There are several areas of downtown Orlando. Uptown is bounded by Colonial Drive on the South and Lake Ivanhoe on the North. Eola is one bounded by Rosalind on the West. Parramore is bounded by Hughey on the East, while the Central business District is bounded by The East-West Expressway on the South and Colonial Drive on the North.

Overview

Downtown Orlando contains a number of highrises that dot the downtown area. They include Bank of America Tower at 408 feet tall and 29 stories, Orange County Courthouse at 417 feet and 23 stories, and SunTrust Center Tower at 441 feet and 32 stories. The VUE at Lake Eola, which is 426 feet and 35 stories, was completed in 2007.

The main route through downtown is Orange Avenue, a one-way street on which traffic flows to the south. It is known by locals for its nightlife and for the tall office buildings that dot the roadway. Other main roads include Magnolia Avenue, Central Boulevard, Hughey Avenue, and Colonial Drive (SR 50). Two main highways that run through downtown are Interstate 4 and the East-West Expressway (Toll SR 408).

Downtown is home to many urban amenities such as an 18,000 seat arena now known as the Amway Arena which hosts the Orlando Magic NBA team and the Orlando Predators Arena Football League team. Downtown Orlando has many parks. Lake Eola, known for its colorful fountain, also has swan boats for rent.

On July 26th a bill was voted on and passed for a joint venture between Orange County and the city of Orlando to build a 1.2 billion dollar project in downtown, which will consist of the following:

• Performing arts center with three halls
• New arena for the Orlando Magic and other events
• Renovations to the Florida Citrus Bowl to bring it up to date as a world class football stadium

This ambitious series of plans has been dubbed the "Triple Crown for Downtown" by Mayor Buddy Dyer.

Uptown

Uptown is very similar to the Central Business District but is still developing a character. It has much open space left for an area of downtown, yet has high aspirations too. With, among other things, the significant planned retail space, Uptown is expected to drastically change its skyline from the current three under 300' buildings. Lake Ivanhoe at the North has a significant gay community with several nightclubs and a number of antique shops which is increasing every year.

Parramore

The area is located just west of the Central Business district. The area was once a thriving neighborhood, but through years of neglect, crime, and a haven for the homeless it has suffered economically and historically. Yet through the efforts of the city, the residents and business community the area is going through a slow, but greatly needed transformation. The Parramore area was established in the 1800s as the hub of Orlando's African American community.