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Wow it’s already been 9 months since we moved to Orlando!! We thought we would recap on our impression to this point. We lurked on the board for quite a while and read all the great information and figured we could at least return the favor from a newbie’s perspective.
We will start with the bad because these days the positives still outweigh the negatives as far as living here!
Car Insurance-Wow ours almost doubled from our previous address in NC!!! Be ready!!
Electric Bill-We are renting a 2400 square foot home and during the summer our bill was $425!!! The home is aprox 20 years old so not much in the way of energy efficient appliances, windows, etc. We were also shocked when we contacted the Electric company to learn they recommended we leave the thermostat on 78-80 degrees during the day-wow!!! We were shocked people would be comfortable but have learned you do adapt a bit to the heat over time (note: just a bit)!
Speaking of Heat-WOW it is HOT here!!! Yes I know it is Florida but as a military family that has lived many other places, FL is by far the hottest!!! There were times we felt we would get a sunburn just driving two blocks with the sun shining on the drivers side!!! Always carry sunscreen and a hat, even if it looks cloudy!!! And the rain storms in the middle of the day during summer were welcome by us as a time to head inside, relax, etc. so I am glad Mother Nature gave us a built in excuse! We have also decided to view summer as though it is winter in other areas-hunker down inside the house, watch movies, play board games, anything but being directly outside in the middle of the day!!!
Crime-definitely more than NC (the last state we lived in) and some a bit closer than we would like. We also had one of our cars broken into (a first for us) in a string of neighborhood breaks ins. Luckily the theft/damage was minor and we learned that the Police Department was prompt and great at keep us informed of the investigation and subsequent arrest of the suspects. Common sense always prevails when you are out and about!!!
Schools-we have 3 children in public school here and have been especially disappointed in our Middle Schooler’s experience. He has mild autism (and though we read all the warnings about the special needs services in the state of FL, as a military family we are “supposed” to receive locations that are favorable for his diagnosis-another story for another time) and the “support” his school provides is sub par. We are well versed in the IEP process, our rights, etc. but services and appropriate education are the worst we have experienced for him compared to four other states. The McKay Scholarship for children with special needs is available but is more of a stop gap/band-aid measure than an actual tangible solution to the deficient special education system.
Our elementary schooler has fared much better in FL and is doing well in a safe, friendly school though the emphasis on FCAT is over the top!!! We have never experienced such an emphasis on one set of standardized testing before and it has been disappointing that the test is what is taught, not lifetime learning through curiosity and desire but more a slew of facts to be memorized for the test. On our meet the teacher night, we became soo bored we started to tally the number of times the word “FCAT” was used by the teacher and once we hit 15 in an hour, we lost count and focus!!!
Driving-A lot of people here drive as though they don’t love their life-no other way to put it, they just have no regard for their safety or anyone else’s!! We have lived in other urban areas (San Diego, Washington DC, Kansas City) and have not seen the blatant disregard for any traffic rules that we have experienced here. Traffic we are used to and the recklessness of the occasional road rager, but we have seen way more idiotic driving and in most cases, for no apparent reason!! And on the topic of driving, the Tolls-WOW!!! Make sure you always have plenty of change to hand over (or a SunPass)! We don’t mind paying a toll occasionally but it is hard to not feel ripped off when you have to pay a toll 3 separate times on the SAME ROAD!! Crazy!!!
Jobs-My husband is stationed here so luckily he had a job before we arrived. I enjoy working and have always found good paying jobs in my field, even in areas that were employment depressed (Eastern NC) but I have decided to forego work here simply because the pay is soo low in this area. Most of the salaries I see here are half what I made in NC though the cost of living is slightly higher-just be forewarned and I agree with the multitude of posters who state not to move until you have employment secured, or at a minimum research the difference in pay scale from the are you are moving from and plan according!!!
So it would sound like we didn’t like Orlando based on the items listed above, but actually we REALLY LOVE it here!!! Obviously we have learned over our years as a military family to try to seize the moment and really enjoy the unique aspects our new locations have to offer. We understand no one place is without faults and try to focus on the positive knowing it will only be a temporary location. So, on to the good:
Neighborhood-Wow we lucked out on our rental house and live in a fantastic neighborhood in the Tuskawilla area! Our neighbors are the friendliest we have ever had, aside from living on a military base which is very rare these days! We have made many friends here, all ages, etc. The kids don’t want for anything to do as someone is always having a pool party, holiday BBQ, etc. and it has been great to be welcomed with open arms. We are also in easy driving distance to most areas we like to explore (Winter Park, Lake Eola, Beaches, Disney, etc.)-it feels more centrally located for us compared to other areas we targeted Avalon Park/Oviedo which feel more disconnected to us now.
Stuff to do-Soo impressive!!! Some weekends we have a difficult time choosing because there are so many options!!! There is something for everyone here from a quiet day at the beach to the crowds of the theme parks!! Some of our favorites have included all the sporting events (Magic Games, Spring Training Camps, etc.), parades, Winter Park Farmer’s Market and strolling the whole Park Ave. area and the scenic boat tour there-we just love Winter Park period, great and varied restaurants, the Springs here-Weikeva/Rock Springs, the tourist attractions (Disney of course, Sea World, etc.), Lake Eola is always wonderful, love Mt. Dora, all the great outdoor festivals-art, antique, food and wine, etc., great shopping at any number of malls, indoor roller skating with the kids, the cheap Picture Show theatre in Altamonte Springs, etc. We have honestly enjoyed all of the places and events we have been to and look forward to exploring soo much more on our limited time here-we have a list (San Isabel Island, Driving to the Keys simply to enjoy the fact that we are driving over the water, Sport Fishing, St. Augustine, Space Coast, Clearwater Aquarium to see “Winter” from Dolphin Tale, the list goes on!!).
Landscape/Natural Beauty-The flora and fauna are breathtaking here!!! We love the old trees with the moss hanging down right next to what-you-would-expect palm trees! The flowers are beautiful and soo many grow here year round that they are to be appreciated! We love all the water-the lakes, ponds, springs that are everywhere! The water birds are amazing and we still get excited when we see a sand crane! We have a medium sized retention pond behind our house and we love to see what birds are visiting for the day-cranes, ducks, ibises (another favorite), herons, hawks, etc. The fountains in the area are also wonderful-Winter Park, Lake Eola, etc.
VPK-The Voluntary PreSchool Program for children prior to kindergarden. It’s free, it’s voluntary and our child has loved being there! What a great perk you won’t find in many other states to help children prepare for a full day of kindergarten. It was also nice to choose the program you wanted to enroll your child in vice having the default zoned school as the only choice.
People-Yes, the people here have been very hospitable! We love the international flavor with so many people from different cultures and have enjoyed learning more from them. There are a lot of Veterans here and they have been excited to share war stories with us : ) We have joined a book club and a dining out club and met so many warm, sociable people here! Some of our neighbors will be lifelong friends. We have discovered that many of the people we know are also transplants, not native to the Orlando area who have always been helpful in directing us somewhere new or telling us about a local gem we must go see as they have come to appreciate the area as their home now. It’s no wonder many of our friends here have had many other family members/friends move to the Orlando area as well!!!
So this is our 9 month report and we are still loving it!!! We have moved enough to know that 9 months is a fair amount of time for the excitement to wear off and to have formed a true opinion of our new home until we move again!!! We are probably more likely to brush off annoyances with the area because we do recognize that it is a temporary home for us and we also recognize that moving to a new area is stressful, especially if you think it will be “perfect” because home rarely is : ) Semper Fi!!!
When I stayed with my grandfather in Orlando, it was exactly as you said except that we had anoles (little lizards) everywhere. I mutate to extreme heat. I used to be one of the guys who paints boxes and lines or "OK" on the ground prior to construction work.
The insane traffic isn't that bad. Just expect the unexpected and do exactly what others would expect you to. And most people who seem stupid are passive aggressive. I was even taught that in driving school (not in FL, and this was taught by cops (I was doing 78 in a 60, oops)).
I recall that there weren't many non-chain restaurants, but we were in Belle Isle.
We have those little lizards everywhere and they make me laugh, when they aren't crunching around the landscaping scaring me!! Surprisingly we expected swarms of bugs here-"palmettos", mosquitos, etc. and haven't experienced 1/10th the bugs we had in coastal NC-a welcome surprise!
We have enjoyed a lot of non-chain restaurants thanks to the internet-we look up reviews and try to pick places that aren't chains to experience the local flavor : ) Oh and we love the Food Truck Shows too-super neat!!!
Thanks for the update! Glad you are enjoying yourself here in Central Florida. You selected a nice area to live.
As for the electric bill, ask your owner about insulating the property. That really helps. We keep our thermostat on 80 and run the ceiling fans all the time. That helps the electric bill. We have not turned the AC on yet because the breezes have been awesome lately.
Have you tried Black Hammock for dinner yet? It's a real local place on Lake Jessup. Good food, fun, airboat rides etc. It's off SR 434 just past the 417 interchange. You might enjoy it.
Hey, USMC Fan! I'm glad you have had, for the most part, a very enjoyable time living in Orlando. It's really great to get a newcomer's perspective, and I have to say, having been a resident here for about 17 years of my life, your analysis is spot on.
For the time you are here, though, maybe for your kids you can see if they can qualify for the Gifted program or any other available higher level learning? I was going to say try to opt for Honors or AP classes, but your children aren't old enough. The reason I mention is that those classes typically are taught by teachers who usually are more passionate and more experienced in what they are teaching. They focus more on the curriculum of their subject rather than drilling FCAT constantly. Having been in mostly Honors and AP and even IB classes, they are better for preparing for colleges and actual factual learning. Just an idea if you ever leave and have to come to Orlando or Florida again.
I have to agree, though, students that have special needs are not being handled properly. My brother who, for the longest time of his life, was simply slow on the upkeep, if you will, has always been behind. Let's just say most of work to catch him up to speed was my mother's relentless support for him to do better in school alongside me being his main instructor at home. Just... not enough is being done for special needs students here. It's mostly recycled vocabulary practice and other mundane teaching rather than really engaging and trying to help the student learn.
I'm not sure how long you intend to stay here, being a military family, but having had a friend coming from such, he used to move every few years, so, not sure how valuable this information may be for you.
Still, I'm so glad you are enjoying your stay here and are making the most of your time here! Good luck to you guys!
Do you know much about the metrowest part of orlando? or the apartments called "the summit at metrowest"? My boyfriend and I are moving there in August because he is attending MMI, and iv'e never even been to Florida!!!
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