Winter Park, FL

Winter Park is a city located in Orange County, Florida. The population was 33,814 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Orlando- Kissimmee- Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area.

The city was founded in 1886 by Dr. James Winter and named for its winter weather. The area was originally known as "Winter's Addition" to honor the doctor who developed it. The first business in Winter Park was a general store operated by Dr. James Winter's son, George Washington Winter. In 1907, the Orlando and Lake Erie Railroad built a line through what is now downtown Winter Park, providing access to markets in Tampa and Jacksonville. A post office opened that year with the name " Orlando". In 1909, George Washington Winter donated land for Central High School (now Central Florida Community College) which opened in 1910 with 1,200 students enrolled; it became one of Florida's largest high schools at the time and served as a model for many other public schools throughout the state during its early years.

In 1912, Orlando businessman John Wetherill purchased land west of downtown for what would become Wetherill Park; it would later become home to Rollins College and several other businesses before being annexed into the city limits in 1967. That same year saw construction begin on what would become UCF's main campus; when completed in 1928 it consisted of 27 buildings on more than . In 1929, Ormond Beach businessman Averill Harriman purchased land east of downtown for what would become Harriman Park; when completed in 1937 it included a golf course (which remains open today), an amusement park (now closed), and several other businesses before being annexed into the city limits in 1966.

During World War II, military bases were established throughout central Florida as training grounds for troops preparing for combat overseas; one such base was located just south of downtown on UF's present-day campus near Lake Mary (later renamed Camp Blanding). After World War II ended, many servicemen returned home only to find that their jobs had been replaced by those who had served overseas; this led to widespread unemployment and poverty within central Florida which continued until the early 1970s when economic growth began to take hold thanks largely to tourism generated by Walt Disney World Resort which opened its doors on October 1st 1971).

Today, tourism continues to be one of Winter Park's primary sources of income; according to Visit Orlando., "the top five attractions are Walt Disney World Resort (No 2), Universal Orlando Resort (No 3), SeaWorld Orlando (No 4), Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (No 5)". Other major employers within the city include UCF Health Sciences Center (formerly Stetson University Hospital) and Rollins College which both have campuses within town as well as numerous smaller businesses including restaurants, retail stores etc.; according to City-Data., "the top five industries are professional services [including law firms], education [including universities], health care [including hospitals], leisure/hospitality [including theme parks], and manufacturing."

Real estate has always been an important part of life in Winter Park; according to City-Data., "the median price paid for residential properties increased from $157 thousand during 1990–1999 ...to $269 thousand during 2000–2009". Over that same period however vacancy rates decreased from 6% during 1990–1999 ...to 2% during 2000–2009 while average occupancy rates increased from 78% during 1990–1999 ...to 84% during 2000–2009". This strong demand has led not only to increasing prices but also increasing availability: according to Zillow., "during 2009 there were an estimated 1 bedroom apartments available for every 2 bedrooms searched online."

As can be seen from these statistics real estate is clearly an important part of life in Winter Park – not only does it provide residents with shelter but also opportunities for gainful employment or investment etc.; furthermore real estate has played an important role not only in shaping but also defining who we are today as a community