11 Great Neighborhoods: Horizon West

(ROBERTO GONZALEZ)

To build new communities you need land, and the logical place to go is either southwest or southeast of Orlando, where there is still land available for development. One community growing aggressively is Horizon West, located southwest of Winter Garden, Windermere and Dr. Phillips.

Horizon West, considered one of the largest master-planned developments in Central Florida’s history, was on the drawing board beginning in 1995. The project, inspired by the New Urbanism movement, encompasses a town center and five villages, each with several neighborhoods offering a mix of housing styles, schools, parks and recreation. In January 1997, Horizon West received the green light from Orange County to begin work on its first village, Lakeside, which was approved for 8,915 residential units—and the building hasn’t stopped. Since then, the development has evolved to include Bridgewater (10,450 units), Seidel/Village F (3,891 units), Hickory Nut/Village H (6,548 units) and Ovation/Village I (5,608 units). The construction of Hamlin Town Center, a commercial area designed to serve all the villages, followed. It’s home to several small businesses, from orthodontic offices to coffee shops and fitness centers, as well as essentials such as Orlando Health Horizon West Hospital, a Publix supermarket and a 24-hour Walmart Supercenter. Newer residential neighborhoods are nestled around it.

With six distinct Villages to shop and dine in (Town Center, Bridgewater, Lakeside, Seidel, Hickory Nut, and Ovation) there is no shortage of food options in Horizon West! From local favorite Bosphorus Turkish Cuisine, to burger maven Ford’s Garage, to Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream and Foxtail Coffee Co., locals are sure to find something to satisfy their appetite.

Bo Julian with Julian Properties

Horizon West is the second fastest growing community in the country. Homes in this area are definitely in demand—not only in Horizon West, but other communities as well—and there is often a list of potential buyers. Builders limit the release of homesites and once released there is usually multiple buyers for each one so you have to act fast. Building a home used to take 5 to 7 months, but now it’s about double that because of a shortage of materials. “It’s all about supply and demand,” Julian says. “There’s not a lot of negotiation right now because demand is so high. Entry level homes in the area start around $400,000.

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