Lake Underhill - Orlando, FL

As the Orlando Executive Airport gained popularity in the 1930s and during World War II, the surrounding suburbs also began to bloom. Houses built on the other side of Lake Underhill and around Lake Arnold and Giles gave rise to a developing and thriving community just outside of the Orlando metropolitan area.

The nearby extravagant Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, the busiest theater of the region, plays Broadway shows, ballets, concerts, and comedians with often regularity.

Dining options around the Lake Underhill community abound in the best way. Residents enjoy the fringe downtown restaurants while venturing out into neighboring areas for more choices. Restaurants of every sort, independent and franchised, flaunt their flavors on many of the surrounding streets and avenues.

A combination of warm and chic, Pom Pom's Teahouse & Sandwicheria on North Bumby Avenue serves as the most satisfying lunch hangout in the east Orlando area. Nothing fancy happens on the menu, but Pom Pom's does service and taste with the best. Get going with various teas, such as the green, rooibos and herbal options, and hit the taste buds hard with a hot pastrami sandwich, a Tuscan melt, Big Daddy's Triple Decker -- a meat lover's dream -- or the simple Colossal PBJ. The blackboard behind the bar displays daily specials and other information in a refreshingly hip fashion.

Hiding back on South Semoran Boulevard, obscured by other, bigger restaurant names, lies the locally reputed Latin cuisine of Pio Pio. Chicken, rice and beans, steak, rice and beans, pork, rice and beans -- it all comes down to Peruvian flair at Pio Pio. Although not on the cheap side, touted service and scrumptious desserts, such as the tres leches and vanilla flan, all come into their own in a delectably rewarding way. Quite popular during dinner times, come early to grab a seat.

Once the sun sets in east Orlando, grand night-time options present themselves. With a short drive, slip into night clubs of the high downtown city lights, and stop by The Orlando Improv Comedy Club & Restaurant, an establishment hosting frequent local and celebrity stand-up comedians. A bit further of a drive takes you to Universal CityWalk, a hot spot adjacent to Islands of Adventure built for those seeking full immersion in the nightlife of clubs, dancing, bars and extravagant fun.

Resting within a three miles from a downtown metropolis, you'll find an interstate highway, a state road, and an expressway, but traffic on the roads of the Lake Underhill neighborhood remains surprisingly loose. Car owners shouldn's have much difficulty on the east side of Orlando, relative to the traffic of the greater Orlando area. One major exception, however: alternate routes should be considered to avoid Interstate-4 during rush hour as the highway becomes extremely congested as the major avenue of the region.

For alternate methods of transportation, a 30-minute ride on bus 51 takes you to the other side of Orlando, just north of the Orlando Magic’s Amway Center. The LYNX bus system, run by the Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority, runs a website that displays optimal bus departure and arrival times based on a starting and destination address. One-way trips cost $2, or a one-month pass can be purchased for $50. In addition, Uber provides transportation that extends through Lake Underhill and Orlando for miles in every direction.

Residents of the Lake Underhill community also enjoy the network of sidewalks embedded into at least one side of the majority of roads. Bicycles, pets and joggers alike can find safety on every avenue with more than minimal through-traffic.

The peaceful public parks of the Lake Underhill community complement the area’s green yards and clean roads with equal openness and natural tranquility.

One example, the oaken, quiet Demetree Park, features paths that wind past picnic tables, shelters, a tennis court, basketball court, fishing dock and playground. The centerpiece lake nestles modestly among the beauty of the space. On any day of the year, expect to find a few other local friendlies also enjoying a harmonious walk through the scattered shade beneath the park’s trees.

Just a half-mile away on the northwest side of the Lake Underhill neighborhood lies the tiny Colonel Joe Kittinger Park. With a spectacular, open view of planes taking off from the Orlando Executive Airport runway and a modest playground, the park makes the perfect spot to take the kids for a pleasant few hours of outdoor enjoyment.

Although each of these places welcomes pets, you should bring your own doggy bags for cleanup and remember animals must remain leashed at all times.

The cost of living in Lake Underhill consistently hovers within 1 percent of both the national average and the Orlando average. Although the price of groceries sits higher than usual, the cheaper cost of utilities makes up for the difference. The average rental rate for a one-bedroom apartment runs $880 per month. Although Orlando’s gas prices tend to be within 1 percent of the national average, gas prices strictly surrounding the Lake Underhill area remains consistently 5 to 6 percent cheaper.

The price of a draft beer at Claddagh Cottage Irish Pub, a local favorite, runs $4 — about on par with what one would expect. The occasional accompanying live music comes free.

A bragging right of residents at Lake Underhill, this area features two malls with over 350 combined shops, stalls, restaurants and stores. Clothes, gadgets, hardware, glasses, smoothies, sports equipment — you'll find it all here and more. With a 15-minute drive, you can arrive at the Mall at Millenia, a beautifully decorated and modern mall with clean and quality shops of all sorts and varieties. With a 20-minute drive, you can be at the Florida Mall, an even larger mall for seasonal and persistent shoppers that features a variety of both name-brand and specialty shops.

For more traditional shoppers, Apple Core Antiques and Gifts just south on Curry Ford Road begs for attention. Refurbished upholstery, old-fashioned lamps and traditional picture frames stare back at onlookers from every foot of the store, making this place a cozy and quaint afternoon destination for shoppers of all ages.

Dechoes Resale, less than half a mile north of Lake Underhill, provides the most friendly shopping you can find in the Orlando area. The owner, Kerri Colangelo, services customers' needs with a vast selection of resold vintage and designer clothing. Shoppers are even provided something to drink while they browse. Dechoes remains exclusive to the Orlando area.

The main grocery stores of the neighborhood include the typical Floridians’ Publix, with weekly buy-one get-one deals on numerous items, and a Winn-Dixie just a couple blocks down from Apple Core Antiques and Gifts.