Orlando, FL

It is impossible to think about Orlando without thinking about a certain mouse, but there is a lot more to Florida's 3rd-largest metropolitan area and the state's 6th-largest city. With a bustling downtown district featuring several natural and man-made lakes throughout, a major university within city limits, three professional sports teams, and several shopping malls, Orlando is one of Florida's most engaging and exciting urban centers.

Weather plays a big part in the attraction to the area. Orlando temperatures are typical for much of Florida with summertime highs in the 80s and winter highs in the 60s. Orlando is also far enough inland to not get much of an ocean breeze, which can make it feel rather oven-like during the warmest days.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

Orlando is one of the best known tourist destinations with attractions such as Walt Disney World Resort, Sea World and Universal Orlando Resort, all in near vicinity.

The city has emerged as one the major business districts. Central Florida Research Park is one the country's largest research parks with over 1,025 acres of land. Various Army and Navy activities for simulation and training are conducted here.

Downtown Orlando is the city's major business district. The city council has put forth some major plans for the development of infrastructure and amenities here.

Some key Orlando neighborhoods include:

• College Park, an established neighborhood with housing from cottages to mansions and a thriving collection of restaurants and cafe.
• Delaney Park, a residential district built around one of the city's major parks, filled with moss trees.
• Downtown Orlando, a mix of skyscrapers and 19th and 20th century buildings, including a beautiful Beaux Arts courthouse, now the Orange County Regional History Center.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

Orlando has a total area of 101 square miles. The population has grown by over 20 percent since 2000 and is about 228,000.

Median household income is estimated at $43,761 and is lower than the Florida average. The cost of living is roughly 7 percent lower than the national average.

Patrick Air Force Base, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Kennedy Space Center and Port Canaveral are all in the vicinity of Orlando; military training and operations have played a major role in the local economy since the 1950s.

FOR VISITORS

There is never a shortage of things to do in Orlando. The city was ranked as the 36th "Most Fun U.S City" in a survey conducted in 2003 by Cranium Inc. An estimated 52 million tourists visit Orlando every year.

The destination for many is any one of the Disney theme parks, including the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Typhoon Lagoon, and Blizzard Beach. The famous resort opened its doors for the first time in 1971, bringing with it a huge boom in jobs and tourism. Walt Disney had considered Miami and Tampa as locations for his venture, but chose Orlando because of its inland location and lower risk of hurricane damage.

Orlando has more theme parks and entertainment attractions than any other location in the world. In addition to Disney, other theme parks and attractions in the area include:

• Universal Studios Florida
• CityWalk
• Islands of Adventure
• Nickelodeon Studios
• SeaWorld
• Discovery Cove
• Aquatica
• Wet n'Wild
• The Holy Land Experience
• Ripley's Believe it or Not Odditorium

Orlando's cultural heart is Loch Haven Park, home to the Orlando Museum of Art, Mennello Museum of American Folk Art, and the Orlando Science Center

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

There are plenty of alternatives for those seeking entertainment outside the amusement park circuit. Orlando has a rich cultural base, including a renowned theatrical community. Cultural offerings include:

• The Central Florida Zoological Park
• The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art
• The Cornell Fine Arts Museum
• The Harry P. Leu Gardens
• The Historic Bok Sanctuary
• The Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Central Florida
• The Orlando Science Center
• The Imperial Symphony Orchestra
• The Maitland Art Center
• Orlando Shakespeare Theater
• Orlando Repertory Theatre
• Mad Cow Theatre
• Winter Park Playhouse
• Bob Carr Performing Arts Center
• Orlando International Fringe Theater Festival

There are also many festivals and outdoor music events scheduled throughout the year, including the Annual Concert under the Stars at Historic Bok Sanctuary, "Date Night at the Gardens" at the Harry P. Leu Gardens, the Florida Music Festival, and the Spring Jazz Stroll.

EDUCATION

There are many educational facilities in the city of Orlando. These include:

• University of Central Florida
• Valencia Community College
• Florida Metropolitan University
• Clinton Technical Institute for Motorcycle and Marine Mechanics
• Florida Hospital of Health Sciences
• Audio Recording Technology Institute
• National College of Oriental Medicine
• Florida Auctioneer Academy

LOCAL MEDIA

The Orlando Sentinel is the primary newspaper in the city and is one of the largest newspapers in the country with a daily circulation of over 225,000 copies.

Other newspapers in the Orlando area include:

• The West Orlando News- A free weekly newspaper serving West Orlando
• The Central Florida Future- A student newspaper of Central Florida University
• The Orlando Business Journal- Covering business and economic issues in the Orlando area
• The Orlando Advocate- A free local newspaper
• The Orlando Weekly- An alternative newspaper with a circulation of over 50,000 copies
• El Sentinel Orlando- A Spanish language newspaper

Local television stations include:

• WESH TV 2 (an NBC affiliate)
• WFTV TV 9 (ABC)
• WKMG TV 6 (CBS)

Radio stations include:

• WUCF 89.9 FM (University of Central Florida Radio)
• WMFE 90.7 FM (Classical)
• WWKA 92.3 FM (Country)
• WHTQ 96.5 FM (Classic Rock)
• WMMO 98.9 FM (Soft Rock)
• WEBG 100.3 FM (Oldies)
• WOMX 105.1 FM (Top 40)
• WDBO 580 AM (News/Talk)
• WQTM 740 AM (Sports)
• WTLN 950 AM (Religious)

FUN FACTS

Famous Orlando natives include:

• NFL player Ike Charlton (New England Patriots)
• NFL player Kevin Lewis (New York Giants)
• NBA player Chucky Atkins (Washington Wizards)
• Baseball player Mike Maroth (Detroit Tigers)
• NHL player Mike Sgroi (Dallas Stars)
• Actress Delta Burke
• Actor and comedian Wayne Brady

While he was not born in the area, Beat-generation icon Jack Kerouac was living in the College Park neighborhood of Orlando when his novel On the Road was published in 1957.