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Central Florida’s Dreamiest Destination
Exploring the Avenue in Old Winter Park
Written by: Liz Kraft

Wandering the serene, tree-lined streets of Winter Park, just 10 minutes North of Orlando, time seems to stand still. It’s a city where, just a century ago, wild hogs dodged horse-drawn carriages, threatening the precious orange groves, then so vital to the local economy.

Today’s Winter Park, with its brick-lined, manicured streets, and its dense, Spanish moss-filled tree canopy, is a mixture of award-winning shops, restaurants and bars -- including modern favorites such as The Gap and Pottery Barn –- masterfully intertwined with old-timers such as the local Barber Shop and The Briar Patch, a restaurant with an antique soda fountain.

This marriage of old with new, historic with hip, commerce with nature, sets Winter Park apart from the rest, making it the ideal escape from big city life. At the center of it all is Park Avenue, appearing like a mirage in a desert of concrete, clone-like shopping malls so typical of Central Florida.

The perfect Winter Park day begins with breakfast at The Briar Patch, a favorite with locals, followed by a leisurely stroll down its flagship, Park Avenue. Although prices here can be steep, the Avenue's many specialty shops have plenty of one-of-a-kind items, for every taste and even every budget (sale racks can often be found towards the back of each shop).

If you're there on a weekend, no Saturday morning on the Avenue would be complete without visiting one of Florida’s favorite Farmer’s Markets. To find it, head West on New England Avenue. The Farmer’s Market is located at the historic old train depot, just after the railroad tracks. If you get there after Noon you’ll probably miss the market, but the depot, which doubles as a history museum for the city of Winter Park, is well worth visiting any day of the week.

And non-shoppers, fear not. Between museum hopping, people- and squirrel watching (from the shady benches of Central Park or its surrounding cafes), and a boat tour of the surrounding chain of lakes, there truly is something for everyone in Winter Park. In fact, for its size, the city has an incredibly rich cultural scene. Within just a two-mile radius are three very well-known museums, including The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, on North Park Avenue; The Albin Polasek sculpture Museum, on nearby Osceola Avenue; and The Cornell Fine Arts Museum, on the Rollins College campus. These museums feature everything, from what is reportedly the world’s most comprehensive Tiffany Collection, to the paintings and sculptures of esteemed American and European artists, and the 19th century woodcut engravings of Winslow Homer. Art enthusiasts longing for more won’t want to miss the annual Sidewalk Arts Festival, held mid-March, but if by chance, you do miss it, you can always make plans to attend the autumn festival, held mid-October.

For lunch, head two blocks West to nearby Hannibal Square for lunch. With its bakery, trendy, boutique-style shops, award-winning restaurants, Heritage Center, and Spray Ground (a favorite for children), this smartly planned neighborhood is located between Welbourne and Lyman Avenues.

After lunch, head North on the Avenue, then take a right onto Morse. At the end of Morse, just three blocks down, is where you can give your feet a rest, climbing aboard an 18-passenger pontoon boat for a scenic boat tour of the surrounding area. The tour, which leaves hourly, passes through the Winter Park Chain of lakes, including seven lakes and two man-made canals, and highlighting local birds and wildlife, as well as some incredible estates and architecture.

When you return, take refuge from the heat as you wet your whistle and absorb the sights and sounds of Park Avenue at one of the area’s many fine cafes.

Next on the agenda is dinner, but first you’ll have to choose between the dozen-or-so restaurants, offering everything from Turkish to Italian and French cuisine, and everything in between. A couple of favorites include Panullo’s, just North of New England Avenue, and 310 Park South, which serve Italian and American dishes, respectively. Wind down with cocktails at Luma, on the corner of Park Avenue and New England, or with a wine tasting at the Eola Wine Company.

It’s Central Florida, the way it used to be, only better.

THE DETAILS
Places to Stay:

1) Park Plaza Hotel:
307 Park Avenue South, Winter Park; Tel. (407) 647-1072
HYPERLINK: http://www.parkplazahotel.com/

2) Best Western Mt. Vernon Inn:
110 S Orlando Avenue, Winter Park; Tel. (407) 647-1166
HYPERLINK: http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwestern/productInfo.do?propertyCode=10020

3) (B&B) Thurston House:
851 Lake Avenue, Maitland; Tel. (407) 539-1911
HYPERLINK: http://www.thurstonhouse.com/

Links:

Albin Polasek Museum: HYPERLINK http://www.polasek.org/

Charles Hosmer Morse Museum
HYPERLINK http://www.morsemuseum.org/

Cornell Museum of Fine Arts
HYPERLINK http://www.rollins.edu/cfam/

Winter Park Autumn Arts Festival
HYPERLINK http://www.winterparkartfestival.com/

Winter Park Sidewalk Festival
HYPERLINK http://www.wpsaf.org/

Boat Tours
HYPERLINK http://www.scenicboattours.com/

Eola Wine Company
HYPERLINK http://www.eolawinecompany.com/

Park Plaza Hotel
HYPERLINK http://www.parkplazahotel.com/

Best Western Mount Vernon Inn
HYPERLINK http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwestern/productInfo.do?propertyCode=10020

Thurston House
HYPERLINK http://www.thurstonhouse.com/