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Winter Park is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. The
population was 24,090 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's
2005 estimates, the city had a population of 28,179. The city is home to Rollins
College, the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art with its collection of
Tiffany glass, and Full Sail Real World Education.
Winter Park was founded as a resort destination by wealthy New England
Industrialists before the turn of the 20th century. It is well known for being
the first centrally planned community in Florida; its main street includes not
only public civic buildings and retail, but also art galleries, a liberal arts
college, museums, a park, a train station, a golf course country club, a
historic cemetery, and a beach and boat launch. Winter Park is celebrated for
its sense of place and history, rare in Central Florida. Many structures are
more than 100 years old. In addition to the scenic beauty of its lakes, brick
avenues, and oak and camphor canopy, Winter Park draws thousands of visitors to
annual festivals including the Bach Festival, the nationally ranked Sidewalk Art
Festival, and the Winter Park Concours d'Elegance.
Geography
Winter Park is located at 28°35′46″N, 81°20′48″W (28.596231, -81.346531)GR1. The
city is northeast of and adjacent to Orlando. Elevation ranges between 66 and 97
feet above sea level.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22.4
km˛ (8.6 mi˛). 19.0 km˛ (7.3 mi˛) of it is land and 3.4 km˛ (1.3 mi˛) of it
(15.14%) is water.
The City of Winter Park is nestled among the Winter Park Chain of Lakes, a
series of aquifer fed lakes interconnected by a series of navigable canals,
which were originally created for flood control and to run logs to a sawmill on
present day Lake Virginia. The lakes are popular for boating, watersports,
fishing, and swimming.
The city is traversed by the old Orlando-Oviedo ("Dinky Line") railroad bed,
which until the 1960s had a stop at Lake Virgina/Rollins College at the city
park now known as "Dinky Dock." Much of this right of way has been converted to
a rail-to-trail pedestrian/biking path - in the form of the Cady Way Trail,
which leads from yet another park toward Baldwin Park and Downtown Orlando, and
in the opposite direction to Oviedo and beyond (via the Florida trail) thanks to
a new pedestrian bridge spanning Semoran Boulevard in Orange County.
Due to its close proximity of Orlando, Winter Park is a city which many
commuters traverse to access Downtown Orlando. These commuters come from
outlying suburban areas such as, Oviedo, FL, Winter Springs, FL, Maitland, FL,
Altamonte Springs, FL, Casselberry, FL, and others. The City of Winter Park has
combated speeding and aggressive driving in its downtown core and residential
areas by lowering speed limits to 20 MPH in some areas, adding textured
traffic-calming brick roads, and aggressively enforcing the law within the city
limits. These measures have created some traffic congestion but preserve the
quality of life for residents and encourage pass-thru commuters to seek
alternate, more appropriate high-speed routes to Downtown (such as SR436/Semoran
Blvd, Lake Howell Road, US17-92/Orlando Ave, Interstate 4, and the 408/East West
Expressway and 417/Greeneway toll roads).[citation needed]
Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 24,090 people, 10,722 households, and
5,864 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,267.2/km˛
(3,281.6/mi˛). There were 11,431 housing units at an average density of
601.3/km˛ (1,557.1/mi˛). The racial makeup of the city was 85.90% White, 10.52%
African American, 0.16% Native American, 1.32% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander,
0.94% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of
any race were 4.31% of the population.
There were 10,722 households out of which 21.5% had children under the age of 18
living with them, 43.2% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female
householder with no husband present, and 45.3% were non-families. 38.4% of all
households were made up of individuals and 18.6% had someone living alone who
was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the
average family size was 2.80.
In the city the population was spread out with 18.5% under the age of 18, 9.7%
from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 22.9% who were 65
years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there
were 83.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $48,884, and the median income
for a family was $73,697. Males had a median income of $50,975 versus $32,066
for females. The per capita income for the city was $38,791. About 5.0% of
families and 7.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.0%
of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.
Due to its heavy emphasis on the arts and its scenic charm, Winter Park has
traditonally attracted an eclectic mix of residents - wealthy Northerners,
patrons of the arts, Old Florida families, artists, students, vacationers and
idealists. In addition, some areas of Winter Park are resided by a vast majority
of wealthy families.
Famous natives of Winter Park include:
* Amanda Bearse Actress, television sitcom Married... with Children
* Gina Hecht Actress, television sitcom Mork & Mindy
* Davey Johnson Former major league second baseman, World Series-winning manager
(1986 NY Mets)
* Arielle Kebbel Actress, Gilmore Girls and American Pie: Band Camp
* Summer Phoenix Actress (also sister of River Phoenix and Joaquin Phoenix)
* Mandy Moore Actress/Singer
...and residents have spanned the likes of the Steinway piano family, actress
Annie Russell, 'Beverly Hillbillies' actor Buddy Ebsen, the owner of the Boston
Globe, the family that purchased Nantucket Island from the Native Americans,
basketball star Horace Grant, actor River Phoenix, comedian Carrot Top, tennis
great Jack Kramer, patron of the arts Marilyn Menello, philantropist Jeanette
Genius McKean, car dealer magnate Roger Holler, sculptor Albin Polasek, "Mr.
(Fred) Rogers", as well as congressmen, senators, an astronaut, a former Enron
executive, a member of pop group "N Sync, wakeboard champions, and countless
painters, photographers, writers, and scholars, as well as traditional
professionals, business owners, professors and retirees.
Educational institutions
* Lakemont Elementary School
* Crealde School of Art
* Rollins College
* Winter Park High School
* Glenridge Middle School
* Aloma Elementary School
* The Geneva School
* Trinity Preparatory School
Points of interest
* Park Avenue Shopping and Arts District
* Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens
* Casa Feliz
* Central Park
* Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art
* Cornell Fine Arts Musem
* Osceola Lodge
* Mead Gardens
* Winter Park Historical Museum
* Winter Park Farmer's Market
* Pulsifer Place
* Winter Park Country Club
* Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour
* Winter Park Village
* Hannibal Square
The Winter Park Sinkhole
In May of 1981, during a period of record-low water levels in Florida's
limestone aquifer, a massive sinkhole opened up near the corner of Denning Drive
and Fairbanks Avenue. In a single day the hole widened to 320 feet and to a
depth of 90 feet, destroying an import car dealership, a public pool, and large
portions of Denning Drive. City engineers managed to stabilize the sinkhole,
which drew national attention and became a popular tourist attraction during the
summer of 1981. A carnival-like atmosphere sprung up around the area, with
vendors selling food, balloons, and t-shirts to visitors. Eventually the novelty
wore off as the city repaired the damage and turned the sinkhole into a man-made
lake, seen in this aerial view.
The Langford Resort Hotel
The Langford Hotel (opened 1955, closed 1999), was the first enclosed, air
conditioned luxury resort hotel in 20th century Central Florida, predating the
resorts of the Disney area by nearly 20 years. The Langford, with its famous
themed rooms, backlit-in-red grotto bar, Empire Room dining, heated original
pool, and Chinese pagoda spa served as a gateway to 'Old Florida' attractions in
Central Florida and a community social hub for decades.
Famous guests included Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Larry King, Hugh
Hefner, John Denver, Langford winter resident Ladybird Johnson, and President
Ronald and Nancy Reagan, who celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary there.
The Langford was toasted in one memorable last late night party in late 1999,
closed, and was demolished. A portion of the former Langford Property (as of
late 2006) has been developed into luxury mid-rise condominiums. The remaining
parcel is now vacant and for sale.