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WINTER GARDENThe fading of the citrus industry once left Winter Garden's downtown blighted and all but abandoned. Entrepreneurs, many former employees at Universal and Disney, had a dream to create their own Main Street USA in old Winter Garden.Now even in an economic slump, years of planning and renovation appear to be bearing fruit in a city that experienced more growth than any other in Orange County in recent years. Historic Downtown Winter Garden is a nice blend of locals and mom and pop ventures and several museums.People watching is a great pastime….as bikers, joggers and hikers stream by on the 19-mile long West Orange Bike Trail which goes right through the center of downtown. The trail also provides access to and from Clarcona Horseman's Park, offering equestrians a staging area for their visit.Several miles to the South the Fowler family orange grove has been converted into Winter Garden Village, one of the region's largest outdoor malls with more than 50 stores and at least 22 eating and drinking establishmentsHistorians do not agree on the earliest settlers in the Lake Apopka area. Some say aboriginal culture others mention unnamed tribes were there when the Spanish arrived. The Spanish called them Timucuans.Lake Apopka, the second largest lake in Florida, has experienced great changes over the years. Prior to 1941 it was a GREAT fishing paradise. The establishment of 20,000 acres of vegetable muck farms at the North end of Lake Apopka created high nutrient levels turning it into one of the most polluted large lake in Florida. The Friends of Lake Apopka (FOLA) organized, advocating the restoration of the lake and the Lake Apopka Restoration Act of 1996 passed in the Florida Legislature. The muck farms were purchased with $100 million in public funds. Unfortunately the complexity of the restoration will be challenges for years to come.Oakland Park (Oakland/Winter Garden) is the first and only Central Florida community certified GREEN by the stringent standards of the Florida Green Building Coalition.
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Email REALTY CENTER at findahome@realtycenterorlando.com for more information on Winter Garden and other areas in Metro Orlando. |
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