PLAYGROUND
One of the fastest growing communities in America, Lake Nona is home to thousands of families seeking a better and more balanced way of life. Lake Nona has built a reputation for lively arts and experiences, beautifully designed neighborhoods and innovative features and businesses. At the heart of this community is a deliberate and focus effort to create a healthy ecosystem where wellness abounds at every corner.
Article and photography provided by Lake Nona
If focusing on your family’s health is among your New Year’s resolutions, Lake Nona offers so many ways to support your 2023 goals. Home to award-winning hospitals, top-notch training and sporting facilities, community parks, miles of trails and engaging public art, Lake Nona is designed to support healthy living for the whole family. Here are a few ways Lake Nona can help you and your family keep the momentum going all year.
Health & Life Sciences
Central Floridians are probably familiar with Lake Nona’s health and life sciences cluster, commonly known as Medical City. Spanning 650 acres, the area started as a purposeful effort to create a centralized focus of sophisticated medical treatment, research and education in our community. Anchored by Nemours Children’s Health, the University of Central Florida (UCF) Academic Health Sciences Center and the Orlando Veterans Affairs Medical Center, the proximity of these campuses not only accelerates innovation but also provides quality health care at every life stage, from neonatal to geriatric care.
Keep It Moving
Extending toward the Lake Nona Town Center, the Lake Nona Performance Club (LNPC) is designed for both body and mind conditioning with its state-of-the-art training facilities, the Chopra Mind-Body Zone and more. No need to leave your littles at home; you can bring them along for engaging childcare (starting at age 2 months) or kid-friendly programming (starting at age 6). With a variety of options, including ROX Climbing Gym and the sports performance track, Kids in Motion classes span both physical and cognitive engagement to promote whole-person health through fitness, science, crafts, games and projects.
A short walk away, the Lake Nona Wave Hotel sits at the crossroads of health tech and innovation. The future-forward hotel features a bounty of amenities to promote wellness, including View Smart Windows that tint in response to outdoor conditions and provide a better night’s sleep, TOTO smart toilets, yoga and wellness programming and select Well+ech rooms that feature even more health amenities. A stay here also gets you free access to the LNPC for the duration of your visit.
At the 98-court United States Tennis Association (USTA) National Campus down the road, you can play as a family in the Nemours Family Zone, where kids can learn with smaller racquets and balls on proportionally sized courts. There are also plenty of programs for adults of all skill levels and dedicated kids camps throughout the year.
Beyond the tennis court, families can also stay active at Nona Adventure Park by climbing the inflatable aqua park/obstacle course, riding the waves at Nona Wake cable park or tackling the ropes courses. XL Soccer World provides another place for children and families to stay active together with multiple indoor multi-purpose fields for soccer, futsal, lacrosse, flag football and volleyball.
Get Outdoors
With parks around every corner and miles of trails, there are plenty of reasons to get outside. Visit one or both of Lake Nona’s two City of Orlando parks: Heroes Community Park and McCoy Community Park.
Within walking distance of Laureate Park Elementary School, Heroes Community Park features four multi-use fields lit for night activities. The park also has plenty of green space and a 12-foot-wide trail for walking and jogging. Play ball at the 25-acre McCoy Community Park with a pony field, softball field, and two Little League fields that are perfect for practicing your swing.
Additionally, Lake Nona hosts hundreds of community events each year, including the family-friendly Run Nona 5K and Nemours Kids’ Run (Spring 2023) and the Tour de Cure (March 26) and Ride for Ronald (Fall 2023) cycling events.
Dine For Success
Don’t let your resolutions keep you from enjoying Lake Nona’s dining scene. Canvas Restaurant & Market offers waterfront dining with a focus on seasonal, regional produce and fresh seafood. Chroma Modern Bar + Kitchen serves up small plates suited for any palate. Its bold twists on veggies will make you happy you made the healthy choice. If you’re on the run and need a quick bite, Veg’n Out offers are whole food-based menu with a verity of juices, smoothies and bowls, all made with ingredients that are thoughtfully sourced and nutritionally balanced.
Take in the Sights
While physical health and staying active is important, it’s also important to take care of your mental health. Lake Nona’s public art program is filled with countless opportunities to explore, engage and stimulate your mind, from sunsets over The Glass House to handcrafted sculptures and colorful murals. As you move through Lake Nona, take a deep breath and a look around; there’s beauty in the little things.
More than what meets the eye, Lake Nona has so much to offer Orlando families. As you strive to maintain your freshly set resolutions, Lake Nona offers abundant inspiration and resources to keep your routine interesting.
