Moving from Ireland to Orlando (Tampa, St. Petersburg: crime, selling a home, neighborhood)

[Irishfamily]

Hi

I have read with interest all the postings on Davenport, Winter Haven, Celebration and Haines City all in Orlando. We have a vacation home in Davenport and we are considering moving to Orlando to live next year(we are from Ireland). We were planning to live Winter Haven (but I read all the postings regarding gangs and illegials etc!! I must say you have all put a lot of doubt in my mind about moving out next year and I also must say you will all never get a job in the Orlando tourist industry !!!!!: Does anyone have anything good to say about Orlando - particulary along the 27 Lake Davenport estates, or Solana or anyother sub divison along the 27.

Are there any good schools in this area we were going to send our 13 and 16 yr old to a catholic school and pay fees!! CAn anyone suggest a few schools that I can check out!!

Is life terrible in Orlando as you have all posted really bad reviews of the place!

Cheers

[hollimarie]

Orlando has its good points. You just have to be cautious of where you live. Orange County Schools have great teachers, and just like very school district, there are problems. It's just a big area and highly populated, that there are bound to be high-crime areas. Orlando has no shortage of activities. The salaries tend to be a tad higher to off-set the high cost of living. Again, like most places, there are good points and bad points. You just need be choosy and selective where you move. Research the area thoroughly.

[SKB]

What a change in lifestyle from Ireland to the USA. I was in Shannon last year and it was so lovely.
I wish you and your family the best in what ever area you decide.

I bet you will miss all of the cute little pubs when you go.

[Cougar31]

Read the local newspaper(s) (online) for more daily info.
Best of luck.

[MoveNo8]

I have been reading also and it's put a lot of doubt in my mind now to move there.
I live in a wonderful place now that I would hate to leave this for something that looks to me like trash land. I don't want to leave, but my husband will be taking a job real soon in Orlando and I just might tell him to forget about this whole thing.
Gosh I really hope for my kids sake we are making the right move. I would hate to think that all this hard work i'm putting into my kids now will just be a waste, if their surroundings are nothing but bad schools, gangs, robberies, shoot outs and so forth. Granted no one ever knows how kids turn out, but by the looks of all this bad talk about Fl. I would be bringing up a future deliquent. Surroundings and enviroment has a lot to do with what kids see they learn. We have nothing like this were we are now. Maybe if we were single or married w/ no kids it might work but w/ kids it's a lot more to think about.
Thanks

[Prichard]

Orlando has some very good Catholic schools. I don't know about down in Winter Haven or Davenport. St. Mary Magdalen; St. Margaret Mary; Bishop Moore High School - there are others, those are the ones I know off the top of my head. Most of the Catholic Schools that I am aware of are on the north side of Orlando.

Life is far from terrible in Orlando. I'm surprised that you have a vacation home in Davenport and are that worried about Orlando. It's not rocket science to stay away from the ghetto areas. Greator Orlando is huge, and the ghetto areas really are not that big. I've lived here all of my life (except for a few years that I lived in the Tampa area and Gainesville). I've never been mugged, threatened, robbed (except for a stereo that was taken from my car once).

I've been to places in Paramore, Pine Hills, Washington Shores, Tangelo Park, Old Cheney area (quite often actually) and the Goldenrod area. I've lived in an appartment complex right off of 436 and lived in a neighborhood right off of Aloma. These are some of the areas that people claim are "spooky spooky".

The fact is that most people aren't looking for trouble, even in some of the tougher areas, like the ones I've mentioned above. If you're into drugs, or making meth, or some other illegal activity, then those people tend to attract trouble to themselves and to their families.

On the contrary, I've been in the middle of a full blown race-riot in St. Petersburg (1989); almost got attacked while driving through a tough area of New Orleans; was attached and bitten in the face by a guy in Gainesville FL; had a close encounter with some drug addicts creeping out of an ally when I was in Manhatten and I've had parts stolen off of my motorcycle in Witchata Falls TX.

Yet, I've never had any problem in Orlando.

[Sueilp]

It is getting built up a lot on te 27. We had a vacation home up on the 27 until last year (we used to come over from the UK until we emigrated in 2005)....

We prefer the coast area as it is quieter...

Good Luck

[Carbondated]

Irishfamily, why would you consider leaving Ireland permanently for Orlando in the first place???? Are you duel citizens or are you relocating on a visa???
I just ask because the Irish I have met have proudly stated what a gem it is in the European Union.

I understand selling a home or property in Ireland with the current highly inflated property market, will garner you a substantial amount of Euros, and will make you very "wealthy" with the current Euro's to US dollars exchange rate.

However, Ireland has free universal health care provided to all citizens. Ireland also provides free college and university education to all the students that want to take advantage of it. Older Irish citizens are provided free home care help. Irish wages for comparable jobs are far better than Florida. The continued influx of low wage foreign workers to Ireland will keep the cost overhead reasonably low.

So why would you consider moving to Orlando permanently???

[mominvbfl]

Originally Posted by Irishfamily

Hi

I have read with interest all the postings on Davenport, Winter Haven, Celebration and Haines City all in Orlando. We have a vacation home in Davenport and we are considering moving to Orlando to live next year(we are from Ireland). We were planning to live Winter Haven (but I read all the postings regarding gangs and illegials etc!! I must say you have all put a lot of doubt in my mind about moving out next year and I also must say you will all never get a job in the Orlando tourist industry !!!!!: Does anyone have anything good to say about Orlando - particulary along the 27 Lake Davenport estates, or Solana or anyother sub divison along the 27.

Are there any good schools in this area we were going to send our 13 and 16 yr old to a catholic school and pay fees!! CAn anyone suggest a few schools that I can check out!!

Is life terrible in Orlando as you have all posted really bad reviews of the place!

Cheers

I lived in WInter Haven for 5 years and never had a bad experience. I was living in Orlando prior to that. I missed the city life of Orlando and all of the amenities but then I got used to the small town feel in Winter Haven. I found it very quiet and safe. Never once heard of any gangs.

I know that the people who lives in WInter Haven and wanted to send their kids to Catholic high school had to go to the school in Lakeland. There is only 1 high school in Winter Haven. I have never heard of any truly negative things about the school either. I think as far as high school goes, you get what you put into it. I now live in Vero Beach and I sometimes miss Winter Haven. Cypress Gardens is a blast and the town is growing. It is only about an hour to downtown Orlando. So your close enough to all of the fun but far enough to be away form the crap that a big city brings.

Haines City is really small. I tink there is more to do in Winter Haven. Davenport is just an address for people that work at Disneyworl, not much there at all. Celebration is kind of neat but kind of creepy in a Stepford Wives kind of way but they have everyhting you need there.

Hope this helps!

[HockeyMom72]

Originally Posted by SKB

What a change in lifestyle from Ireland to the USA. I was in Shannon last year and it was so lovely.
I wish you and your family the best in what ever area you decide.

I bet you will miss all of the cute little pubs when you go.

I have been to Ireland twice. It is SO beautiful. I would absolutely love to live there if I could.