Urban Connectivity: Winter Park
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Metro Jacksonville takes a look at connectivity and clustering complementing uses within a compact pedestrian friendly setting: Winter Park
Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2011-feb-urban-connectivity-winter-park
QuoteUrban parks should be places where a variety of activity can take place throughout the day from a diverse range of residents and visitors in terms of age, culture and race.
Memorial Park was packed all weekend. It was amazing to see the variety of activities and the people in the park. Hipsters were dancing and doing stuff that I didn't understand, others were having picnics, kids were running and playing, others were playing football, people were fishing, ladies were reading, some were jogging, and then some were just walking around taking it all in.
If I had to guess, I'd say Metropark, Hemming, and the Main Street trash receptacle park combined had fewer people than Memorial.
Winter Park is one of the few places in the state that you can get off an Amtrak train and walk around for the day in the immediate area.
If anyone has been wanting to take a day trip on Amtrak, this is how to do it:
There are two trains from Jacksonville heading south:
Amtrak 91 (Silver Star) departs at 7:15am and arrives in Winter Park at 9:54am.
Amtrak 97 (Silver Meteor) departs at 9:48am and arrives in Winter Park at 12:27pm.
The Winter Park Amtrak station is right in the middle of Central Park, with restaurants, shopping, hotels, boat tours, and Rollins College all right there, no car needed.
To get back:
Amtrak 98 (Silver Meteor) departs Winter Park at 2:14pm and arrives in Jax at 5:10pm.
Amtrak 92 (Silver Star) departs Winter Park at 7:41pm and arrives in Jax at 10:37pm.
Since these trains are coming from NYC and Miami they can be running late (many hours late).
Here is the real trick... most people don't know that Amtrak tickets are valid for one year from issue. You can buy a rountrip ticket and use it on a day that the trains are running on time (check train status online before going to the station). Also, I'd buy a ticket for the two earlier trains. I've never had a problem using an early ticket on a later train since they take the exact same route.
Do you remember the price of a roundtrip?
Quote from: BridgeTroll on February 21, 2011, 12:48:43 PM
Do you remember the price of a roundtrip?
Ditto. This sounds like an awesome idea for a day trip.
It varies, but the current cheapest regular rate seems to be $23 each way. However it can be much higher (or lower through their weekly specials http://tickets.amtrak.com/itd/amtrak/weeklyspecials ).
Just tried the amtrak website... for a saturday trip was 54 jax to WP... and $40 wp to jax for two people... vets and AAA discounts applied
Tried the weekly special site and got...
QuoteWeekly Specials discounted fares are only available for sale Tuesday through Friday. Check back to see current specials.
March 19 is $23 / $31 with no discounts.
Quote from: Lunican on February 21, 2011, 01:08:16 PM
March 19 is $23 / $31 with no discounts.
OK... so $46/$62 = $108 roundtrip for two
It would almost cost me $54 to make the drive. I've wanted to do that for a long time. Love Winter Park
I think my wife and I will probaby do it soon. I agree with the $54 to drive down there... but you can put 3 others in the car with you for the same price. If 3 accompany you to WP a $54 trip now becomes $216
QuoteIf I had to guess, I'd say Metropark, Hemming, and the Main Street trash receptacle park combined had fewer people than Memorial.
Spent part of Saturday having a picnic at Memorial, part of both days at Hemming, rode my bike past Main Street homeless camp park, and popped in to Metropark by bike on way to/from JU lacrosse game at Everbank Field... and Memorial Park had three times the amount of people Saturday that the downtown 3 had all weekend. Riverwalk was packed both days though! Even more reason for the Bay Street Pier Park and Hogans Greenbelt.
Anyway, I was just in Winter Park and took extensive pictures b/c its basically San Marco and the Shoppes of Avondale combined that just so happen to pop pills from Mark McGuire's strength trainers.
The whole pedestrian experience is very good there, but the real takeaway I got from Winter Park was their consumer-friendly municipal parking facilities and that they were VERY bike friendly.
I'll try to post some pics later tonight.
BTW, if you want some good eats... Ravenous Pig in Winter Park is the way to go!!!
Winter Park is Awesome.... so much to do just in that area, without going into Orlando or any of the surrounding burbs .
Quote from: BridgeTroll on February 21, 2011, 01:45:04 PM
I think my wife and I will probaby do it soon. I agree with the $54 to drive down there... but you can put 3 others in the car with you for the same price. If 3 accompany you to WP a $54 trip now becomes $216
I'd wait for a good weekly special.
They also have an ice rink setup in the park between Thanksgiving and New Years.
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Winter Park's claim to fame is their annual art festival coming up March 18 to 20th. I think it may be the biggest in the State. Surprised it wasn't mentioned in the article. Maybe Jax could learn from that too. Imagine an art show like this on the Shipyards or JEA property with the river as a backdrop.
By the way, that's one weekend where taking a train to WP may pay off as I would think parking would be a bear.Quotehttp://www.wpsaf.org/CMS/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=11:2011-dates
History of the Show
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival is one of the nation’s oldest, largest and most prestigious juried outdoor art festivals, consistently rated among the top shows by Sunshine Artist and American Style magazines. Each year more than 350,000 visitors enjoy the show. This year about 1,200 artists from around the world applied for entry and an independent panel of judges selected 225 national and international artists to attend the show. The National Endowment for the Arts, The White House, Congress and many others have lauded the Festival for promoting art and art education in Central Florida. An all volunteer board of directors runs the annual Festival, now celebrating its 52nd year.
The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival was started by a handful of enthusiasts as a community project to benefit local artists and art lovers. The first festival was held on Park Avenue in March 1960. The festival featured original works of art and, after being advertised for just three weeks before the opening, drew 90 exhibiting artists. Over the next decade, the festival grew to over 600 artists and was spread out over Park Avenue from Fairbanks Avenue to Canton Avenue and on all cross streets. For the past 30 years or so, the festival has been contained solely in the park area and currently features 225 artists and 3 emerging artists. A loving art community has created and nurtured a successful festival that looks forward to another 50 years in Central Park.
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It might be fun to pick a Saturday in March or April for some MJ folks to take a day trip to WP. Meet at the Amshack at 7am... get back to Jax around 10pm
Quote from: Captain Zissou on February 21, 2011, 10:00:59 AM
If I had to guess, I'd say Metropark, Hemming, and the Main Street trash receptacle park combined had fewer people than Memorial.
while that was most certainly true, the downtown Riverwalk was quite busy this weekend.
FYI....my brother was in town this weekend...it was his first visit to FL in 10 years....we spent Friday afternoon/evening downtown....Saturday we went up to the Timucuan area, took the ferry, went fishing on jax. beach pier, then drove around San Marco, Riverside, and Ortega...when I asked him his favorite area, (and he is anything but an urban kind of guy) he said downtown.
Quote from: stjr on February 21, 2011, 06:46:19 PM
By the way, that's one weekend where taking a train to WP may pay off as I would think parking would be a bear.
The train is definitely the way to get to the Winter Park Art Festival. It is almost impossible to get near downtown Winter Park by car that weekend.
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And the best restaurant in Winter Park:
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Winter Park has a Town Center ,of sorts.. Part of it at one time was the Old Winter Park Mall.. they Razed most of it, except the building that housed Dillards at the time and redid the tract in sort of a Town Center Layout, called Winter Park Village.. very nice area.. lots to do...shopping and dining there ..