Recommend Nice Area/Top Schools (Miami, Orlando: middle-class, best neighborhoods, rent)

[GiGiFL]

Leaving Port St Lucie area after arriving here from Broward/Miami (no higher paying job opportunities/tough for small business startup/only for the retirees-don't come here). We have enjoyed our sons attending a great charter school here, but High School is approaching and we need to leave. Relocating to Orlando area where we travel there often anyway for Disney (sons in middle school/about to enter HS in one year). We moved to PSL to get away from the business/crime near Miami/Broward (desired more northern-resort feel that PSL provided). Need to know, best recommendation for some of top rated middle/high schools---so my husband and I can reside in the zone to be able to enroll our sons. While we want the fun and events Orlando offers, we also want a nice (prefer gated/HOA) yet affordable middle-class diverse area. I saw school rating online but WE ALL KNOW the ACTUAL can differ based on one's experience. Thanks so much..I love the UCF area alot!!!!Comments appreciated and thanks.

[otown native]

Originally Posted by GiGiFL

I love the UCF area alot!!!!

I mean if you like it, you like it..but I definitely wouldn't recommend the UCF area, unless whatever area you're referring to isn't really "UCF". Depending on where you would live, the 2 high schools you could be zoned for in that area are Colonial & Timber Creek. Timber Creek would be the better of the 2, while it's not the best in town, it's the better between them. And the area you'd need to live in would be Waterford Lakes & Azalea Park.

The reason I wouldn't do that area though, is the fact that it's by UCF. Unless you like being around drunk college students having parties til all hours of the morning, I'd look in other areas. Tons of off campus housing and parents that rent out homes for their kids in that area..trust me, many of my friends went there and I couldn't tell you how many parties I went to a few years back.

Have either of you gotten jobs lined up yet? Because that could make a difference on recommendations as well. There was another post the other week about high schools in Orlando, http://www.city-data.com/forum/orlan...-near-oak.html..it was specific to what was around a certain area called Oak Ridge, but the 3 I listed in the post would apply anyways in general--Dr Phillips High, Freedom High, & Boone High. I'd also throw in Winter Park High School (in Winter Park) which has a good middle school in Glenridge as well.

[GiGiFL]

Thanks sooooo much! Our place of residence is not dependent on a job--- so we are open to the best/good schools for our sons to attend. I am doing a lot of consulting (so if higher paying jobs exist like in Broward/Miami--more business for mein Orlando). Since my post, I read other posts and they were helpful. I appreciate your detailed response. It really has helped a lot!!! My husband is in Orlando completing some training and I will travel this weekend to tour areas you mentioned. I only mentioned UCF because we stayed in that area while doing some training and it was good ( I guess for tourist--LOL). Oh, I forgot about band...sons are in band...so hopefully..it"s a good band program. Again thanks!

[GiGiFL]

To OTown Native: Question...read your other post you referenced"....Freedom feeds from the Hunter's Creek area, which is nice and, while it has it's expensive neighborhoods, is relatively reasonable in home prices." What can you tell me about Hunter's Creek area re schools? Isn't that area Osceola County?

[brinkofsunshine]

Dr. Phillips High School is the Visual and Performing Arts Magnet and has a program for Band; I'd look into that. Great school, wonderful area. Windermere (Olypmia HS) is another one of the best neighborhoods in the metro.

[beckycat]

Lake Mary, Winter Springs, Lake Brantley. Seminole Co is a good choice.

[sergiodurante]

If you choose to live near or around UCF on the Orange County SIde , you will likely be in one of these 3 schools ( Timber Creek, Unversity or East River). If you MUST live near UCF, move to the Seminole County side (Hagerty or Oviedo HS).

[otown native]

Originally Posted by GiGiFL

To OTown Native: Question...read your other post you referenced"....Freedom feeds from the Hunter's Creek area, which is nice and, while it has it's expensive neighborhoods, is relatively reasonable in home prices." What can you tell me about Hunter's Creek area re schools? Isn't that area Osceola County?

The Hunter's Creek area is very nice and has many well kept subdivisions..with a golf course in the middle that a couple of them are on. I lived in the area for a few years before moving to NY & enjoyed it. It's basically on the line of Orange & Osceola counties, but does not cross into Osceola..so neither does Freedom High. Freedom was a B rated school last year, so is one of the better in town. Not the best, but a good high school. If you're looking for a home, I'd search down both Town Center Blvd & Hunter's Creek Blvd west of Orange Blossom Trail (OBT)..preferably "The Fairway", "Devlin Green", or "Tanglewood" subdivisions. If you don't care for a golf course, anything west of John Young Young Pkwy, on those same 2 Blvds, would be good for the area.

Edgewater (a very "pockety" area a little west of downtown), Olympia (in the Windermere & Dr Phillips areas), University (which sergiodurante mentioned as I completely forgot), & Winter Park were the only A rated high schools in Orange County last year. So like I mentioned before, Winter Park is a great area with both top of the line middle & high schools (I believe WP High has a good band), and the Windermere area is fantastic as well..but is very pricey, although you can find some neighborhoods within reasonable prices. Olympia High & Gotha Middle (where I went..also an A school) are in that area.

I'm not too familiar with anything north of Winter Park as I've always stayed in the Orlando metro itself (for those that mentioned Lake Mary and anything Seminole County), so I can't agree or disagree, but I have no doubts many of the high schools like Hagerty & Oviedo are good up there. I just can't speak on them myself. Those areas were just too far out for me and if you have to drive on I-4 into Orlando for work..may God bless you.

[otown native]

Originally Posted by GiGiFL

Thanks sooooo much! Our place of residence is not dependent on a job--- so we are open to the best/good schools for our sons to attend. I am doing a lot of consulting (so if higher paying jobs exist like in Broward/Miami--more business for mein Orlando). Since my post, I read other posts and they were helpful. I appreciate your detailed response. It really has helped a lot!!! My husband is in Orlando completing some training and I will travel this weekend to tour areas you mentioned. I only mentioned UCF because we stayed in that area while doing some training and it was good ( I guess for tourist--LOL). Oh, I forgot about band...sons are in band...so hopefully..it"s a good band program. Again thanks!

Oh, and if you're in town this weekend and want to "tour" some of the areas, check out Park Ave in WP..between Fairbanks Ave & Webster Ave. It's a strip of really nice boutique stores and restaurants that you can walk up & down. You'll see why it's one of the more upscale, nicer areas of Orlando. My girlfriend and I enjoy a nice stroll through there every once in a while. They have festivals & fairs that go on throughout the year too..I actually just looked and they're having a festival of lights boat parade Saturday night at Rollins College, which Park Ave basically runs into. And if Park Ave is a bit much for you, just head 2 minutes down Canton Ave to Winter Park Village where there's more restaurants, stores, and a movie theater.

You also might want to check out Baldwin Park. It has that very "quintessential American town" feel (much like an area just south of Orlando called Celebration), and you can walk around to check out some shops there. Baldwin Park feeds into WP High as well.

Good luck searching this weekend! Enjoy! :-)

[mpsnknox]

The Winter Park Schools are the best in Orange Country. A lot of parents send their kids to Lake Highland Prep for primary school then send them to Winter Park High for the I.B. and A.P. program.

Seminole county also has good schools.