Named for real estate magnate and Florida politician Walter Rose, the upscale midcentury neighborhood of Rose Isle is a dynamic Central Florida community bordered by three lakes and tucked between Orlando's Mills 50 district and the city of Winter Park.
This neighborhood, like much of the area, was developed throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Homes here often have lakefront views and feature unique stylings paired with facets of traditional Floridian architecture, including single-level construction and low-slung roofs.And while homes here can sell for between $1 million and $2 million, it is often the land itself that attracts buyers. New custom builds increasingly make up the neighborhood. These larger, more grandiose, homes often feature contemporary or Mediterranean styles. “They’re not cookie-cutter so to speak, but you’ll get certain custom builders that will take over a street,” says Tom Langmann, a Realtor with Re/Max 200 Realty and 40-year Orlando resident. “Some of the stuff is similar, but they try to mix it up a bit.”
Across Mills Avenue from Rose Isle is Loch Haven Park, site of several museums and theaters, including the Orlando Shakes, the city’s Shakespeare company, the Orlando Family Stage and the Orlando Museum of Art. The Orlando Science Center is popular for its interactive displays and events. “There are two faces of the Orlando Science Center,” says Jeff Stanford, vice president of marketing. “One is the face that is exhibits and events and family fun and adult nights, science of beer events, science of wine events — engaging the community, and learning while having fun. But there’s another aspect of the Science Center that is about advancing STEM literacy, supporting schools, creating access and building the STEM career pipeline from cradle to career starting at the very beginning of the funnel.”Rose Isle residents also participate in Winter Park’s community events to the neighborhood’s north. The city’s weekly farmers market attracts shoppers at Central Park, while roughly 350,000 attendees visit the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival each spring. Orlando’s resorts and theme parks are known as tourist destinations, but the attractions often offer perks to residents, like discounted passes. Universal Orlando Resort is roughly 10 miles from Rose Isle, while Walt Disney World is 20 miles away via Interstate 4.
The booming commercial district of Mills 50 is home to an array of food options, from the Mexican-Asian fusion at TaKo Cheena to smoked meats at Pig Floyd’s Urban BBQ. The area around Virginia Drive also has several breweries, bars and boutiques, like Ten10 Brewing Company. “I love that I can go and get amazing Asian food, and barbecue, and Mexican food, and Italian food,” Stanford says. “That influence is amazing to me. It’s all entrepreneurs and all locally owned.” Orlando Avenue features more chain restaurants, like Chicken Guy and Jersey Mike’s, along with a Publix for groceries. Downtown Winter Park is about 2 miles from the neighborhood and offers a walkable strip of upscale restaurants and retail.
Lake Sue, the largest of the three area bodies of water, is big enough for small powered watercraft, but the residents with access to the other two lakes are likelier to launch kayaks or canoes. The neighborhood is directly between two public gardens — the Mead Botanical Garden and the Harry P. Leu Gardens. The Leu Gardens showcase roughly 15,000 botanical specimens and offer events, including free admission days, while the Mead Botanical Garden lets visitors follow paths through native Florida habitats.
Rose Isle students can attend Orange County Public Schools, starting at Audubon Park School for kindergarten through eighth grade. The school receives an A-minus grade from Niche. For high school, the neighborhood is split between B-plus-graded Edgewater High and A-plus-rated Winter Park High. Students can apply to either of Edgewater’s magnet programs, the Center for Future Educators and the Engineering, Science and Technology academy, while Winter Park offers the International Baccalaureate program.
Downtown Orlando is about 3 miles south of Rose Isle. Interstate 4 passes less than a mile from the neighborhood. The city has been working to support public transportation, including the SunRail system, which runs through Central Florida with a stop less than a mile from Rose Isle at the AdventHealth hospital complex. Bike and pedestrian access can be found at the Orlando Urban Trail, which runs through Rose Isle along Mills Avenue, heading north to the Mead Botanical Garden and south to Lake Highland.
Rose Isle has a CAP Index Crime Score of 2 out of 10, compared to the US average of 4. The neighborhood’s scores for violent crimes are even lower, at 1 out of 10. “The communities are very strong around here,” Langmann says. “You’re still waving at your neighbors that you know, so everyone’s keeping an eye on everyone.”
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Susan Chapin
KELLER WILLIAMS WINTER PARK
(689) 207-6205
86 Total Sales
2 in Rose Isle
$775K - $1M Price Range
Mick Night
PREMIER SOTHEBY'S INTL. REALTY
(689) 216-4783
294 Total Sales
3 in Rose Isle
$1.1M - $1.6M Price Range
Jennifer Sloan
KELLY PRICE & COMPANY LLC
(321) 204-3081
201 Total Sales
3 in Rose Isle
$865K - $1.5M Price Range
Lisa Shear
FANNIE HILLMAN & ASSOCIATES
(689) 220-6223
111 Total Sales
3 in Rose Isle
$929K - $1.6M Price Range
Alison Mosley
PREMIER SOTHEBY'S INTL. REALTY
(321) 415-4539
281 Total Sales
2 in Rose Isle
$1.1M - $1.9M Price Range
Abby Nelson
RE/MAX 200 REALTY
(888) 512-3568
484 Total Sales
2 in Rose Isle
$2,200,000 Price Range
Interested in learning more about homes in this neighborhood? Reach out to , an experienced agent in this area.
| 1 - Low Crime, 10 - High Crime | Rose Isle | US |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide | 1 | 4 |
| Sexual Assault | 1 | 4 |
| Assault with Weapon | 1 | 4 |
| Robbery | 1 | 4 |
| Burglary | 2 | 4 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 1 | 4 |
| Larceny | 3 | 4 |
| Crime Score | 2 | 4 |
Source: WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com
On average, homes in Rose Isle, Orlando sell after 86 days on the market compared to the national average of 70 days. The median sale price for homes in Rose Isle, Orlando over the last 12 months is $449,000.
Interested in learning more about homes in this neighborhood? Reach out to , an experienced agent in this area.
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