This Orlando bashing is getting ridiculous... (Clearwater, Naples: crime, home, school)

[molliejohns]

I second that motion, Wilshire.

[cfIfan]

Motion carries......lol

Im glad that poster made a comment, just because they are a perfect example of the posters on here who complain all the time. For people moving here. Orlando offers so much to do.. Great weather, So many attractions at a discount rate for Florida residents. East and West coast beaches a minimum of 45min away, and some very nice areas to live.

[Lindsey_Mcfarren]

I LOVE living in Florida, I don't ever want to leave unless its for the Carribean.

I however know its not for everyone, I have a friend who LOVES Maine for example.

What I find funny is that SOME not only have to go on and on about their hatred for where they live BUT they seem to need others to feel the same way they do.

[BeenAroundTheBlock]

Not only that there are some who even move away and come back to the boards to continually complain. To me, it only shows they have personal issues. Enjoy your new home and get over your bad experience in Orlando.

[mainesnowflake]

Molliejohns, great post. I enjoy visiting Orlando and just love it there. You had a lot of good information that I am definately going to use while planning my next visit. I know lots of people who visit Orlando and look forward to going back year after year.

[phoenixxphyre]

I just recently moved to Orlando and I love it. I was originally looking at West Palm Beach area because my brother lives there. When things went south with the guy I was more or less moving to be near, he wanted me to again look to moving there, but I'm glad I didn't. I work in Lake Mary, and I have friends who live in Altamonte, Winter Springs, etc. and all really like it, wouldn't want to live in Orlando, etc. but I have driven through these places. They're nice, but I don't feel any connection to them, and same with where my brother lives. When I get back into Orlando, I feel home.


When things were going well with the boy we were looking at the west coast. I ended up holding off on looking at jobs there because I wanted to see what would happen as far as everything. Now, the job I have also has transfer potential to Tampa, but I honestly don't know that, even if things had worked, I'd even want to leave Orlando. I just might have to stay here, or at least around here for some time--particularly as where we were looking is much quieter, etc...I spent my whole life where it's quiet with nothing going on so it's really nice to be where it's not...I can always move to a quieter part of Florida when I'm at a point in my life to 'slow down' but it's certainly not going to be anytime soon.

Sure there are drawbacks to Orlando (feeling kind of left out at both work and out around town where almost everyone is speaking Spanish, the fact that if you have to go somewhere at 9am or 5pm traffic is ridiculous unless you pay the tolls on 417, etc.) but overall I think it's a huge improvement over where I was in Ohio. Complain all you want about lack of jobs, but I found a decent one when I didn't even live in the state and came from a state ranked I believe 7th for unemployment where the best job I had found in the area didn't even offer health insurance or pay me for working on holidays.

And the weather is amazing. It was a little depressing one of the first weeks it rained every single day just in time for me to get off work, and the sunroof on my Saturn leaks so that was kind of a bummer. But I thought about the fact that same week in Ohio it was cold and snowing and felt lucky that at least the rain was brief-ish and I still got to see palm trees (I never particularily cared for them before, but there's something really nice about seeing them every day on drives and outside my window at work, etc. kind of like being on vacation).

I honestly think I might have had the seasonal affective disorder being in Ohio because I could never seem to be really happy. Here, despite the relationship going south almost immediatly upon me moving, I have not been able to spend one single day entirely depressed--not that I've tried to, but I just find that when I'm feeling down if I go outside, even, or take a drive and enjoy where I'm at, I feel better. I've taken also to driving to Cocoa Beach on the weekend. Considering that I love water and the best thing I had in Ohio was a lake that frequently had Ecoli signs on it so you couldn't even swim, it's so awesome for me that there's a beach just 40 minutes away, and several more close by if I have the time to drive a couple hours.

I guess it all depends on where you're from and what you appreciate. I know people in Ohio who are jealous I'm here, and people who want nothing to do with Florida's heat, humidity, or crowds and while they want out of Ohio would much prefer somewhere like Connecticut or North Carolina. Everyone has a place where they feel drawn to, 'home', if you will. If you're one of those people who hate Orlando or even Florida in general, then I think it's up to you to find that place that has the things you feel drawn to and will be home in. Life's too short to be where you're miserable--I spent 23 years where I was before and I'm *so* glad to be out of it. If on the other hand you love Orlando and this is your home, then I'm proud to finally be among you.

[Huckleberry3911948]

yep. but this is a public forum and hopefully people are unafraid to speak up and give an honest opinion, not necessarily what we want to hear. the face of the audience never lies.

[Lindsey_Mcfarren]

Originally Posted by Huckleberry3911948

yep. but this is a public forum and hopefully people are unafraid to speak up and give an honest opinion, not necessarily what we want to hear. the face of the audience never lies.

Yes but sometimes it stops being a public forum and becomes a group therapy session for the angst ridden great unwashed masses.

[ManFromMissouri]

I just got back from a golfing trip to Orlando (first time there), and I loved it. True, you do not really get a sense for what Orlando really stands for unless you travel off the beaten path and away from the tourist areas. I currently live in a nice suburb in St. Louis, Mo and Winter Park reminded me of that a lot.

With that said, I am seriously considering a move to the area. These are things that I loved about being in Orlando.

- The weather. It was 80 to 85 degrees and sunny every day. Suffereing from Seasonal Affective Disorder, I can't stress to you enough how important this is to me. To that affect, there is no snow and ice to contend with November through April.

- The shopping. Deals through the roof. Trying finding even half of the deals that I did in St. Louis.

- The Beach. I traveled over to Cocoa Beach for a day trip and experienced that. Absolutely beautiful area and I'm sure that I would be traveling there at least 1X a month.

- So many places to eat out at. Buffets, Seafood, fast food, Chinese,Tai, whatever you want at a reasonable price.

- Traffic wasn't that bad at all.

- Huge opportunities for future growth. One of the things that I noticed about the area was the abundant space available for the future.

- Friendly people nearly everywhere that I went. Sure, i encountered a few bad apples but every place has them I assure you.

- No State Income Tax. (LOVING IT).

- The Golf.

- The Women, nuff said.


I'd say the biggest thing that got on my nerves was the Toll Roads. Those things nickle and dime u to death. I'd be curious on how much a Sun Pass costs per month?

Overall, Orlando is 1 of 3 places that I will be moving. Houston and Phoenix being the other 2. And, with that said, I believe that Orlando is the most beautiful of the 3 by far. Sure, it's not a huge metropolis but what is stopping it from becoming that 10, 20 years down the road? Will it even take that long? What if it never does become that? Would that be such a bad thing?

[mainesnowflake]

Originally Posted by Lindsey_Mcfarren

I LOVE living in Florida, I don't ever want to leave unless its for the Carribean.

I however know its not for everyone, I have a friend who LOVES Maine for example.

What I find funny is that SOME not only have to go on and on about their hatred for where they live BUT they seem to need others to feel the same way they do.

I love Maine too... of course But I also love Orlando too. I look forward to my Florida Visits.