Lake Mary City of Lakes Sign

Lake Mary City of Lakes Sign

I’m often asked why I write so much about Lake Mary when this blog has its main theme established as a blog about Sanford. The answer is simple: Sanford and Lake Mary are basically “siblings”. They are so close that it is sometimes even hard to determine where one ends and the other starts. Especially in the area in Sanford where I live we are very close to Lake Mary. Just take a look at the map on the bottom to see where the official Zip Code lines divide Sanford and Lake Mary.

Zip Code Map of Sanford and Lake Mary

Zip Code Map of Sanford and Lake Mary

I personally give Sanford more importance, not only because I live here but also because it is the county’s seat and because it does have a lot more to offer than Lake Mary. However, Lake Mary has gotten a lot more media attention, especially when it was named the 4th best place to live in the US (by CNN Money Magazine in 2007). I think Sanford would have deserved a ranking here too, but oh well, those are all statistics and when it comes to life and lifestyle, everyone is different. Now, I don’t want to offend Lake Mary fans in any way (after all, I work in Lake Mary and enjoy some of its nightlife on a regular basis), I am just trying to point out some of the points that make me choose Lake Mary’s older brother, Sanford, as the place to live in Central Florida:

Sanford FL has

  • a beautiful historic district (yes, Lake Mary has a little downtown area as well but compare those two and you’ll see what I mean)
  • a beautiful lake and idyllic river that connects to the Atlantic ocean
  • its own mall
  • its own college (Seminole Community College)
  • its own international airport
  • its own hospital
  • its own zoo
  • the largest flea market in America
  • newer homes for lower prices

When it comes to lifestyle, the proximity of these two cities makes life quite comparable: you’d visit the same stores, the same restaurants, bars and local attractions. With few exceptions, even many of the schools that kids visit are the same (whether they live in Sanford or Lake Mary). Real estate prices in Sanford are lower than in Lake Mary, and again, here you often only pay for the address. Of course, Sanford has also a lot of upscale areas. In fact, comparing average home prices of the West side of Sanford (West of I-4) with Lake Mary, West Sanford has a much higher average.

Despite all these arguments though, keep in mind that Sanford and Lake Mary are sometimes almost interchangeable. When I talk to customers I always refer to the Sanford/Lake Mary area. Maybe we should just hyphenate or merge the names? Any suggestions?