Bad first impression of Orlando/Kissimmee (Hollywood, Belle Isle: skateboarding, rentals, high crime)

[luvthatmouse]

I think downtown Kissimmee is cute. I love the library, the train station and the area down by the water. Some of those homes are pretty old and I have seen them getting bought up and fixed up. I bet it will be more expensive vacation homes in a few years. My DH hated Hollywood and Santa Monica and though they were totally trashy. There are bums all over Santa Monica with little cardboard homes! Rich right next to poor. And I still love CA! Have you seen the area right outside of Mount Dora? It is a dump.

[gypsystar]

We have been in Mt. Dora for a week now and really love it. Yes, we have driven all over and I certainly wouldn't call the area outside of town a "dump" (remember I come from Los Angeles) but it isn't as nice as the downtown area. I guess we are lucky that we live a mile from downtown, but I do like all of Lake County in general.

I would recommend living in Mt. Dora to anyone who is considering a move - my only complaint: there is no place to get a good cup of coffee after 9pm!! I guess I am still a LA girl at heart! LOL

[nank712]

Mount Dora has good and not so good areas, just like every town, including Kissimmee.

Hope you're enjoy it here!

Blessings,
Nank712

[MiamiRob]

I have to laugh at the OP since you can go into any small town in America and see teens rolling a joint? Come on!

[bsmiles35]

i am 43,lived in st.cloud,kiss. all my life.growing up was great,knew eveyone if you went to town and passed a car better wave cause you prob. know them.i got out xmas of 06.made a mint.i just could not live there anymore,tooooo many people,tooo expensive and i dont speak spanish,ya'll want it.ok have it.im good here in n.c.

[Quicie]

Originally Posted by MiamiRob

I have to laugh at the OP since you can go into any small town in America and see teens rolling a joint? Come on!

That's what I was thinking!

[gypsystar]

Originally Posted by Quicie

That's what I was thinking!

Laugh all you want, I still and will always think it is as sad as hell!!! I guess you won't be laughing when it is your kids, huh? It was sad that they were so desperate to get whatever drugs they were doing into their systems that they didn't care that they were in public and everyone could see them. ICK.

And I was making a point that I have lived in much bigger cities and have never seen this type of thing- a few nights in Kissimmee and that is what I got to experience. I just thought it was very ironic.

[hiloshark]

Originally Posted by gypsystar

Laugh all you want, I still and will always think it is as sad as hell!!! I guess you won't be laughing when it is your kids, huh? It was sad that they were so desperate to get whatever drugs they were doing into their systems that they didn't care that they were in public and everyone could see them. ICK.

And I was making a point that I have lived in much bigger cities and have never seen this type of thing- a few nights in Kissimmee and that is what I got to experience. I just thought it was very ironic.

Please .. your blind if you didnt think pot was all around you in L.A

You need to realize [mod]comment[/mod[that it's not like they were doin coke out there .. it was a joint... pot.. herb.. weed... not meth, coke heroin

SPEAKING of shock treatment ... if you think your shocked about this little pot thing ... wait till you get to really know florida and the LOVE for Cocaine they have here

[HauntedHouse]

It's funny how different folk's opinions of the same place can be. I've lived in Florida for 33 years and don't know anyone who "loves cocaine." I suppose all my friends and family could be snorting it behind my back, but I doubt it.

[Mr. Echo]

Originally Posted by gypsystar

So, my husband and I finally made the plunge and moved from Los Angeles to Central Florida this week. Although we are moving into an apt. in Mount Dora tomorrow, we have been staying in a hotel in the Kissimmee tourist trap area on Irlo Bronson Hwy due to cheaper hotel rates. Although I love Florida and have been excited about this move for a long time, I can't say that I am totally impressed - maybe it is because of the area we are staying in??

We went to the Super Walmart in Kissimmee (on Irlo Bronson) tonight and I saw something that I have never seen in public, even after living in Miami for 4 years and L.A. for 4 years. When my husband and I parked, we saw two kids at a car next to us very obviously doing some sort of drug or something. They were standing out beside their car, trying to hide behind an open car door, and were rolling something in white paper, probably pot, and nervously looking around them. When they saw us looking at them, they opened their trunk and tried to hide behind that. Although they were nervous, it didn't stop them from making their drug deal or whatever. SCARY and SAD!

I am far from sheltered after living in other major cities, but I was absolutely shocked to see how blatantly obvious these kids were about their drug use - right out in public for all to see!! Obviously, I am not too impressed with Orlando now and so far it has made L.A. look good in comparison.

We have been all around the Mount Dora area and really fell in love with it. Thankfully, we will be moving there because I don't think I would want to live any closer to Orlando.

Central Florida as a whole is a beautiful place to be, but I certainly would NOT recommend that newcomers relocate to the Kissimmee area!!

I don't want to be a insensitive , but isn't LA the Gang-Bang capital of the world??....that stuff happens where you least expect it. Plus, it was at a Wal-Mart.