About Orlando
The city of Orlando is the county seat of Orange County, Florida. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 185,951 (metropolitan area 1,644,561). A 2005 U.S. Census Estimates population count gave the city population was 304,985 (metropolitan area 1,933,255). It is the sixth-largest city in Florida, and its largest inland city. It is also at the head of the Orlando-Kissimmee, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Orlando-Kissimmee MSA is Florida’s third-largest metropolitan area, behind Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater. Additionally, Orlando is home to the second largest university in Florida, the University of Central Florida.
The city is best known for the many tourist attractions in the area, particularly the nearby Walt Disney World Resort, which is in the Reedy Creek Improvement District (outside Orlando city limits). Other area attractions include SeaWorld and Universal Orlando Resort. Despite being far from the main tourist attractions, downtown Orlando has recently seen much redevelopment, with many more projects currently under construction or planned. Orlando sees an estimated 52 million tourists a year. Orlando is the 2nd largest city in the country for number of hotel rooms.
The city’s nickname is “The City Beautiful”, though plans are underway to change this title through a local contest. Its symbol is the fountain of Lake Eola. The current mayor is Buddy Dyer.
Neighborhoods
The city of Orlando has 115 neighborhoods in the city limits, some of which are:
* Airport North
* Audubon Park
* Avalon Park
* Azalea Park
* Baldwin Park
* Callahan
* Catalina
* Carver Shores
* Central Business District
* Cherokee Park
* College Park
* Colonialtown North
* Colonialtown South
* Conway
* Coytown
* Crescent Park
* Delaney Park
* Dover Shores East
* Goldenrod
* Royal Manor Estates
* EastWood
* Florida Center
* Florida Center North
* Lake Cherokee Historic District
* Lake Davis/Greenwood
* Lake Eola Heights
* Lake Formosa
* Lake Lawsona
* Lake Nona
* Metro North
* Metrowest
* Millennia
* North Orange
* Osprey Ridge
* Park Central
* Park Lake Highland
* Park Manor
* Parramore
* Rosemont
* Randall/Johnson
* Richmond Heights
* Rio Pinar
* Roosevelt Park
* Siobhan Park
* South Orange
* Southwest
* Stoneybrook
* Thornton Park
* Union Park
* University Heights
* Washington Shores
* Waterford Lakes
* Waterford Chase
* West Colonial
* Woodside Village
Education
Public education is handled by Orange County Public Schools. Some of the larger private schools include Trinity Preparatory School, Lake Highland Preparatory School, Bishop Moore High School, New School of Orlando, Orlando Christian Academy, and Forest Lake Academy.
Area institutions of higher education
* Asbury Theological Seminary, Orlando (Dunnam) Campus
* Barry University’s law school
* Brevard Community College (in nearby Brevard County)
* DeVry University, Orlando campus
* Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
* Florida A&M University’s law school
* Florida Institute of Technology, Orlando campus
* Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences
* Florida Metropolitan University, Orlando campus
* Full Sail Real World Education (in Winter Park)
* Hindu University of America
* International Academy of Design and Technology
* Nova Southeastern University, Orlando campus
* Keiser College, Orlando Campus
* Orlando Culinary Academy, (a Le Cordon Bleu school)
* Paul Mitchell the School Orlando [Casselberry, Florida]
* Polytechnic University, Orlando Campus
* Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando campus
* Rollins College (in Winter Park)
* Seminole Community College (in Sanford)
* Stetson University (in Deland)
* University of Central Florida
* University of Florida’s College of Pharmacy (in Apopka, Florida)
* University of Phoenix, Orlando campus
* Valencia Community College