Orlando: Neighborhoods

International Drive I-Drive snakes past the theme parks of Universal and SeaWorld and serves as a destination unto itself thanks to kitschy attractions, outlet malls, and the Orlando Convention Center.

Celebration Experience vintage, small-town American life in Disney's planned community, where tidy homes cluster around a pedestrian-friendly central plaza. Some find it peaceful, others think of The Stepford Wives.

Downtown Orlando Escape the theme parks by heading to the city's urban heart, home to 43-acre Lake Eola Park, the hip Thornton Park neighborhood, a Vietnamese district, and the Loch Haven cultural center (a bit north).

College Park/Lake Ivanhoe Go antiquing near the lake or make like Kerouac, one of the area's most famous former denizens, and chill in this unpretentious 'hood’ near downtown.

Dr. Phillips An affluent residential area located west of I-Drive at Sand Lake Road and known for its Restaurant Row, a stretch of upscale eateries.

Winter Park Charm abounds in this historic spot, filled with trees dripping Spanish moss. Browse the Park Avenue shops, take a boat tour, or visit its three art museums.