College Park is a Pristine Orlando Community

Northwest of downtown Orlando, College Park is an older community that is bounded by Fairbanks Avenue to the North, Colonial Drive to the South, Highway 441 to the West and Orange Avenue to the East. The community is situated around nearly 300 acres of lakes, including Lakes Adair, Concord, Ivanhoe, and Silver.

The idea for the subdivision was first announced in 1925 and plans were filed with local authorities. Because many of the streets in the area were already named after famous universities such as Princeton, Harvard, and Cornell, the developers - the CABCO Company - chose to call the subdivision College Park. The community eventually grew to encompass the subdivisions of Edgewater Heights, Concord Park, Adair Park, Ivanhoe Heights, Anderson Park, Dubsdread, Palm Terrace, Ardsley Manor, Biltmore Shores, and Rosemere.

Over the years, construction and sales in the area waxed and waned due to the Great Depression and World War II. However, after the war, the housing market in Florida boomed once again and it was during this time that many of the largest homes in College Park were built. Neighborhood amenities were added, including supermarkets, a post office, schools, parks, and even a wildlife sanctuary.

Today's College Park is still a quiet community, despite the tremendous growth that has occurred in Orlando during the last 30 years. The area now tends to be dominated by residents of working age, many without children. Many homes have been renovated and carry a fairly hefty price tag, but those awaiting updating are still affordable and are being purchased by young professionals. Those who do have families will find that the community's 3 elementary schools, 2 junior high schools, and 2 high schools (a mixture of public and private) are among some of the best in the city.

Ten parks are located within the boundaries of College Park. Some surround the community's many lakes and offer boat ramps for access to the water. Others offer playground equipment, picnic groves, ball fields, basketball courts, jogging paths, or just a place to walk or sit in the shade. College Park also has its own Community Center, public pool, and a public golf course, opened in 1923 but recently renovated.

Culturally, College Park is close to many of Orlando's museums and other arts-related attractions. In addition, the College Park Neighborhood Association and the Downtown College Park Partnership play host to a number of different events. Among those events is the annual College Park Jazz Fest, which takes place each November and features concerts under the stars. The yearly Historic Homes Tour is also held each November and during the December holiday season, the community comes together for a variety of holiday-oriented events including concerts, caroling, and much more.