Visitors Became Residents of Orlando

My Brazilian-Hungarian grandfather immigrated to America in the 1960s, and in the early 1990s, he chose to make Orlando his home to be closer to his daughters and grandchildren. For years before that, he and my grandmother visited annually, each time witnessing the city’s incredible growth and the new amenities shaping its skyline. What was once just a beloved destination for family visits became the place where we put down roots, growing alongside Orlando itself.

He cherished his daily walks around Lake Eola with his wife and friends, attending Mass at St. James Cathedral, and taking his granddaughters for ice cream at Thomas Sweet on Church Street. But one of his greatest joys was simply gazing out the window of his Magnolia Towers apartment, watching the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts rise from the ground. He took immense pride in calling Orlando home, a city that welcomed him as it has so many others, offering not just a place to live but a place to belong.