So, here are some of the results for your reference:

Best place to live in Southwest - (1) Dr. Phillips, (2) Windermere and (3) Bay Hill

Best Southwest Park - (1) Dr. P. Phillips Community Park, (2) Bill Frederick Park and Pool at Turkey Lake and (3) Shadow Bay Park

Best Golf Club/Course - (1) Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge, (2) MetroWest Golf Club and (3) Shingle Creek Golf Club

Best Fine Dining Restaurant - (1) Seasons 52, (2) Vines Grille & Wine Bar and (3) Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine

Best Lunch Locale - (1) Press 101, (2) Panera Bread and (30 Season 52

Best Fitness Facility - (1) Gold’s Gym, (2) Dr. P. Phillips YMCA Family Center and (3) Lifesytle Family Fitness

Best New Business - (1) Whole Foods Market, (2) Massage Envy Dr. Phillips and (3) Cold Stone Creamery

Most Needed Improvement in Southwest - (1) Traffic congestion at Sand Lake and Turkey Lake roads, (2) Crime reduction in communities and (3) Better public transportation

For more of the Best of Southwest 2009, please visit www.southestorlandobulletin.com. 

This information is helpful for those of you who are in the process of deciding where to buy or rent in Southwest Orlando.  Depending upon your lifestyle, ease of access to major roads, shopping, dinning, work out facilities, etc, there is always something for everyone in Southwest Orlando.

If you have a favorite in Southwest Orlando that you would like to share, please shoot me an email!

This new, upscale restaurant is scheduled to open on December 6, 2008.  By the way, Cucina Italiana means Italian Kitchen.  I had opportunity to walk through the restaurant and it has an amazing decor with Italian style flair. You can expect tall ceilings, lots of columns, fancy lights and top of the line furniture.  The restaurant best describes itself as “a casual, white tablecloth restaurant offering classic Italian food in a Roman ruin decor”.

For a preview of their menu, visit their website for more information - http://www.bravoitalian.com/menu/

Has anyone out their tried their food?  We would love to hear from ya.

Universal Studio guests will be treated to 2 Mannheim Steamroller Christmas concerts on December 6th, 2008 in celebration of the Holidays.  The concerts, staged in the New York area of the park will be at 6 and 8 p.m.  Concerts will include music from that Grinch show, Steamroller hits and selections from the group’s new CD, Christmasville.  The concerts will be included in regular theme-park admission.

Many Olrando residents are annual pass holders and enjoy the convinence of visiting the theme-parks during special events like the one above.  For those who live in the Southwest Orlando area, its even better because Universal Studios is within a short driving distance to the theme-park.

Orlando real estate near Universal Studios would include the areas of Dr. Phillips, Windermere and Metrowest.

For Orlando real estate listings, visit www.ThumbsUpOrlando.com

Folks, this is a great opportunity to get your kids out there in this Fall weather.  The Dr. Phillips community park is 43 acres and located in Southwest Orlando, right off Apopka Vineland in the Dr. Phillips area.

For address, please see below.

———————————————————————————————-

Hours of Operation:     Winter: 8 a.m.- 6p.m.; Monday-Sunday Phone Number: (407) 254-9038 Mailing Address:      Dr. P Phillips Community Park
8249 Buenavista Woods  BV
Orlando   32836 Acreage: 43 acres Location:     8249 Buenavista Woods Blvd. Orlando FL 32836 Additional Points of Interest:     Dr. Phillips is located off of Apopka-Vineland Rd.Splash Park Admission Fee= $1 per person per session
Session #1 10:00am-2:00PM Session #2 3:00pm-7:00pm
*Charges only on Weekends*   

]]> http://thumbsuporlando.com/blog/2008/11/dr-phillips-community-park-youth-flag-football/feed/ http://thumbsuporlando.com/blog/2008/11/voting-day-cast-your-vote-today/ http://thumbsuporlando.com/blog/2008/11/voting-day-cast-your-vote-today/#comments Tue, 04 Nov 2008 13:43:36 +0000 admin http://thumbsuporlando.com/blog/?p=38

The United States presidential election of 2008, scheduled for today, Tuesday November 4, 2008, is the 56th consecutive quadrennial United States presidential election and will select the President and the Vice President of the United States.

Today marks a special day for me because this is the first time that I have voted since becoming a USA citizen.  I voted at the Southwest Orlando Dr. Phillips Library which opened at 7am with approximately 40 or so people in the line.  However, by 8:15am there was hardly any voter in the line.

Is it imporant to recognize that besides choosing our next president and vice president, there are some important choices to be made that will impact our Orlando real estate.  For example, there is Amendment 3 which prevents home improvements that make your place more hurricane-proof or energy-efficient from raising your taxable value.  You also get to vote for your Orange County property appraiser.  All of these choces impact our Olrando real estate.

Vote early and good luck with your choices.  Visit www.ThumbsUpOrlando.com for Orlando real estate.

The Orlando Sentinel reported today that with condominiums selling for less than single-family homes, the condo-heavy MetroWest area racked up more new residential closings than any community in Metro Orlando during the first half of this year.  MetroWest is located in Southwest Orlando, a part of the Orlando real estate.

Baldwin Park in northeast Orlando was the second-busiest for closings between January and the end of June, with 81 properties — condos and single-family homes — sold, for an average price of $441,600 apiece.  Balwdwin Park, a planned Florida community  is located a little over two miles from downtown Orlando.  Its convenient location to the city’s workplaces, restaurants, cultural attractions and entertainment and sports venues makes it a very popular community.

Of the 20 communities with the most new-home or new-condo closings in Orange, Seminole, Lake and Osceola counties and part of nearby Polk, 12 were in Orange County, with two in each of the other counties.

For Orlando  real estate listings, visit www.ThumbsUpOrlando.com

The Orlando Sentinel reported today that Orlando Magic

The Chateau d’ Usse, which had been listed for $9.7 million, captured all the awards earlier this year during the local Street of Dreams luxury-home show.  This11,026-square-foot home in the upscale Lake Club development in Longwood sets a record.

This lavish home off Markham Woods Road can be described as a “castle,” with a cathedral-like entry and ornate, hand-crafted interior. Interesting features include an office with a secret room that leads to the master bedroom closet and bathroom, and a swimming pool with a “lazy river” feature and waterfall.

Its refreshing to see news like this considering the type of real estate economy that we are facing.  Hopefully, there will be more news like coming shortly.

Give us a shout if you have any other good news on Orange or Seminole real estate.  Congratulations to the agents who coordinated this sale.

For Orlando real estate, visit www.ThumbsUpOrlando.com

Orange County Property Appraiser, Bill Donegan will discuss current tax proposals, property values and tax reforms.  The main theme of the meeting is Orange County Tax Proposals.

This meeting will take at the Dr. Phillips Stirling Sotheby’s office at 7722 Sand Lake Road, Orlando office on October 28, 2008 at 6:30pm. This is a free event and RSVP is encouraged by calling 407-992-8900.

As a realtor, I always get asked questions on property tax implications when buying or selling Orlando real estate.  In my opinion, this is an excellent opportunity to hear directly from the county and ask questions. Thanks to Stirling Sotheby for coordinating this event.

This Halloween, take your kids to the Marketplace at Dr. Phillips (Dr. Phillips Blvd and Sand Lake Road) for trick or treating.  This Southwest Orlando event is a must for everyone with kids.  The event will take place on Saturday, October 25th from 11am to 2pm.

Here’s the agenda for the event -

• Wear costumes
• Go store to store trick or treating
• Festive characters will be present
• Free balloons and crafts
• Free snowcones and cotton candy
• Spooky music

The Marketplace at Dr. Phillips is home to two of Orlando’s premier restaurant’s, Morton’s Steakhouse and Christini’s Ristorante Italiano.  Other anchors include Office Depot, Steinmart, and Home Goods.

Its going to be fun!

Every Saturday, beginning November 1, 2008, there will be a Farmer’s market at the Phillips Crossing shopping center (corner of Sand Lake and Turkey Lake).  Whole Foods is located in this shopping center as well.  Since this a fairly new shopping center, many of the store

Sand Lake Farmers Market

s are still not open hence there will be lots of open and free parking.  By the way, this farmer’s market is being called the Sand Lake Farmer’s market.

As with any farmer’s market, one can expect fresh produce and farm ripe fruit, great coffee, goat cheese, flowers, cool people, live music, cooking demonstrations and much more.  This will be a great way to spend Saturday mornings.  It always gives me a warm fuzzy feeling to see families and kids and dogs and happy people everywhere.

See you bright and early on November 1st.  Come early for the best selection.  Enjoy.