Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Florida > Orlando
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 12-21-2009, 06:59 PM
 
Location: Orlando, Florida
43,854 posts, read 50,895,920 times
Reputation: 58749

Advertisements

We went to Celebration yesterday to see the fake snow bubbles (guess the machines were on the fritz....not too many bubbles at all!).

The town is just beautiful, but if feels like the neighborhood version of the Stepford Wives! It is so perfect until it doesn't look 'for real'. Short of a coffee at Starbucks....exactly where do the residents shop without a big I-4 commute? I guess if they all work for Disney it would be cool, but if they are driving into Orlando....they have quite a drive in all that tourist traffic.

I would still want to live there if I could afford it since it really is pretty!!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 01-23-2010, 08:41 PM
 
1 posts, read 7,754 times
Reputation: 16
Interesting thread. Let me give you the facts as they relate to me. I have lived in Central Florida for the last 19 years. I have lived in downtown Orlando, the UCF corridor, MetroWest, the Hunters Creek area, and for the last 2.5 years Celebration. I thought Celebration was "cult-like" and resisted moving here, until I had two children and their father INSISTED that we try it. Since we were going to RENT (important fact) I gave it a try. I absolutely love it. My children are school aged and we think the schools are wonderful. We both work from home, which no one has really discussed up to this point: the dreaded work commute. All areas of Orlando have basically the same challenges (other than the obvious exceptions like the high crime areas of Pine Hills, Parramore, etc): difficult commutes due to lousy transportation infrastructure, the requirement to have your own vehicle, Florida's challenging public school systems, HOA nightmares, etc. The key is to choose an area that meets your most important needs. We love the sense of community here. I have never lived in a neighborhood in Central Florida where kids actually played outside, rode their bikes, etc. And these were nice neighborhoods. We love that there is always something going on, tons of extracurricular activities for the kids, and that the parents actually interact and mingle. None of the other areas I lived in has this feel. We also ride our bikes everywhere and have plenty of options for parks, outdoor activities, etc. I do my grocery shopping at the SuperTarget and Publix and have no complaints about either option. Celebration isn’t perfect but I never expected perfection, it is certainly the lesser-of-the-evils in this area. We are also renting as I mentioned before, and therefore we do not have the issues with fees and property values that others have mentioned. And the rental values are excellent in the current market. I have to mention a few other aspects that we love: (1) There are tons of multi-families in Celebration… for example my neighbors on my left and the brother and sister in laws of my neighbor on the right. The neighbors directly behind us are the grandparents of the young family across the street from us. We love this. (2) We love the hot-air balloons that fly over our houses on a regular schedule. (3) We love the nature trails and we now ride our bikes as a family every night. I had not got on a bike in 10 years before we moved here. (4) We love the Halloween fun and the Christmas decorations. Everybody digs the holidays and it really puts you in the spirit. I hope this helps!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-19-2010, 10:56 PM
 
1 posts, read 7,509 times
Reputation: 11
Default Would not recommend living here!

We have been Celebration residents since 1997. When the community began, it was great. Now, not so much. The quality of the homes turned out to be horrible. Leaking plumbing common in homes here, rotting wood, not to mention the amount of currently abandoned homes. Look along the golf course. Homes are a mess. Overgrown with weeds, dead plants, homes that have been neglected. It's all about the "looks" here now. No community pride. HOA is unreasonable and inconsistent. Never lived somewhere we disliked so much. Can't wait to move. Just can't sell houses here now. Hundreds for sale! Crime rate is unbelievable. Look at reports of crime on front porch site. Have your realtor show you! Investigate carefully before buying a home here!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-20-2010, 08:49 AM
 
Location: FL
428 posts, read 1,077,439 times
Reputation: 253
We actually came to Orlando in 2004 because we liked Celebrations "feel" so much. The style of homes, walkable areas etc.

We feel fortunate that we instead found Baldwin Park in Orlando. Very similar to Celebration but less touristy and if you can't find something nearby then you don't need it.

We still visit Celebration mainly at Christmas and for the Columbia restaurant.
Actually Baldwin Park could use more tourists for our stores and restaurants like Celebration.

Don't be fooled; HOAs can only do so much. We too have neighbors that have mildewed fences and doors and wonder how they can live that way.

At least no one parks their vehicle on the lawn.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-21-2010, 09:17 PM
 
4 posts, read 38,758 times
Reputation: 16
check out hunter's creek-- winter park is nice- but be careful anywhere on the outskirts of orlando--some areas arent good--just like up north many towns havce a "wrong side of the tracks"
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 08-27-2010, 12:50 PM
 
Location: Celebration, Florida
4 posts, read 16,661 times
Reputation: 19
Just a quick note in response to the chatter. My wife and I just bought in Celebration after buying (and selling) elsewhere in central Florida and visiting Celebration for several years. We actually work in DC and consider Central Florida home. There are reasons an area might cost more than another area. Getting more house for your dollar is not necessarily what you want. Having top quality restaurants, a top ranked golf course and a wonderful hotel within walking distance and all of Disney a 5 min drive away is important to us, not to mention direct access to the airport. To the person who lived in Bellalago, we know what you are talking about. To the person who recommends more isolation, go for it! we'll take Celebration downtown every day of the week and visit you, in isolation, on occasion. If you would like to discuss this further we can usually be found at the Imporium wine bar, Columbia restaurant, Shanon's Irish Pub, Antonio's, the Tavern (open till 2AM every night for the night owls) Thai Phani, or just enjoying the ambiance of the lake from the Celebration Bohemian lobby on Friday or Saturday night (unless we're checking out some new thing at Disney). It still amazes me, after we have been here for 7 months now, how many Europeans we run into at the Pub or Starbucks visiting, or living, here.

Last edited by michaelanthony1; 08-27-2010 at 01:03 PM.. Reason: Forgot to mention the Hospital, the resort-like, Celebration Health.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 08-27-2010, 02:20 PM
 
Location: Orlando
8,274 posts, read 12,810,962 times
Reputation: 4136
overpriced for what you get,
crowded,
poor construction
repressive HOA's

but yet some love it... takes all kinds.

It does have a pretty downtown. and is storybook perfect.

I do like the estate homes there. they are unique and spectacular.

Otherwise there are places I like much better in all price ranges.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-25-2010, 08:20 PM
 
Location: Pittisburgh
3 posts, read 15,646 times
Reputation: 12
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pumpkin Eater View Post
I love Celebration and plan to move there within ten years.
We just bought a home there and I cannot wait to move.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-27-2010, 10:57 AM
 
Location: Championsgate, Fl
986 posts, read 3,536,479 times
Reputation: 291
Celebration is a lovely area, and I say that as someone who lived there and still currently owns property there (although no longer lives ther). It completely depends on what you are looking for. There is a premium in terms of price for living in Celebration and it is purely and simply because it is the town Disney built. And outsiders, particularly from Europe have no idea that Disney no longer has anything to do with Celebration. I hear residents saying of course they are involved through the The Celebration Company, but whilst that is true, that is only in respect of commercial properties that they still hold the land to and the build out. They no longer run the HOA, they no longer own the golf course, they are no longer invilved in the town to any extent that the residents would notice.

It was very noticable the day that Disney pulled out of Celebration in terms of the day to day running of the community and shedding their interests in things such as the golf course.

The downtown area is beautiful and meticulously maintained. The reason for this is that is where most people will be visiting who are not from the community. As soon as you go to some other residential areas within the community that same maintenance is not being done. One example would be the Siena area. All the pathways are uneven and being raised by the roots of the trees and im surprised they havent been sued yet by someone tripping and falling. Yet the residents pay 3 different HOA dues totalling anywhere between $500-600 per month for this.

I love Celebration, and when I lived there I did enjoy it, and the community does offer a lot to its residents. That being said, I think a certain amount of perspective is required. No area is perfect and Celebration is not immune to that. It has its fair share of problems and some may say slightly more than other areas. But for some the community will meet their needs and they will be happy to pay a premium for that. It entirely depends on your lifestyle and what you are looking for.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-04-2010, 09:26 PM
GPH
 
Location: Massachusetts
94 posts, read 231,406 times
Reputation: 32
Sounds like a quirky place that some love and other's don't. I would never live anywhere near Orlando, crime, traffic and no beaches?! why bother? Florida for me is all about the coast the west coast specifically. Different strokes for different folks, do your homework and check out the area for yourself.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Florida > Orlando
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top