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Considering pursuit of a job opportunity in Orlando. I have lived in South Florida for a number of years now. I have a few questions that hopefully you guys can assist with:
1. From what I gather, Winter Park would be an optimal neighborhood for me. I like being able to walk to shopping, farmer's markets, the kind of neighborhood where there are yoga studios, ethnic/ non-chain restaurants, etc. I am a single 30something, no kids. My job, if it works out, would be in downtown Orlando.
Any other ideas? I like to have as short a commute as possible.
2. Cost of rental of a house or nice duplex unit in above neighborhoods. I am a dog owner and always like to have a good sized yard.
In addition, if anyone has any other comments or input about how costs compare to Broward County/Ft Lauderdale area, I am all ears. So far, it seems like both rent and home ownership are less expensive.
My husband and I just signed a lease on a rental house in Winter Garden (2 bedrooms with a yard for $825), which is about a half hour commute to downtown, so even though it seems to have exactly what you're looking for, perhaps that commute is too much for you. However, if the commute might be doable, I urge you to check out WG. It has a very walkable downtown with independent restaurants, bars, a coffee shop, a local theater, access to an awesome bike trail, a community garden, etc...
We looked at a TINY 2 bedroom house for rent in Winter Park. It had a yard, and while the actual location of the house itself was nothing to write home about, it was very convenient to the downtown Winter Park area, definitely within walking/biking distance. It was $850/month with only water included. The realtor told us that these little rental houses in Winter Park didn't become available too often (the only other one he had available was a 3bedroom house for $1,500) since most people in that area are tearing them down to build flashier expensive houses. He also repeated that in Winter Park in this price range, you are paying for location, which means if you are lucky enough to find a small rental house, it will be SMALL and likely not very updated.
You might actually want to consider Downtown first if it meets your needs. It's possible, you could just walk to work and do most of your errands by foot there. Amenities like gyms, restaurants (mostly local), theaters, grocery stores, etc are all within walking distance. Publix, for instance, is on the ground floor of one of the condos called the Paramount.
Lake Eola has its own farmer's market, which vendor wise, is probably on par with Winter Park's. If you want great local or organic produce and meat, though, Audubon Park's farmer's market/soon to be East End Market and SODO's (South Downtown) Freshfield Farms are tough to beat. Living in Downtown would put you in between both.
Downtown along Orange Avenue and Church St toward the west has a younger vibe, overall, though, since that's where most of the bars are, ha ha. If you go north toward Lake Eola Heights or east toward Thornton Park it leans toward an older professional crowd and is considerably calmer and more laid back. Downtown in general is probably more laid back than other metros, but I can't attest to this.
Not to say Winter Park doesn't have its own treasures though. Winter Park is beautiful. I'm just saying if you want to have as little commute as possible, living directly by your area of occupation might be worth considering. I see a lot of people jogging and riding their bikes in Downtown. I'd imagine it's easier to find a more affordable rental on the outskirts of Downtown than Winter Park. Check out zipcodes 32801 and 32803.
For Winter Park, the area you'd most likely want to be is on Park Avenue. Artsy AND artisan, local restaurants galore, farmer's market, gyms, and museums all adorn it. It's vibe is well, more artsy. Besides the farmer's market and a few specialty shops, most of your grocery you'd have to drive to. There is a Whole Foods to the east and a Publix, Chamberlin's and a soon to be Trader Joe's in the west. It's just a gorgeous street lined with shops, trees, parks, and beautiful homes and restaurants. However, it does come at a price. Check out zipcode 32789.
Other places to consider would also be College Park (32804) and Ivanhoe Village (not sure of zipcode). Similar amenities. I say before you settle on a place, scope the area out in its entirety. Hope this helps!
Longtime CFL resident, lived in Southwest Broward/Northwest Dade as well.
1. Winter Park would be a great area for you. It has everything you are looking for and is a very short drive to downtown. The only thing is, which I'm sure you already know, it's pricey being in Winter Park. Other areas that would meet your criteria are:
Baldwin Park-just south of WP but much newer. Walkable but more commercial and very manufactured looking.
Audubon Park-not as shiny and sparkly or big as WP but it does have a small walkable village area with quaint shops, restaurants, bars and markets.
Thornton Park-probably your best option other than WP. Basically right in downtown, very walkable, lots of non-chain restaurants. A little less upscale and more urban than WP. Also much younger, so you do have to deal with the young college age party crowd.
Ivanhoe Village-near downtown, small strip of restaurants and stores. Nice eclectic area.
College Park-NW of Downtown. Good area, smaller homes than WP, very walkable, Edgewater is small downtown area of it's own. Most family oriented of the ones I mentioned.
All of these areas are within 15 minutes of each other and easily accessible to downtown, 15 minutes or less.
2. Cost of housing in any of the areas I mentioned would range from $1000-$1800 depending on size and amenities. WP is the most expensive of the areas I mentioned followed by Baldwin Park, Thornton Park, College Park, Ivanhoe Village, Audubon Park in that order.
Overall the cost in CFL is comparable or slightly cheaper than Broward. Gas tends to be a little cheaper, food and groceries about the same. Overall you will notice that CFL is cheaper than Broward. The areas I mentioned are all right around downtown so driving will be at a minimum. PPL here are little more down to Earth and little less materialistic but you find those types here as well. The pace is a little slower but it's still pretty busy here, I wouldn't say it's laid back. Traffic is comparable but not nearly as bad as Dade county traffic. Weather is much more mild, we've already had a few nights/mornings in the 50's. You can use your sweaters and jackets here for weeks at a time as opposed to a few days. Overall it's not a very big transition from SFL to CFL, it's usually harder the other way around. You should have a fine time moving up here.
Thanks so much for the rapid and helpful responses. This is great information! I did not grow up in South Florida, and I do not really have strong connections to this area.
It sounds, from the posts here, that there are definitely some unique local areas in Orlando and these inner areas are undergoing a revival. My past visits have not emphasized these areas (mostly I have visited for work related conferences and a couple of times to visit the theme parks). I had always had the sense of Orlando as a big soulless sprawly place, and I am pleased to hear about these communities. So I look forward to visiting the eclectic areas you described, if things move forward with my potential employment (still in the early stages of consideration).
Thanks so much for the rapid and helpful responses. This is great information! I did not grow up in South Florida, and I do not really have strong connections to this area.
It sounds, from the posts here, that there are definitely some unique local areas in Orlando and these inner areas are undergoing a revival. My past visits have not emphasized these areas (mostly I have visited for work related conferences and a couple of times to visit the theme parks). I had always had the sense of Orlando as a big soulless sprawly place, and I am pleased to hear about these communities. So I look forward to visiting the eclectic areas you described, if things move forward with my potential employment (still in the early stages of consideration).
I cannot fault you for this at all, but in actually Broward and most of SFL fit that bill more than CFL. Yes we have our stirp-mall based development and our "soulessness", but this area is not as big and dense as SFL is due to the limited land available down there, so I feel like the saving-grace areas like Park Ave in Winter Park, Thornton Park, College Park, Baldwin Park, downtown Sanford, downtown Winter Garden, Uptown Altamonte, etc, outweigh the bad more easily. With the exception of Coconut Grove, parts of Miami Beach, and a few pockets in Broward and PBC, I didn't feel much of any charm in SFL and certainly not like the almost southern in-nature charm you get in CFL.
I cannot fault you for this at all, but in actually Broward and most of SFL fit that bill more than CFL. Yes we have our stirp-mall based development and our "soulessness", but this area is not as big and dense as SFL is due to the limited land available down there, so I feel like the saving-grace areas like Park Ave in Winter Park, Thornton Park, College Park, Baldwin Park, downtown Sanford, downtown Winter Garden, Uptown Altamonte, etc, outweigh the bad more easily. With the exception of Coconut Grove, parts of Miami Beach, and a few pockets in Broward and PBC, I didn't feel much of any charm in SFL and certainly not like the almost southern in-nature charm you get in CFL.
Good points. I am definitely in agreement. I also grew up in the South, and although I never had any desire to return to my deep south hometown, there are some charms that still appeal such as proximity to small towns and nature. I relish the idea of being able to get out on the weekend and camp, canoe, horse trail rides, etc. In South Florida, the ocean and scuba diving are my main passions and although they are great, I can easily make the trade to dive on vacation destination trips in the future, if my quality of life improves. If I should end up in CFL, I intend on avoiding the commuter lifestyle and plan to reside near work in a more established older area.
Good points. I am definitely in agreement. I also grew up in the South, and although I never had any desire to return to my deep south hometown, there are some charms that still appeal such as proximity to small towns and nature. I relish the idea of being able to get out on the weekend and camp, canoe, horse trail rides, etc. In South Florida, the ocean and scuba diving are my main passions and although they are great, I can easily make the trade to dive on vacation destination trips in the future, if my quality of life improves. If I should end up in CFL, I intend on avoiding the commuter lifestyle and plan to reside near work in a more established older area.
People dive at the many natural springs found in Central Florida, might be something to check out. And don't worry, you wont be very far from an ocean here in CFL, it's not like you're moving to Atlanta or Dallas.
Good points. I am definitely in agreement. I also grew up in the South, and although I never had any desire to return to my deep south hometown, there are some charms that still appeal such as proximity to small towns and nature. I relish the idea of being able to get out on the weekend and camp, canoe, horse trail rides, etc. In South Florida, the ocean and scuba diving are my main passions and although they are great, I can easily make the trade to dive on vacation destination trips in the future, if my quality of life improves. If I should end up in CFL, I intend on avoiding the commuter lifestyle and plan to reside near work in a more established older area.
It takes me about the same time to get to the Ocean today as it did when I lived in the western edge of SFL. However, I hear the water here is not much for diving oceanwise, but as ORL said, alot of divers use the caves and springs here. There plenty of options here for camping, canoeing, small town etc. One of my favorites aspects about living here is I can head east and it feels like any Florida coastal community. Sandy beaches, fish houses, tourist traps, palms trees. Or I can head west or north and it's a trip into old Florida. Small towns, southern feel, rolling hills, rural areas, Spanish moss hanging from old majestic oaks. I feel great that on any given day I can decide to an hour either way and be in Cocao or Daytona, or go in the opposite direction and be on a lake in Mt. Dora or Tavares.
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This is so long, sorry!
