Winter Haven : Florida

WinterHaven, FL is located midway between Orlando and Tampa off I-4 and is a small city of 35,000.  Winter Haven is the chain of lakes city with over 50 lakes within the city limits with many connected by canals.  There is a four year college located here, Polk State College.   The city is a little over one hours drive from Atlantic or Gulf beaches.  

There are active adult communities in the area (link at top left).

 The median home value in Winter Haven was about $178,053 in early 2020, according to Zillow, which calls it a "Very Hot Market" at this time. Many homes and condos look onto parks or lakes. The National Association of Realtors reports the median sale price to be $213,000 during the 3rd quarter of 2019, in the Lakeland-Winter Haven area.

Winter Haven was formerly the home of Cypress Gardens, the theme park that has since closed.   "Legoland Florida", a 150 acre theme park opened in 2011, and is on the site of the original Cypress Gardens theme park, although 30 acres of the original cypress Gardens is preserved with this change for historic continuity.  Because of its many lakes, Winter Haven has been the home of several water skiing schools. There is a public library built from scratch 10 years ago, which is an anchor for our downtown area and its Main Street Program.  The chain of lakes trail goes through the city and is excellent for walking.

Winter Haven boasts many buildings designed by Gene Leedy, one of the founders of the Sarasota School of Architecture. Polk State College offers some cultural programs.