Florida Center North - Orlando, FL

The Florida Center North neighborhood of Orlando was first inhabited around 1840 by a group of settlers who claimed it from the Native Americans residing in the area. In 1875, the Gilded Era took place as the neighborhood attempted to create the epicentre of the citrus industry.

Unfortunately, central Florida became too cold in the winter and experienced a freeze, making it nearly impossible to raise the fragile fruit. Citrus farmers moved south to warmer temperatures, and the land became available

The area did not expand until 1965 when Walt Disney planned to build Walt Disney World in the nearby area, transforming the industry to tourism. The expansions of the original park and newer surrounding parks have allowed tourism to remain the top industry.

The area lacks any historical museums, or an arts scene and annual events, but a short drive to other parts of Orlando provide many cultural options.

Florida Center North maintains an endless supply of restaurants throughout the neighborhood, mostly located on Conroy Road. Many of the popular eateries include large, chain restaurants, although smaller establishments have also maintained a constant flow of customers as well. Some of the most popular chains include The Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Chang's, and Brio Tuscan Grille.

For breakfast, visitors enjoy Keke's Breakfast Cafe for the delectable waffles, pancakes, and sandwiches. Fan favorites include the Banana Split Waffle piled high with strawberries, chocolate syrup and whipped cream or the Pina Colada Stuffed French Toast.

Barbecue enthusiasts can rejoice at Bubbalou's Bodacious BBQ, which has won numerous awards for best BBQ in the area, and serves a variety of meat and sauces to choose from.

Nightlife in Florida Center North centers around Blue Martini located at the Mall at Millenia. With specialty martinis, the deck at the Blue Martini constantly remains packed during happy hour and can be a great starting place for a night out with friends.

For more extensive nightlife, most residents travel to nearby downtown Orlando or the nightclubs and bars at adjacent Universal Citywalk. Just a short drive to the other side of the neighborhood, Universal Citywalk allows visitors to take their pick from the multitude of themed bars and restaurants including Pat O'Brien's Mardis Gras Bar or Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville.

For locals, driving remains the most popular way to travel throughout the Florida Center North neighborhood. Residents advise against bicycles due to safety concerns with excessive traffic and busy roadways.

Uber provides option for many locals and tourists, providing competitive fares throughout the neighborhood, or standard taxis can be utilized through one of the many local companies by calling and requesting one.

Public parking remains available and free at most locations. When visiting Universal, guests can expect to pay upwards of $15 to park for the day, or even if just visiting Citywalk for dinner. The major highway of Interstate 4 runs directly through Florida Center North and provides excellent access to downtown Orlando, and even extends west to St. Petersburg or east to Daytona Beach. Traffic on the interstate usually flows freely except during peak times of day between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., at which point travelers can expect to sit in traffic for quite some time.

The Orlando public bus system, known as the Lynx, also provides reliable transportation in the neighborhood. For those without a car, the SunRail provides a passenger train from Florida Central into other parts of Orlando, nearby Sanford and DeBary, affording an excellent option for those commuting to work in different parts of the area.

When speaking of parks in the Florida Center North area, large man-made theme parks come to mind. Due to the expansive commercialization, the neighborhood lacks any truly traditional parks for picnics and relaxation. Some of the residential subdivisions and apartment complexes do have small playgrounds with community pools available for residents and their guests. These areas remain kid-friendly, but each subdivision rules separately on pet policies. Exercise-centric parks are also lacking in availability, and most residents focus on exercise at the gym or throughout neighborhood streets.

With its lack of traditional parks, Florida Center North certainly makes up for it with its theme parks. Universal Studios takes over the land with their three distinct parks: Islands of Adventure, Universal Orlando and Universal Citywalk. Each park holds attractions to fit each person of the family, whether a thrill-seeker or small child. Patrons visit from all over the world to experience these magical parks full of thrilling rides, stunning special effects and memories not soon forgotten. Entry can be pricey with admission averaging around $100 per person per park. Another park, The Holy Land hosts a religious-themed attraction that also draws in smaller crowds.

Annual activities constantly take over the area with Mardis Gras at Universal Orlando every spring and Rock the Universe concert series every summer. These attractions bring in thousands of visitors for days filled with live music, food vendors and parades. In the fall, those seeking a scary experience can enter Halloween Horror Nights at Universal, where the country's premiere scare-zone takes over the park. A night at Halloween Horror Nights may not be suitable for children with the Hollywood studio quality of the characters truly inducing fear into even the bravest of visitors. Children can enjoy a special event by visiting in December when the hot Florida parks turn into a winter wonderland with Grinchmas, an event centered around the famed Dr. Seuss character, complete with real snow.

Florida Center North's cost of living remains about the same as the city and national average. The average rent runs approximately $818 for a one-bedroom apartment. One can expect to pay around $4 for a beer at a local bar unless at a nearby theme park, which can hike the price up to nearly $10.

Gas prices remain slightly below the national average, which adds to the convenience of driving a personal vehicle. The public bus LYNX costs $2 per ride, which remains comparable to other large city bus systems and also sells monthly passes.

Florida Center North holds the epicentre of Orlando shopping, The Mall at Millenia. This expansive mall hosts two floors of unending high-end stores. Those seeking luxurious shopping can embark on a day at the Mall at Millenia where stores include Tiffany & Co., Cartier, David Yurman, Chanel, Tory Burch, Neiman Marcus as well as specialty stores.

Teavana allows visitors to purchase a variety of teas and tea-related gifts. Nearby, DSW houses racks of discount shoes for those with a budget in mind. A large IKEA store also makes its home in Florida Center North, and draws in crowds from all over the city for its low-cost home decor and furniture. The Container Store remains another popular option for home-storage solutions.

Like the rest of Florida, Publix remains the number one store for grocery shopping with its high standard of customer service and tasty made-to-order deli sandwiches. For farmer's markets, locals must travel to nearby Lake Eola, where the Orlando Farmer's Market takes place every Sunday.