The City of Longwood may not be one of the largest cities in Central Florida, but it ranks among the oldest, dating roughly from the end of the Second Seminole War.

During the first half of the 1800's, several forts were established in Central Florida as bases for military action. When the threat of Seminole Indian attacks receded, many settlers moved to Longwood and established orange groves and other crops in the area. They sent word to the North, speaking of the Florida climate and warm weather. Soon, more and more moved to the Central Florida area.

Longwood soon became inundated with entrepreneurs, small business owners, churches and houses. Many of these early buildings are still in existence today in downtown Longwood and many are on the National Register of Historic Places.

New economic and development opportunities were brought to the area in the 1960's and 1970's, fueled by both the space industry and the development of Walt Disney World and other attractions.

The City of Longwood prides itself on providing a favorable atmosphere to the development and enhancement of commercial and industrial uses. There are approximately 465 acres devoted to commercial use and approximately 355 acres for industrial purposes within the City. New developers are always welcome by City staff to meet and review their location/development needs and discuss all aspects of permitting activities and approvals.

Longwood is unique in that it provides a comfortable, safe, small town atmosphere while being nestled within a larger, dynamic metropolitan area which is internationally known for its ambiance and attractions.

The Historic City of Longwood takes collective pride in that a significant portion of its central area is on the National Register of Historic Places. The combination of this Old Florida charm and the City’s dedication to attracting new and dynamic industrial enterprise warrants careful examination by newcomers.

Source: http://www.ci.longwood.fl.us/

Florida's top 10 communities for kids
WINDERMERE, Fla. -- July 6, 2005 -- Location is always important when buying a house, especially for homebuyers choosing a home and community for their family and children. While quality public schools are an important consideration, many parents and demographers list six criteria that define a town as best for families with children.

Dr. Andrew Schiller, a specialist in American demographics and creator of the NeighborhoodScout search engine, analyzed government data to identify the Florida communities with the best overall combination of attributes parents and researchers cite as important. He combined data from the National Center for Education Statistics, the U.S. Bureau of the Census, the FBI, the U.S. Justice Department and the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight to create a list of the top 10 Florida communities for families with children.

"We were looking for those very select communities that have both quality public schools and an exceptional family-friendly environment -- not towns that may excel at one or two criteria but are lacking in other ways," says Schiller.

The criteria used included quality public schools, safety from crime, a high proportion of families with children in the community, many adults with college degrees or advanced degrees, many families who own their homes and homes that are predominantly single-family residences, regardless of the setting being urban, suburban or rural.

Schiller's top 10 list in Florida includes:

1. Windermere

2. Boca Raton

3. Winter Springs

4. Key Biscayne

5. Longwood

6. Orange Park

7. Fort Lauderdale (chiefly west of the Florida Turnpike)

8. Jupiter

9. Oviedo

10. Naples

The top towns range in price, setting and location, and are located from the Jacksonville area to South Florida. The panhandle was included in the research, though no towns made the top ten.

© 2005 FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®