Neighborhood guide · Orlando 32804
Brick streets named for universities, Craftsman bungalows around Lake Adair, and a main street of local restaurants ten minutes from downtown. This is what I tell friends before they start looking here.
Ross Pino
Works College Park every week · Updated October 2026
The story
Developer Walter Rose started building here in 1921, calling it Rosemere, and laid out Harvard, Princeton, Yale and Cornell streets. In 1925 a new subdivision on the north shore of Lake Ivanhoe took the name College Park and kept the college theme, even though there's no college in the neighborhood. College Park celebrated its 100th birthday in 2025.
Most of the neighborhood was built by 1940. That's why the interior streets are lined with Craftsman bungalows, with Mediterranean Revival cottages near the lakes and a layer of mid-century homes on the north end. Two parts of College Park are national historic districts: Lake Adair-Lake Concord and Lake Ivanhoe.
Jack Kerouac lived in a small cottage at 1418 Clouser Avenue in 1957 and 1958, just as On the Road came out. Today it's the Kerouac House, a residency for visiting writers.
Thinking about College Park?
College Park is a patchwork of small pockets. A few blocks can change your lot size, your school zoning and how far you walk to Edgewater.
Our family lives a few minutes away in Audubon Park, and I help buyers and sellers here all the time. Ask me anything about College Park.
A day here
Edgewater Drive is the neighborhood's main street, and most of daily life orbits it. Here's an ordinary day.
Coffee at Café Linger or tea at Infusion Tea, then a walk around the brick loop at Lake Adair.
A tee time at the 1924 public course, or lunch at The Tap Room overlooking the greens.
Pizza at Armando's, rolls at Jade Sushi, or Greek plates at the new Olea Taverna.
Dinner at Russell's on Lake Ivanhoe, then a walk along the water toward Ivanhoe Village.
Eat, drink, shop
Edgewater Drive is lined with independent spots. These are the ones I send people to.
Local businesses change. Confirm hours before you go. List updated October 2026.
Outdoors
A 24-acre lake at the center of the neighborhood, with Lake Adair Park and a brick trail loop that's busy with walkers every morning.
Designed by Thomas Bendelow and opened in 1924. The City of Orlando has owned it since 1978, so there's no membership required.
The big lake on the neighborhood's southern edge, with downtown views and Ivanhoe Village next door.
Schools
Most of College Park follows one public path from elementary school through Edgewater High, with gifted and IB options along the way.
Attendance boundaries change. Always confirm zoning for a specific address with OCPS before you make an offer.
Nearby private options
A Catholic college-prep high school on Edgewater Drive, at the north end of College Park.
An independent college-prep school on a 42-acre campus on Lake Highland, about ten minutes east. It's the largest private school in Orlando.
Admission requirements, tuition and dates change each year. Check each school's admissions office for current details.
Homes
Most of the housing is 1920s to 1940s Craftsman bungalows on interior streets, many on lots around 50 by 100 feet. Mediterranean Revival cottages sit near the lakes, and mid-century ranches fill in the north end.
Prices range widely, from roughly the $400,000s for an original bungalow to well over $3 million for renovated lakefront homes on Lake Adair, Lake Concord or Lake Ivanhoe.
Infill here usually means a two-story new build on a single bungalow lot. Some streets fall inside historic districts with design review, so check before you plan a teardown.
Ross can walk you through College Park street by street, including which pockets walk to Edgewater and which zone to Princeton. Start with a question.
Builders are looking in College Park. Ross can tell you what it's worth as a home, what it's worth as land, and whether historic rules apply. Ask what yours is worth.
See the Audubon Park guide or read Audubon Park, Winter Park and College Park compared.
From a local
FAQ
The questions people ask most before moving here. Have one that isn't answered? Ask Ross.
For many buyers, yes. People choose College Park for its brick streets and 1920s bungalows, the restaurants along Edgewater Drive, Lake Adair and Dubsdread, and a location about ten minutes from downtown Orlando. It suits buyers who want an established, walkable neighborhood with character.
Yes. College Park is inside the City of Orlando, in ZIP code 32804, just north of downtown. It was annexed into the city in the 1920s. The 32804 ZIP code also covers areas outside College Park, so check the subdivision and street for any home you're considering.
Developer Walter Rose named the first streets after universities such as Harvard, Princeton, Yale and Cornell in the early 1920s. A 1925 subdivision took the name College Park and continued the theme. There is no college in the neighborhood.
Most homes are zoned for Princeton Elementary, with College Park and Lake Silver elementaries serving some streets. Most of the neighborhood continues to College Park Middle and Edgewater High, which offers an IB Diploma Programme. Bishop Moore Catholic High School and Lake Highland Prep are nearby private options. Verify zoning for any address with Orange County Public Schools.
Prices vary by street, lot and lake access. Original bungalows have started roughly in the $400,000s, while renovated lakefront homes can sell for more than $3 million. For current numbers on a specific street, ask Ross for a neighborhood snapshot.
Much of it is. Homes within a few blocks of Edgewater Drive can walk to coffee, restaurants and shops, and Lake Adair's trail loop is a neighborhood favorite. Farther from Edgewater, most errands still mean a short drive.
Parts of it are. The Lake Adair-Lake Concord and Lake Ivanhoe areas are national historic districts. Homes in locally designated historic areas may need city review for exterior changes, so check a property's status before you plan work.
Safety is personal, and the best answer comes from current data and your own visits. Check the Orlando Police Department's public crime map for the streets you're considering, and walk the block in the evening before you buy. Ross can point you to those resources.
Downtown Orlando is about 10 minutes away, Orlando International Airport about 22 minutes, and Walt Disney World about 30 minutes, depending on traffic. Interstate 4 runs along the neighborhood's eastern edge.
Yes. Many smaller bungalows are being replaced with new two-story homes. What you can build depends on the lot's zoning, setbacks, City of Orlando permitting and any historic designation. Ross works with builders and lot buyers and can help you evaluate a site.
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I help families buy and sell in College Park and the neighborhoods around it. Tell me what you're looking for and I'll reach out personally, usually the same day.