Winter Park, Florida: Park Avenue, the Chain of Lakes and what to check before you buy

Winter Park sits just north of downtown Orlando, about 4.5 miles by road from its Central Park to Lake Eola. It's also home for us: Ackley Platinum Group is a team at Coldwell Banker Realty, with our office on Park Avenue.

Park Avenue and Central Park

Downtown's shopping district runs along Park Avenue, and the city's 11-acre Central Park sits in the heart of it, with a rose garden on its southern edge. On Saturday mornings from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Winter Park Farmers' Market sets up in Central Park's West Meadow, at New York Avenue and Morse Boulevard. SunRail's Winter Park station is on West Morse Boulevard, for trains toward downtown Orlando.

The Chain of Lakes

The city calls its lakes "a defining feature" of the community. On the Winter Park Chain of Lakes, canals tie the water together: the Fern Canal links Lake Virginia and Lake Osceola, the Venetian Canal runs from Lake Osceola to Lake Maitland, and the Genius Canal connects Lake Mizell to Lake Virginia. The Scenic Boat Tour on East Morse Boulevard has run hour-long tours of the lakes and canals since 1938. For public access, the city's Dinky Dock Park on Lake Virginia has a boat ramp and a swimming beach.

If you're buying on the water, ask which lakes the dock can actually reach. The city notes, for example, that Lake Sue has no deepwater access to the other lakes.

Before you buy an older home

A few city rules shape what you can change after closing:

  • Historic designation. The city keeps a Winter Park Register of Historic Places. For a designated home, the Historic Preservation Board reviews exterior changes and additions for compatibility. Interior remodeling isn't reviewed, and designation doesn't require you to restore anything.
  • Trees. Removing a protected tree on a single-family lot needs a city permit. Florida law makes an exception when a certified arborist or licensed landscape architect documents that the tree poses an unacceptable risk.
  • Power lines. The city has owned its electric utility since 2005 and plans to put its whole system underground by 2030. The service line to the house is the owner's, and the city offers an incentive to bury it.
  • Brick streets. The city's Streets Division repairs brick, and it publishes a bricking policy and assessment procedures if you'd like brick on your street.

Flood maps and lake levels

Look up the exact address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center. Around the Chain of Lakes, the city's flood map revisions page explains its 2014 map revision, which updated the 100-year floodplain and base flood elevations for the chain. Ask for the seller's elevation certificate if one exists, and for the flood disclosure Florida requires sellers of residential property to give at or before the contract.

Getting around

From Central Park, it's about 4.5 miles to Lake Eola in downtown Orlando by US 17-92, and about 16 miles to Orlando International Airport by SR 426 and SR 436. We measured these on OpenStreetMap. Drive the route at the hour you'd make it before you decide.

Selling a Winter Park home

Whether you live down the street or in another state, start with a written price opinion from a local agent within one business day, not an automated estimate. From there: video walkthroughs, local prep you can see in photos, and a closing you can sign remotely. Request your price opinion.

Buying in Winter Park

See Winter Park homes for sale, then start a buyer consultation when you're ready to compare a few. We'll walk through the written buyer agreement before your first tour, in person or by live video, and help you compare homes by drive time, costs and flood zone before you fly in.

The Ackley family has been in Central Florida real estate since 1984. This page is general information, not legal, tax or insurance advice. Rules and maps change, so check the current source for any property.