Lakeland, Florida

Big Oak, Lake Morton Drive, Lakeland, Florida. - postmarked in 1925 with 1 cent Franklin stamp

I LOVE Lakeland. We've lived in quite a few different cities, and Lakeland is my favorite. (so far;-)They close the downtown roads on the first Friday of every month. Then hire bands to come in and play live music. Vendors are selling food, etc. Families take their dogs and walk around. It's so wonderful!

Here is some info:

Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and Orlando along Interstate 4. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 78,452 and is the largest city in Polk County.

Lakeland was first settled in the 1870s, developed as the railroad reached the area in 1884, and was incorporated January 1, 1885. The town was founded by Abraham Munn (a resident of Louisville, Kentucky), who purchased 80 acres of land in what is now downtown Lakeland in 1882 and platted the land for the town in 1884. Among the names considered (and rejected) for the town by its residents were Munnville, Red Bug and Rome City.