Winter Park, a city of about 25,000 residents, is located just five miles north of -- but a world away from -- downtown Orlando. Known as the "City of Gracious Living," Winter Park has a small-town feel while offering scenic beauty, tranquil lakes, parks, shops and an abundance of arts and culture.

With brick-lined streets meandering through its tree-shrouded neighborhoods, Winter Park has been one of America's most charming communities for more than a century.

Park Avenue in the heart of Winter Park, with its upscale boutiques and sidewalk cafes, is a magnet for shoppers and lunchers. Only a short stroll from Park Avenue, new luxury condominiums with prices that run into the millions are providing a new option for high-end buyers.

Across the street from the Park Avenue shops is 11-acre Central Park, an oasis with towering oaks and a spectacular rose garden. Activities held in this park throughout the year include the 44-year old Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival presented each March, numerous musical festivals and an old-fashioned Fourth of July celebration.

Many of Winter Park's most sought-after older homes -- an eclectic mix of Victorian, Mediterranean, and Greek architecture -- are located on the lakes that dot this community.

A new neighborhood with luxury homes is Windsong in old Winter Park. Situated along the shores of three sparkling lakes, the preservation of large old trees has enabled Windsong to retain the old-world charm of an earlier era.

Winter Park is only minutes away from the Orlando Executive Airport, which is able to handle the largest of private jets, and about 30-40 minutes from Orlando International Airport for those seeking commercial flights to virtually any city in the United States.

And for those yearning to totally recapture the feel of an earlier time, Amtrak's Silver Star and Silver Meteor roll through Winter Park en route to and from New York daily -- stopping at the station set right in the midst of Central Park.