Discovering Central Florida’s Winter Park

I love small towns with cute villages.  I thought I had seen—or at least, was aware of–most of the best ones in Florida.

But during a recent trip to visit family in Orlando, a relative said the best place to discover in Central Florida is Winter Park.

Let’s go!

It’s confusing because Orlando also has a Winter Springs, Winter Garden and Winter Haven—and even though I’m from Buffalo, I try to avoid anything to do with winter.  (Rim shot.) Winter Park is 35 minutes north of Orlando International Airport and about 45 minutes north of Walt Disney World.

We were pleasantly surprised when we pulled on to tree-lined cobblestoned Park Avenue and saw a mile of shops and restaurants. All this is directly across the street from an 11-Rshopping district.

After walking down Park Avenue and admiring all the beauty, we stopped for lunch at a casual Italian restaurant named Prato. We sat at the long bar near the large front windows and felt a warm and friendly energy in the restaurant.  The staff was very attentive and fun. 

Erin and I shared a gluten-free pizza with spinach, mushrooms and olives–followed by a decaf coffee while we waited for a passing shower to wrap up.  Excellent choice.  I later saw on the restaurant’s Instagram page it is a “Michelin-recommended restaurant blending Italian classics with modern techniques using fresh ingredients.” Better than I could say it.  

It’s a beautiful little town that has a big church on one end of Park Avenue,  prestigious Rollins College on the other—and a wide variety of shops for women and benches out front for men.

It was a perfect side-trip within the Orlando metro—and we hope to return and spend more time there.

Ray Collins has been published 200+ times around the world. He is a Sarasota-based Realtor, media consultant and former TV News Anchor. www.raycollinsmedia.com/articles

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