the beach or on the water and nights can be spent enjoying the amazing Tampa nightlife. Also only a short drive from downtown are the St. Petersburg and Clearwater beaches, which are specifically known for their white, soft sand. When planning a trip to Tampa, you’ll find that there are a vast number of hotel and resort choices, most of which offer direct beach access!

Downtown Tampa is also known as a center of culture and learning, because of the fascinating history of the area as well as the numerous museums that tell that history. Ybor City is known as the hub of Cuban-American history, as the famous Cuban hero, José Martí came to Tampa where he was inspired by the Cuban immigrants living there in the late 1800s. Martí came back to Cuba and fought for Cuban independence from Spain. Martí is immortalized throughout Ybor City, otherwise known as the Cuban-American hub in Tampa. There is even a park dedicated to the Cuban nationalist with a statue whose hand is reaching out, as if to welcome the Cuban community to Tampa. Ybor City is a must for anyone looking to learn more about history and the rich culture in Tampa.

Tampa houses a number of historical museums, including the Tampa Bay History Center, the Henry B. Plant Museum, the Ybor City State Museum and the Cracker Country Museum. Fans of Salvador Dalí will also delight in a trip to Tampa, as it is home to the Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg. The Dalí Museum houses the largest collection of the artist’s work outside of Europe, and constantly has exhibits that display works of other artists that overlap with Dalí’s work. In the past, the Dalí Museum has exhibited works by Frida Kahlo, Francisco de Goya, and Rene Magritte. The Dalí Museum joins in the numerous art museums of Tampa, including the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, the Tampa Museum of Art, and CASS Contemporary.

While Tampa is a fierce competitor in the Best Coast competition, Daytona and nearby areas like Cocoa Beach and Port Canaveral rise to the challenge. Daytona is another coastal town, known for its incredible beaches. It is hard not to have a good time in Daytona, with beautiful sandy beaches, dozens of restaurants, bars, distance to NASA, the space coast, and other incredible outdoor activities. While Daytona is known as the hub for Spring Break partiers, the party continues year round for anyone that wants to visit, making it the perfect spot for staycations for Orlandoans. In fact, Daytona offers several water activities, including both deep sea fishing and in-shore fishing, pleasure boating, paddle boarding, parasailing, kayaking or even cruising at Port Canaveral with one of the cruise liners like Carnival or Disney. Whether you hop a ride on a banana boat or rent a bike on one of the many Daytona bike paths, or snorkeling in the crystal clear waters of the Atlantic, there’s no end to the fun that can be had in Daytona.

Daytona is also home to the Daytona International Speedway, which hosts the annual Daytona 500, a NASCAR race series. While living in Central Florida makes attending the Daytona 500 easy, the Daytona International Speedway also hosts events and tours all year long! The All Access or VIP Speedway Track Tour takes NASCAR fans behind the scenes of the biggest race of the year. The Motorsports Hall of Fame also offers NASCAR fans another look into the history of their favorite sport. Daytona is also known as the birthplace of Speed Park, or the first ever automobile race. Speed Parks offers close proximity to the beach and a lovely picnic area.

While Orlando itself holds a myriad of attractions, its central location offers a number of possible staycations for local residents. Being in the middle of both coasts, you never have to choose between the east and west, which is lucky for you because it seems like an impossible choice! Whether you like beaches, water sports, fishing, or just exploring Orlando puts you in the middle of all the attractions of Florida. So, when you make the Florida choice, look at Orlando and call an experienced Realtor to help you find the best communities around the Orlando area. Mike Spicer knows Winter Garden & Windermere which make up the Horizon West community, he also knows Lake Nona, Hunters Creek, St Cloud, Kissimmee, the city of Orlando and so many other areas that are close to both coasts. Feel free to contact him directly anytime to discuss where you want to live.

Mike Spicer An official Agent of Excellence, is a local Realtor, lives, works and enjoys Horizon West daily. If you ever have questions about the neighborhoods, the parks, or homes in the area feel free to reach out to Mike directly he would love to help. This blog written by, the Michael Spicer, P.A. Team.

Michael Spicer, P.A.

Associate Broker

Keller Williams Realty at the Lakes

407-705-2232

Mike@MikeSpicer.com