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The I Just Moved to Orlando Ultimate Guide

Lindsey Thompson

Are you a recent Orlando transplant? Orlando is projected to add more than 1,500 people to the region every week for the next 11 years, eventually reaching a population of 5.2 million people.

Whether you moved here and love The City Beautiful, came because it was a lifelong dream to live near Disney but need help navigating the rest of the city, or had to move here due to circumstance and are counting the days until you can leave again, this guide will prove helpful.

Orlando is what you make of it, and as someone who has lived here long enough to appreciate how the city has grown, I'm also painfully aware of the work that still needs to be done.

So here is a helpful guide for newcomers that is by no means inclusive to every single thing our sprawling urban landscape has to discover, but it's a great start.

HELP! Which way do I go on I-4?

When I first got my license and started driving all around Orlando, I would call my Dad in a panic and ask him which way I should go on the Interstate, East or West. This was before the days when every car had a built-in GPS. So, while GPS is now helpful, it’s still beneficial to know what cities are in what direction relative to where you are. Driving in Orlando is panic-inducing enough, so here’s a helpful little infographic for you. And knowing Daytona is East and Tampa is West is a useful trick, but you need to understand what is in between.

My recs for self-care + LIFE MANAGEMENT

Where I get medical massages: Optimal Massage

My nail salon: Nail Alchemy

My Chiropractor/Natural Healing: Clear Route Health Partners

My hair salon: Kin

Where I get natural herbs/teas: Natural Vibez

How to deal with awful allergies living here: The Salt Room

An honest mechanic for your car troubles: Premier Auto Import

If you need a tax professional: Gwendy at Dulniak Tax and Accounting Services

If you need a dermatologist: Central Florida Dermatology Group

WHERE ARE THE FARMERS MARKET?

  • Winter Garden on Saturday mornings in Downtown Winter Garden (the best in my opinion)

  • Audubon Park Night Community Market Monday Nights in the Stardust Parking lot (a fav)

  • Downtown on the back end of Lake Eola on Sunday mornings

  • Winter Park on Saturday mornings by New York Ave, blocks from Park Avenue

  • Windermere on Friday mornings at Town Square Park

  • Lake Mary Farmers Market Saturday mornings near City Hall

NEIGHBORHOODS around orlando

College Park

I lived in College Park for almost ten years and loved the older bungalow houses, some on quaint brick-paved streets. However, the main drag of Edgewater has always struggled to have more than pizza joints and nail salons. That being said, it’s slowly starting to regroup, and some great local businesses are still there that deserve support. While I wouldn’t say you could spend an entire day exploring Edgewater Drive, there are some gems there. Soon the Packing District will be finishes and will be home to a new food hall.

My picks for Top Eats

The Best Coffee in the Neighborhood

Local Businesses to Support

Where to meet People

Kid Friendly

  • Dartmouth Park

  • Matthews Park

  • The Soda Fountain

Murals

  • Chris Uphues Heart Mural on the side of Infusion Tea

  • Orlando Mural on the side of David’s Cycle

Local place to buy Plants

Audubon Park/Baldwin Park

Audubon Park is a cozy residential neighborhood with a vibrant main street that gets national press and accolades. It also has a variety of popular businesses that pull other Orlandoans to the main drag of Corrine Drive, which has excellent dining and shopping options. It's also home to the renowned East End Market.

My picks for Top Eats

Coffee + places to work remote

  • Lineage at the East End

Local Businesses to Support

Where to meet People

Murals

Find the murals hidden behind the main strip of shops where Redlight Redlight is.

Non-Touristy Things to Do

Local place to buy Plants

MILLS 50

The Mills 50 area has indeed transformed over the past decade and is now considered one of the "hip" neighborhoods lined with bars and popular local eateries. It's home to what locals refer to as Little Vietnam. The hipster spots haven't completely taken over here, and thankfully, some diversity can still be found here. Honestly, this neighborhood has much to offer regarding food, so you will want to spend some time here finding your favorite eateries. I hope in years to come it doesn't get bought out by wealthy developers and entities that will rob it of its charm as the years progress.

My picks for Top Eats

Where to get Boba Tea/Coffee

Local Shops to Support

Where to meet people

Where to get some Culture

Murals

  • City Beautiful Mural 220 Weber Street on the side of the JA Edwards of America building

  • Strawberry Mural Lamp Shade Fair 1336 Mills Avenue

  • Freddy Mercury Tribute Mural 842 N Mills Ave.

  • Diversity Heart Mosaic Lamp Shade Fair 1336 Mills Avenue

  • Sam Flax Murals 1800 E. Colonial Drive

  • Dolla $hort AM7 Mural Side of Will’s Pub on Mills Avenue

  • Andrew Spear Mural Shine Ave + East Colonial

  • ChiKin mural 813 N. Mills Ave

  • Moge Tee Mural 636 Mills Ave

  • Patience is Power mural Side of Pho 88 on Mills

DOWNTOWN ORLANDO

Public leaders have been trying to transform our Downtown into a live, work, and play destination that encompasses everything a major city needs to fulfill the needs of its residents. Strides have been made, but a lot more progress is desired. Truthfully, depending on your age and love of nightlife, you may find yourself loving or hating Downtown. It's heavy with bars and clubs, little to no retail, and a revolving door of restaurants. However, if you look hard enough, you can find pieces of culture, less loud and boozy activities, and some beautiful parks to enjoy all year.

Places I will enter downtown to visit:

Places for a sweet treat

Coffee I like (the main reason I enter Downtown)

Things to Do

Get some culture

Places to Meet People that aren’t the Club

Ivanhoe Village

Blink, and you might drive right through it, but this tiny strip of community is well-spent in things to explore. It's a destination for brew lovers and a hub for local makers. It sits right in the middle of three residential areas (Downtown, Mills/50, and College Park), so it's a cozy corridor that is supported by the locals living in those areas who want to hang out and play at local bars, restaurants, and a few shops.

My Picks for Top Eats

Bar Hopping

Local Businesses to Support

Where to Meet People

  • The Main Street district puts on events all year long including Wine Walks which can be a great place to find makers, businesses, and meet people.

Murals

  • Flamingo Mural at GB’s Bottle Shop on Virginia

  • View of Orlando the back of Ivanhoe Park Brewing Co.

  • Rose Mural on the side of Santiago Bodega

  • Earl Funk mural at Virginia and Orange on the side of the East Tattoo building.

WINTER PARK(ISH)

Winter Park spans quite a bit of territory. A new local may want to get acquainted with the upscale neighborhood surrounding Park Avenue and then the pieces that branch out from there on Fairbanks and Orange Avenue. Personally, I don't have much reason to venture to Park Avenue. The real local gems are found in the outlying areas. No matter which area you explore, you will find something that will keep you within your recently moved-so-I'm-strapped-for-cash-budget or let you indulge in a treat-yourself night out.

My Pick for Top Eats

Local Businesses to Support

Get some Culture

Non-Touristy Things To Do

Kid Friendly

Murals

  • Peacock Mural 919 N Orange Ave. Winter Park

  • Bob Ross Mural 610 W. Fairbanks Ave.

  • The Sewing Studio Andy Warhol type mural 9605 U.S. 17-92, Maitland, FL

  • Monarch Initiative Murals 3150 University Boulevard in Winter Park | 520 South Magnolia Avenue

Milk District

The Milk District is an up-and-coming neighborhood with many young entrepreneurs behind the helm. Just East of downtown, you'll find some very popular eateries and local shops hidden behind sprawling big-box shopping centers.

My Pick for Top Eats

Places to Hang, Work, or Meet People

Things To Do

Eatonville

Eatonville is nestled between Maitland and Lockhart and is the first incorporated all-black city in the nation. It also holds important African-American history as the home of Zora Neale Hurston, the Harlem Renaissance writer known for her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God.

My picks for Top Eats

Get some culture

THE “BURBS”

ALTAMONTE, CASSELBERRY, LONGWOOD, OVIEDO, apopka, dr. phillips, Windermere

More affordable than many of the core neighborhoods surrounding downtown (well not Dr. Phillips and Windermere), these suburban areas may be rich with strip malls and plenty of their own local traffic, but they have their own culinary gems and things to do.

LOCAL EATS

LOCAL COFFEE/BOBA

THINGS TO DO

UCF/East Side

East Orlando is largely cookie-cutter suburbia at its finest, but it's also home to the largest University by enrollment in Florida. Sixty thousand plus students are fighting for parking, and keeping businesses thriving both in purchase power and labor. This side of Orlando is chain heavy, but you can still find some great local businesses to support. 

Top Local Eats

Things To Do

  • Lots of shopping at the Waterford Lakes Town Center

  • Shows and events at the UCF Arena

  • UCF Arboretum

  • Visit SmartPunk Records

  • Head to Gamers Inc.

Pine Hills - West Orlando

Honestly, don't let people deter you from heading to this area. It's a hub of Asian food and markets you will want to familiarize yourself with. You'll want to check out Lotte Market at John Young and W. Colonial and Enson Market. You'll also want to visit Westside Crossings. Known as Orlando's Chinatown, this strip center has a lot of food spots to try that don't disappoint.

Top Eats

Boba

Winter Garden

When my family moved us from Connecticut, Winter Garden was where we settled. So I'm very familiar with the area and the fact that now there are two Winter Gardens. The historic downtown is filled with small-town charm. And the newer Winter Garden (aka Hamlin) that houses newer homes where orange groves used to be. The downtown strip is concentrated along Plant Street, where you will find local mom-and-pop shops, restaurants, and even an art gallery. Its newest claim to fame has been the Plant Street Market, but the older areas of Winter Garden have lots of authentic Hispanic restaurants you shouldn't miss. Explore beyond downtown.

Eats + Coffee

Local Shops to Check Out:

Things to Do:

  • Explore Plant Street Market (live music on the weekends)

  • Rent a bike and explore the West Orange Trail

  • Visit the popular Farmers Market on Saturday mornings

  • Take in a live show at the Garden Theatre

  • Tour the Winter Garden History Heritage Museum

Kid-Friendly

  • Take your kids to the Splash Pad

  • Winter Garden Railroad Museum

  • Kids Summer Movies at the Garden Theatre

Sanford

Not all living has to be done near Orlando's core. About 30 minutes North of the city you'll find Sanford, a still relatively affordable area with a downtown that continues to go through the process of revitalization. You may feel somewhat disconnected to the goings-on in Orlando, but if you live and work in this area you can certainly avoid Interstate 4 more than others and perhaps be a little less stressed out from a painful commute.

Top Picks for Eats

Local Bars

Things to do

  • Downtown Sanford hugs large Lake Monroe and has an enjoyable riverwalk

  • Take a Limo Cycle tour through downtown

  • Check your calendar to attend the next Sanford Indie

  • See a show at the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center

  • Grab a fresh dozen donuts at Donuts To Go or Donuts Galore

Local shops to check out

Where to meet People

Kid Friendly

Downtown Kissimmee

You might sleep on venturing to Kissimmee, but it has more than you may realize. I still have more exploring I need to do, as I suspect there are many hidden gems in the way of diverse cuisines here, but here is what I can share so far.

Top Eats

Best spot for Coffee

Murals

  • Coy Mural - Pleasant Street across from Parking Garage

  • Tiger Mural - E. Darling Street + Broadway

  • Owl and Horses Mural - Broadway right before Ruby Avenue

  • Roses Mural Broadway + Monument Ave and Broadway

Day Trips

This list should act as a guide of ways to enjoy the city you live in. That being said it should not be ignored that Orlando has real problems like any city. Traffic, poor infrastructure, homelessness, gentrification, and affordable rent issues for residents just to name a few.

Still, we keep exploring and finding new places to enjoy and businesses to support. For more resources search this site.

I was not compensated to make any recommendations. Any people or businesses recommended are those I have personally used during my years of living in Orlando.

All photos are property of LemonHearted Creative.

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