Northeast Ocala

Fort King, Brick City, Six Gun, Silver Springs, there’s a lot of local history still evident in the names of businesses and places in Northeast Ocala. Founded in 1846 near the U. S. Army post of Fort King, Ocala is a small to medium city and is the county seat of Marion County.

As you drive down Silver Springs Boulevard, you’ll notice a lot of businesses in the area named Silver Springs. That’s because nearby is the Old Florida attraction Silver Springs, famous since the mid-1800s for its natural beauty and glass bottom boats. Today Silver Springs is a Florida state park.

Also on Silver Springs Boulevard is Six Gun Plaza. Once a wild west theme park, six gun is today Ocala’s largest shopping center.

In 1883, a fire devastated much of downtown. The city was rebuilt of brick, unusual for Florida back then, and so today Ocala is known as the Brick City.

Northeast Ocala is a reflection of these older times, with mid-century modern homes and quiet streets lined with ancient live oaks drenched in Spanish moss. With plenty of attractions, shopping and cultural activities, Northeast Ocala is a blending of Old Florida and new Florida lifestyles.

Northeast Ocala is an Old Florida neighborhood. That is people were moving here in the 1950s and some of the current homes date from that time. Overall there is wide variety of home styles and vintages, single family homes, apartments and condos. Lot sizes range from less than ¼-acre to half acre or more and many of the older streets are lined with old live oaks covered with Spanish moss.

Northeast Ocala was once the gateway to Silver Springs, one of Florida’s original theme parks. Today it’s Silver Springs State Park, located on the eastern border of Northeast Ocala. Just north is the 4466-acre Indian Lake State Forest and just east is the Ocala National Forest, 672 square miles of wilderness. South of Silver Springs is the Silver River Museum and Environmental Education Center featuring exhibits on Florida’s natural history.

Ocala long timers may remember Six Gun Territory, a 1960s old west theme park. Today it’s Six Gun Shopping Plaza, Ocala's largest Shopping Center.

The Appleton Museum of Art is one of Florida’s premier art museums, home to an eclectic collection of American, European, and Asian artworks.

On the campus of the Appleton Museum is the Ocala Civic Theatre, home to the Marion Players, presenting professional theater and theater classes to the community.

The main branch of the Marion County Public Library is located at 2720 East Silver Springs Boulevard and features children’s programs and special events.

The Ocala Model Railroaders' Historic Preservation Society hosts a free to the public bi-monthly open house with model trains and demonstrations.

Northeast Ocala is home to eight vastly different parks. Chazal Park and Wyomina Park are small neighborhood parks with walking paths and children’s playgrounds. At Fort King Municipal Tennis Center, you can play a game of tennis or get lessons.

Ocala/Marion County Veterans’ Memorial Park honors local veterans, and Fort King National Historic Landmark takes you back to Florida in the Seminole War.

Both the Heritage Nature Conservancy and Jim Kirk Park feature hiking and nature trails, children’s playgrounds, picnic tables, and are pet friendly. Silver Springs Conservation Area is 330 acres of hiking trails, native plants and animals, and are also pet friendly.

There are four public and private schools in the Northeast Ocala neighborhood for children kindergarten through 12th grade. Montessori Preparatory School of Ocala is a private school for infants through 5th grade. Wyomina Park Elementary School and Oakcrest Elementary School are both public schools for grades prekindergarten through fifth. Fort King Middle School is a public school serving sixth through eighth grades.

Most people think of Florida as beaches, but Ocala, located in north central Florida, is more like rolling hills. The lifestyle is slower and more country than city.

The overall cost of living for the area is below both the national and state averages. However, utilities are more expensive and are above those averages. Healthcare and groceries are both on the higher end and housing is on the lower end.

Ocala is located at the crossroads of two major highways, U.S. 301 and State Road 40. Interstate 75 is on the city’s west side.

There are no hospitals in Northeast Ocala, but the Marion County Hospital District is about 5 miles away on the southwest side of the city.

There are no major airports in Ocala, although there are several general aviation airports in the county. The nearest commercial airports serving Delta and American Airlines are Gainesville Regional Airport, about 45 miles north, and Dayton Beach International Airport, 70 miles east. Orlando International Airport is 94 miles away.

Video By

Michael Carey