Centennial Bank

Central Florida Florida

While Central Florida may not have snow-capped mountains or beautiful fall foliage, it has just about everything else you could want.

Proximity to the white sand beaches of Florida's Atlantic and Gulf coasts, some of the most popular tourist attractions in the world, professional and major college sports…it's no wonder the Orlando area has become the fourth most popular American city according to a 2009 Pew Research Center study.

Orlando is the fifth largest metro in the Southeast, the 27th largest in the country, has more hotels than any other U.S. city, and is second behind only Las Vegas in the number of hotel rooms.

Walt Disney World, Universal Studios Orlando and SeaWorld Orlando are among the world's most popular attractions, responsible for bringing tourists to the area from all over the globe.

The Central Florida Research Park anchors a major high-tech hub. The park is home to more than 120 companies that employ more than 8,500 people. Major firms with offices or labs in the park or in the Orlando area include Lockheed-Martin, Mitsubishi, Siemens, Hewlett-Packard, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and General Dynamics. In addition, Central Florida is home to numerous military research and development, training, and modeling and simulation centers.

Central Florida is home to the NBA's Orlando Magic (the 2012 NBA All-Star Game will be held in Orlando's new Amway Center), the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League and minor league baseball and soccer. The University of Central Florida and its UCK Knights Division 1 athletics program are located in Orlando as well. With roughly 56,000 students, UCF is the second-largest university in the country ranked by enrollment.

Orlando is a golfing haven. Bay Hill Club and Lodge is a fixture on the PGA circuit, hosting the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Central Florida is home to a thriving arts scene. Attractions include Central Florida Ballet, Orlando Shakespeare Theater, Orlando Repertory Theatre and numerous festivals, competitions and theater projects. The Bob Carr Performing Arts Theatre hosts national Broadway tours. It will be replaced in 2012 by the Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts.
 

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