Meet The Neighbors People who call Baldwin Park home | 2009
Just seven years ago, this didn't exist. Today, 6,000 people call it home. Some Baldwin Park residents live in cozy bungalows, others in impressive custom homes. Still others enjoy the ease of townhome or condo living. They’re old and young, couples, singles, and blended households. For all their differences, Baldwin Park neighbors have several things in common. They’re sociable. They like walking to restaurants, stores, banks, and doctor visits. They value living close to downtown Orlando, Winter Park, theaters, museums and sports venues. Next time you’re in Baldwin Park, ask some of the neighbors what they like best. In the meantime, enjoy a few of their stories on the following pages.
“We gained the best hour of every day by moving to Baldwin Park.” —Bob Showalter, shown at home with his wife Kim, son Sandy, daughter-in-law Jamie, daughter Jenny, son-in-law Brent and grandsons Kyle and Evan. When their former 10 to 15 minute commute turned into an unpredictable 25 to 40 minutes, Bob and Kim Showalter decided it was time to move closer their family business, Showalter Flying Service at Orlando Executive Airport. They bought a homesite and worked with an architect and custom home builder to create a not-so-big but beautifully detailed home where they use every room every day, according to Kim. After the 2004 hurricanes, the allure of underground utilities and grandparents nearby lured Jenny and Brent to move from College Park. And soon thereafter, Sandy and his bride Jamie found a home just around the corner from Kim and Bob. “We all live together and work together,” says Kim. “We’re the luckiest family I know. 5
“I get home from work, park the car, then don’t need it again.” —Zach Van Dyke with Oliver, Atticus, Alice and wife Kelly. “If we want to go to the grocery store or to dinner, we load the kids into strollers rather than the car, stop to feed the ducks in the park, then go for ice cream,” says Zach who works as a youth minister. “Everything in the neighborhood is so beautiful—I knew immediately it was a place we wanted to live,” says Kelly. “What sold us on our home was its location across the street from the park and the pool—we’re there at least three days a week. And, that’s also made our home the gathering spot for our extended families.” 7
“We’ve made a lot of new friends in Baldwin Park.” —Olga Calvet, with husband Cesar, daughter Alexandra and dog Cha-Cha. “It’s a nice, interesting experience living here,” says Olga, a hospitality company executive and member of the UCF Foundation board. “You’ve got people who are new, people who have lived in Orlando a long time, people who are willing to exchange ideas and make new friends. And, we’re right in the middle of the city, but can walk to Publix. And of course I can be on Park Avenue in six minutes.” “We had lived in our previous home more than 20 years and never thought we’d buy another house,” says Cesar, president of Latin Banking for CNL. “We came for an event in 2003, and ended up looking at model homes. Two years later our first Baldwin Park home was finished, and almost immediately we bought this lot and began working on designing this home.” 9
“Everything is within 15 to 20 minutes, tops.” —Ray Gilley “I wanted to live closer to where I work, and this is so convenient to both downtown and the airport,” says Ray, who is president and CEO of the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission. “For urban living, it’s very comfortable—a grocery store, nice restaurants, the trails, the lakes. While everything is close together, it feels open and private, and that’s what I like. Everything is just so very well done.” 11
“By the time we moved, we knew ten times more people than in our old neighborhood.” —Michael Gibbons with wife Ivana. “We never seem to run out of new people to meet, just striking up relationships at the pool or the restaurants,” says Ivana. “The people here are so extremely friendly.” “The parks are the places where our three kids socialize,” says Michael, an attorney with a downtown firm. “The playground equipment may be the same every day, but the fun is always different, depending upon who is there.” He adds that living so much closer to his office than in the past means lots more family time. 13
“I wouldn’t live anywhere else in Orlando.” —Dr. Jacki Bert with husband Adam and dogs Berkley, Buck and Noodles. “Just after moving back to Orlando in 2000, we got wind of Baldwin Park and decided to get in early if we possibly could,” says Adam. “We started with a small house here, then built our current home in 2005 on what we think is the best lot in Baldwin Park.” Their house is home base for Adam’s building contracting business and Jacki’s veterinary house call practice. Jacki says, “I think our two kids are so spoiled growing up in this neighborhood, with both of us around a lot. They have sidewalks for biking, karate and art classes in walking distance, lots of friends nearby to play with, the pools, and the parks. What else do you need?” 15
“I love the convenience–I almost never need to get on I-4.” —Penny Seater with husband Derek Bruce. “It’s great being close to work and the things we like to do,” says Penny, who is executive director of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation which organizes the Baldwin Park Food and Wine Festival each year. “We had some friends who moved to Baldwin Park early on, and they had us over to a party,” says Derek, who is a government relations consultant. “You could see then that the neighborhood was going to be what we wanted, and so we moved in 2005. Our home is beautiful and gives us the opportunity to entertain. With three children between us, we had to have a place that was family friendly and close to the things we like to do on weekends, like ride our bikes to Winter Park. We really enjoy it here.” 17
Meet the photographer. The images in this magazine were taken by Casey Templeton, an internationally recognized, award-winning photojournalist.
Casey’s work has been published in National Geographic, The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, US News & World Report, The Washington Times, The (London) Sunday Times and other major publications.
Casey lives in Richmond, Virginia, with his beautiful bride Ashley.
Find your own Baldwin Park home. Stop by our neighborhood information center in the heart of the Baldwin Park Village Center to check out available homes in the neighborhood. New Broad Street Realty 4926 New Broad Street Orlando, FL 32814 407.206.3300 Tuesday - Saturday, 10 - 6 Sunday and Monday, noon - 6
4926 New Broad Street Orlando, Florida 32814