Downtown Orlando is the heart and soul of the city of Orlando, even if many of the famous tourist attractions lie outside of the area. Sadly, many visitors to Orlando miss out on the experience of local nightlife, parks, and cuisine, when they don’t leave time for a visit to the downtown area. Downtown Orlando features popular nightlife areas like Wall Street and Church Street, the Orlando Magic basketball arena known as the Amway Center, and the beautiful Lake Eola park that features romantic swan boat rides and farmers markets on the weekends and perfect picnic spots all week long.

Historic Orlando

Orlando, is by most definitions, a young city, still in its growing stages and constantly changing. Once a small town made up mainly of orange groves and cattle ranches, Orlando began it's growth in the early 1920s as the Florida Land Boom resulted in numerous neighborhoods popping up throughout the area. Many of these homes and neighborhoods are still around today, nestled between larger modern homes, creating some very unique and eclectic neighborhoods in the downtown area, mainly in the immediate vicinity of Lake Eola. Recent decades have brought on massive growth in the downtown business district and the tourism industry. This has helped further shape the city with an eruption of skyscrapers across the downtown city skyline.

What Does Downtown Orlando Have to Offer?

Located just a few minutes south of the beautiful Winter Park area and just 15 to 20 minutes from most of the resorts and theme parks, visiting downtown Orlando can be a great addition to any day. With almost every kind of food option under the sun and enough nightlife options to keep you busy for a year the downtown area is sure to please. We'd recommend spending some time around the centerpiece of downtown, Lake Eola. Aside from this,our best suggestions include walking the streets and visiting the numerous "hole-in-the-wall" restaurants, bars, and shops that are strewn throughout the downtown area. Visitors can find almost any type of food here if they look hard enough, in addition to beer bars, wine bars, and cigar bars. We have have a brewery that offers tours right in the heart of downtown! Here is a quick list of everything you need to know about downtown Orlando.

Restaurants in Downtown Orlando
Nightlife in Downtown Orlando
Things to Do in Downtown Orlando
Golf Near Downtown Orlando
Also be sure to check our Orlando Transportation page for info on the FREE bus that runs downtown!

How Much Time Should I Spend There?

To truly experience the downtown area we’d recommend spending at least an entire day enjoying the city center. If you don’t have enough time for this you could also easily visit the downtown area and the Winter Park area in the same day, but with ample dining and nightlife options in both, you might find yourself having to make a hard decision about where to spend your time.

The day can be spent perusing the streets and enjoying the shopping in the area, or just relaxing or enjoying drinks around Lake Eola. The evening will bring an abundance of dining and entertainment options that are all within a short walking distance or cab ride of each other. You can even take the FREE downtown bus system mentioned on our transportation page. The nightlife offerings in downtown Orlando will take visitors out of the tourist areas and into the areas where locals live, work, and let loose. With plenty of bars and clubs to choose from and swarms of Floridians bar hopping from place to place, you’ll be able to jump right in and get a taste of a night out in Orlando

Downtown Orlando offers a much needed break from the crowded tourist areas of Orlando, and will give you and your party a nice breath of fresh air away from the hustle and bustle. If you have any questions please feel free to contact us and we will do our best to accommodate you.

Photo Credits: Downtown Orlando (photo 1) provided by DowntownOrlando.com; Lake Eola (photo 2) provided by DowntownOrlando.com; Joe Shlabotnik - Lake Eola in Downtown Orlando (photo 3)

Video Credits: Video Provided by DowntownOrlando.com

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