Considering a move from NC to Orlando area (Jacksonville, Miami: 2013, to rent)

[StreetSmarts]

Originally Posted by Spring Hillian

That is why we left 9 years ago after being in Orlando for 17. The density of people and traffic took away the old Orlando charm. When people get too compacted in an area they become more aggressive, more rude, more nasty. If you had 20 rats in a cage and then added another 20 rats there would be problems in that cage that would lead to the death of the weakest rats.

Same with metro Orlando. It is just too dense. Too many people came there. Its overloaded.

You should see it now. You left 9 yrs ago lol. Orlando was in its prime in the mid 90s.

[Spring Hillian]

Originally Posted by ComSense

You should see it now. You left 9 yrs ago lol. Orlando was in its prime in the mid 90s.

We've been in town often over the past 9 years as we have a number of friends there. I am only 80 miles East of Orlando. Also our friends from the great white north visit there often and sometimes we go into Orlando and stay a couple of days with them. Yes, it was a great place until the mid-late 90's. Then the population became too much for the area to bear. Traffic got insane. Life went from a hum to a roar. Lines everywhere! The growth changed the flavor of Orlando.

[DeejayDJ]

Hello everyone,

I was reading this thread as I too am thinking about relocating to Orlando. I currently live in Charlotte and have done so for the past 30 years (moved here in 1984). I've seen this city grow and its changing everyday. Its a great city but there was always something about CFL, especially Orlando, that I enjoy. I guess I like that Florida vibe that Orlando has. I've not a big fan of South Florida, but 2 years ago I came to Orlando to research the area. Albeit I was there for 3 days, but everyone I met for the most part was very friendly. I was by myself and forced myself out of my comfort zone to speak to random strangers and get their real input about what they like/don't like about Orlando. I made sure not to go into the tourist areas and tried to do mundane things I would do here in Charlotte (go to the bank, go to a mall, drive around, etc). Orlando is still in my future but for now Charlotte is still home.

I visited Orlando several times in the past and the first thing that caught my attention is how clean and lush the city is. Downtown Orlando has a lot of offer, but it felt more of a college crowd rather than a young professional adult crowd. It could have been because I went there during the time of Halloween. I like that Orlando is diverse and not to say that Charlotte is not, but there definitely are areas of Charlotte that are very homogeneous of one ethnicity over another. I feel Orlando has more options for different types of cuisine given the fact it is more diverse. I like how the roads are made of concrete rather than asphalt here which makes the city even more beautiful and brighter. One of the major reasons why I like Orlando is the weather. Yes I understand the summers are hot and humid (which I still have to make a trip and experience to get a better idea), but when I came 2 years ago during the winter (specifically December) it was gorgeous. The weather was in the low 80s to mid 80s.

Now with Charlotte, Charlotte has grown so much in so little time. I'd say within the last 10 years the city has seen explosive growth as many people from upstate NY, NJ, CA, GA, and FL are moving here! Its funny because I see alot of Florida license plates. Not only has Charlotte established itself as the number two financial hub of the US, Charlotte has diversified its industries to healthcare, energy, and the comeback of manufacturing to name a few. We do get all 4 seasons here and our winters are not too bad. Our location is very central so that we can be in major cities within a few hours and our major airport serves almost every destination in the world. Charlotte is great for young adults, singles, and families.

Just my 2 cents but if anyone is planning on moving to Charlotte feel free to message me. Like I said, I can provide valuable insight on what areas to avoid and what to look for. I'm doing the same for those locals in Orlando:-)

[Lamigra1200]

Howdy, Could you shed some light on the Triangle cities? Schools, Housing and economy?
I'm contemplating a relocation to Raleigh, NC but have never visited.

[StreetSmarts]

I'd think hard before leaving CLT for Orlando. Orlando is ok but CLT has a pretty good thing going, with in my opinion more attributes.

[emelvee]

Originally Posted by Lamigra1200

Howdy, Could you shed some light on the Triangle cities? Schools, Housing and economy?
I'm contemplating a relocation to Raleigh, NC but have never visited.

If you're considering relocating here, you should definitely visit multiple times and spend as much time as possible. It is highly recommended to secure a job before moving here if at all possible, since it's not booming.

I don't regret our decision to stay here as opposed to Orlando. I kept going through pros and cons of staying vs moving to Orlando, and the only area Orlando won out was the fact that we could have a pool. So instead, we stayed and put in a pool late last summer. We won't be able to use it year-round, but with a heater, we'll get ~6 months per year out of it.

Public schools in NC in general vary widely in quality of education. The economy is ok, not great. Just about all of NC is reasonable in cost of living and there is are good choices for almost everyone: beaches (Outer Banks for small towns, Wilmington for a small city not far from the coast); mountains (Asheville for a small city, many small towns); 3 decent-sized metro areas of about one to two million: Triangle, Triad, and Charlotte area. But the Triangle area seems to be doing the best. My wife likes Raleigh the most of all of NC. I like Winston-Salem, where we live - it's a bit less expensive here in the Triad (Winston-Salem/Greensboro/High Point) than the Triangle (Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill). We've lived in Greenville NC (eastern NC); northeast of Raleigh; now just outside of Winston-Salem.

[DeejayDJ]

Lamigra, I can't say much about the Triad area but I do know that Raleigh is a good town and has a great job sector due to RTP, which consists of technology, biomedical, healthcare, and engineering companies. Cary is a great suburb, comparable to Lake Mary. My brother moved from Michigan to Greensboro in April because he wanted to be close to family and likes it. He would prefer to move to Charlotte but his company has a office in Greensboro.

Comsens, I will definitely do further research on orlando and plan on visiting more often to get a better idea. No doubt I like charlotte but have always been inclined for that move to orlando.

[StreetSmarts]

What do you think is going to improve your quality of life if you leave CLT for ORL? I don't know what your preferences are, but let me just tell you (so that you know) that if you're looking to improve job prospects, pay, safety, or better schools for your kids, it is not a good decision to leave CLT for ORL.

NC's economy is a little more diverse and places like Raleigh and Charlotte fair far better than the Orlando's and Miami's if the ***** hits the fan again.

[Fl1150]

Originally Posted by DeejayDJ

Lamigra, I can't say much about the Triad area but I do know that Raleigh is a good town and has a great job sector due to RTP, which consists of technology, biomedical, healthcare, and engineering companies. Cary is a great suburb, comparable to Lake Mary. My brother moved from Michigan to Greensboro in April because he wanted to be close to family and likes it. He would prefer to move to Charlotte but his company has a office in Greensboro.

Comsens, I will definitely do further research on orlando and plan on visiting more often to get a better idea. No doubt I like charlotte but have always been inclined for that move to orlando.

Some people generally don't like it here and give bias answers so I don't think you should take everything everyone says so seriously. I feel like you seem to know the area a little more than the average person and is smart enough to make a good choice so good luck in your search. Welcome to Florida an all it has to offer your no doubt a good addition to the community.

[Lamigra1200]

Happy New Year, Can any one expand on the public school system up there? Example the Wake school system. If I bought a house in that particular school district am I guaranteed that my kids would attend those schools?

Are property taxes high in NC? Does a Homestead exemption make a big difference? How about having to pay for automobile property tax ? Is there such a tax?