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Winter Park, a city outside of Orlando, Florida, is a haven for hipsters, wannabes hippies, and the area’s wealthiest individuals. Near Rollins College and about 30 minutes from the University of Central Florida, Valencia College, Full Sail, Stayer University, and Seminole College, it’s a lovely place for college students to visit.
Winter Park is populated with homes you’ll probably never be able to afford, but close to City Hall and Rollins College there is a row of unique and artsy shops and restaurants, many of them locally-owned establishments. Here are our picks for what to do and where to go in Winter Park!
Antonio’s House Of Pizza
Antonio’s House Of Pizza is a small pizza shop with red-and-white checkered tablecloth charm. The pizza here is fantastic whether you order a plain cheese pie or pile on any number of their tempting toppings. The pizza is the perfect texture with the just right amount of ratios of cheese, bread, and sauce. If you’re not in the mood for pizza (but somehow end up at this pizzeria anyway), try the wings or the fettuccine Alfredo.
Gelato-go Orlando
If you are looking for a place to eat dessert after your pizza feast, head to Gelato-go, where you’ll find every flavor of gelato imaginable. Gelato-go’s gelato is soft, melting right as it touches your tongue and slipping down your throat with a refreshing sensation similar to having a cold glass of water on a 90-degree day. The staff is friendly and quick despite the long lines that occasionally form.
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Lake Virginia
After stuffing your stomach full of pizza and gelato, walk it all off near Lake Virginia. Lake Virginia is quite scenic, picturesque, the water is calm, and the area is fitting for a movie about wealthy socialites. To access it, enter through the beautiful campus of Rollins College, which looks like an old Spanish village. The Lake Virginia Trail is at the very end of Rollins College and runs the extent of Rollins College. From Lake Virginia, you can watch locals participating in water sports and see the impressive homes across the lake. It is a brief but worthwhile walk.
Writer’s Block Bookstore
This independent bookstore is quaint and stuffed to the brim with every type of book imaginable. The inventory is well-organized with each room containing books from certain genres. Writer’s Block Bookstore is not the type of shop you can comfortably read in, however, because it’s far too busy. Make a purchase and enjoy your reading time outdoors.
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Audubon Center for Birds of Prey
Just outside of Winter Park in Maitland, near Lake Lotus, is the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey. As you walk along the complex’s grey brick path, you’ll pass cages and perches hosting a plentiful number of majestic birds. Bald eagles, kites, owls, ospreys, and falcons are among the awe-inspiring winged creatures housed here. The price of admission is affordable at only $8 and goes toward conservation and education efforts.
