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im planning on moving to lakeland, FL. and i wanted to know what the weather was like usually over there from the viewpoint of people living there or near there. is there a lot of hurricanes often? when there is a hurricane is it hard to prepare for it and is it realllly dangerous?
you will be fine. Not to many hurricanes approach lakeland. And if it did happen you will have time to prepare. It is hot and humid in florida everywhere.
The west coast of FL actually rarely gets hurricanes- although 3 in one season did just happen! We had very little effect here, and Lakeland would have even less problem. Just be sure to get a house built to current building codes. We turn our A/C on around the beginning of May, and it stays on through most of October. We haven't run our heat in several years, but we like it cool. Winters are pleasant, dry, and sunny. In the summer you will get dramatic thunderstorms almost every afternoon. I pretty much live in shorts and t-shirts year-round.
Dont move to lakeland!!!!!! It totally sucks!!!! I have been there 10 times and all you'll see is a bunch of hibily rednecks.It is 100 degrees in the summer and about 70 in the winter. only thing to do is drive an hour to orlando or tampa, now those are the places to move to.
ThoSaid posted in 2006. I moved from California to Lakeland, FL in 2003. Lakeland (the largest city Polk County) is not known for widespread and severe hurricane damage. Yet, several large hurricanes have passed through Lakeland since I moved here in 2003, and while there has been some damage, it has been very minor compared to what you may have seen on national news for other major cities and hurricanes. Keep in mind that hurricanes lose strength once they arrive on land. Lakeland is a good 40 to 60 miles inland, allowing a moderate buffer zone. I have found myself being asked by relatives not knowing the area, after a hurricane passed, "Are you okay? I heard everything was wiped out in your area!" Unlike what so many people imagine, Hurricanes can be very similar to tornados, in that one side of a street may receive severe damage, while the other side of the street receives little to no damage. Regardless of what you have heard, a hurricane doesn't simply wipe-out an entire city unless it’s right on the coast, and the hurricane is of unusually large size and strength. Cost of living in Lakeland is reasonable if not 'low' compared with many other parts of the country. Since Lakeland is conveniently situated half-way between Tampa and Orlando, you are only an hour or less drive to endless choices of beautiful Gulf beaches (Tampa area) and a good ten or so of the finest theme parks to visit year round (Orlando area.) For the most part, folks are kind and welcoming. Yes, you do have the Confederate flags hung at many houses and on the back of cars and trucks. I even saw a bumper sticker just yesterday (honest) that said: "Moms Hunt too!" with the image of a dead deer. Yeah, it's the South. Hot weather? While most people that have lived here for several years or more seem to really enjoy the weather year round (generally speaking), I personally find the hot and humid weather to be overwhelming from around May to October. The summers can be brutal! I lived in Las Vegas for over a year, and their 100 plus hot days can't come close to a 95 degree day in Florida, when you take into consideration the extremely high humidity. It's like living in a sauna. During 2008 and 2009, the weather has been unusually extreme more so (even according to natives of the area.) Summers seem to be a bit more hot and humid, and the winters are unusually cold and last longer (dipping down to the freezing mark at times.) Of course, the upside is not having to fight the snow and blizzards as they do 'up East.' Your post was in 2006. It was that year when house prices were at a peek. In early 2008, they were dramatically down, in some cases cutting the price of a house in half (literally.) Yes, huge loss in value. However, home prices are back on the rise since late 2009. Lakeland is a fast growing city, as people move in from the Tampa and Orlando areas. So, if one can tolerate the hot and humid weather, there are many good reasons to move to Lakeland. Culturally speaking, I personally see Lakeland as slowly evolving into a more accepting and diverse area. But, as iman wrote, also in 2006, there certainly is a portion of the population that seems stuck in the pre-1959 era. I recall my first year here (2003) being in 'shock' over the many confederate flags people display, and the somewhat intolerant nature of folks in many cases of what might otherwise be called 'progressive thinking.' Churches replacing 7-11s on every street corner, hunting, gun-shops, and confederate flags are still the norm here. That seems to be slowly changing.
ThoSaid posted in 2006. I moved from California to Lakeland, FL in 2003. Lakeland (the largest city Polk County) is not known for widespread and severe hurricane damage. Yet, several large hurricanes have passed through Lakeland since I moved here in 2003, and while there has been some damage, it has been very minor compared to what you may have seen on national news for other major cities and hurricanes. Keep in mind that hurricanes lose strength once they arrive on land. Lakeland is a good 40 to 60 miles inland, allowing a moderate buffer zone. I have found myself being asked by relatives not knowing the area, after a hurricane passed, "Are you okay? I heard everything was wiped out in your area!" Unlike what so many people imagine, Hurricanes can be very similar to tornados, in that one side of a street may receive severe damage, while the other side of the street receives little to no damage. Regardless of what you have heard, a hurricane doesn't simply wipe-out an entire city unless it’s right on the coast, and the hurricane is of unusually large size and strength. Cost of living in Lakeland is reasonable if not 'low' compared with many other parts of the country. Since Lakeland is conveniently situated half-way between Tampa and Orlando, you are only an hour or less drive to endless choices of beautiful Gulf beaches (Tampa area) and a good ten or so of the finest theme parks to visit year round (Orlando area.) For the most part, folks are kind and welcoming. Yes, you do have the Confederate flags hung at many houses and on the back of cars and trucks. I even saw a bumper sticker just yesterday (honest) that said: "Moms Hunt too!" with the image of a dead deer. Yeah, it's the South. Hot weather? While most people that have lived here for several years or more seem to really enjoy the weather year round (generally speaking), I personally find the hot and humid weather to be overwhelming from around May to October. The summers can be brutal! I lived in Las Vegas for over a year, and their 100 plus hot days can't come close to a 95 degree day in Florida, when you take into consideration the extremely high humidity. It's like living in a sauna. During 2008 and 2009, the weather has been unusually extreme more so (even according to natives of the area.) Summers seem to be a bit more hot and humid, and the winters are unusually cold and last longer (dipping down to the freezing mark at times.) Of course, the upside is not having to fight the snow and blizzards as they do 'up East.' Your post was in 2006. It was that year when house prices were at a peek. In early 2008, they were dramatically down, in some cases cutting the price of a house in half (literally.) Yes, huge loss in value. However, home prices are back on the rise since late 2009. Lakeland is a fast growing city, as people move in from the Tampa and Orlando areas. So, if one can tolerate the hot and humid weather, there are many good reasons to move to Lakeland. Culturally speaking, I personally see Lakeland as slowly evolving into a more accepting and diverse area. But, as iman wrote, also in 2006, there certainly is a portion of the population that seems stuck in the pre-1959 era. I recall my first year here (2003) being in 'shock' over the many confederate flags people display, and the somewhat intolerant nature of folks in many cases of what might otherwise be called 'progressive thinking.' Churches replacing 7-11s on every street corner, hunting, gun-shops, and confederate flags are still the norm here. That seems to be slowly changing.
What a wonderful post. You seem to be someone that is able to accept the good and bad of a place. I wish more of us could do that. So I guess you are staying in the area. Lakeland is in a convient location between the two Metro's. Where in Calif did you move from, and are you a native of the West Coast?
In response to a posted comment-slash-question about Lakeland, here is a bit more:
First, thanks for the nice compliment on my post. You sound like you know Lakeland a bit. From what I could tell, you know 'downtown' mostly, with the Munn Park area (Historical Downtown)... the bus area, and the 'central downtown area.' Yes, that is a nice area! The big lake (Lake Mirror) is the lake I think you're referring to, and yes, it's wonderful to walk around. That particular lake also has a great 'kids play area' - and a fantastic rose/flower/plant area that is spectacular. Also, next to that lake, there is the Amtrak station. Yes, downtown historical Lakeland is nice, and there is plenty to do around 'old downtown' (well, the only downtown, that is, I guess.)
As for the bus routes - from what I understand, it is adequate, but, could be much 'better' or 'improved' - from what I have heard. I use my car and bike - and have yet to ride the local bus system here. However, in talking with people, I have pretty much only heard 'neutral' comments, nothing very good, nor nothing very bad.
I like to share information. And, I wish I had read something that was very information prior to moving to Florida.
So, here I go. This will be a lot to digest and read, but, hopefully it will help you in some way. Towards the end of my reply, I will list out what I consider the pros and cons. If you wish, you can skip by all my typing and just go to the pros and cons.
I was searching for the local weather forecast here, and came across City Data (the posts, etc.)on my computer (I don't have or like cable TV)... so I watch DVDs and have access to most of the shows I like on the computer anyway.
So, I just Googled "Lakeland Weather" and one of the results was this City Data site. I clicked on it and was pleasantly surprised to find a nice wealth of general information about Lakeland. Then I noticed the blogs or posts. I read one that had a question, and - boom - that's how I ended up posting my long reply.
I thought I'd share my experience, and hoped someone would gain something from it. I type very fast - so, this will be a long reply. Sorry.
I grew up in CA - born near LA (near Disneyland, sort of) - but we moved to the Monterey Bay area when I was 6. So, I really 'grew up' in Northern California. Santa Cruz, CA, to be specific. Santa Cruz is a VERY 'liberal' town. And I loved Santa Cruz.
Around 1990, I started my own business, which grew very fast. Within 2 years, I had 3 offices - one in the Santa Cruz area, one in Reno NV, and one in Las Vegas, NV. Each month, I would spend one week in Reno, one week in Vegas, and then 2 weeks (or the rest of the month) in the Santa Cruz area - my 'home town' and where my family lived.
My point of that story is that I lived in three areas for about ten years. Three totally different climates, ten years. Santa Cruz, of course, has essentially 'perfect weather' - Reno has seasons with snow and everything you'd expect of a city at the foot-hills of Lake Tahoe, and Vegas, of course, very hot, but dry. While Vegas could reach 110 (honestly)... and I don't care for hot/humid weather, it is SO dry in Vegas, that the 100+ weather there was 'bearable' for me. I was surprised that it really didn't bother me that much.
Moving forward: In 1999, both parents died (who lived in Santa Cruz)... as well as my oldest brother. (I was about 29 when all this occurred.) It was overwhelming, all the loss so fast (all within an 8 month period.) So, I sold my business, and my houses (I owned 3), and I thought - I have enough money to just do what I enjoy now... get my mind off all the deaths and problems that come along with a business... what would I like to do and enjoy. You know... just have fun for a while.
So, I did some radio (news/weather guy) for a short time, worked at a Disney store (I'm a Disney freak), and was a part-time Licensed Private Investigator. I was just exploring things I'd like to do.
Anyway, each year, in January, we'd take a week vacation to Walt Disney World (WDW.) Usually, I'd do my birthday at Disneyland, then come January, a week in WDW. January is the best time to do WDW, because it’s off season, weather is cooler, it costs less (because it’s off season, flights and hotels are cheaper), less crowds, etc.
So, after the death of my parents (I was very close with them, and the loss of them both so close together really hit me hard).. and after doing odd-jobs here and there for fun... at some point, I said -that's it, I'm selling everything and moving to Orlando and I'm going to 'live my dream' - work at WDW. Weird sounding, I'm sure, but, I really wanted to actually work at a Disney theme park, and I knew Anaheim had extremely high crime, houses cost 200k + for a basic small house, then you had the bad traffic, smog, etc. So, without doing much research, I chose Orlando FL over Anaheim, CA.
I had only known Florida from my one week per year vacations - and that was limited to going from the airport to WDW. From those short trips, in January, I was amazed at how lush, green and 'tropical' it was. And the weather wasn't that bad in January.
So, in 2003, I had a house built 8 miles from WDW, and moved - and worked Jungle Cruise (as a 'skipper') and Kilimanjaro Safari (as a 'safari guide', driving a truck and talking about the animals.) It was fantastic. I loved it. I only worked there very part time, about 2 days a week, on average, and started a new business as my 'real job' - to keep me busy.
Despite the brutal summers, working at WDW very part time for about 3 years will forever be a choice I will be very glad I made. As a Disney fanatic, nothing will ever compare to being able to 'work' there (it wasn't work for me)... it was unbelievable how great it was to be a part of that magic, and give 'guests' the best Disney experience I could.
Making the kids laugh, or letting them 'drive/pilot' the Jungle boat, doing special things for the Make a Wish kids.... well, all I can say is that it was the best thing I've ever done in my life. The pay was essentially minimum wage, but I didn't care. I wasn't there for the money. The hours were pretty bad, too, because if you did Jungle or Safari, you had to arrive around 6 AM. Then, you had no air-conditioning all day - working Jungle or Safari, outdoors. Summers were unbelievably brutal. After 3 years, I couldn't handle the summers there anymore, and left.
2003, my 'one year' in the Orlando area... well, due to the extremely bad traffic in and around the Orlando area, I was only there a year (I don't care for huge cities, traffic, etc) and so I started looking for a nearby smaller city or town to move to.
In Orlando, it can literally take an hour long to go only 15 miles or so, the traffic can get THAT bad. I'm not exaggerating, either. During peak traffic times, it really wasn't worth getting in your car unless you absolutely had to. Worst traffic I've ever encountered. It reminded me of driving in L.A. at 5pm. I've rented cars and driven in New York City and in Rome, Italy. Both are congested, as I'm sure you can imagine. They don't even come close to how bad the traffic is/was in Orlando (or Tampa, for that matter.)
One of the problems is 'the drivers'... they really don't know how to 'drive' properly or safely in FL. That's not just my opinion, it’s also a fact. Road-rage is common in Central FL. I have never experienced this in all the places I lived -but - people who live in Florida LOVE to tail-gate. They like to drive inches behind you.
Keep in mind that year round, you have people flying in from all over the world - and some rent cars, and they don't know how to navigate the poor road system here. One time, and this is true - I saw a lady driving with a male in passenger seat - they were obviously tourists... and they were driving on the SIDEWALK!
Luckily, no one was walking near or around them. Yeah, it was a 'large sidewalk', and I suppose someone from another country could somehow mistake it as a 'side street' .... and I remember they both looked so 'insane' driving on the sidewalk, and you could tell they had no idea what they were doing... the look on their faces was something like: "Is this a street? Why are we the only people on this road?" It was weird. But, yeah, you have people from all over the world in these rental cars, and they have no clue how to drive in a big city like Orlando - which causes serious problems.
So, I hated Orlando. And that's how I found Lakeland. It had everything a 'big city' had - but no traffic, the cost of living (houses) was much less, and it couldn't have been situated any better in terms of having a great jumping point, about a half hour or so to Tampa, and the same for Orlando. Perfect.
Prior to moving to Florida, I didn't think ahead, or about, the hot and humid 'summers' - which actually lasts from around April/May to October. June, July and August are brutal. And I do mean brutal. I really hate hot and humid weather, and to be honest, had I known (researched) that the weather was going to be that hot and humid, for so many months, I likely would not have moved to FL. The heat and humidity will be why I leave Florida. I know it. Each year it seems to get worse, and I know it’s just a matter of time before I decide to sell my house and move to a cooler climate area, maybe up North somewhere.
I moved to FL in 2003, just in time for the 2003 and 2004 'bad hurricane' years. Four extremely serious hurricanes came through during 2003/2004, and all 4 went right over/through where I lived. Luckily, my house was new, and there was essentially no damage. (But, no power for 3 days, and in that kind of weather, you just dream of A/C.)
The neighborhood across the street was a good 15 years old or so, and it was heavily damaged (at least half the roofs 'gone', with blue tarps all over Orlando.) Since 2004 - no major hurricane has come through Central Florida. 2003 and 2004 were rather rare, from what I understand.
Speaking of hurricanes, a best friend of mine who lives in Reno still, she (and her entire family) want to move to FL, 'somewhere near Lakeland' - my friend would like to live near me, and doesn't like the snow in Reno. However, her mother wants to live in the Tampa area.
My friendly 'input' was: Tampa? Much more expensive, huge city, bad traffic, high crime, and... if a hurricane hits land in the Tampa area, you'll get the full force of it, as it won't have time to calm while it crosses land.
The entire Tampa area is like a huge parking lot in the morning and 5 to 7 pm time frame. So, what happens (historically) when a hurricane does come, no one (not even the weather folks) know exactly where it’s going to 'hit' until, usually, about 5 to 10 hours prior to it hitting land. Despite all the technology, I promise you, they really don't know where it will land until about five hours prior to landing. Honest. So, you get very little notice.
This means many people wait, rather than leave town a day or two prior... because they are always convinced it won't land near them. The problem with that is if you live anywhere near Tampa, and at the last few hours, the news tells you "evacuate"... you have limited ways to get out of the area, and you'll be in bumper to bumper traffic for hours. It's pretty serious stuff. I mean, it can be dangerous. Very dangerous.
So, living in-land, at least you have more warning time, less traffic, and less hurricane damage should one come your way. You're better off in many ways if you live a half hour or full hour in-land.
So, my best pal's mother came out last month for a week to look for a house in the Lakeland area. I had sent several of those 'homes' magazines ahead of time - so they could circle ones that they think looked good - and was in their price range.
As I drove her around, driving by houses that were within their budget (anything under 100K).... she literally used these words to me, several times:
"Oh, this is so ghetto. I had no idea these houses were in such bad areas. They looked so nice in the magazines. These are all black people and white people on welfare."
I can tolerate a lot of stuff, but, those comments put me right on the edge of flipping out. I was in shock - it really upset me. I found it very disturbing.
Anyway... I know Lakeland pretty well now, and even the areas of Lakeland where the houses are in the 50k to 100k range, they are NOT 'ghettos' - and I was pretty insulted.
If you're not from here, or you haven't lived here for a few years, I suppose some people might think of the lower house price areas as 'ghetto'... because those areas aren't very well kept up cosmetically. That being said, I certainly don't think of them as ghettos. They're just not the new fancy nice gated communities.
Of course, a house that is for sale for, say, $60,000 is not going to be upscale. It's going to need a new paint job, some yard work, whatever. But, beyond cosmetics, there is nothing really wrong or scary about them. The people in those neighborhoods aren't 'ghetto' or 'bad' or whatever she thought. They're just people. Nothing 'wrong' with them.
And yes, the houses under 100k tend to be in older lower-income areas, and yes, that is where you primarily find the Confederate flags and such, but, by no means are they ghetto or dangerous.
One thing I have found interesting about Lakeland is the lack of tagging, or graffiti. I can honestly say I cannot think of ANYWHERE in Lakeland where there is graffiti. Seriously!Not even in the 'worst' parts of Lakeland. Interesting, or at least, I think it is.
So, for two days (which was supposed to be a full week) of driving around Lakeland with my friend's mother... and after driving by house after house hearing: "Oh, nope, don't even stop. Too ghetto.".... I knew it wasn't going to work.
On day 3, the mother rented a car, and left for Tampa to look for houses there. She'll never find ANY house or condo for under 100k anywhere in the Tampa area, not even in the worst of the worst places or parts of Tampa. But, the mother clearly wants to live 'near the beaches.' Oh well, good luck on that. Ain't gonna happen.
Now, off the top of my head, I'm going to list the pros and cons of Lakeland. But, before I do, I feel like I need to say that the 'pros' far out-weigh the 'cons'... Lakeland is VERY affordable, lots of lakes and walking trails, easy to get around, and generally speaking, the people ARE nice and friendly.
Lakeland Pros and Cons
First, the 'pros' to living in Lakeland:
Fantastic array of medical facilities, doctors, including a Cancer Research Center, Liver Research Center, Sleep Study Center, etc., and simply a huge variety and abundance of medical facilities. I remember when I was driving around Lakeland for the first time, looking at houses; I was amazed at the vast variety of doctor offices, research centers, etc. For anyone with medical issues (and I personally have several serious medical issues, from form or Parkinson, but not actual Parkinson, and on 1/18/10, I'm having a Diskectomy and fusion upper back, along with tumors on the bottom of my left foot... so, I like Lakeland because it has so many medical options for me)... Lakeland is fantastic in terms of medical care.
Low cost of living (houses are fantastically low priced, but they’re back on the rise now.) "Now" is the time to buy, if you were going to buy, but houses will go back up steeply during the next year (they already are, and a fairly close acquaintance of mine is a realtor. He states sales are significantly increasing, amazingly so.)
Hundreds of lakes, from very small to very large, but there is a lake around every corner, it seems.
Little to no traffic, for the most part.
Since Lakeland is pretty much FLAT, it's great for walking and riding a bike. No hills or mountains if you like to walk or ride a bike, but are doing so more to relax or just get around.
Great location, short drive to Tampa and beaches, short drive to theme parks in Orlando.
Lakeland is the 'home' for many major companies, and I mean, literally, the main home central corporate office (or complex) for huge companies. One example is Publix. We don't have Safeways or Albertson's here, we have Publix and Winn-Dixies. Publix food shopping centers are everywhere around here. And their corporate offices are also in Lakeland. Additionally, there are other major companies (nationally known companies) that have their main corporate offices in Lakeland. The jobless rate is finally going down here, drastically. As the economy slowly recovers, jobs are once again fairly easy to find, as long as you're not too particular.
Very green and lush - very tropical look and feel.
New, 'nice', and generally... a significant amount of growth (but that isn't over-whelming.) All the new growth is spread out along the fringes of Lakeland. So, yes, Lakeland is growing fast, but not on top of itself. It's growing or expanding outward for the most part.
Excellent shopping (I don't shop much, but, there is a huge variety of shopping.) There is a new shopping center that is great for walking around - it’s an outdoor large complex, nice, and great for just walking about.
No snow. No blizzards. No black-ice roads.
Huge array of 'things to do', from local lakes, camping, golfing - then you have the Gulf Beaches, the Atlantic beaches, the lakes to walk around in Lakeland, and dozens of theme parks - too many to mention. Bottom line is there is tons to do, from simply walking around the many wonderful local lakes to major theme parks.
Lakeland has a great Arts Museum (very nice), as well as a state-of-the-art and 'high-end' library. I've never seen a library as nice as the Lakeland one. It's amazing what they have there. Lakeland also has a really cool 'kids museum' located in "Historical Downtown"... a really cute little place for kids - with hands on things to do.
There are many gyms. But, what I really liked, and was a member for a while, is that there are two VERY nice YMCAs in Lakeland. They're fantastic. There are two, and they are located on opposite sides of the city. And they're amazingly nice.
As for walking (you mentioned this)… you are correct that there is an abundant amount of choices in terms of talking walks. With so many lakes within walking distance, taking nice long walks is a definite ‘bonus’ to living in Lakeland.
Generally speaking, I would have to say that people are nice. For the most part, there is a 'southern hospitality' about Lakeland. It still has that small-town feel, even though it's growing by leaps and bounds. You can still get to know people around town. I guess what I mean is, I often will run into people I know 'often' - and that gives it a kind of small town feel, even though it’s getting pretty big now.
Compared to other places I have lived, I would say 'rent' here is very reasonable. To rent a small house or 'decent' apartment, I have found those to be reasonable, if not less, than places such as Tampa, Orlando, Santa Cruz, or even Vegas. So, yes, cost of living here is fairly reasonable, including housing.
For a 'small town/city', The Lakeland Center has huge names that play there. Cher was planned to have a concert, I believe in 2004, but had to cancel due to a hurricane. I've seen several concerts and/or 'personalities' there. One 'neat thing' was I saw Tim Conway and Harvey Korman do an hour long show - doing all their skits from the Carol Burnett show (and Harvey Korman soon died after that, so, I was fortunate to see them together one last time.)
Lilly Tomlin, Gordon Lightfoot, the Gaithers, Glen Campbell, Anthony Bourdain (the travel guy with his own TV show), and many others - all are playing in the next few months there. It also serves as the major convention center, and also has a smaller theater for more intimate type shows or concerts, plays, etc.
And now... the 'cons' to living in Lakeland:
While it is improving, it is very true that there is very much a lack of diversity or tolerance in Lakeland. Sure, that will change over time. But, still, it's very much a Bible-Belt, confederate-flag waving, gun-show every other week type of town.
Small example: About a month ago, someone (I don't know the details)... but some entity or group took up a huge billboard... and had some comment like: "Are you and Atheist? You're not alone..." and had a website listed under that... this was on a huge billboard on a major road. This was front page break news stuff. You would have thought the billboard read: "We love Satan." People went insane over this Atheist billboard. My point? Yes, Lakeland is still significantly intolerant in many ways.
A bunch of churches got together and took over several billboards around that one, and really went all-out against that one billboard. This is the kinda thing I'm talking about... one billboard with the word Atheist on it, and the town went nuts.
Weather: Very hot and humid (and long) summers. If you don't mind hot and humid, you'll love FL.
Love Bugs. I can't explain this. They are these horrific little black flying bugs and they're always having sex (hence, 'love bugs')... and in the summer, there are billions of them. Sometimes, you can drive through a certain patch of them, and you literally have to pull into a gas station and try and get them off the wind-shield because you literally can't drive safely as so many are covering the windshield. Even locals hate the love-bugs. But, they're only in the summer months. Love-bugs are dreaded by everyone around here in the summer. And not only do these love-bugs cause issues when you drive, but, they 'hang out' at house door-ways (why, I have no idea.) But, for a few months, love-bugs rule Lakeland.
Cockroaches and mosquitoes. They're both unusually abundant in Lakeland (and all of Florida.) It's due to the tropical weather for the most part. But, yeah, cockroaches and mosquitoes are extremely abundant (year round.) Thing is, it has nothing to do with how clean your house is, etc, because cockroaches are simply very naturally abundant here.
I'm highly allergic to mosquito bites, so, it’s a major issue for me.
Fire Ants. These are really nasty little creatures. And just about every lawn has fire ants. If you get bit, you'll know it. They're horrible. And their bite hurts really badly.
Termites. Due to the tropical nature of FL, Termites are a real problem. If you own a house, just about everyone I know gets the 'life-time' termite warranty deal. You pay something like $1,000 up front and they treat your house and all around your house. Then, you pay about $200/year and they do upkeep. This is basically an insurance policy - in that if you do get termites, your contract says they'll pay to replace the house or pay for any and all repairs, etc. But, yes, termites are a real issue in FL.
Flat land. Moving here from where there are mountains, it's very noticeable. To locals, they think nothing of it. But, everything is 'flat' here, there aren't even hills. Since moving here, I have really missed seeing mountains. It's flat - the entire state is flat.
While Lakeland has a good road/freeway system, at least in terms of keeping traffic to a minimum, one very confusing and annoying fact about Florida (including Lakeland) is that just about every major road has, and I'm not making this up, at least 3 names. So, even having lived here for 7 years, I still get confused when someone is telling me about some place to go, and they will use a road name. I almost always have to ask, "So, that's Bartow Road? 98, right?" And the response will often be something like this: "Well, it starts off as Lakeland Hills Boulevard, and then turns into Bartow Road, but, yeah, it's 98." What!?
Because the road will have 3 different 'names' and everyone uses a different name when describing how to get to a certain place. It's very confusing to new folks - trust me. Since there are no mountains or 'land-marks', you have to depend solely on road names.
Lakeland Churches
Lakeland stands out to me for its many churches. It's 'church world' here, instead of Disney-World. Lakeland is very much a 'Bible-Belt' type city. You see Jesus billboards all over town, as well as Jesus bumper stickers on a good half of the cars. I've never lived in a place with so many churches. Seriously. I'm not anti-churches or Jesus bumper stickers. All I'm saying is that FL and Lakeland is, well, very 'religiously oriented' - and Christian, at that.
Diversity and tolerance isn't, well, what you'd call abundant in Lakeland (generally speaking.) I'm not sure how to describe this, but, using very loose terminology, and not trying to be insulting, I would say that, yes, when I first moved here, I thought to myself - "Wow, this is a cross between Billy the Hillbilly and The Church Lady from Saturday Night Live." As new folks move in from around the country, it is becoming less noticeable. But, when I first moved here in 2003/2004, I really did honestly get that 'serious hillbilly' feeling. That is slowly changing.
Here is a TRUE story, and I'm not making this up: Last Sunday, after leaving church, I was driving home and the car in front of me at a stop light had a bumper sticker: "Mom's Hunt Too!" and... Here is the kicker... there was an image of a dead deer (or was it just sleeping?).... joking... no, it was a dead deer.
Yeah... Moms Hunt Too and a dead deer on a bumper sticker. That's Lakeland (and/or Florida.) It's just the way it is here. Gun shops, gun shows, and shooting ranges are also abundant here. Hunting is big here too.
But, back to churches.
I attend the Lakeland UUCL church, a VERY non-denomination church (they actually don't like the word 'church' - and when I use that word when I'm there, I have been told on more than one occasion, "This is a congregation, not a church."
But, I have found the UUCL to be fantastic, great fellowship (nice people).. with super-friendly folks and a very diverse type of programs and 'things to participate in'... so, that is the church I attend. They have a 'mildly liturgical' service, but, before and after the service, its very relaxed and friendly (and open-minded.) I personally do enjoy and/or need something spiritual in my life, so, I had to 'church-hunt' until I eventually found the Lakeland UUCL (about 2 years ago.) I have found the Lakeland UUCL to be exceedingly forward thinking, progressive, welcoming, fun, friendly and a great place to do the 'church thing'... Web link to that church: http://www.uuclakeland.org
Finally... here is the main Lakeland City website link: http://www.lakelandgov.net (includes great photos of the area, list of things to do, and some good general information.
Happy New Year - good luck to you, and if you have a specific question I can answer about Lakeland, I would be happy to.
In response to a posted comment-slash-question about Lakeland, here is a bit more:
First, thanks for the nice compliment on my post. You sound like you know Lakeland a bit. From what I could tell, you know 'downtown' mostly, with the Munn Park area (Historical Downtown)... the bus area, and the 'central downtown area.' Yes, that is a nice area! The big lake (Lake Mirror) is the lake I think you're referring to, and yes, it's wonderful to walk around. That particular lake also has a great 'kids play area' - and a fantastic rose/flower/plant area that is spectacular. Also, next to that lake, there is the Amtrak station. Yes, downtown historical Lakeland is nice, and there is plenty to do around 'old downtown' (well, the only downtown, that is, I guess.)
As for the bus routes - from what I understand, it is adequate, but, could be much 'better' or 'improved' - from what I have heard. I use my car and bike - and have yet to ride the local bus system here. However, in talking with people, I have pretty much only heard 'neutral' comments, nothing very good, nor nothing very bad.
I like to share information. And, I wish I had read something that was very information prior to moving to Florida.
So, here I go. This will be a lot to digest and read, but, hopefully it will help you in some way. Towards the end of my reply, I will list out what I consider the pros and cons. If you wish, you can skip by all my typing and just go to the pros and cons.
I was searching for the local weather forecast here, and came across City Data (the posts, etc.)on my computer (I don't have or like cable TV)... so I watch DVDs and have access to most of the shows I like on the computer anyway.
So, I just Googled "Lakeland Weather" and one of the results was this City Data site. I clicked on it and was pleasantly surprised to find a nice wealth of general information about Lakeland. Then I noticed the blogs or posts. I read one that had a question, and - boom - that's how I ended up posting my long reply.
I thought I'd share my experience, and hoped someone would gain something from it. I type very fast - so, this will be a long reply. Sorry.
I grew up in CA - born near LA (near Disneyland, sort of) - but we moved to the Monterey Bay area when I was 6. So, I really 'grew up' in Northern California. Santa Cruz, CA, to be specific. Santa Cruz is a VERY 'liberal' town. And I loved Santa Cruz.
Around 1990, I started my own business, which grew very fast. Within 2 years, I had 3 offices - one in the Santa Cruz area, one in Reno NV, and one in Las Vegas, NV. Each month, I would spend one week in Reno, one week in Vegas, and then 2 weeks (or the rest of the month) in the Santa Cruz area - my 'home town' and where my family lived.
My point of that story is that I lived in three areas for about ten years. Three totally different climates, ten years. Santa Cruz, of course, has essentially 'perfect weather' - Reno has seasons with snow and everything you'd expect of a city at the foot-hills of Lake Tahoe, and Vegas, of course, very hot, but dry. While Vegas could reach 110 (honestly)... and I don't care for hot/humid weather, it is SO dry in Vegas, that the 100+ weather there was 'bearable' for me. I was surprised that it really didn't bother me that much.
Moving forward: In 1999, both parents died (who lived in Santa Cruz)... as well as my oldest brother. (I was about 29 when all this occurred.) It was overwhelming, all the loss so fast (all within an 8 month period.) So, I sold my business, and my houses (I owned 3), and I thought - I have enough money to just do what I enjoy now... get my mind off all the deaths and problems that come along with a business... what would I like to do and enjoy. You know... just have fun for a while.
So, I did some radio (news/weather guy) for a short time, worked at a Disney store (I'm a Disney freak), and was a part-time Licensed Private Investigator. I was just exploring things I'd like to do.
Anyway, each year, in January, we'd take a week vacation to Walt Disney World (WDW.) Usually, I'd do my birthday at Disneyland, then come January, a week in WDW. January is the best time to do WDW, because it’s off season, weather is cooler, it costs less (because it’s off season, flights and hotels are cheaper), less crowds, etc.
So, after the death of my parents (I was very close with them, and the loss of them both so close together really hit me hard).. and after doing odd-jobs here and there for fun... at some point, I said -that's it, I'm selling everything and moving to Orlando and I'm going to 'live my dream' - work at WDW. Weird sounding, I'm sure, but, I really wanted to actually work at a Disney theme park, and I knew Anaheim had extremely high crime, houses cost 200k + for a basic small house, then you had the bad traffic, smog, etc. So, without doing much research, I chose Orlando FL over Anaheim, CA.
I had only known Florida from my one week per year vacations - and that was limited to going from the airport to WDW. From those short trips, in January, I was amazed at how lush, green and 'tropical' it was. And the weather wasn't that bad in January.
So, in 2003, I had a house built 8 miles from WDW, and moved - and worked Jungle Cruise (as a 'skipper') and Kilimanjaro Safari (as a 'safari guide', driving a truck and talking about the animals.) It was fantastic. I loved it. I only worked there very part time, about 2 days a week, on average, and started a new business as my 'real job' - to keep me busy.
Despite the brutal summers, working at WDW very part time for about 3 years will forever be a choice I will be very glad I made. As a Disney fanatic, nothing will ever compare to being able to 'work' there (it wasn't work for me)... it was unbelievable how great it was to be a part of that magic, and give 'guests' the best Disney experience I could.
Making the kids laugh, or letting them 'drive/pilot' the Jungle boat, doing special things for the Make a Wish kids.... well, all I can say is that it was the best thing I've ever done in my life. The pay was essentially minimum wage, but I didn't care. I wasn't there for the money. The hours were pretty bad, too, because if you did Jungle or Safari, you had to arrive around 6 AM. Then, you had no air-conditioning all day - working Jungle or Safari, outdoors. Summers were unbelievably brutal. After 3 years, I couldn't handle the summers there anymore, and left.
2003, my 'one year' in the Orlando area... well, due to the extremely bad traffic in and around the Orlando area, I was only there a year (I don't care for huge cities, traffic, etc) and so I started looking for a nearby smaller city or town to move to.
In Orlando, it can literally take an hour long to go only 15 miles or so, the traffic can get THAT bad. I'm not exaggerating, either. During peak traffic times, it really wasn't worth getting in your car unless you absolutely had to. Worst traffic I've ever encountered. It reminded me of driving in L.A. at 5pm. I've rented cars and driven in New York City and in Rome, Italy. Both are congested, as I'm sure you can imagine. They don't even come close to how bad the traffic is/was in Orlando (or Tampa, for that matter.)
One of the problems is 'the drivers'... they really don't know how to 'drive' properly or safely in FL. That's not just my opinion, it’s also a fact. Road-rage is common in Central FL. I have never experienced this in all the places I lived -but - people who live in Florida LOVE to tail-gate. They like to drive inches behind you.
Keep in mind that year round, you have people flying in from all over the world - and some rent cars, and they don't know how to navigate the poor road system here. One time, and this is true - I saw a lady driving with a male in passenger seat - they were obviously tourists... and they were driving on the SIDEWALK!
Luckily, no one was walking near or around them. Yeah, it was a 'large sidewalk', and I suppose someone from another country could somehow mistake it as a 'side street' .... and I remember they both looked so 'insane' driving on the sidewalk, and you could tell they had no idea what they were doing... the look on their faces was something like: "Is this a street? Why are we the only people on this road?" It was weird. But, yeah, you have people from all over the world in these rental cars, and they have no clue how to drive in a big city like Orlando - which causes serious problems.
So, I hated Orlando. And that's how I found Lakeland. It had everything a 'big city' had - but no traffic, the cost of living (houses) was much less, and it couldn't have been situated any better in terms of having a great jumping point, about a half hour or so to Tampa, and the same for Orlando. Perfect.
Prior to moving to Florida, I didn't think ahead, or about, the hot and humid 'summers' - which actually lasts from around April/May to October. June, July and August are brutal. And I do mean brutal. I really hate hot and humid weather, and to be honest, had I known (researched) that the weather was going to be that hot and humid, for so many months, I likely would not have moved to FL. The heat and humidity will be why I leave Florida. I know it. Each year it seems to get worse, and I know it’s just a matter of time before I decide to sell my house and move to a cooler climate area, maybe up North somewhere.
I moved to FL in 2003, just in time for the 2003 and 2004 'bad hurricane' years. Four extremely serious hurricanes came through during 2003/2004, and all 4 went right over/through where I lived. Luckily, my house was new, and there was essentially no damage. (But, no power for 3 days, and in that kind of weather, you just dream of A/C.)
The neighborhood across the street was a good 15 years old or so, and it was heavily damaged (at least half the roofs 'gone', with blue tarps all over Orlando.) Since 2004 - no major hurricane has come through Central Florida. 2003 and 2004 were rather rare, from what I understand.
Speaking of hurricanes, a best friend of mine who lives in Reno still, she (and her entire family) want to move to FL, 'somewhere near Lakeland' - my friend would like to live near me, and doesn't like the snow in Reno. However, her mother wants to live in the Tampa area.
My friendly 'input' was: Tampa? Much more expensive, huge city, bad traffic, high crime, and... if a hurricane hits land in the Tampa area, you'll get the full force of it, as it won't have time to calm while it crosses land.
The entire Tampa area is like a huge parking lot in the morning and 5 to 7 pm time frame. So, what happens (historically) when a hurricane does come, no one (not even the weather folks) know exactly where it’s going to 'hit' until, usually, about 5 to 10 hours prior to it hitting land. Despite all the technology, I promise you, they really don't know where it will land until about five hours prior to landing. Honest. So, you get very little notice.
This means many people wait, rather than leave town a day or two prior... because they are always convinced it won't land near them. The problem with that is if you live anywhere near Tampa, and at the last few hours, the news tells you "evacuate"... you have limited ways to get out of the area, and you'll be in bumper to bumper traffic for hours. It's pretty serious stuff. I mean, it can be dangerous. Very dangerous.
So, living in-land, at least you have more warning time, less traffic, and less hurricane damage should one come your way. You're better off in many ways if you live a half hour or full hour in-land.
So, my best pal's mother came out last month for a week to look for a house in the Lakeland area. I had sent several of those 'homes' magazines ahead of time - so they could circle ones that they think looked good - and was in their price range.
As I drove her around, driving by houses that were within their budget (anything under 100K).... she literally used these words to me, several times:
"Oh, this is so ghetto. I had no idea these houses were in such bad areas. They looked so nice in the magazines. These are all black people and white people on welfare."
I can tolerate a lot of stuff, but, those comments put me right on the edge of flipping out. I was in shock - it really upset me. I found it very disturbing.
Anyway... I know Lakeland pretty well now, and even the areas of Lakeland where the houses are in the 50k to 100k range, they are NOT 'ghettos' - and I was pretty insulted.
If you're not from here, or you haven't lived here for a few years, I suppose some people might think of the lower house price areas as 'ghetto'... because those areas aren't very well kept up cosmetically. That being said, I certainly don't think of them as ghettos. They're just not the new fancy nice gated communities.
Of course, a house that is for sale for, say, $60,000 is not going to be upscale. It's going to need a new paint job, some yard work, whatever. But, beyond cosmetics, there is nothing really wrong or scary about them. The people in those neighborhoods aren't 'ghetto' or 'bad' or whatever she thought. They're just people. Nothing 'wrong' with them.
And yes, the houses under 100k tend to be in older lower-income areas, and yes, that is where you primarily find the Confederate flags and such, but, by no means are they ghetto or dangerous.
One thing I have found interesting about Lakeland is the lack of tagging, or graffiti. I can honestly say I cannot think of ANYWHERE in Lakeland where there is graffiti. Seriously!Not even in the 'worst' parts of Lakeland. Interesting, or at least, I think it is.
So, for two days (which was supposed to be a full week) of driving around Lakeland with my friend's mother... and after driving by house after house hearing: "Oh, nope, don't even stop. Too ghetto.".... I knew it wasn't going to work.
On day 3, the mother rented a car, and left for Tampa to look for houses there. She'll never find ANY house or condo for under 100k anywhere in the Tampa area, not even in the worst of the worst places or parts of Tampa. But, the mother clearly wants to live 'near the beaches.' Oh well, good luck on that. Ain't gonna happen.
Now, off the top of my head, I'm going to list the pros and cons of Lakeland. But, before I do, I feel like I need to say that the 'pros' far out-weigh the 'cons'... Lakeland is VERY affordable, lots of lakes and walking trails, easy to get around, and generally speaking, the people ARE nice and friendly.
Lakeland Pros and Cons
First, the 'pros' to living in Lakeland:
Fantastic array of medical facilities, doctors, including a Cancer Research Center, Liver Research Center, Sleep Study Center, etc., and simply a huge variety and abundance of medical facilities. I remember when I was driving around Lakeland for the first time, looking at houses; I was amazed at the vast variety of doctor offices, research centers, etc. For anyone with medical issues (and I personally have several serious medical issues, from form or Parkinson, but not actual Parkinson, and on 1/18/10, I'm having a Diskectomy and fusion upper back, along with tumors on the bottom of my left foot... so, I like Lakeland because it has so many medical options for me)... Lakeland is fantastic in terms of medical care.
Low cost of living (houses are fantastically low priced, but they’re back on the rise now.) "Now" is the time to buy, if you were going to buy, but houses will go back up steeply during the next year (they already are, and a fairly close acquaintance of mine is a realtor. He states sales are significantly increasing, amazingly so.)
Hundreds of lakes, from very small to very large, but there is a lake around every corner, it seems.
Little to no traffic, for the most part.
Since Lakeland is pretty much FLAT, it's great for walking and riding a bike. No hills or mountains if you like to walk or ride a bike, but are doing so more to relax or just get around.
Great location, short drive to Tampa and beaches, short drive to theme parks in Orlando.
Lakeland is the 'home' for many major companies, and I mean, literally, the main home central corporate office (or complex) for huge companies. One example is Publix. We don't have Safeways or Albertson's here, we have Publix and Winn-Dixies. Publix food shopping centers are everywhere around here. And their corporate offices are also in Lakeland. Additionally, there are other major companies (nationally known companies) that have their main corporate offices in Lakeland. The jobless rate is finally going down here, drastically. As the economy slowly recovers, jobs are once again fairly easy to find, as long as you're not too particular.
Very green and lush - very tropical look and feel.
New, 'nice', and generally... a significant amount of growth (but that isn't over-whelming.) All the new growth is spread out along the fringes of Lakeland. So, yes, Lakeland is growing fast, but not on top of itself. It's growing or expanding outward for the most part.
Excellent shopping (I don't shop much, but, there is a huge variety of shopping.) There is a new shopping center that is great for walking around - it’s an outdoor large complex, nice, and great for just walking about.
No snow. No blizzards. No black-ice roads.
Huge array of 'things to do', from local lakes, camping, golfing - then you have the Gulf Beaches, the Atlantic beaches, the lakes to walk around in Lakeland, and dozens of theme parks - too many to mention. Bottom line is there is tons to do, from simply walking around the many wonderful local lakes to major theme parks.
Lakeland has a great Arts Museum (very nice), as well as a state-of-the-art and 'high-end' library. I've never seen a library as nice as the Lakeland one. It's amazing what they have there. Lakeland also has a really cool 'kids museum' located in "Historical Downtown"... a really cute little place for kids - with hands on things to do.
There are many gyms. But, what I really liked, and was a member for a while, is that there are two VERY nice YMCAs in Lakeland. They're fantastic. There are two, and they are located on opposite sides of the city. And they're amazingly nice.
As for walking (you mentioned this)… you are correct that there is an abundant amount of choices in terms of talking walks. With so many lakes within walking distance, taking nice long walks is a definite ‘bonus’ to living in Lakeland.
Generally speaking, I would have to say that people are nice. For the most part, there is a 'southern hospitality' about Lakeland. It still has that small-town feel, even though it's growing by leaps and bounds. You can still get to know people around town. I guess what I mean is, I often will run into people I know 'often' - and that gives it a kind of small town feel, even though it’s getting pretty big now.
Compared to other places I have lived, I would say 'rent' here is very reasonable. To rent a small house or 'decent' apartment, I have found those to be reasonable, if not less, than places such as Tampa, Orlando, Santa Cruz, or even Vegas. So, yes, cost of living here is fairly reasonable, including housing.
For a 'small town/city', The Lakeland Center has huge names that play there. Cher was planned to have a concert, I believe in 2004, but had to cancel due to a hurricane. I've seen several concerts and/or 'personalities' there. One 'neat thing' was I saw Tim Conway and Harvey Korman do an hour long show - doing all their skits from the Carol Burnett show (and Harvey Korman soon died after that, so, I was fortunate to see them together one last time.)
Lilly Tomlin, Gordon Lightfoot, the Gaithers, Glen Campbell, Anthony Bourdain (the travel guy with his own TV show), and many others - all are playing in the next few months there. It also serves as the major convention center, and also has a smaller theater for more intimate type shows or concerts, plays, etc.
And now... the 'cons' to living in Lakeland:
While it is improving, it is very true that there is very much a lack of diversity or tolerance in Lakeland. Sure, that will change over time. But, still, it's very much a Bible-Belt, confederate-flag waving, gun-show every other week type of town.
Small example: About a month ago, someone (I don't know the details)... but some entity or group took up a huge billboard... and had some comment like: "Are you and Atheist? You're not alone..." and had a website listed under that... this was on a huge billboard on a major road. This was front page break news stuff. You would have thought the billboard read: "We love Satan." People went insane over this Atheist billboard. My point? Yes, Lakeland is still significantly intolerant in many ways.
A bunch of churches got together and took over several billboards around that one, and really went all-out against that one billboard. This is the kinda thing I'm talking about... one billboard with the word Atheist on it, and the town went nuts.
Weather: Very hot and humid (and long) summers. If you don't mind hot and humid, you'll love FL.
Love Bugs. I can't explain this. They are these horrific little black flying bugs and they're always having sex (hence, 'love bugs')... and in the summer, there are billions of them. Sometimes, you can drive through a certain patch of them, and you literally have to pull into a gas station and try and get them off the wind-shield because you literally can't drive safely as so many are covering the windshield. Even locals hate the love-bugs. But, they're only in the summer months. Love-bugs are dreaded by everyone around here in the summer. And not only do these love-bugs cause issues when you drive, but, they 'hang out' at house door-ways (why, I have no idea.) But, for a few months, love-bugs rule Lakeland.
Cockroaches and mosquitoes. They're both unusually abundant in Lakeland (and all of Florida.) It's due to the tropical weather for the most part. But, yeah, cockroaches and mosquitoes are extremely abundant (year round.) Thing is, it has nothing to do with how clean your house is, etc, because cockroaches are simply very naturally abundant here.
I'm highly allergic to mosquito bites, so, it’s a major issue for me.
Fire Ants. These are really nasty little creatures. And just about every lawn has fire ants. If you get bit, you'll know it. They're horrible. And their bite hurts really badly.
Termites. Due to the tropical nature of FL, Termites are a real problem. If you own a house, just about everyone I know gets the 'life-time' termite warranty deal. You pay something like $1,000 up front and they treat your house and all around your house. Then, you pay about $200/year and they do upkeep. This is basically an insurance policy - in that if you do get termites, your contract says they'll pay to replace the house or pay for any and all repairs, etc. But, yes, termites are a real issue in FL.
Flat land. Moving here from where there are mountains, it's very noticeable. To locals, they think nothing of it. But, everything is 'flat' here, there aren't even hills. Since moving here, I have really missed seeing mountains. It's flat - the entire state is flat.
While Lakeland has a good road/freeway system, at least in terms of keeping traffic to a minimum, one very confusing and annoying fact about Florida (including Lakeland) is that just about every major road has, and I'm not making this up, at least 3 names. So, even having lived here for 7 years, I still get confused when someone is telling me about some place to go, and they will use a road name. I almost always have to ask, "So, that's Bartow Road? 98, right?" And the response will often be something like this: "Well, it starts off as Lakeland Hills Boulevard, and then turns into Bartow Road, but, yeah, it's 98." What!?
Because the road will have 3 different 'names' and everyone uses a different name when describing how to get to a certain place. It's very confusing to new folks - trust me. Since there are no mountains or 'land-marks', you have to depend solely on road names.
Lakeland Churches
Lakeland stands out to me for its many churches. It's 'church world' here, instead of Disney-World. Lakeland is very much a 'Bible-Belt' type city. You see Jesus billboards all over town, as well as Jesus bumper stickers on a good half of the cars. I've never lived in a place with so many churches. Seriously. I'm not anti-churches or Jesus bumper stickers. All I'm saying is that FL and Lakeland is, well, very 'religiously oriented' - and Christian, at that.
Diversity and tolerance isn't, well, what you'd call abundant in Lakeland (generally speaking.) I'm not sure how to describe this, but, using very loose terminology, and not trying to be insulting, I would say that, yes, when I first moved here, I thought to myself - "Wow, this is a cross between Billy the Hillbilly and The Church Lady from Saturday Night Live." As new folks move in from around the country, it is becoming less noticeable. But, when I first moved here in 2003/2004, I really did honestly get that 'serious hillbilly' feeling. That is slowly changing.
Here is a TRUE story, and I'm not making this up: Last Sunday, after leaving church, I was driving home and the car in front of me at a stop light had a bumper sticker: "Mom's Hunt Too!" and... Here is the kicker... there was an image of a dead deer (or was it just sleeping?).... joking... no, it was a dead deer.
Yeah... Moms Hunt Too and a dead deer on a bumper sticker. That's Lakeland (and/or Florida.) It's just the way it is here. Gun shops, gun shows, and shooting ranges are also abundant here. Hunting is big here too.
But, back to churches.
I attend the Lakeland UUCL church, a VERY non-denomination church (they actually don't like the word 'church' - and when I use that word when I'm there, I have been told on more than one occasion, "This is a congregation, not a church."
But, I have found the UUCL to be fantastic, great fellowship (nice people).. with super-friendly folks and a very diverse type of programs and 'things to participate in'... so, that is the church I attend. They have a 'mildly liturgical' service, but, before and after the service, its very relaxed and friendly (and open-minded.) I personally do enjoy and/or need something spiritual in my life, so, I had to 'church-hunt' until I eventually found the Lakeland UUCL (about 2 years ago.) I have found the Lakeland UUCL to be exceedingly forward thinking, progressive, welcoming, fun, friendly and a great place to do the 'church thing'... Web link to that church: http://www.uuclakeland.org
Finally... here is the main Lakeland City website link: http://www.lakelandgov.net (includes great photos of the area, list of things to do, and some good general information.
Happy New Year - good luck to you, and if you have a specific question I can answer about Lakeland, I would be happy to.
Probably the best assessment of Lakeland I've seen on this board.
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