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Find your new favorite neighborhood

Take this quiz to find out which Lakeland neighborhood fits best
An exterior front view of a white, two-story home in a Lakeland neighborhood with a wide front porch, black shutters, red door, brick staircase, and landscaping.
Where should you call home? | Photo courtesy of Bill Kilpatrick of Keller Williams Realty Tampa Central
When moving to a new city or looking to relocate where you already live, it’s important to find the neighborhood that best suits you and your family’s needs. For some, it’s all about location, location, location. For others, it’s about finding a property that is surrounded by nature and tranquility.

As you may know, Lakeland has a variety of beautiful, charming neighborhoods to fit everyone’s taste. Swan City continues to grow quickly, so it helps to know what kind of area best fits your needs. That’s why we created the New to Lakeland neighborhood quiz to help you pick the spot that’s perfect for you.

How it works

This quiz will ask you 13 simple questions about your ideal neighborhood preferences. You’ll be able to choose one answer from a selection of options, and the result will sum up your general preferences, tastes, hopes, and dreams.

The fun part? You don’t need to be ready to buy a home to take the quiz. We’re just here to connect you with cool parts of town.

If you’re ready to find your match, click the button below to take the quiz.

Want to skip the quiz and go straight to the results? You can peruse Lakeland’s key neighborhoods — and even pick up a local recommendation or two — in this comprehensive guide.
Take the 2-minute quiz
 
Events
Friday, Jan. 19
  • Lakeland Cruisers Cruise Night | Friday, Jan. 19 | 5-8:30 p.m. | Lakeside Village, 1479 Town Center Dr., Lakeland | Free | View modern and classic cars at this family-friendly weekly car show.
  • Zumba Toning | Friday, Jan. 19 | 7-8 p.m. | Just Dance Academy, 124 S. Kentucky Ave., Lakeland | $10-$15 | Blend body sculpting techniques and specific Zumba moves at this strength training experience.
  • Sound Invasion | Friday, Jan. 19 | 7 p.m. | Union Hall, 1023 S. Florida Ave., Lakeland | $15 | Head to this Dixieland venue for live performances from Null Data Club, Spider Lily, and other bands.
Saturday, Jan. 20
  • Lakeland Is Our Business Vendor Market | Saturday, Jan. 20 | 8 a.m.-3 p.m. | CoHatch, 211 E. Main St., Lakeland | Free | Shop from local vendors at this new indoor monthly market.
  • Mind, Body, Movement: Mat Pilates | Saturday, Jan. 20 | 9-10 a.m. | Bonnet Springs Park, 400 Bonnet Springs Blvd., Lakeland | Free | Head to the Family Lawn for a free mat pilates class led by Sculpted Swan Fitness.
  • 2024 Swan City Jazz Festival | Saturday, Jan. 20-Sunday, Jan. 21 | 12-7 p.m. | Kathleen High School, 1100 Red Devil Way, Lakeland | Free | Jazz musicians will come from near and far to perform — location has changed due to weather.
  • “Madama Butterfly” | Saturday, Jan. 20 | 7-9 p.m. | Branscomb Auditorium at Florida Southern College, 1100 Johnson Ave., Lakeland | $25-$75 | The Lakeland Symphony Orchestra invites you to a night at the opera.
Sunday, Jan. 21
  • 2024 MLK Car Show | Sunday, Jan. 21 | 12-6 p.m. | Joker Marchant Stadium, 2125 N. Lake Ave., Lakeland | Free entry | Show off your car for $20 or just browse with free entry — parking is $10.
  • “The Fantasticks” | Friday, Jan. 19-Sunday, Jan. 28 | Times vary | Lakeland Community Theatre, 121 S. Lake Ave., Lakeland | $22-$28 | Local actors will perform the longest-running musical in the world.
  • John Frinzi w/ Hi Lumpia FL | Sunday, Jan. 21 | 2-5 p.m. | Swan Brewing, 115 W. Pine St., Lakeland | Free entry | Start the week with live music and food truck bites at Shoreline Sunday.
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
 
News Notes
Holiday
  • Don’t miss Lakeland’s 46th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade, stepping off tomorrow at 1 p.m. Floats, dancers, marching bands, and more will compete for prizes from the judges. Check the route.
Number
  • $21 million. That’s how much it cost the city to repair Lakeland Electric’s McIntosh Unit 5 after it stopped working last year. To prevent future unexpected shutdowns, the unit will be shut down for maintenance work this spring. (LkldNow)
Coming Soon
Active
  • The Lakeland Composite Mountain Bike Team is hosting an open event for those interested in Girls Riding Together (GRiT). Middle and high school students and their parents can visit Loyce E. Harpe Park on Saturday, Jan. 27, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., to learn about GRiT and join a trail ride.
Tech
  • Plant City-based moving company The Good Greek is using AI technology in its trucks to detect hazards and improve safe driving. CEO Spero Georgedakis says that by installing the tech in his fleet of 200 vehicles, driving incidents have decreased. (Fox 13 News)
Drink
  • The new Valentine’s Day specials from Concord Coffee will have you thinking pink. Try the red velvet cupcake or the raspberry white chocolate drinks for sweet, seasonal sips.
Show
  • See artists and acrobats perform death-defying stunts at Paranormal Cirque, an adults-only circus show with elements of horror. The show will bring the big top to Lake Wales’ Eagle Ridge Mall Thursday, Jan. 25-Saturday, Jan. 28.
Eat
  • Does the smell of barbecue wafting in the air make you drool? Then you don’t want to miss Pigfest — a mouth-watering, finger-licking barbecue experience happening Friday, Jan. 26-Saturday, Jan. 27 and the first leg of the Triple Crown of BBQ competition. Get the juicy details.*
Finance
  • Erasing interest on purchases and balance transfers into 2025 can really make a difference. Throw in no annual fee, and there’s no wonder why thousands are lining up for these cards.*
 
Outdoors

🌳 Wood you look at this deal?

Celebrate Florida Arbor Day with The Nectary’s native tree sale
Young trees stand in planters from The Nectary. They are tagged with information for the Florida Arbor Day sale.
These trees are ready to be planted in your backyard. | Photo by The Nectary
Today is Florida Arbor Day, a day on which residents are encouraged to plant trees across the state.

Get in on the celebration at The Nectary, a local nursery specializing in native plants. During its Arbor Day sale, happening today + tomorrow, all native trees will be 30% off.

There’s no shortage of tree species to shop. Look for familiar trees like the Southern magnolia or sycamore, or branch out with interestingly named species — we love the loblolly bay, sparkleberry, and toothache tree. As native trees, they’re likely to thrive in your yard and offer a habitat for local wildlife.

Visit The Nectary at 1047 E. Main St. It’s open Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
The Buy

The Buy 1.19.23 (Affiliate + Six & Main)
“The 5-Minute Gratitude Journal.” Written by happiness and relationship coach Dr. Sophia Godkin, this journal inspires gratitude with prompts to answer every day — and it only takes five minutes.
Answered

What flavor would Dixieland’s birthday cake be?

A slice of Lakeland history: The Dixieland anniversary cake of 1952
A bar chart titled "Choose your flavor" showing reader selections of cake flavors for the Dixieland anniversary cake. The results are listed in the article.
How did your favorite flavor fare? | Graphic by LALtoday
When we shared the story of the 4-ft-tall cake Publix made for Dixieland’s anniversary in 1952, we were curious to see which flavor you would choose for a 5,000-lb cake. After 170+ responses, the delicious results are in:
  • 35% chose classic vanilla.
  • 25% want a mix of flavors — marble cake, anyone?
  • 24% prefer layers of chocolate.
  • 8% would suggest strawberry.
  • 8% offered other suggestions, but carrot cake + red velvet topped the list.
Read the tasty tale
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The Wrap
 
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Today’s edition by:
Connor
From the editor
Today’s newsletter was written at Kitty Cat Lounge, which is the perfect place to get some work done. Stop in for coffee, snacks, jazzy music, and a visit to the cat room if work gets stressful.
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