It’s no surprise that Avon Park’s nickname is the “City of Charm.” This small landlocked city offers scenic views and a small downtown area highlighted by vibrant artwork spanning multiple art galleries, museums and murals. Centered around Lake Olivia, the neighborhood of Avon Park Lakes is no exception to the small city’s charm. Compared to downtown’s Main Street appeal, its residential streets are secluded and offer a true rural lifestyle on quiet dirt roads. “We have a nice, quiet country lifestyle with plenty of amenities close by,” says John Shoop, Sebring’s mayor since 2014. is one of the state’s smallest regions, and the size of its community is a clear reflection of this fact. “There’s about 11,000 people in Sebring,” Shoop adds. “But you’ll absolutely recognize friends and neighbors walking down the street; you walk into a barber shop and know most of them. Everybody knows everybody here.” Shoop also notes that the community is service-oriented, and many residents volunteer with local non-profit organizations. Avon Park Lakes provides ample outdoor recreation, from fishing and boating on one of many surrounding lakes to golfing on one of the Citrus Golf Trail’s courses to hiking and biking at one of the nature preserves that flank all of Highlands County. The Avon Park Air Force Range, one of the largest training complexes east of the Mississippi, and South Florida State College are major employers with conveniently short commutes.
At the center of Avon Park Lake is Lake Olivia, a small body of water encircled by sandy shores, a small clubhouse and a looping sidewalk. The paved streets around the lake eventually give way to dirt roads lined by a dense thicket. Small, quarter-acre parcels of land are abundant and often priced between $10,000 and $20,000. Two-story single-family ranch homes, predominantly built in the 1990s, are dotted between them. Generally, these older homes start at around $220,000 and $260,000. However, the housing inventory has seen an uptick in newly constructed residences since 2022. “The last couple of years, we’ve seen more growth than we have in a long time,” Shoop says. “Compared to the cost of living of some of these coastal cities, we’re more affordable, and that’s attractive to homebuyers.” These new builds often have one-car garages, vaulted ceilings and open floor plans. Interested homebuyers can expect recent construction to sit between $260,000 and $450,000, depending on acreage.
Highlands County Schools serves Avon Park Lakes. Students can attend Avon Elementary and Avon Park Middle Schools, which earn a B-minus and C-plus grade on Niche, respectively. Avon Park High School holds a B-minus score. With its proximity to the Avon Park Air Force Range, it’s no wonder that the high school offers the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps. South Florida State College is 6 miles south alongside Lake Lelia and Lake Glenada for those intent on higher education.
Sebring residents are car-dependent; however, golf carts are also a common mode of transportation. Major roadways include US Highway 27, which grants access to the rest of the state. Secondary arteries include State Road 64 and State Road 66. Avon Park Lakes is 74 miles from Tampa and 95 miles from Fort Myers. “We’re seeing an increase in traffic, especially the last summer,” Shoop says. “We were in People magazine, so Sebring is getting recognized, and we plan to get ahead of the growth soon with future infrastructure expansion.” The Sebring Station, located in the Sebring Downtown Historic District, was built by the Seaboard Air Line in 1924 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is serviced by Amtrak, offering two routes: south to Miami or north to Orlando, Tampa and New York City. Avon Park Executive Airport is located almost 4 miles south on Main Street and facilitates private, local aviation for the community. However, Orlando International Airport, 86 miles to the north, provides the nearest domestic and international passenger services. The closest medical campus is AdventHealth Sebring, 9 miles south.
Locals don’t have to drive far to practice their swing as the fairways of the River Greens Golf Course are located on the other side of US Highway 27, roughly 4 miles away. One of Sebring’s gems is Highlands Hammock State Park. The expansive green space opened four years before the Florida state park system, which placed it on the National Register of Historic Places. Various native wildlife, including alligators and white-tailed deer, reside here and can be spotted along any of the nine trails on horseback, bicycle or on foot. Highlands Hammock State Park is a part of the Great Florida Birding Trail, a popular destination for birding enthusiasts, and also come to the Florida Civilian Conservation Corps Museum. Hammock State Park is believed to have oak trees over a thousand years old, making it some of the largest in the state. At almost 30,000 acres, Lake Istokpoga is one of the largest lakes in Florida, accented by draping cypress trees and oat hammocks. Fishing is a popular pastime as the water is rife with trophy bass and bluegill.
Avon Park Lake’s charming countryside living extends to its local shops, diners and markets. For a quick snack, Market 27 is only 2 miles away. This authentic mom-and-pop diner greets hungry guests with red, vintage checkerboard tile flooring and rows of snacks and gourmet sodas. Pizza, Philly cheese steaks and ice cream are available for pickup. On the third Saturday of every month, the Avon Park Lakes Farmers Market is hosted at the small pastel-blue-painted clubhouse next to Lake Olivia. The event highlights what the local makers and farmers offer, from handmade jewelry and soaps to flavored honey. Restaurants mainly sit along Main Street, like Little Italy and Taqueria Merlo, or US Highway 27, which includes classic country fixings at Olympic Restaurant or brunch at Avon Park Diner, next to Winn-Dixie and Ollie’s Bargain Outlet. Roughly 6 miles away and near Lake Verona is Maxwell Groves Country Store. At this family-owned shop, citrus comes in all forms. Shoppers can enjoy fresh-squeezed orange juice or a creamsicle, key lime or lemonade soft serve from the comfort of the store’s front porch rocking chairs. While Sebring offers plenty of local shops and eateries, the area lacks brand-name retail options. Lakeshore Mall is the closest mall, but many of its department stores have closed since COVID-19. Therefore, many residents drive to Eagle Ridge Mall in Lake Wales, 38 miles north, for stores like Dillard’s.
Annual events span all of Sebring, the most popular being the Sebring Soda Festival every Spring and Lake Placid’s Caladium Festival. Local attractions include the Sebring International Raceway, which has hosted the annual 12 Hours of Sebring WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race since 1952. The event has been voted North America’s Number 1 Motorsports event by USA Today. It attracts visitors from all over the globe. “You can go to Europe and wear a Sebring shirt,” Shoop says. “Everyone will know what that is; it’s America’s Oldest Road race.” Live theatergoers can enjoy themselves at the Highlands Lakeside Theatre and the Alan Jay Wildstein Center for Performing Arts at South Florida State College. The latter hosts over 30 national touring headliners every year.
Avon Park Lakes is not immune to the impact of Florida’s hurricane season; however, due to its location in the middle of the state, the area does not get it as hard as coastal cities like Fort Myers. “We’ve been through enough of them; we know what to do.” Shoop is confident in Sebring’s natural disaster plan, which includes an active EMS department, recent grants for additional generators and improvements to harden public buildings. “We make sure the hospitals get power first if it goes out,” Shoop adds. Additionally, the citrus industry has been severely impacted by an incurable bacterial infection, often called Greening, that can kill a citrus tree within a few years. “It’s taken a toll on the economy over the last ten years,” Shoop admits. “We’re down 80 percent in production because of it.” Despite this hurdle, Shoop says the Sebring will forge on, with multiple planned developments focused on rejuvenating it in the works. “We’re trying to keep the historic nature of our town as it is, so we’re trying to preserve our older buildings, and we hope to make the parks more accessible downtown.”
