Outside the Bubble, Inside the Hourglass

How often do you drive aimlessly in Orlando? It’s easy to get caught in your bubble — I know a lot of people who rarely leave College Park, or Conway. But the rewards for those who venture out and explore are manifold. I challenge you to dedicate two hours to a random drive some time this week.

How often do you drive aimlessly in Orlando? It’s easy to get caught in your bubble — I know a lot of people who rarely leave College Park, or Conway. But the rewards for those who venture out and explore are manifold. I challenge you to dedicate two hours to a random drive some time this week.

If you happen to find yourself at the intersection of Bumby and Curry Ford, you’re in the Hourglass District, an area that was platted in 1924 as the Hourglass Lake Park Subdivision. The natural beauty and deceptively simple streetscape echo parts of historic Windermere, yet this relatively undiscovered neighborhood is significantly more affordable. It also feeds Boone High School, one of the best in O.C.P.S.

A randomly-selected single family home in Hourglass, with three bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths, had an assessed value of $316,549 last year. The 3-minute walk from the house to Hourglass Lake is sheltered by an expansive canopy of oak trees with light dappling through. It’s a real Florida experience, one that has been savored and maintained in Old Windermere as well. But 300K sounds more like College Park prices than Windermere.

The first house I built for myself was right here in this 8-block area, in 2006. I loved the neighborhood then, and I love it now.

I was working with a developer on some conceptual projects when he shared that he had a vested interest in seeing the Hourglass District develop with more of a Main Street concept. As we started talking, it became apparent that we could have an intelligent conversation about moving forward. I decided to put a plan together.

There’s a lot going on in the neighborhood that has to be considered. The city owns a retention pond over there. Upgrades are needed for water and sewer. Traffic needs to slow down, and they need a mid-block crossing. We’ve thought about ways we can activate the corner and ways to encourage community relationships. This Food Truck Park concept is just one example. I’ll be sharing more in the coming months. 

The Food Truck Park concept shown above is just one example. I’ll be sharing more in the coming months.

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