Orlando, The City Beautiful, is known around the world for a number of things. Some negative, some positive. Mainly Mickey Mouse. Yes, we are known for tourists and theme parks, and it is pretty warm most of the time, but to us natives, there’s much more to our beloved home.

Here are some of Orlando's most popular stereotypes - debunked! 

It's just a city with theme parks

It’s no secret that Orlando is known for the theme parks - but there’s so much more to do than visit Mickey or Potter. Orlando is full of entertainment everywhere you turn.

Whether it be the Downtown night-life, a concert at the House of Blues, an acrobatic show at Cirque Du Soleil, or a show at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center, we’ve got just about anything you can think of. And the best part is, we NEVER stop adding more.

Take a ride on the Orlando Eye to see all of Orlando from a bird’s eye view. Or perhaps you're more partial to a swan's eye-view. We can make that happen!  There are swan shaped paddle boats available for a trip around Downtown Orlando's central Lake Eola.

Stop by one of the local art shows or festivals happening all around Central Florida. Or, eat at one of our unique local restaurants.

In the mood for a sporting event? We've got that too - Ice Hockey, Major League Soccer, College football, and even an NBA team. In Orlando, you'll never be bored, and you'll never run out of things to do.

We're always at the beach

Since Orlando is in Florida, it tends to get lumped in with the “Florida beaches.” While we are less than an hour away from Florida’s most popular beaches, people sometimes forget that Orlando isn't actually on the ocean.

But we do have a waterfront lifestyle in our lakes.

And we love them! An afternoon on the boat simply cruising can’t be beat. Or, if you’re feeling adventurous, pull out the skis, wake board, or even the tube!

Lakefront living is it's own unique lifestyle in Central Florida, so a home on the lake is extremely desirable. A great way to explore different areas of water-front Central Florida Real Estate is on one of the unique boat tours!

We all live in vacation condos

Orlando Real Estate is made up of much more than just vacation homes and condos - empty until the snow up north becomes too much, or families take their annual trip to Disney World.

Central Florida is full of unique communities with gorgeous homes, and there’s something for everyone.

Clermont is full of rolling hills and beautiful communities. Mount Dora is a unique, historical, walking city, different than any other part of Orlando. Windermere is full of luxury, lakefront homes. Winter Park and Lake Nona feature lovely suburbs. Leesburg boasts gorgeous lakes and a hometown feel unlike anywhere else. 

Central Florida is famous for its Active Adult and 55 Plus Communities - most notably The Villages - that focus on lifestyles and amenities.

And that hardly scratches the surface.

Each community of Central Florida Real Estate is full of its own unique shopping, dining, landscape, and entertainment - one of the many reasons this city has so many dedicated residents. 

Our economy is JUST tourism

While it's what we’re most known for, more than two-thirds of our workforce is involved in industries other than tourism and hospitality, according to the Orlando Economic Development Commission.

Orlando is making major strides in advancing medicine, technology, aviation, and defense. Companies such as Lockheed Martin, Siemens Energy, Electronic Arts, Verizon, and a number of medical facilities located right here in our backyard, make it all possible.

The EDC states that it is "on a quest to be the number one center of emerging technology, innovation, and quality job growth in the South East." They believe it can be done thanks to the visionary leaders and community here in Orlando.

Many public and private business leaders are choosing to expand their businesses in our ever-growing Orlando.  In fact, Enterprise Florida just launched a campaign encouraging business leaders to choose Florida as the place to grow their business - the future looks bright!

We're the land of tacky tourists

We LOVE and welcome all of our tourists and seasonal visitors, but Orlando is a tight-knit community on its own. And sometimes, our visitors eventually buy a home in Florida, and turn into locals, too.

Many people choose to call Orlando home because of its rich lifestyle of arts, music, sporting events, recreational activities, and of course, the favorable weather year round. And no, we don’t all have season passes to Disney, but it's nice to have the option. Imagine vacationing year-round, because that’s kind of what it’s like.

With unique communities to call home in this ever-growing and ever-changing city, who wouldn’t love to be a part of it all.

We locals are proud to live in a city where visitors often end up staying a while, if not forever!

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