Orlando or Charlotte? (Kissimmee, Winter Park, Conway: hotels, vacation, job)

[32828]

The 7 oh 4,

A lot of native Floridians are very nice and pleasant to be around, but there are a lot of bad apples in South FL. Mostly folks that have moved there since the RE boom. Just my 2 cents.

[compelled to reply]

Can a native Floridian be a bad apple too? I personally have always wondered.

Originally Posted by the 7 oh 4

Hopefully Wellington. Friends are in Manalapan but that is not in my budget. Seems like in South Florida that other than oceanfront...the further West you go the better it is....true?

100% true and Wellington is very nice. The crime and traffic aren't going to be a huge issue coming from Charlotte, no joke (you learn the streets and defined lines and your fine like anywhere else), but the local culture is very different. It isn't necessarily "rude", but it's in your face and can be aggressive. You are not going to get any warm and fuzzies. If you need that Southern connection, I suggest you look into a town called Davie in Broward County. It's also mostly transplants but it's known as a down to earth area, it used to even have a somewhat unfounded reputation for being racist which subsided in the past 5 years. It has a little country vibe to it yet your smack dab in the center of Broward County, very different vibe from surrounding cities although it's still pretty diverse. It's also pretty safe and known for decent school districts if you need it, but I live immediately west of it in an area called Weston which is a good deal better in both regards. Actually you would be hard pressed to find a safer city of it's size.

Wellington is nice too. A lot of it is brand spanking new but it has a lot of older areas too. It is pretty safe and the schools are good too. I'm sure your familiar with everything else judging by your past posts. You will like it there if you can get over the cultural adjustment. It's not necessarily bad, it's just different. If you have an open mind, you might end up enjoying it. Now if you were talking about moving to Boca Raton, I might have to steer you away.

If you can afford it, you really can live a nice lifestyle in South Florida, just as nice as in Charlotte except with all of the other advantages down here like cleaner air quality and a broader range of people (yes even in the good areas). The problem is that it's so expensive to live that it can be hard to get into an area where you can live that lifestyle. There are way more decent places to live than the ones that I named too, but those were areas that came off the top of my head.

[32828]

Oh absolutely compelled! Bad apples everywhere.

[the 7 oh 4]

Originally Posted by compelled to reply

Can a native Floridian be a bad apple too? I personally have always wondered.



100% true and Wellington is very nice. The crime and traffic aren't going to be a huge issue coming from Charlotte, no joke (you learn the streets and defined lines and your fine like anywhere else), but the local culture is very different. It isn't necessarily "rude", but it's in your face and can be aggressive. You are not going to get any warm and fuzzies. If you need that Southern connection, I suggest you look into a town called Davie in Broward County. It's also mostly transplants but it's known as a down to earth area, it used to even have a somewhat unfounded reputation for being racist which subsided in the past 5 years. It has a little country vibe to it yet your smack dab in the center of Broward County, very different vibe from surrounding cities although it's still pretty diverse. It's also pretty safe and known for decent school districts if you need it, but I live immediately west of it in an area called Weston which is a good deal better in both regards. Actually you would be hard pressed to find a safer city of it's size.

Wellington is nice too. A lot of it is brand spanking new but it has a lot of older areas too. It is pretty safe and the schools are good too. I'm sure your familiar with everything else judging by your past posts. You will like it there if you can get over the cultural adjustment. It's not necessarily bad, it's just different. If you have an open mind, you might end up enjoying it. Now if you were talking about moving to Boca Raton, I might have to steer you away.

If you can afford it, you really can live a nice lifestyle in South Florida, just as nice as in Charlotte except with all of the other advantages down here like cleaner air quality and a broader range of people (yes even in the good areas). The problem is that it's so expensive to live that it can be hard to get into an area where you can live that lifestyle. There are way more decent places to live than the ones that I named too, but those were areas that came off the top of my head.

Thanks for the post. Money is not really an issue. Money to live in Manalapan would be an issue...lol! We would like to stay in the $450,000 & under range and would prefer to be on the ocean (even if only in a 2 bedroom)...I know taxes & insurance are high...but how much higher is insurance living in an oceanfront high rise condo versus a home 10 miles inland or so. We have made pretty smart real estate decisions in the past. We live in a mid-rise in Uptown Charlotte and have doubled our money in 6 1/2 years.

What do you guys think about Hobe Sound. We loved the ruralness. I know that will change...but it is kinda nice now.

We have rude people too. I have tough skin. I use to live in NY, DC & Atlanta. One can only pray for those individuals.

Have a GREAT day!

[Wilshire81182]

I have a friend that lived in Orlando his whole life and moved to Charlotte about 1.5 years ago or so. He really likes it and says he will never move back to FL. I do not have a great appreciation for southern culture and think Florida has the Southern climate without the southern culture I don't like. I also do not think I could live that far from the ocean (3 + hours) to go to a subpar NC beach when Clearwater is closer and much more beautiful.
I think it is a preference. The things that other people may list as more important are not that important to me and some other people I am sure. Charlotte is far outnumbering Orlando in recommendations on this thread but I do not agree. It is like trading my slice of paradise to live in a truly Southern state.

[mg83]

Moderator cut: comment I DUN LIKE SOUTHERN CULTURE!!!11 What? What does that even mean? Do you realize parts of FL are way more 'southern' than Charlotte?

Charlotte houses major financial/banking institutions... the most important banking district outside of New York City. Not only that, but huge ad/pr firms are flocking to the region because of Charlotte. MY OPINION is that Charlotte is more economically stable than Orlando, FL is - which pretty much relies solely on Disney World and Universal - tourists.

As far as "not liking/appreciating" Southern culture... I mean... really? MY OPINION is that sentiment is incredibly close-minded. Do you listen to any sort of modern music? Rock & roll? R & B? You can thank the Delta Blues of the "south" for the influence...

[Wilshire81182]

I do not like the Bible belt states and I know a great deal about Charlotte. You can choose to think that I am closeminded or that I am uneducated but I do have friends that live there and have traveled there. My office has a branch in Charlotte that multiple people from my office have travelled to for work. I have read a lot of articles on many cities based on economic reports and whatnot and have visited most US cities. It is what it is, but I would not choose to live in a Bible belt/Southern State. That is not my preference. I like that Orlando is diverse but not overly religious or Southern in its culture and is much more well rounded. I do agree that the economy is more stable in NC and in Charlotte than in FL and Orlando. I also do not like that Charlotte is more landlocked and lacks the recreation opportunities that are here in Florida. I base my opinion on what is adjacent too. You have beaches, all the offerings of Tampa and Miami, etc. I am fairly young too and do not pick a place based on schools or the family aspect, even though I do pay attention to the quality of schools in most areas. There are pros and cons to every area, I was just stating why I would pick Orlando over Charlotte.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by the 7 oh 4

What do you guys think about Hobe Sound. We loved the ruralness. I know that will change...but it is kinda nice now.

We have rude people too. I have tough skin. I use to live in NY, DC & Atlanta. One can only pray for those individuals.

Have a GREAT day!

I wouldn't worry too much about it changing up that way. Martin County has a very cautious approach to growth and development (similar to Orange County, NC). The sheeple skip right over Martin County and head for Port St. Lucie, not because it's not nice there, but because the area has a limited supply of housing and it's VERY desirable. If you want a rural atmosphere, you definitely ought to consider that area.

I'm not sure about Palm Beach or Martin County but down this way the difference is going to be HUGE for the insurance. The only company that covers east of 95 is Citizens which means no competition. You will get a policy, but you don't even want to know how much it will cost. Try 10,000 plus. If you go out here, you can actually get down to as low as 2,000-3,000 a year on a post-Andrew built home or pre-Andrew home with modifications like hip shaped roof or storm shutters, although there are plenty of homes that are 5 grand and higher. I actually used to have a condo out here, we were recently not declared a "flood zone" and I was down to 700.

So it's really variable, the best thing to do is try and get quotes.

[dk22]

Originally Posted by 32828

The 7 oh 4,

A lot of native Floridians are very nice and pleasant to be around, but there are a lot of bad apples in South FL. Mostly folks that have moved there since the RE boom. Just my 2 cents.

Then your 2 cents are pretty much devalued like the good ole dollar. There are good and bad about every place you live. I lived in Orlando for over 4 years and it isn't that great. My wife went to college there and lived there for over 9 years and she'd never go back. SoFL is a way better fit for us. If you don't like "change", you wouldn't like SoFL. Some people can handle it and thrive while others curse it and run.

[dk22]

Originally Posted by mg83

And my opinion is that your post is ridiculous. I DUN LIKE SOUTHERN CULTURE!!!11 What? What does that even mean? Do you realize parts of FL are way more 'southern' than Charlotte?

Charlotte houses major financial/banking institutions... the most important banking district outside of New York City. Not only that, but huge ad/pr firms are flocking to the region because of Charlotte. MY OPINION is that Charlotte is more economically stable than Orlando, FL is - which pretty much relies solely on Disney World and Universal - tourists.

As far as "not liking/appreciating" Southern culture... I mean... really? MY OPINION is that sentiment is incredibly close-minded. Do you listen to any sort of modern music? Rock & roll? R & B? You can thank the Delta Blues of the "south" for the influence...

And it's also the NASCAR capital too. That speaks volume about its southern culture.