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Old 10-29-2015, 07:34 PM
 
Location: los angeles
6 posts, read 6,147 times
Reputation: 13

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So, I'm currently a Management consultant in Los Angeles making about 80k a year , single, 25 and living very comfortably. I have always lived in Big cities. I was raised in San Francisco and did my Undergrad in NYC

Recently I have been offered a position at a firm in Orlando making just over 140k. Now the offer is really good and considering the cheap cost of living in Florida,140k will go pretty far. The only problem is I have lived in Large cities my entire life and I don't know if I will like it In Orlando, I live a pretty typical life for someone in their 20's here in LA (go out with my friends every weekend, date , here in LA and there's always something to do. I'm worried there won't be a social scene here. I also love trying restaurants, day trips (here its Vegas, Tijuana, etc.) I'm just wondering if the offer is worth it to move to an environment I've never lived in. And is Orlando a place someone from LA/SF/NYC could enjoy ??

Thanks !
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Old 10-29-2015, 07:54 PM
 
24,347 posts, read 26,771,586 times
Reputation: 19812
I am 28 years old and I've lived in a couple cities in Alaska, Seattle, San Francisco (current home), Australia and a few cities in Florida (Orlando being one of them and where I will be moving BACK to in December because I found it the most enjoyable).

$140k in Orlando as Mr. Trump would say is "YUGGGGGGGE!" You could live like a King as a single person with that kind of income in Orlando. You could live in any part of town and afford a beautiful home, townhouse or condo whether you want your own private pool, on a lake, in a high-rise, you could have it.

So besides being able to afford your dream home, Orlando is most similar to Orange County in my opinion. Irvine kind of reminds me of Orlando in the sense it has a lot of new buildings, very clean, suburbs feeling, landscaped streets etc. Orlando does have a downtown and many people like to live there. It isn't anything like downtown San Francisco or NYC though, but you can still walk around, go to bars etc.

When it comes to things to do, there are a lot of outdoor activities such as biking, wake boarding, jet skiing, knee boarding, kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding, natural cold water springs, water parks and theme parks and outlet shopping. Orlando receives the most tourist in the entire country, so while it isn't a major city, you don't feel like your stuck in the middle of nowhere because there are so many tourists from around the US and world who visit which creates demand for new attractions etc almost like a family version of Las Vegas. There isn't a big Asian scene in Orlando, so you will be disappointed by the different types of Asian restaurants, but still you can get Korean BBQ, Pho, Thai etc, just not the same level or amount of choices as in the other cities you've lived. When it comes to non-Asian foods, it gets much better. It still isn't in the same league as the cities you've lived in, but you can find good restaurants nonetheless.

There are many road trips you can make whether it's Miami, Key West, Atlanta, Siesta Key, West Palm Beach, St. Augustine, Savannah, Charleston and even New Orleans (but that's a 9 hour drive).

If you have any other questions feel free to ask.
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Old 10-29-2015, 09:58 PM
 
216 posts, read 270,046 times
Reputation: 253
That's a great salary especially for Orlando. I'd do it and even if you don't like it here save up money for a few years and move where you want.
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Old 10-29-2015, 10:26 PM
 
146 posts, read 219,568 times
Reputation: 371
That salary will take you pretty far here.

I don't know about the general question though. Los Angeles is an incredible city. Orlando is pretty underrated, but has a long way to go before it reaches Alpha City status.

If this were a Miami thread, I'd tell you to stay in LA. Not becuz Miami is bad, but becuz it's like the way more in your face, aggressive version of LA. It seems to grate on native Angelenos from waht I've read. It also doesn't have a leisurely nature the way LA does. It's an intense and cutthroat metro area. And 140k would take you places in Miami, but.... eh. 80k in LA is decent.

Orlando is a toss up. You might get bored here. You'd enjoy downtown, the attractions, the savings, the very different very beautiful beaches in any direction you want to go, but I think after a year you'd be ready for Los Angeles again.
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Old 10-30-2015, 05:30 AM
 
26,941 posts, read 43,460,630 times
Reputation: 31704
Quote:
Originally Posted by MCOWPB View Post
That salary will take you pretty far here.

I don't know about the general question though. Los Angeles is an incredible city. Orlando is pretty underrated, but has a long way to go before it reaches Alpha City status.

If this were a Miami thread, I'd tell you to stay in LA. Not becuz Miami is bad, but becuz it's like the way more in your face, aggressive version of LA. It seems to grate on native Angelenos from waht I've read. It also doesn't have a leisurely nature the way LA does. It's an intense and cutthroat metro area. And 140k would take you places in Miami, but.... eh. 80k in LA is decent.

Orlando is a toss up. You might get bored here. You'd enjoy downtown, the attractions, the savings, the very different very beautiful beaches in any direction you want to go, but I think after a year you'd be ready for Los Angeles again.
I agree. Having always lived in a major city Orlando will seem kind of bush league after a couple months once you've experienced everything and realize "that's it". It will boil down to knowing whether the trade-off is the worth the salary or choosing quality of life over the salary. Only you can make that decision.
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Old 10-30-2015, 07:22 AM
 
Location: West Florida
16,826 posts, read 15,070,809 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kyle19125 View Post
I agree. Having always lived in a major city Orlando will seem kind of bush league after a couple months once you've experienced everything and realize "that's it". It will boil down to knowing whether the trade-off is the worth the salary or choosing quality of life over the salary. Only you can make that decision.
I have a different opinion on this.
I came from a big city, and also spent quite some time in NYC and DC.
Orlando (Metro Orlando) has, IMO, just as much to do as any large city. The difference is that it's not a dense, congested city. Everything is spread out. Where in Montreal (where I grew up) we had EVERYTHING packed onto a tiny island, here, you might have to travel an hour to the other side of the metro area to do something particular. I don't see what there really is to do in a big city such as Boston, Chicago, Philly, that Orlando does not have... A bunch of tall buildings, maybe, but that's about it.

Probably the ONLY thing I truly miss that Orlando does not have is a walkable commercial artery, such as 5th ave in Manhattan or Ste-Catherine St. in Montreal. We have the outlet malls here, I guess, but they're nothing like those avenues.
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Old 10-30-2015, 11:06 AM
 
Location: NYC/Orlando
2,124 posts, read 4,489,054 times
Reputation: 1266
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arcenal352 View Post
I don't see what there really is to do in a big city such as Boston, Chicago, Philly, that Orlando does not have... A bunch of tall buildings, maybe, but that's about it.
I disagree. I love Orlando, but I admit it doesn't really compare to major cities. In NYC where I used to live there was always something going on: events, festivals, talks, etc. There's also so much more of everything- more cafes, music venues, bars, restaurants, shops, museums, etc.
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Old 10-30-2015, 11:41 AM
 
Location: Not where I want to be
24,509 posts, read 24,115,771 times
Reputation: 24271
Sounds like those who say Orlando doesn't stack up to BIG cities like Bean Town, the Big Apple, etc. are not happy because people are not stacked on top of one another.

I see I was right, Arcenal. (in another thread)

Last edited by Sunscape; 10-30-2015 at 11:02 PM..
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Old 10-30-2015, 11:42 AM
 
Location: West Florida
16,826 posts, read 15,070,809 times
Reputation: 23404
Quote:
Originally Posted by brinkofsunshine View Post
I disagree. I love Orlando, but I admit it doesn't really compare to major cities. In NYC where I used to live there was always something going on: events, festivals, talks, etc. There's also so much more of everything- more cafes, music venues, bars, restaurants, shops, museums, etc.
Yeah... I guess my opinion is different based on what I consider "things to do" are...
I find plenty of nice, upscale restaurants for my wife an I scattered around the metro area. Same with bars, shops and cafes. Entertainment, maybe not quite, but I've never been that much of an outgoing guy that would seek out concerts and stuff...
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Old 10-30-2015, 11:45 AM
 
Location: West Florida
16,826 posts, read 15,070,809 times
Reputation: 23404
Quote:
Originally Posted by tamiznluv View Post
Sounds like those who say Orlando doesn't stack up to BIG cities like Bean Town, the Big Apple, etc. are not happy because people are not stacked on top of one another. No subways to get that "close contact" feeling. Maybe the streets are too clean, no urine stink, no garbage hanging around in the gutters. No bums in those gutters either. (from what I've heard)
It's just a completely different feel in a more urban setting. I do admit that pretty much every block had some kind of bodega and deli or gyro shop, which was nice. The higher population densities made it such that there was more of everything, all literally "right around the block," which is not the case here. Some like one, some like the other. I like both. The pros and cons in Orlando, to me, far outweigh the pros and cons of BIG urban cities.
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