Questions about St. Cloud and consideirng moving there. (Orlando, Kissimmee: apartment, rental)

[ComposerRyan]

Hello, I have been doing quite a bit of research on Florida lately and have narrowed it down to a couple of places, one major candidate being St. Cloud.

I do have some questions on it though:

1) How can I find rental properties in St. Cloud? I am looking to rent a home (not an apartment) that is a max of $1199/month and has 3-4 bedrooms.

2) How is the neighborhood? In other words, what is the crime rate like there?

3) I notice that is has a park and a small beach and even a bike trail too (which looks exciting!) What is the park like and the small beach on the lake? Is it "safe" to swim in the lake or is there risk of alligators?

4) Is there major flooding in St. Cloud?

Thanks again for all of your help and I hope someday to call myself a Floridian.

Ryan

[Suzanne K.]

Hi Ryan,

My name is Suzanne. I live and work in the Kissimmee/St. Cloud area.

Yes, there are "gators" in that lake.

There are "gators" in all of the lakes here in Florida.

It would just be unhealthy to assume otherwise...

[ComposerRyan]

I figured that, thanks for the response. Do you swim on the beach on that lake? I know there is actually a small beach on that lake and I was wondering if anyone really used it...

[**NoodLes**]

Originally Posted by ComposerRyan

I figured that, thanks for the response. Do you swim on the beach on that lake? I know there is actually a small beach on that lake and I was wondering if anyone really used it...

Are you talking about East Lake Toho, if so, then yes there's always people there. Lucky for me it's only a 5 minute drive, it's kinda surreal though. That area has some older low value properties around it then a few miles North and you have multimillion dollar mansions and Remington Golf Club.

[Infinite loop]

You are talking about this?
City of St. Cloud, Florida - Official Website - Lakefront Park & Dan Tarrell Memorial Point

I think I've been there a couple times, nice and clean. Not really for swimming. Yes, someone told me they saw an alligator there one time. The walking path is nice. Most people go there for the walking and to have barbecues.

Not any flooding I am aware of. Some houses near large bodies of water may have some minor flooding, but flood insurance is very cheap in the Orlando area.

St. Cloud has some crime but pretty minor. I think it's mostly older houses, but at least they should be on bigger lots. St. Cloud overall is ok if you want the rural life.

[ComposerRyan]

Thanks for the responses.

Does anyone have any ideas of how to find out how much a rental in that area would cost? Like a 3 Bedroom rental with a pool? I did see that some houses actually had pools in that area, which would be nice!

[Melilewi]

You should consider living here. The pros definitely outweigh the cons.

Pros:
1) Lake front -- swimming beach, bike paths, boat dock, fishing piers. Its a great place to get something to eat at Crabby Bills and then take a walk. Yes, there are alligators, but they are everywhere. I allow by toddler boys to swim in the lake (near the beach).

2) Fishing -- tons of great fishing. Some of the tournaments on ESPN are held at East Lake Toho.

3) Sports Complex -- lap pool, soccer fields, baseball fields, indoor and outdoor basketball courts, trick bike park, trick skateboard park, peghorn nature park and trail. Can you tell that I have boys? We take them to nature classes at Peghorn Park.

4) Bald Eagles -- There are more bald eagle nests in the county South of St Cloud (not Osceola county) than any other, except for Alaska. I love the birds -- all kinds. We have a bald eagle nest 1 mile away.

5) Pool weather -- you can swim in the pool for several months of the year. Most people have year round tans without trying.

6) Small town feel -- I like the small town aspect -- where you know your neighbors and you become more invested in the community.

7) Community Garden -- We're not doing it, but want to do it next year.

8) Mix of wealth -- Several years ago, some large ranchers sold off land and now there are tract homes. There are some multi-mllion dollar mansions and some older, much poorer homes. Its a big mix.


There are a few negatives that I can think of, right off the top of my head:

1) Not enough shopping or restaurants. You will have to drive to Kissimmee or Lake Nona area

2) Schools -- Elementary schools are good -- many of them are rated A. But they get progressively worse as your child gets older. High schools are not good.

3) Racism -- I've heard rumors of racism but have never experienced it first hand and don't have any friends who have either. I have a mixed race couple friend who didn't experience anything either. Confederate flags don't necessarily mean racism. Most of the time, I would say that Confederate flags are a sign of Southern pride. We like our Southern accents and southern food and our pickups and guns (Though I don't have any of the above).

4) No curbside recycling.