Harmony, Florida
| Harmony, Florida | |
|---|---|
| — Unincorporated community — | |
| Town of Harmony | |
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| Coordinates: 28°11′22″N 81°08′42″W / 28.18944°N 81.145°WCoordinates: 28°11′22″N 81°08′42″W / 28.18944°N 81.145°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Florida |
| County | Osceola |
| Established | 2003 |
| Elevation[1] | 79 ft (24 m) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 34773 |
| Area code(s) | 407 |
| FIPS code | 12-12097 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2063058[1] |
| Website | www.harmonyfl.com |
| [2] | |
Harmony is an unincorporated master-planned community near St. Cloud, Florida, United States. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Harmony is a Green-certified community, by the Florida Green Building Coalition, surrounded by walkable parks, miles of trails, two natural lakes, onsite K-12 schooling and thousands of acres of Florida natural preserve. When completed, Harmony will be home to approximately 18,000 residents, 850,000 square feet of retail and office space, and 1 million square feet of light industrial.
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[edit] History
In 2003, after seven years of planning the first residents moved in and made Harmony their home. Since that time, Harmony has become home to more than a thousand residents. Harmony's population is diverse in age, like many traditional towns across the United States, with many generations being represented. The July 2011 Welcome Home My Florida publication spotlighted a few residents of Harmony and their connection to the community. [3]
In 2005 the development of Harmony was purchased by Starwood Capital Group. Since then several existing amenities in Harmony have been removed and many others promised by the original developer have either been rescinded or remain unfulfilled. These actions on the part of the new developers have created much controversy and consternation on the part of long standing Harmony residents. The marketing promises that were apparently broken or remain unfulfilled by Starwood / Harmony Development Company have been documented in detail by a residents website with an open newsgroup.[4]
In 2008 Harmony was certified as a green community by the Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC). Harmony won points for its comprehensive approach to community design, management, and building practices. [5]
In 2010 Harmony's Conservation Director was named to Florida's statewide trails council. [6]
In 2011 the planned community was recognized by "Where to Retire Magazine's" annual "The Short List: 50 Best Master-Planned Communities in the United States" for 2011. [7]
[edit] Community Life
[edit] Education
School District of Osceola County, Florida operates the schools in the Town of Harmony. Harmony Community School is a public school that offers pre-k thru 8th grade. Harmony High School is a public school for grades 9-12 that is located across from Harmony on U.S. 192. The school is connected to the Town of Harmony via a tunnel under U.S. 192. This allows all students in Harmony to be able to walk to school.
[edit] Harmony Golf Preserve
The Town of Harmony is home to Harmony Golf Preserve, the only Johnny Miller-designed golf course in Central Florida, The Golf Preserve promises a challenging game to players of all skill levels. Designed as a fully protected environmental preserve and beautifully integrated into its natural surroundings, the signature 18-hole public course has been named as one of the Top 50 Public Courses in 2010 by GolfWorld Reader's Choice Awards. [8]
Harmony Golf Preserve at http://www.harmonygolfpreserve.com
[edit] Events and Festivals
The Town of Harmony host a variety of festivals and events for both the residents of Harmony and the greater Central Florida Community each year. The four major yearly festivals include the Healthy Lifestyle Festival, Dark Sky Festival, Harmony Harvest Festival, and the Harmony Winter Carnival. Information on all of the festivals can be found at http://www.harmonyfestivals.com
The Town of Harmony also host a variety of events and activities almost daily for residents of the community. Information on all of the festivals and events can be found on the Harmony Florida Events website at http://www.eventsatharmony.com
[edit] Town Center Retail Area
The groundbreaking for the first phase of retail in the Harmony Town Center is scheduled for 2012.
[edit] Harmony Notes Newspaper
The Town of Harmony has a monthly newspaper that is sent to residents of Harmony and surrounding communities. A digital version of the newspaper is available at http://sunpubnews.com/digital/harmony/
[edit] References
- ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Harmony, Florida. Retrieved on 2008-06-09.
- ^ "Harmony FL". ZIP Code Lookup. http://www.zipinfo.com/cgi-local/zipsrch.exe?cnty=cnty&ac=ac&zip=Harmony+FL&Go=Go. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
- ^ "The People of Harmony" (Press release). Welcome Home My Florida. July, 2011 http://issuu.com/publishinggal/docs/harmony_forweb?viewMode=magazine&mode=embed.
- ^ "Town of Harmony Residents Open Newsgroup". Harmony Residents. March 5, 2006 .... http://groups.google.com/group/HarmonyFL. Retrieved 2008-08-12.
- ^ "Harmony Energy Star Green Homes" (Press release). Green Eco Communities. July, 2008.
- ^ "Harmony Staffer Named to Statewide Trail Council" (Press release). Osceola News Gazette. September 22, 2010. http://www.aroundosceola.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7120:harmony-staffer-named-to-statewide-trails-council&catid=27&Itemid=55. Retrieved 2011-12-09.
- ^ "Where to Retire Magazine" (Press release). Town of Harmony. July, 2011 http://issuu.com/harmony1/docs/where_to_retire_harmony_july-aug_2011/1.
- ^ http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-tours-news/2009-09/golf_readers_choice_top_50_public
[edit] External links
- Official site
- Harmony Homes
- Harmony Golf Preserve
- Harmony Festivals
- Harmony CDD
- Harmony Notes Newspaper
- Harmony Residents Independent Site
- Harmony Residents Group
- Events at Harmony
- The Harmony Institute
- The History of Harmony
- Starwood Capital site
- The mission of The Harmony Institute
- A&E TV show "House of Dreams"
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