College Park

What locals love

• Edgewater Drive corridor — independent restaurants, boutiques, walkable grocery
• Dubsdread Golf Course (1923) — city-owned public course with Tap Room restaurant
• Lake Ivanhoe and Lake Fairview — freshwater lakefronts at neighborhood edges
• 1920s-1940s craftsman bungalows on college-named streets (Princeton, Harvard, Yale)
• 10-minute drive to downtown Orlando and Advent Health medical complex

A brief history

College Park was platted during the 1920s Florida land boom by developers who named streets after colleges and universities — a marketing strategy Walter Rose introduced in 1921 with the Rosemere subdivision. H. Carl Dann added Dubsdread Golf Course in 1923, and the City of Orlando absorbed the neighborhood into its boundaries by extending north to Par Street. The Great Freeze of 1894-95 had stopped earlier citrus-grove settlement, so most of College Park's residential fabric dates from the 1920s-1940s building era. Jack Kerouac lived at 1418 Clouser Avenue in 1957-58; astronaut John Young, commander of Apollo 16, grew up in College Park.

The housing mix

The typical College Park home is a 1920s-1940s craftsman bungalow or mission revival cottage — three bedrooms, two baths, around 1,400-1,800 square feet on a standard 50x120 foot city lot. Interior bungalows list from the upper $400Ks through the low $700Ks; renovated and new-construction infill runs $650K-$950K. Lake Ivanhoe and Lake Fairview waterfront homes command $1.5M-$3M+. Most of College Park falls in FEMA Zone X (minimal flood risk, insurance not required), which is a practical advantage over lower-lying neighborhoods closer to downtown.

Who lives here

College Park draws healthcare workers from the adjacent Advent Health (formerly Florida Hospital) complex, young professionals who want walkable urban living without downtown condo density, and families that trade the HOA suburbs for a neighborhood with actual sidewalks and a golf course. Buyers relocating from Winter Park find College Park offers comparable 1920s-1940s character at a 15-25% discount. Out-of-state buyers — typically from the northeast and Midwest — respond to the tree-lined streets and walkable Edgewater Drive corridor, which is genuinely rare in Central Florida. The College Park Neighborhood Association has been an active civic body since the 1970s.

Landmarks & things to do

• Edgewater Drive — walkable restaurant and retail corridor; Christo's Cafe, boutiques, grocery
• Dubsdread Golf Course & Tap Room — city-owned 1923 public course at 549 W Par Street
• Lake Ivanhoe Park — lakefront park with views across the 85-acre lake
• Lake Fairview — north neighborhood boundary; park, boat ramp, lakefront homes
• CPNA Farmers Market — periodic community market organized by the neighborhood association
• Downtown Orlando — 10-minute drive south to Dr. Phillips Center, Kia Center, Lake Eola Park
• Advent Health Campus — major hospital and medical complex on W. Robbins Ave, walkable from south College Park
• The "Mystery Sink" — 1922 sinkhole in Biltmore Shores, documented by the Navy as Florida's deepest known water body

Schools in the area

• Castleview Elementary School

  Orange County Public Schools

  6/10

• Dr. Phillips High School

  Orange County Public Schools

  8/10

• Freedom High School

  Orange County Public Schools

  6/10

• Glenridge Middle School

  Orange County Public Schools

  7/10

• Lake Como School

  Orange County Public Schools

  7/10

• Lake Eola Charter School

  Orange County Public Schools

  7/10

• Olympia High School

  Orange County Public Schools

  5/10

• Palm Lake Elementary School

  Orange County Public Schools

  9/10

• Princeton Elementary School

  Orange County Public Schools

  9/10

• Sand Lake Elementary School

  Orange County Public Schools

  7/10

• Ventura Elementary School

  Orange County Public Schools

  4/10

• Village Park Elementary School

  Orange County Public Schools

  8/10

• Vista Lakes Elementary School

  Orange County Public Schools

  8/10

• Waterbridge Elementary School

  Orange County Public Schools

  6/10

• Waterford Elementary School

  Orange County Public Schools

• West Creek Elementary School

  Orange County Public Schools

  9/10

• West Oaks Elementary School

  Orange County Public Schools

  4/10

• Westpointe Elementary School

  Orange County Public Schools

  6/10

• Wetherbee Elementary School

  Orange County Public Schools

  8/10

• Washington Shores Elementary School

  Orange County Public Schools

  3/10

• Vista Pointe Elementary School

  Orange County Public Schools

  5/10

• Vista Pointe Elementary School

  Orange County Public Schools

  5/10

• Audubon Park School

  Orange County Public Schools

  10/10

• Wyndham Lakes Elementary School

  Orange County Public Schools

  7/10

Frequently asked about College Park

Watch more from College Park