How is Baldwin Park area to live/schools? (Orlando, Winter Park: apartment, rentals) - City-Data Forum

backtoflorida · 01-21-2011, 09:49 PM

I'm new to this forum but my husband's been reading the posts for a while. We are from CT originally but moved to SW FL for 5 years. A year and a half ago we decided to move to the Pacific Northwest thinking the grass was greener on the other side of the country. Immediately, we realized how much we missed Florida. So now we are moving back to the Orlando area (my husband has a job waiting for him there, in the Baldwin Park area). We are not familiar with this area.

Questions:
1) Is Baldwin Park a good area to live?
2) How are the schools? We have a 10 year old in 5th grade.
3) Are there any good rentals?
4) If we end up living somewhere else such as in Longwood, how would the traffic be for my husband's work commute?

Any help is appreciated.

AONE · 01-22-2011, 07:43 AM

Baldwin park is nice. rentals can be high, $1200 up. The homes are new, and fairly large though. schools are good and the high school is WP. shops are nice and it is convenient. The commute from Longwood would be VERY long... worth paying a couple hundred extra for the gas savings...

Mr Idealism · 01-22-2011, 07:48 AM

I don't live in Baldwin Park, but I can give you my experience as an outsider. The whole community/development has New Urbanism sorta vibe. The area is very self contained with shopping/entertainment within the "downtown" area. The schools feed into Winter Park and the Middle School is highly rated. Upon first impressions, I felt it reminded me a lot of Celebration, but in a better area. There should be plenty of rentals, but don't expect your money to go as far here on a home. The only downside to me is access to major highways, but someone can correct me if I am wrong.

keithwand · 01-22-2011, 08:40 AM

We moved here from Mi in 2004 and enjoy it very much.
Remember its a neighborhood not a city although we have many events ie Christmas Parade, Toast the Tree had 150 people on a progressive party to 5 homes (a blast), chili cookoffs in the park, doggie derby and more.
Currently there are only 23 SF homes available for resale as its mainly built out and the prices have held up pretty well.
Its own lake that you can walk around (3 miles prox), bike trails, restaurants, Publix, CVS, banks...
There are homes from 300K to a few million, condos, townhomes and rental apts.
Go to baldwinparkfl.com for more info.
Quite a few of our friends are from the NE but we don't hold that against them!

keithwand · 01-22-2011, 08:43 AM

Just to add there is an elementary and middle school onsite as well as datcare and Winter Park High just a few steps offsite.
If will find it very familiar to Celebration without the tourists.
Downtown Orlando is 2.5 miles away; anything you need is within 2 miles ie Costco, HD and retail shopping.
You are 10 miles to OIA so you will have planes flying overhead, no big deal.
I-4 is 2.5 miles away and so is the 408.

backtoflorida · 01-22-2011, 09:32 AM

Thanks everyone for your replies. We are looking forward to the move. It sounds like its a nice neighborhood.

ComSense · 01-22-2011, 11:16 AM

Expensive! I just looked for houses/townhomes for rent and a decent sized one will run you from $1,675 - $3,200/mo! A small 2/2 apartment will run you in the mid to high teens ($1500-1700).

keithwand · 01-22-2011, 12:56 PM

You get what you pay for.
Windsong, Winter Park near downtown is pricey too as well as some of Heathrow.
The homes to purchase are reasonable for the area.
There is a nice apt complex on Bennett and Maguire and you can then try out Baldwin park before purchasing.

ComSense · 01-22-2011, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by keithwand

You get what you pay for.
Windsong, Winter Park near downtown is pricey too as well as some of Heathrow.
The homes to purchase are reasonable for the area.
There is a nice apt complex on Bennett and Maguire and you can then try out Baldwin park before purchasing.

Yes, that's true. But I dont think there's anything about BP that would warrant an average sized home going for $2500-3000 per month.

HierCritic · 01-22-2011, 06:05 PM

I work in Baldwin Park 5 days a week as a nanny. I would never live there unless you like to hear planes flying overhead. It's not like it's 1 or two planes an hour, it can get as heavy as 6-8 an hour. I get irritated when they fly too close to the house, particularly when the children are sleeping. It's very close to OEA (Orlando Executive airport) which is about 3 miles from there.