Orlando vs Tampa

[bdpop]

Lakeland might be a good option as well.

[Silence Dogood]

Don't waste your time even driving through Lakeland, it is a complete waste of your time. It's basically a Denny's and a Walmart. Going from Buffalo to Lakeland is not an option unless you've just had a lobatomy.

[nitokenshi]

I agree you should look at orlampa ( Lakeland) there is nothing there but atleast you are in a reasonable driving distance to both cities

[rogercobb]

I disagree that someone young should check out Lakeland. Unless you are moving to Lakeland for business purposes and need to be midway between the two cities it would be a bad idea to move there. Very quiet at night + little to do unless you're retired and want to play golf. Too much traffic + too many rednecks.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by rogercobb

I disagree that someone young should check out Lakeland. Unless you are moving to Lakeland for business purposes and need to be midway between the two cities it would be a bad idea to move there. Very quiet at night + little to do unless you're retired and want to play golf. Too much traffic + too many rednecks.

Wow, you couldn't be more wrong about Lakeland! My hubby works in downtown Tampa, and we MUCH prefer living here to that gritty city. Lakeland is beautiful, and has all sorts of cultural amenities. We are also easy driving distance to Tampa or Orlando. FABULOUS quality of life here. We have both chain restaurants and plenty of neat little ethnic mom and pop places. And it is NOT filled with rednecks! To the contrary - it's pretty diverse here, maybe not as much as Tampa, but more than I expected it to be. Not saying you won't find some "rednecks" on the outskirts of town (and what's wrong with them anyway, most are good folks!). And as to the comment about traffic - well that is really laughable since it is a FRACTION of what you will find in Tampa or Orlando.

All that said, the one thing I will agree on is that it might not be a place for a younger person who craves a lot of night life and night clubs, as it doesn't have a lot of that. But there are plenty of young people here, since this is a college town, we have about 10 smaller colleges including Florida Southern, Florida Southeastern, branch campus of USF (soon to build a big campus here) and Polk Community College, to name a few.

No one should write this place off, it is really great, IMO.

[knightgoose]

Live/lived in both cities general opinion from an early to late 20 demographic
Otown: Better nightlife, entertainment, younger overall demographic(just from being out and about),cleaner city....negatives: tolls(they add up after a while so commuting is a lot tougher in o-town), not many people stay long term

Tampa: More professional sports, lots of Baseball Spring Training sites...Yanks, Jays, Phillies, etc; dog tracks, festivals(gasparilla is awesome), etc so if you want other options instead of just the theme parks(which I never went to) or the 'bar' scene which orlando is better in my opinion but tampa has enough to satisfy, more history, more local/nonchain restaurants like Berns, Lee Roy Selmons, Maggianos, Estellas, ect negatives: a little gritty...turns from very nice to very ghetto within blocks, spread out, nightlife not as dense, more rednecks

So in conclusion, Orlando has a happening downtown and other great nightlife options that may appeal for a young single...Tampa has nightlife on a smaller scale but then has other activities year round to keep you busy(gulf beaches, pro sports, casino, etc)
-Good thing both cities are pretty close so you can enjoy both with whatever city you choose(in 30 years they both might turn into one big metropolis anyway)

[flgatorgirl]

I like living in Orlando much better than living in Tampa. I have to go down there all the time and it just seems to be a black hole to me. Sure, it has THE BEST Cuban food and jewelry you will find in the country and the best beaches are across the bridge (Pasagrille, Indian Rocks...) but if you work finance, you will probably be in the heart of the city which is dingy and just falling apart. Orlando is so spread out, you never know where you will find a great job but we have a similar problem with downtown. At least it is a little cleaner here and there are plenty of events, just avoid the Amway Arena after dark! My brother in law works in the finance industry in Tampa. Fifteen years ago it was great, he was driving a Porsche and working downtown. Now, he is working in a small credit union in St. Pete. If you are going to make a leap, go for Orlando!

[ktownbound]

I dont know, I live in Orlando and whenever I see tampa its refreshing. Bigger ethnic community (middle eastern) and overall a better quality of people.

[TB Fla]

Orlando does NOT have better nightlife then Tampa. Are we forgetting Ybor city, Hyde park, and the up-and-coming Channelside districts of Tampa. Ybor city rivals the french quarter in new orleans. And channelside is right on the water. You can shop and eat while watching the cruise ships come and go. Then ride a trolly (thats right, a real streetcar) down to Ybor for some real down and dirty partying. Can Orlando say that.