Written by Bridget Murray
Winter Park is a small, friendly town with a lot to offer its residents! Rollins is right across the street from Park Avenue, which is one of the main streets in Winter Park. Park Avenue is perfect for shopping, dining, and just hanging out in general. When students are sick of the food at Rollins or simply want to get out for a couple of hours and do something different, they walk across the street and enjoy everything that Park Avenue has to offer. There is an array of restaurants and shops, and you can almost always find what you are looking for. Pets are more than tolerated on Park Avenue, and in fact, they are welcome! Most restaurants allow people to eat outside with their pets, and they even have dog bowls in case your pet gets thirsty!
There seems to always be something going on in Winter Park, whether it's an art festival, parade, or even the annual dog Halloween costume contest. Winter Park is definitely a wealthy area, and the majority of shops and restaurants is pricey. Students also have the option to go to Orlando. Orlando is nearby, about a 15-minute drive, and it is buzzing with excitement and fun things to do. It isn’t unusual for students to decide to go to Disney World or Universal Studios for the day, and a lot of people even get season passes so they can go whenever they want. UCF (University of Central Florida) is only about 15 or 20 minutes away from Rollins, and sometimes Rollins students will decide to party at UCF bars for the night. Many students have cars on campus, but it is not necessary at all, unless you want to go to Orlando frequently. The atmosphere around Rollins is beautiful and ideal. People often refer to Rollins as "Rollins Country Club" because of the paradise-like vibe it gives off.