Some more extended thoughts on Orlando (Jacksonville, Greenville: unemployment, to buy, school)

[Crane's Rooster]

Although Central Florida is very spread out it's not necessarily a product of urban sprawl due to highway expansion. CFL has long been a region dotted with independent communities. Towns like Sanford, Winter Park, Winter Garden, Oviedo, Apopka, Altamonte Springs, Eatonville, Windermere, and Deland were all around way before Disney and just as old as Orlando. Sanford as a matter fact was the biggest and most prominent city in CFL for some time. After Disney arrived the entire region began to boom with Orlando outpacing the other cities. However, each city has its own unique history and identities. It's one the things I really enjoy is going from town to town and getting a different vibe in each place.

As far as urban core, I would say it runs from along Orange Ave and Mills north to south and is bordered by Winter Park to the North and Michigan Ave. to the south. Even within that area you have distinct neighborhoods like College Park, Ivanhoe Village, Mills 50, Audubon Park, Winter Park, Colonialtowne, Paramore and FL Hospital's Health Village. You could make the argument that if you follow along 17-92 (Mills) all the way north Maitland and Altamonte are fairly well developed also. Today 17-92 is pretty much continuously developed from downtown all the way to Sanford. Once Maitland and Casselberry complete their city centers it will be a very impressive strip.

[jello212]

Originally Posted by StreetSmarts

Floridians have been moving to NC in droves for quite some time now. Raleigh, Charlotte and Asheville are definitely 3 "hot spots."

I have friends here visiting from Alpharetta GA right now. They just dont like Central FL at all. One of the is from here. I'm not going to get into the reasons but they just like the feel of the Alpharetta area a lot better and can relate to them a bit better. They are both early 30's professionals, educated.

Asheville - if I could ignore the family obligations/finding a job, I'd be in Asheville tomorrow. I'm not going to lie, if we end up moving to Orlando, I'll definitely miss Raleigh. That has nothing to do with Orlando. Raleigh is home - and I like having 4 seasons. I'm sure I'll find plenty to love about Orlando as well.

[theurbanfiles]

Maitland and Casselberry city centers?

[Lamigra1200]

Could you give me some insight regarding Raleigh, NC ?
Used to live in Charleston, SC . Are they similar? Are NC schools better than Florida? What are property taxes,vehicle tags and registration like? Does Raleigh have a strong economy and do employers pay better than Florida's right to work state?

[Crane's Rooster]

Originally Posted by clevelander1991

Maitland and Casselberry city centers?

Yes, both Maitland and Casselberry have planning city centers along 17-92 very similar to Uptown Altamonte, Sodo or Mills Park. Maitland is little ahead with the construction of Lake Lilly Apartments and the Senior Development by the Publix. They had a plan to build at the old Winn Dixie plaza but it fell through. There is another proposal in the pipes that looks pretty impressive. There are renderings online that can be googled pretty easily.

Casselberry took their first step by completing the park around the lake that will serve as their centerpiece. I don't know what the rest of the plans are but I know it involves apartments, retail and offices. Given the proximity to each other it will be a nice addition to the 17-92 corridor.

[jello212]

Originally Posted by Lamigra1200

Could you give me some insight regarding Raleigh, NC ?
Used to live in Charleston, SC . Are they similar? Are NC schools better than Florida? What are property taxes,vehicle tags and registration like? Does Raleigh have a strong economy and do employers pay better than Florida's right to work state?

I don't know enough about charleston to say if they're similar or not. Raleigh is very spread out much like Orlando. With just a few exceptions, though, the traffic isn't nearly as bad as Orlando. Taxes aren't great, but not horrible either. I'm paying about 2000 per year on my condo. Jobs are going to depend on the industry. Healthcare, genetics, and tech are doing pretty well here. But, this is also a right to work state - so employers will always have the upper hand.

Raleigh certainly isn't mountainous, but it definitely has a rolling terrain. Also, it's a very green area - there are trees everywhere. Most of the trees are deciduous - so fall is full of color.

Raleigh's downtown is a bit of a joke. From a skyline standpoint, it can't hold a candle to Orlando. Still, it does have character even without the abundance of hi rises. Raleigh's downtown has seen a ton of growth in the last 10 to 15 years and will continue to see growth in the next 10 to 5 years.

[OMT21]

Originally Posted by StreetSmarts

Floridians have been moving to NC in droves for quite some time now. Raleigh, Charlotte and Asheville are definitely 3 "hot spots."

I have friends here visiting from Alpharetta GA right now. They just dont like Central FL at all. One of the is from here. I'm not going to get into the reasons but they just like the feel of the Alpharetta area a lot better and can relate to them a bit better. They are both early 30's professionals, educated.

That's probably because one of them is from Central FL. It's normal for those who grew up in a certain area to want to move and see what else is out there.

As a NC native who now lives in FL, I have an opposite opinion. I would take Orlando over those three cities any day for a variety of reasons. I can certainly see how they offer a contrast to FL, but in my opinion they leave a lot to be desired in terms of culture and entertainment, urban character, road infrastructure and goverment competence and efficiency compared to FL. NC has a lot going for it but is greatly held back by a rural-focused, good ol' boy government culture. As silly as it may sound, that's a big reason why I left the state.

[StreetSmarts]

check out GReenville. Close to Asheville but much better economy.

[StreetSmarts]

Originally Posted by OMT21

That's probably because one of them is from Central FL. It's normal for those who grew up in a certain area to want to move and see what else is out there.

As a NC native who now lives in FL, I have an opposite opinion. I would take Orlando over those three cities any day for a variety of reasons. I can certainly see how they offer a contrast to FL, but in my opinion they leave a lot to be desired in terms of culture and entertainment, urban character, road infrastructure and goverment competence and efficiency compared to FL. NC has a lot going for it but is greatly held back by a rural-focused, good ol' boy government culture. As silly as it may sound, that's a big reason why I left the state.

Actually one is from Jacksonville, not Central FL. THe other is from elsewhere.

Some folks are drawn to places like FL, others are dran to places like Alpharetta GA, Raleigh, Asheville, etc. I know exactly where they're coming from.

How long have you lived in Orlando? I'm not bashing it, I just see both sides completely and I tend to agree with what they dont like.

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by OMT21

That's probably because one of them is from Central FL. It's normal for those who grew up in a certain area to want to move and see what else is out there.

As a NC native who now lives in FL, I have an opposite opinion. I would take Orlando over those three cities any day for a variety of reasons. I can certainly see how they offer a contrast to FL, but in my opinion they leave a lot to be desired in terms of culture and entertainment, urban character, road infrastructure and goverment competence and efficiency compared to FL. NC has a lot going for it but is greatly held back by a rural-focused, good ol' boy government culture. As silly as it may sound, that's a big reason why I left the state.

Which is why I chose CFL over Raleigh as my permanent abode. I have family in both, and my company headquarters are in NC, so I could find work and housing in both places, but Orlando just gave me a better impression and fulfilled my needs more than Raleigh.