Anyone move from Las Vegas to Orlando recently? (Miami, Tampa: amusement parks, new home)

[rnalv]

I'm considering making the move, and from what I see online I really like the Dr. Phillips area. I own my own business and I would have no issues moving it to the Orlando area. Central Florida in general seems like a better place to raise a family. I'm not sure how well I would adjust to the humidity and I'm personally not a fan of giant bugs! I'm very rarely on the strip so I certainly won't miss that.

I would love some input, particularly from from Las Vegans (or other areas of the southwest) as I have no idea what else would be different.

[Fl1150]

I'm not a Las Vegan but I can assure you that yes this area is a great place to raise a family because you have a lot of good schools, community events and lots of activities to do. Don't worry about humidity too much because you eventually adjust to it as time goes on. I can think of only a few times a year the humidity gets really bad where you don't want to do anything. Good in your search for a new home and welcome to the sunshine state an all that it entails.

[8to32characters]

Sounds to me like trading dust, rattlesnakes, and casinos for swamps, gators, and theme parks.

[Spring Hillian]

Originally Posted by 8to32characters

sounds to me like trading dust, rattlesnakes, and casinos for swamps, gators, and theme parks.

hold the phone. We have rattlesnakes too.

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by rnalv

I'm considering making the move, and from what I see online I really like the Dr. Phillips area. I own my own business and I would have no issues moving it to the Orlando area. Central Florida in general seems like a better place to raise a family. I'm not sure how well I would adjust to the humidity and I'm personally not a fan of giant bugs! I'm very rarely on the strip so I certainly won't miss that.

I would love some input, particularly from from Las Vegans (or other areas of the southwest) as I have no idea what else would be different.

Dr. Phillips is a GREAT area! I've lived in many nice areas around the country and even spent a few years in Australia. Dr. Phillips is one of the safest and nicest areas to raise a family. It really is a great area, I can't stress that enough.

[Eric1026]

I have had the opportunity to live in South Florida, Tampa, Gainesville and Orlando Florida. I purposely moved to the Orlando area once we had kids because I/we just love being so close to the amusement parks. Getting Florida resident passes is so nice = it completely changes the way you visit the parks and enjoy the overall experience. There are so many young families with kids in Orlando. However, one can make an equal argument on the ability to drive to mountains and national parks with the kids and of course Vegas puts you closer to the best of that throughout the west side of our awesome country.

The humidity is really bad between mid-May until sometime in October but I have visited Palm Springs, Vegas and Phoenix when it was 110 degrees plus and only dipped to 90 for a low at night and I don't care what anyone says but both environments suck. There are a lot more bugs and critters in Florida and the east coast in general. You are just going to get that when you have greenery, water, lakes, etc. No sugar coating it but bugs are a check in the negative column when living in Florida (the ironic thing is my worst three bug experiences happened in Minnesota, Whitehorse Canada and interior Alaska = those places can get so many mosquitoes in the summertime.....I was shocked, especially in Alaska).

Since you specifically asked about bugs and humidity I can only assume those two things are very important to you and these two things would be big negative things to you if you lived in Florida. The people that love it hear trudge through those two things because they value all the other positive things about Florida.

[katestar]

My main disdain with Orlando/FL is the weather. It is HOT and HUMID for a LONG time. Instead of getting used to it, I'm now starting to really hate it (I never loved it but tried my best to deal with it). On top of that, rents and housing is going up and it is starting to make less and less sense living here. We are looking to move ASAP.

[santiago de pampanga]

if nothing else, orlando looks nicer than las vegas..

[bmw335xi]

The weather is one of the things I miss the most about Orlando. I used to go jogging at midnight without a shirt, just in my swimming trunks then jump in the pool. I miss sitting in the jacuzzi during a rainstorm and not being frozen. I like the humidity and how I never had to put on body lotion. I love how everything is green year-round. In California, during the summer, everything turns brown from the heat because it's so dry, while Orlando remains green. Maybe it's because I grew up in Alaska, so hot humid weather appeals to me, but I can completely understand why some people hate it.

[duttygal86]

I'm from Orlando, and have lived in Vegas. The two towns are very similar. I'm not sure what sort of big, giant bugs your talking about...Palmetto bugs? Those things are a nuisance, but certainly not enough to keep you from moving. Mosquito's aren't that bad, I believe the city sprays for them. Gators showing up in your swimming pool is usually only a problem for people who's homes back up to lakes.
I will say that the COL is higher in Orlando and the pay is less (That's how I ended up in LV in the first place) Orlando is still growing, while I think LV growth has slowed. You can definitely get more house for your money in LV, that's for sure. Schools are about the same (horrible) I believe, however, that the Dr. Phillips area has good schools though. Orlando is sprawling. The one thing the irritates me about Orlando is that you are forced to pay for the tolls, and every time I go home to visit it seems as if the price has gone up another .50 cents. Orlando is kinda cheesy like LV, but in a different way. Shopping is about the same for both cities, the Mall of Millenia kind of matches the Fashion Show Mall ( I worked at the Macys inside FS)
-You will feel less isolated in Orlando than you do in LV. Even though LV is a decent sized city, it is pretty remote. Orlando is a quick drive to Tampa, Gainsville or Jax. Miami is a few hours south. Atlanta is a possibility for a long weekend trip.