Lake Mary

Lake Mary

Lake Mary is the Orlando suburb that is perfectly positioned between the beauty of the natural world and the hubbub of one of the world’s biggest tourist destinations. It’s a dozen-ish miles north of Orlando proper on the interstate, so you’d expect it to be a bedroom community. Instead, it’s the headquarters of several multinational corporations, the locus of local television and radio companies, and has a vibrant downtown that makes venturing out a largely voluntary decision. Lake Mary is lovely, with well-planned communities of stately homes built around lakes, some upscale golf communities, and condos and townhomes along curving, tree-lined streets. Commutes, if you’re not in the infamous Orlando rush hours, are effortless, and you can even travel further afield from the close-by Sanford Airport without the hassle of Orlando’s giant MCO — though that airport is surprisingly easy to access, as well.