OUR TOWNS

Mascotte, named after a ship that frequently made the trip between Cuba and South Florida on a regular basis during the Spanish-American War-era, is about as close to the state’s geographic center as it’s possible to get.

Minneola

The Reserve at Lake Ridge, by KB Home, offers homes priced from $404,990 to $537,997. Sizes are up to 3,203 square feet with six bedrooms. Like so many others, the community is convenient to U.S 27, Florida’s Turnpike and S.R. 50.

Villages at Minneola Hills, with a Signature Series by Meritage Homes, touts easy access to major employment centers and great schools. Homes are priced starting at $405,990 for up to 3,532 square feet with five bedrooms, four bathrooms.

Beazer Homes’ Grove Series at Park View at the Hills offers homes priced from $444,990 to $554,990 for up to 3,170 square feet. The largest model, the two-story Newbury II, features a first-floor primary bedroom and a rear covered lanai.

The community’s website notes: “This could be the new Dr. Phillips or Winter Park without insane traffic, amusement parks, and roaming tourists.”

Mount Dora

Lennar is building a collection of new homes at master-planned Stoneybrook Hills. Stoneybrook Hills — Magnolia Gardens encompasses 64 homesites and five floorplans that range in size from 2,421 to 2,941 square feet. Prices range from $468,490 to $505,490.

Community highlights include a playground, a pool, a clubhouse, a baseball field, and courts for basketball and tennis. A big selling point is the community’s location just 15 minutes from historic downtown Mount Dora, which is one of the coolest small towns in Florida. It was named by Money magazine as one of three “Best Places to Live in America.”

Mount Dora is home to one of three freshwater lighthouses in Florida and is known as the “Festival City” for its plethora of activities, including an annual Mount Dora Arts Festival.

Tavares

At Avalon Park Tavares, Stanley Martin Homes offers 10 one- and two-story floorplans priced from $319,577 to $365,550 and ranging in size from 1,426 to 1,839 square feet (with three and four bedrooms).

At 155 acres, Avalon Park Tavares provides a nestled, serene landscape that’s highlighted by treelined streets and multiple waterways, along with emerging neighborhood amenities that will include a pool, a cabana, a nearby marina and a splash park.

Downtown Tavares has an entertainment district encompassing an international assortment of restaurants, pubs and music venues. You’ll also enjoy Wooton Park, home of the Tavares Seaplane Base, where you can enjoy a seaplane ride or take a boat tour.

THEY CALL IT THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE

The cities of Eustis, Mount Dora and Tavares make up the Golden Triangle, but the entire area is known for its bountiful lakes and old oak trees draped in Spanish Moss — a place where seaplane rides, antique shopping and Sunday brunches are customary.

Quaint bed and breakfasts are a draw for travelers to Mount Dora, not to mention the historic Lakeside Inn, built in 1883 and offering spectacular views of Lake Dora.

Live music streams out nightly from the area’s many eclectic downtown restaurants, pubs and wine bars. For a romantic meal, theGoblin Market, located down the brick alley of Dora Drawdy Way, offers fine dining at its best.

Enjoy a railway excursion through the Golden Triangle aboardthe Royal Palm Railway Experiencein classic rail cars. The experience offers various tours for both adults and families such as the Polar Express, the Royal Pizza Express and the Valentine’s Train.

Renninger’s Twin Marketsand theMount Dora Center for the Artsand its sponsored festivals add to the allure of the Golden Triangle area.

Visitors can watch seaplanes take off and land while dining atPuddle Jumpersin Tavares, or take a ride for themselves with theJones Brothers & Co. Air and Seaplane Adventures. Whether the view is by air, land or sea, Tavares’s Pavilion on the Lake is a sight to behold with its winding staircase and a scenic pier atWooton Park.

Downtown Eustis, with its Lake Walk atFerran Park, the historic Alice McClelland Bandshell, and vintage-era shops, boasts old- fashioned charm.

The Golden Triangle’s surrounding towns are also home to notable attractions such as theMission Inn Resort & Club, featuring premier golf courses, dining establishments, a spa and the nearbyYalaha Bakery — an authentic German bakery attracting visitors from far and wide to indulge in delectable breads and pastries.

For more European treats, take a scenic drive off the beaten path. VisitA Wish or Two Ago French Bakeryin Grand Island, a distinctive rural community west of Eustis.

Daytona Beach’s brightly lit boardwalk is known to vacationers and spring breakers, of course. But the World’s Most Famous Beach is within easy driving distance of anywhere in Central Florida.

volusia County

At a Glance

Land Area: 1,103 square miles Population: 555,000 2010-2020 Population Growth: 14% 2025 Projected Population Growth: 573,800 Mean Travel Time to Work (Minutes): 25.9 Mean Household Income: $49,494 Education: Bachelor’s Degree or Higher: 23.7%

Geographically, Volusia County sits 50 miles northeast of Orlando, between the St. Johns River and the Atlantic Ocean. But these days, in a region where the growth is pushing outward in all four directions, geography doesn’t mean as much as it once did.

Indeed, as metro Orlando spreads north and east along Interstate 4 through Seminole County, west Volusia is directly in growth’s path.

Today the area, once identified almost exclusively with Daytona Beach (population 72,600), is emerging as a suburb of Orlando. For example, with 96,000 residents, Deltona has long since surpassed Daytona Beach as the largest municipality in the county. It has seen monumental growth since 1980.

Much of the activity is spurred by commercial development along the High-Tech Corridor, which runs the length of Interstate 4 between Tampa and Daytona Beach.

In addition, the widening of the Interstate 4/St. Johns River Bridge alleviated one of the region’s most annoying traffic bottlenecks, making the western portion of Volusia an easy 30-minute commute to downtown Orlando.

Buyers have discovered the impressive stock of historic homes west of downtown DeLand (population 37,700), which is clearly one of the coolest small towns in Florida.

The quaint downtown district, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, is thick with eateries and antique shops. And stately Stetson University, which has been located here since 1883, adds an air of permanence.

Meanwhile, tiny Lake Helen (population 2,800) is holding its breath as Victoria Park adds 4,000 homes and 10,000 residents right near the city’s border. The rural enclave is expected to grow nearly 20 percent by 2025.

Those interested in more natural settings, plus an unusual lunch, may head north on U.S. 17 to De León Springs State Park, where you can cook your own pancakes at the Old Spanish Sugar Mill and then paddle a canoe through the wilderness.

In the winter, manatees seeking warmer water can be seen lolling around at Blue Springs State Park. In the summer, humans seeking relief plunge into the same bubbling blue oasis.

Many of the changes in Volusia County involve Daytona Beach, especially around Interstate 95 and LPGA Boulevard.

Five or six years ago, big stories included the arrival of a Trader Joe’s distribution center, the opening of Tanger Outlets Mall and the Tomoka Town Center, and the completion of a new headquarters site for TopBuild Corp., a Fortune 1000 company.

Then came more retail, restaurants, apartment complexes and the massive live/work/play communities of Mosaic and Latitude Margaritaville.

leading employers

AdventHealth System Halifax Hospital System Publix Supermarkets Walmart Associates Inc. Stetson University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Florida Healthcare Plans Sykes Communications Winn Dixie Supermarkets Brunswick Corp.