Considering a move to Orlando or Tampa and need advice/input (Jacksonville: best cities, apartment)
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Considering a move to Orlando or Tampa and need advice/input
Hello everyone,
I know there are a plethora of forums on one moving either to Orlando or Tampa. I'm contemplating a move from Charlotte, NC to Orlando or Tampa. I am male, 31, and work in IT (mostly technical support work).
How is the job market for IT professionals in both cities? I will be taking an online course in Health IT for the next 6 months as I want to get into this new exciting field. I've heard that Orlando has alot of hospitals and after taking this course that is where I aim to find a job.
In terms of cost of living, can I get a 1 bedroom apartment in a safe area in both cities? To give you a idea, I pay $760 for a 1 bedroom in South Charlotte and in a very safe neighborhood close to shopping areas and grocery stores. I don't know any of the safe and nice areas in Tampa but I've heard that Winter Park, Hunters Creek, Dr. Phillips, Windermere, Lake Mary, and Winter Garden are all nice and safe areas in Orlando to live.
Aside from the theme parks in Orlando and Tampa as well as the beaches near Tampa, are there other activities to do? I don't drink so I'm not into bars but I love to dance and go to dance clubs. I enjoy sports and being able to go to shows/museums.
I've been to Orlando several times (was in there June for a wedding at Championsgate) and know the typography well. I love the palm trees and it seems to be very clean like Charlotte. I've only been to Tampa once but from what I saw I liked it. However downtown Tampa did seem dead but I did get a chance to check out Soho which was cool. How is downtown Orlando? Does it tend to get dead after 5PM? I love the fact that you are so close to the beaches when living in the Tampa Bay Area. The only thing I worry about is that I've heard that Tampa is more reluctant to get hit by a hurricane compared to Orlando because Orlando is inland.
I do have friends that live in Orlando but from what they tell me is that Orlando is more for families and couples whereas for singles the Tampa Bay area is the place to be. I'm not a hardcore partier so I don't want to be in a place thats too crazy. Coming from Charlotte, it too is more of a place for families however there has been a huge influx of young professionals these past few years. The only reason I was thinking of leaning towards Orlando is that I've been there a few times (just for weekend trips and family weddings and of course the theme parks) and that I know at least a few people there. I find it much harder to move to a place where you don't know anyone.
Also I was considering St. Petersburg as some people say St. Petersburg is better than Tampa. Any help on each of the three cities would be most appreciated!
Charlotte is slightly more of big city than either Orlando or Tampa in terms of density as I'm sure you know. Orlando is more like Charlotte in terms of urban living and things happening downtown. Tampa is more like Charlotte in terms of business activity downtown.
Our mayor has been extremely diligent in getting downtown Orlando to be the focal point of the city. Downtown Orlando is small...smaller than Tampa's footprint and skyline as well, however over the last 10 years it has left Tampa's (and also Jacksonville's) core downtowns trailing in terms of walkable amenities...and in such a short timespan! If Dyer is able to keep developing the core, even at a slower pace than before due to the economy, our downtown has the potential to be the most livable, walkable core in Florida. Personally, I think it already is, but that is my opinion and others may disagree. We have an advantage in that there are nice, historic neighborhoods bordering downtown on 3 sides.
The nightlife of Orlando is concentrated downtown, so on weekends the streets are packed whereas in Tampa the nightlife is spread out more into districts. There is about the same amount of nightlife in both cities. Tampa is no more 'the place to be' for singles than Orlando. Orlando is very lively on weekends, and the population here is younger overall than Tampa.
If you want to see an example of the activity in the city, check the central business district on a weekend night, or hit the farmers market by Lake Eola and walk around Thornton Park watching people eat outside at all the restaurants for brunch on a Sunday afternoon.
St. Petersburg's downtown is actually more like Orlando's downtown than Tampa's in that it has the same kind of historic neighborhoods surrounding it and walkable restaurants and nightlife. The big advantage of St. Pete of course is the beautiful beach that you are right next to. I have not spent much time there though.
I would say my only real complaint about downtown Orlando is the homeless situation. It is bad...REALLY bad lately, but St. Pete is no better on that front.
Thanks for your input. Do you recommend any safe areas in Orlando aside from the ones I mentioned? I've been living in Charlotte for 27 years and no doubt I think its a great city, especially how it's grown and how its growing each and everyday. However I just want a change.
I know the job situation is bad out there, but I wonder if either Tampa or Orlando is worse or better off than the rest of the country. I'd definitely plan on having a job secure before my move. However the only thing that could be a obstacle is when hiring managers see my NC address and rather not interview me and go for someone local.
What has your experience been so far with Orlando? Do you enjoy the city and are the people friendly? What about the likelihood of hurricanes?
I would say that Pete remarks are pretty accurate. If I were you I would look in areas north of downtown Orlando. Less touristy, more established neighborhoods and good prices. Cost of living is about the same as Charlotte for housing. You can pretty much enjoy the best of both worlds living in either city because they are so close to one another. However, if I had to give just one piece of advice it would be this. If you have friends and family in Orlando but do not know anyone in Tampa that choose Orlando. It makes the transition so much easier having a support network, even a small one, when making a life changing move. If you do not know a soul, it can be very difficult to get accustomed to your new life. I would offer this same advice for Tampa if the situation were flipped.
The number one place I have to disagree slightly with Pete is about Charlotte being a bigger city than Orlando. While there are things about Charlotte that are things Orlando should covet, like having 2 major sports instead of 1, light rail, and more high paying jobs downtown, as a livable downtown, Charlotte pales in comparison for now. When looking at the metro area as a whole, Charlotte seems more rural and less exciting than Orlando. Don't get me wrong, the 2 are pretty close peers and where one excels, the other falters. I just wanted to reinforce what Pete said that DT Tampa is more 9-5 like Charlotte, while DT Orlando actually comes alive after 5. If I were looking for a singles scene, I'm sure I'd factor that tidbit into the equation.
Thanks for your input. Do you recommend any safe areas in Orlando aside from the ones I mentioned? I've been living in Charlotte for 27 years and no doubt I think its a great city, especially how it's grown and how its growing each and everyday. However I just want a change.
I know the job situation is bad out there, but I wonder if either Tampa or Orlando is worse or better off than the rest of the country. I'd definitely plan on having a job secure before my move. However the only thing that could be a obstacle is when hiring managers see my NC address and rather not interview me and go for someone local.
What has your experience been so far with Orlando? Do you enjoy the city and are the people friendly? What about the likelihood of hurricanes?
Thanks!
Some people think Orlando, and Florida in general, has a lot of rude residents. I just wanted to give you that piece of information, even though personally I think Orlando is no ruder than any large city I have lived in or visited. I think some people come here thinking they are going to be living in Disney World when it is just another large city with its own pros and cons. One thing you will notice is that people drive a lot faster and crazier in Florida.
As for hurricanes, I would not make that a decision point on whether to move here or not. We rarely get hit that hard. That is not to say we won't, but it's a bit less risk than the coastal areas. I think the bigger issue most people will have here is the heat. It really is on another level in Florida, so mentally prepare yourself for that change. The upside is the beautiful winter.
As for safe areas other than those mentioned, check out Maitland and Altamonte Springs...two suburbs with nice areas. In town check Colonialtown, Audubon Park, and College Park...anywhere really east of I-4 and west of Semoran (College Park is the exception in the downtown area). Might be a bit more expensive though. You really have to look at the area though before moving in.
If you want a tour of in-town Orlando, check out my map of some neat areas. This doesn't really cover the suburbs, but if you drive around these areas in red you will see most of the more interesting areas of Orlando.
The number one place I have to disagree slightly with Pete is about Charlotte being a bigger city than Orlando. While there are things about Charlotte that are things Orlando should covet, like having 2 major sports instead of 1, light rail, and more high paying jobs downtown, as a livable downtown, Charlotte pales in comparison for now. When looking at the metro area as a whole, Charlotte seems more rural and less exciting than Orlando. Don't get me wrong, the 2 are pretty close peers and where one excels, the other falters. I just wanted to reinforce what Pete said that DT Tampa is more 9-5 like Charlotte, while DT Orlando actually comes alive after 5. If I were looking for a singles scene, I'm sure I'd factor that tidbit into the equation.
I last visited DT Charlotte about 4 years ago. Impressive skyline to say the least, but I would have agreed with you that Orlando's downtown has more going on and more residents living in it for sure. It did not seem that lively to me after dusk. However, I got into it with this guy on city-vs-city that was going on and on about how Charlotte has so many more people living in it now and so much more going on. He was pretty familiar with DT Orlando so I just dropped it since I know Charlotte has been intensely developing their downtown as well. I prefer DT Orlando due to Lake Eola and the surrounding area.
I last visited DT Charlotte about 4 years ago. Impressive skyline to say the least, but I would have agreed with you that Orlando's downtown has more going on and more residents living in it for sure. It did not seem that lively to me after dusk. However, I got into it with this guy on city-vs-city that was going on and on about how Charlotte has so many more people living in it now and so much more going on. He was pretty familiar with DT Orlando so I just dropped it since I know Charlotte has been intensely developing their downtown as well. I prefer DT Orlando due to Lake Eola and the surrounding area.
Yeah I tend to censor myself too because truthfully we should be sharing ideas with peer cities of ours and trying to each become the best cities we can become. I also don't have a single problem with Charlotte and I think they get slammed on Atlanta vs. threads simply because they are not bigger (although I vastly prefer Atlanta). As you may know I lived about an hour south of Charlotte in SC and it was our "big city" for all intents and purposes such as major intl airport, sports, concerts, shopping, etc. However on many occasions, I gave it a really good try to not judge downtown (they call it uptown) Charlotte based on my quick trips there, but the same conclusion was reached: Charlotte is bland at core, at city, and at metro level for my tastes. While DT Orlando could and probably always will need help in the skyline department, we are well on our way to street level density and activity. So I'll give Charlotte it's impressive, although monolithic grey, skyline, but give me downtown Orlando's streetscape and PM vibrancy any day. OP take note please, Charlotte is a very good comparison to Tampa in this sense.
For me, the question I have for the op is... are you GOING to have a family? If yes, Orlando is very heard to beat. If "hell no", then I'd go with the Tampa area... lots of more adult things to do there, and if you stay single, the disruption of a hurricane won't be the end of the world.
For me, the question I have for the op is... are you GOING to have a family? If yes, Orlando is very heard to beat. If "hell no", then I'd go with the Tampa area... lots of more adult things to do there, and if you stay single, the disruption of a hurricane won't be the end of the world.
Really? What kinds of adult things? I assume you are not talking about nightlife here.
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