Oviedo, Tuscawilla -- Bubbleproof and crime proof? cc dues question, too (University: hoa, house)

[oresident]

Originally Posted by Magnulus

I'm 32 and facing the reality I will probably never live as well as my parents. Part of it is my fault, I had difficult circumstances and dropped out of college a decade ago (UCF), and now have no desire to go back to a traditional school. So I just have a 2-year degree. I know people only a few years younger than me that can't afford a home, either. Orlando is really hellish on young people that don't have advanced degrees.

I am thinking of perhaps going to a non-traditional school such as University of Phoenix, maybe taking online classes. I just want some light at the end of the tunnel, it is hard to get motivated by such a depressing environment and situation. Having a short commute is important for me, I have never been comfortable driving long distances without a break: I didn't get my drivers license until age 27: as a kid I had nystagmus and amblyopia (I was born with a septal defect that affect my eyes, heart, and gave me a hernia) and I didn't find a really good optometrist until a few years ago who offered me prismatic lenses, and that helped my vision alot (just wish I had them as a kid). I grew up with people telling me all the things I would never do: the doctors told my parents I'd be lucky if I wasn't a little taller than a dwarf (I'm 5' 8). Today I ride a motorcycle but I still am not comfortable commuting more than about twenty minutes: the only times I do longer trips is to take a motorcycle in for maintanence (if I don't do it myself), and I always have a stop in between for rest (it's about 25-35 minutes to an hour depending on where I take it, that's a pretty long ride through some heavy traffic).

I have alot of talents, such as being able to assemble computers, I know some mechanical stuff (I have done valve jobs, oil changes, even removed wheels on my bikes). I've applied to places like Palm Tree computers and oil change places but I've had no luck finding a job, so finally I gave up. I'm studying accounting/book-keeping on my own and thinking about maybe going back to school if that interest me, and I have an eBay business where I sell junk for my parents as well as stuff I don't need anymore.

So, that's my experience of Oviedo. It is a nice place with low crime but it is very hard to earn a living here if you don't have a masters in engineering.

Hey Magnulus, I see where you're coming from and I didn't mean to diminish your personal concerns. I can see how Oviedo is a difficult place to be in your situation. I just wanted to clarify that many people in Oviedo indeed do have very short commutes and that there are plenty of good high-paying jobs in the area.

I think what you're experiencing is a pretty general problem that without a college degree, it's hard to get by in an area dominated by high-end jobs. It's not particular to Oviedo, but probably true in general across the country.

If it's to ask, how come you don't want to go back to traditional school?

ores

[Magnulus]

Being tired and apathetic are mostly it, I just feel too old to go to college and I want to get some kind of job somewhere and start seeing results: I don't like the idea of investing alot of my life when I don't know what the future will bring: too many people I know spent alot of time in school and have nothing to show for it. I have been to 5 different colleges in my life and getting all the paperwork together is just a nightmare. I got pretty close to getting a bachelor's in liberal arts, and I have an Assosciates in Liberal Arts already. Before when I went to school I usually had my mom help me wade through the paperwork, but I didn't want to ask for help this time.

I went down to Seminole Community College a couple weeks ago and didn't know where to start. I just got an application, tried to fill it out, and discovered I needed more information to prove I was a Florida resident. So I went home and got the VIN number for my Honda Reflex and filled out the application. Then I discovered I needed to do more paperwork. The people at the desk were unhelpful and unsympathetic and I just felt very nervous about the whole thing.

Being chronicly unemployed sucks. My dads friend came by a couple weeks ago and made some snide remark about me not having a job (of course his daughter is knocked up by her ex-husband and living at home, but I guess its kid gloves for girls). Remarks like that hurt, especially because my dad wants to pretend this shmuck is still his friend. My dad works in DC most of the time (he has to, the jobs around here pay very little, and we have a house in Brandon my dad can't seem to figure out how to sell or rent), this guy works down in Research Park. Actually he has no degree, he's just a former Air Force accountant, pretty boring guy, not very bright.

I'm sure Oviedo is an OK place but the job market here is either very low end service jobs, really low end, or high-end jobs. And being next to a college means they always have warm bodies to fill those low end jobs. BTW I have lived in Oviedo since 1995 and I remember when alot of stuff around here did not exist and it really was just a bedroom town and there were chickens walking all over the downtown, something you don't see as much anymore. This was an OK place back then, crime was lower all over Orlando (my favorite restaurant was in Parramore, it still is there but who wants to go to Parramore now days?), there was less traffic. In the last couple of years it has just seemed to change, I don't really feel at home here anymore.

[CURT]

Originally Posted by Magnulus

Being tired and apathetic are mostly it, I just feel too old to go to college and I want to get some kind of job somewhere and start seeing results: I don't like the idea of investing alot of my life when I don't know what the future will bring: too many people I know spent alot of time in school and have nothing to show for it. I have been to 5 different colleges in my life and getting all the paperwork together is just a nightmare. I got pretty close to getting a bachelor's in liberal arts, and I have an Assosciates in Liberal Arts already. Before when I went to school I usually had my mom help me wade through the paperwork, but I didn't want to ask for help this time.

I went down to Seminole Community College a couple weeks ago and didn't know where to start. I just got an application, tried to fill it out, and discovered I needed more information to prove I was a Florida resident. So I went home and got the VIN number for my Honda Reflex and filled out the application. Then I discovered I needed to do more paperwork. The people at the desk were unhelpful and unsympathetic and I just felt very nervous about the whole thing.

Being chronicly unemployed sucks. My dads friend came by a couple weeks ago and made some snide remark about me not having a job (of course his daughter is knocked up by her ex-husband and living at home, but I guess its kid gloves for girls). Remarks like that hurt, especially because my dad wants to pretend this shmuck is still his friend. My dad works in DC most of the time (he has to, the jobs around here pay very little, and we have a house in Brandon my dad can't seem to figure out how to sell or rent), this guy works down in Research Park. Actually he has no degree, he's just a former Air Force accountant, pretty boring guy, not very bright.

I'm sure Oviedo is an OK place but the job market here is either very low end service jobs, really low end, or high-end jobs. And being next to a college means they always have warm bodies to fill those low end jobs. BTW I have lived in Oviedo since 1995 and I remember when alot of stuff around here did not exist and it really was just a bedroom town and there were chickens walking all over the downtown, something you don't see as much anymore. This was an OK place back then, crime was lower all over Orlando (my favorite restaurant was in Parramore, it still is there but who wants to go to Parramore now days?), there was less traffic. In the last couple of years it has just seemed to change, I don't really feel at home here anymore.

i lived in oviedo since 1991. back then everyone said why in the world would anyone want to live in oviedo..its a one horse and buggy town. there is nothing there and nobody does anything too fast there.
now some say why would anyone want to live there it has bad traffic and its overpriced and has a bunch of chain restaraunts, etc.
it is certainly way more active than it was but I still like it. It seems many others do also.
for some, it is worth a commute and to some i'm sure it is not. Those who can not get high paying jobs close by need to choose between commuting or living somewhere else. I don't think it has ever been different anywhere i have ever lived at any time.
I know many people in Oviedo making big dollars who are commuting to the cape every day. I know many people commuting to orlando everyday. I actually know 1 who does only travel to seimans. Its not unique to oviedo. people from lake mary even commute to orlando for work and they have much more business in town. sometimes its just the way things are.

[CURT]

Originally Posted by Magnulus

Moving would be good, the problem is housing and apartments closer to diverse employment is expensive. Apartments down in Orlando and Winter Park are very high priced relative to the wages you'ld get starting out. 800-1000 dollars for an economy apartment.

I would need, at the least, an apartment with a garage where I could store and mantain motorcycles- I don't even know if they make such a thing. They have chop shop rings that steal bikes and ship them off to central/South America here in Orlando. I don't have a high price sportbike which is the real big target for thieves but it is still something that would worry me.

I remember back in '95 Oviedo was a boring place to live- the nearest grocery store was about 7 miles away or so. You had to go down to Orlando to find anything to do. On the plus side you had alot less traffic. I sort of like it better when it was a boring town. I don't really see how alot of this growth has benefitted my quality of life one whit. Ten years ago I was ordering alot of stuff off the internet, and here in 2007 I'm still ordering most of the stuff off the net rather than battle Orlando traffic for meager selections. The Oviedo mall is mostly unnecessary junk except for a few places like Sears, and we had a theater in Oviedo before the Marketplace was built. My first stop for hardware is always the True Value down in the old downtown, too, not Home Depot (the people are friendlier and they actually hire human beings instead of electronic checkout machines).

i still do alot of my shopping at ace. its alot easier. I still cant think of where the movie theater was. I always went out to sanford. I like conveniences so I like the growth to a point.
there was a grocery store in the center with ace (true value than) and there was publix. albertsons came in not too long after i moved in. the place has definately grown and built up.
we will see how it all unfolds over the next few years.

[Magnulus]

Have you seen the "Oviedo on the Park" developement going up? It looks bad: all plywood construction, not alot of concrete. It looks like its going to be more a Winter Springs or Altamonte style shopping center developement, and not a New Urbanist neighborhood like they have in Avalon or Baldwin Park. If you've seen the one out in Altamonte, it is just a shopping center with a condominium complex nearby, near the waterfront. Very sterile and fake looking. I sure hope that Oviedo on the Park doesn't look like that.

I'm glad the city council killed the horse park, at least for now. I can't believe some of the things that Oviedo spends money on: olympic swimming pools, etc. I'd rather not see tax payer dollars going to pay for things that only benefit a few people who are not struggling. I suppose I'm in the minority though. About a 1/3 of Oviedo is under 18 which means this is a baby factory town and people do think about their kids alot.

[CURT]

Originally Posted by Magnulus

Have you seen the "Oviedo on the Park" developement going up? It looks bad: all plywood construction, not alot of concrete. It looks like its going to be more a Winter Springs or Altamonte style shopping center developement, and not a New Urbanist neighborhood like they have in Avalon or Baldwin Park. If you've seen the one out in Altamonte, it is just a shopping center with a condominium complex nearby, near the waterfront. Very sterile and fake looking. I sure hope that Oviedo on the Park doesn't look like that.

I'm glad the city council killed the horse park, at least for now. I can't believe some of the things that Oviedo spends money on: olympic swimming pools, etc. I'd rather not see tax payer dollars going to pay for things that only benefit a few people who are not struggling. I suppose I'm in the minority though. About a 1/3 of Oviedo is under 18 which means this is a baby factory town and people do think about their kids alot.

I agree, the city shouldnt be spending our money on whats good for a very few and most don't actually live in oviedo. go figure.
On paper the oviedo on the park looks nice. we will see how it comes out. I dont mind the pool and rock climbing and skate park, etc...I think it probably helps keep some of the kids off the streets. who knows anymore.

[Magnulus]

Originally Posted by CURT

I agree, the city shouldnt be spending our money on whats good for a very few and most don't actually live in oviedo. go figure.
On paper the oviedo on the park looks nice. we will see how it comes out. I dont mind the pool and rock climbing and skate park, etc...I think it probably helps keep some of the kids off the streets. who knows anymore.

I'm not sure the skate park does anything. Kids still play on the street in my neighborhood. In truth it is too far away, and crossing Lockwood really isn't a realistic option now days. The developers should have built a park in the neighborhood to play in, instead they built a golf course.

We had a recreational swimming pool before the Olympic pool was built, down at the community center. There are some upper-middle class people in the neighborhood who want their kids to be Olympic diving hopefuls, etc. (even though I said there are few truely rich people, which I believe is still true, there are people with much more money than average... my folks used to know some of them, they had a bunch of wonder kids, etc.). That's fine, but that shouldn't have been payed for at the taxpayer expense- at the least I hope they charge for the use of the pool for upkeep.

We will indeed have to see how the Park project turns out. I'm just sceptical of the whole thing, right from the moment they decided on an outdoor amphitheater in an area that is fairly swampy and humid at night. Let's be honest, Florida is miserable in the summer, even at night.

[CURT]

Originally Posted by Magnulus

I'm not sure the skate park does anything. Kids still play on the street in my neighborhood. In truth it is too far away, and crossing Lockwood really isn't a realistic option now days. The developers should have built a park in the neighborhood to play in, instead they built a golf course.

We had a recreational swimming pool before the Olympic pool was built, down at the community center. There are some upper-middle class people in the neighborhood who want their kids to be Olympic diving hopefuls, etc. (even though I said there are few truely rich people, which I believe is still true, there are people with much more money than average... my folks used to know some of them, they had a bunch of wonder kids, etc.). That's fine, but that shouldn't have been payed for at the taxpayer expense- at the least I hope they charge for the use of the pool for upkeep.

We will indeed have to see how the Park project turns out. I'm just sceptical of the whole thing, right from the moment they decided on an outdoor amphitheater in an area that is fairly swampy and humid at night. Let's be honest, Florida is miserable in the summer, even at night.

I really wasnt refering to kids playing in the street I was refering to the activities being a way to keep kids from wandering the streets looking for things to do. Is the pool at riverside gone? So we now have 2 pools. I will gladly pay for things that help keep kids active abd in things that I feel better the community. Do you talk to city council to air your thoughts? They are very open to the public. I've tested that.
as far as the summer weather goes, I came to florida because of it. I was seeking it. the last few days of cold have made me miss it already.
The park will be enjoyed by many. i'm looking forward to it.

[spunky1]

Originally Posted by oresident

This assessment is not accurate.

It ignores the fact that Oviedo is 1 mile away from a giant university and a high-tech research park, both employing thousands people with upper middle class salaries. It just so happens that both UCF and the research park are right over the county border in Orlando. Aside from the general desirability of living near a big university (which usually means lots of things to do), Oviedo is basically the only good option for having virtually no commute and living in a nice safe city. This situation is very different than most places with "only" low crime and decent schools, which do not have the benefit of sitting on the doorstep of a giant university. The value of that proximity will never go away and therefore keep the fundamentals consistent.

ores

Good and bad comes with living close in UCF. Be careful. . . some buyers thinking they were moving into single family neighborhoods have been surprised by the rental next door packed with college kids who like to party loud and hard on weekends. . .

[Magnulus]

In alot of neigborhoods in Oviedo the HOA's have stopped people from renting out to multiple college students, so I don't believe that is a big worry. However recently with the new arena opening it has caused some traffic problems and some people near UCF have had drunks walking through their neighborhood, as they sometimes will park in the neighborhood to go to the game.

I don't believe UCF brings alot of diversity in "things to do" to the area. UCF isn't really an arts school and most of the students there seem more interested in drinking and going to movies and chain restaurants. I ride around in that area alot and what you notice is college students tend to not drink alot of coffee or tea (go to the gas stations near UCF and you're buggered to find some ice tea on a hot day- and they tend not to have it in the restaurants either). I guess they do bring some stuff in, if Moe's Southwestern Grill tickles your fancy (I think the food is overpriced).

There are some good things in Oviedo, though, it isn't all bad. There are some family-run restaurants in downtown Oviedo like the Oviedo Diner, the Town House, and also on Lockwood there's an Italian restaurant that is very good. So there are a few good places besides the overpriced chains to eat at.