Heading to Florida for business or pleasure? Here are the best neighborhoods to stay in Orlando near the theme parks!
Florida’s sixth-largest city with 277,173 inhabitants (2016), Orlando is an American metropolis located in the state’s interior, with a population of 1.8 million. World-famous for being home to the Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando Resort, as well as its many theme parks, Orlando attracts 52 million tourists a year and is the country’s second-largest hotel city. In fact, finding a room or apartment to stay in Orlando won’t be difficult. Orlando attracts a family clientele of visitors who enjoy games and entertainment in the many theme parks, but the city also appeals for its subtropical climate and relaxed lifestyle.
Orlando has many neighborhoods, 115 in all, covering an area of 261.5 km². There are also more than 100 lakes around the city, where you can enjoy nature if you want to escape the entertainment industry. Here’s where to stay in Orlando.
Old Orlando
Photo credit: Wikimedia – BeyondDC
Orlando’s Old Town is located near Church Street Station. The area is easy to spot, with the old steam locomotive dating back to 1912. Most visitors head to the theme parks without even stopping at Old Town. However, the old train station district gives a very different face, festive and lively in the evenings, when numerous orchestras perform: or when Orlando’s Old Town looks like New Orleans. Numerous bars and restaurants cover the pavement.
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Find an Airbnb in Old Orlando
Downtown Orlando
Photo credit: Flickr – Jordi Gomara i Pérez
Orlando’s business district and historic center, Downtown Orlando is bordered by Marks Street, Mills Avenue and Kaley Avenue. The area encompasses several smaller neighborhoods, such as North Quarter, Lake Eola Heights Historic District and South Eola, while Colonial Drive and Lake Lucerne form the business district. In addition, this mega-neighborhood offers something for everyone: residential and commercial towers for shopping, local government offices, sports facilities, performing arts theaters, art galleries and a large movie theater – for art lovers, bars and nightclubs for those who like to party. If you love history, art and lively areas, this is the place to stay in Orlando. Families can enjoy the city’s many parks and lakes. It’s also an area where many festivals are held throughout the year.
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Around Lake Eola
Photo credit: Wikimedia – Kim Seng
Orlando’s iconic and symbolic lake, Lake Eola Park is the scene of numerous cultural events and festivals. You won’t want to miss the eponymous park’s imposing fountain, the Linton E. Allen Fountain, illuminated every evening in a variety of colors. Every year on Independence Day – July 4 – fireworks commemorate the country’s independence. The district is home to some of the city’s oldest brick houses, in streets lined with centuries-old oak trees: staying at Lake Eola, the authentic, historic Orlando contrasts with the city’s tourist attraction, alive with gambling and money.
Find a hotel around Lake Eola
Find an Airbnb around Lake Eola
Parramore
Photo credit: Wikimedia – Visitor7
Parramore is the epicenter of Orlando’s African-American community. Located just west of the business district, Parramore is gentrifying, rebuilding its reputation as a blighted neighborhood by renovating its streets, becoming a residential area where a little neighborhood life is developing: small shops, bars, restaurants and students from the University of Law. To the east of the district, pay a visit to the Museum of African American History & Culture.
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Find an Airbnb in Parramore
Walt Disney World Resort theme park
Photo credit: Flickr – tps58
If you’re heading to Orlando to visit the Walt Disney World Resort theme parks, you may want to stay as close to the parks as possible to make the most of the activities on site. The Disney group has its own hotels, but other well-known and independent hotel chains also offer accommodation close to the Disney parks. There are four main areas to choose from: Celebration, Lake Buena Vista and International Drive.
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Map of hotels and accommodations – Orlando,us