Horizon West is a pretty small place to live in Florida, but it's had some big history. One of the biggest people to grace its presence was Elvis Presley -- but before he became famous! In 1955, the soon-to-be King of Rock and Roll came to the Horizon West area and learned to water ski on Lake Butler. Elvis was driving a pink Cadillac at the time, and neighbors remember helping a 20-year-old Elvis learn how to stand up on water skies. It wasn't long after that Elvis appeared on Ed Sullivan and made music history!
Horizon West is a tiny planned community area in Orange County, Florida. The area is basically a residential part of Orlando, where homes and businesses have been laid out strategically to make life as easy and lovely as possible for residents. The history of the area is that it started out as orange groves, like most of the area around here. However, when the big-eared mouse and his theme parks came in, a lot of land was developed into residential property (because tons of people wanted to live near the spectacular attractions!) Horizon West became one of these properties around 1993, when a group of developers partnered with orange county to develop a huge swath of undeveloped land (30,000 acres). In 1995, the area was ready, and it became known as Horizon West, a community made up of five villages and a town center. Today, Horizon West continues to be a charming place where people choose to live in the Orlando area. If you're a fan of theme parks or like living near water, this is a great place for you to consider finding apartment homes.
Moving to Horizon West
If you're planning to move to Horizon West, the first thing you'll want to do is rent an apartment. There are lots of rental properties here, including studio apartments and apartments with paid utilities. If you want to rent an apartment, the most important step is preparing a great leasing application. Leasing applications include components that prove that you'll be a great tenant -- both financially and as a person. For the financial part, gather your bank statements, tax returns, pay stubs, a letter of employment, other proof of income, and maybe some letters of reference from your employer. You might also get a letter of reference from a former landlord to prove that you'll be an excellent tenant in your new house rental in Horizon West. Your leasing application is your chance to prove why someone should rent to you; prepare properly, and you should have your dream home on your hands in no time!
Neighborhoods in Horizon West
Horizon West is a planned community with many different neighborhoods. If you want to know more about what area of town best suits you, check out some helpful neighborhood info below!
Lake Avalon Groves: Lake Avalon is centered around (you guessed it!) Lake Avalon! This area, which has Avalon Rd running through its center, is located right along I-429, so it's a convenient place to live if you're a commuter.
Signature Lakes: Signature Lakes is a neighborhood surrounded by many lakes, so, if you like water, this is a good spot for you to choose. Residents in Signature Lakes enjoy recreational water sports, as well as fishing and beautiful scenery. For those outdoorsy types out there, consider looking for a rental home here.
Summerport Village Center: This spot is a hub of commerce and activity. If you want something a little more hustling and bustling than the normal suburbs, this is your place. In Summerport Village Center, not only can you find a lovely apartment, but also great crosswalks and sidewalks for walking around town, and great restaurants and shops to get your errands done.
Hunter's Creek Golf Course: You might have guessed that this neighborhood surrounds a beautiful Orlando-area golf course called Hunter's Creek. Houses here are big, and you get a great view of the greenery around you, so if you're looking for a place to spread out, this is definitely the neighborhood for you to choose.
Hunter's Creek New Village: This is a planned, developed area of mixed residential and commercial property. There are performance stages, restaurants, parks, a clock tower, and awesome rental apartments here. This part of town is buzzing with activity and a place to be if you get bored easily.
Living in Horizon West
If you want a sunny, warm place to call home, Horizon West is a great option for you. The Florida weather stays nice all year round, so if you move here, you might even be able to ditch your winter jacket. In Horizon West, there's tons to do, which makes sense, since city planners made sure it was that way. You can eat out, do your grocery shopping, go to the bank, and see a movie without leaving your tiny hometown.
But living so close to Orlando, why would you want to stick so close to home? You can be at the world's best theme parks and attractions in only a matter of minutes. Hop in the car (you'll need one here), and you can get to the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney Studios, Universal Studios Orlando, or Islands of Adventure in a jiffy. There's also world-class dining and entertainment in downtown Orlando proper, which has a big, cosmopolitan city feel. For a slice of suburban life with tons to do, there might be no better place than Horizon West!
