What is so great about living in/near Orlando? Who loves or hates it & WHY? (Altamonte Springs: cheap house)

[pianogal]

Dataguy......most of the people I know in Florida love it here. Maitland is a very nice area. Sure the traffic is heavy at rush hour - but you're working 3-11 - you should have no problems. You're right up the road from the Science Center/Museum/Theatre complex, Leu Gardens, not far from Bob Carr and the downtown venues, adjacent to I4 so you can easily get to any of the theme parks and City Walk, which is one of my favorite night spots. You're just south of some beautiful state parks, Wekiva Springs, Blue Springs, DeLeon Springs, etc. And not far from my favorite beach....New Smyrna.

I think Maitland is one of the more desirable areas to live in Orlando...ENJOY!

[TNRyan23]

Originally Posted by jemelb

How many of you are negatively commenting about Orlando, but yet you still live here?? It can't be that bad...LOL

If you're making $6/hr and can't make it, How are you supposed to save up enough bread to finance a move to somewhere else for a new life ?

People are stuck because they can't afford to move.

[TNRyan23]

Originally Posted by bankonecharlie

I'll make a bet with all the "can't make a living" "cost is too high". I'm coming to Orlando with my wife and I DON"T have a college education. I bet all you guys I'll find a nice place and we will find good jobs"I mean pay bills and have a little left over" not 6 bucks high school jobs. I'll post every week and show how it's done.. any takers?

I've tried 3 times to come back to Florida, Once, the only job I could find was working at Albertsons in Sanford for $6.25

Once, I moved back to Tampa and couldn't find a job and had to move back before my money ran out.

The last time, I was able to find a telemarketing job around UCF that paid $7 plus commission but the computers kept going down and they kept sending people home.

When I was able to find an apartment that WASN'T income restricted, It was over $1,000 a month.

I've been doing some serious thinking and I love my native state but I for one can't live there. I personally have larger dreams in my life then to make $7 an hour and exist.

[yoursolame]

Flnative,
I don't know you but If you have a clean drivers license and you don't mind working 10 hours a day.. get your CDl license.. you can make anywhere from 30,000 to 60,000.. put it this way. 40,000 is so easy to make driving a truck you would have to be braindead or really lazy to make less. As long as you "want" to make 7 bucks an hour and be all grumpy and crybaby.. youll be stuck. Get the cdl.. youll see.. all smiles mate

[TNRyan23]

Originally Posted by yoursolame

Flnative,
I don't know you but If you have a clean drivers license and you don't mind working 10 hours a day.. get your CDl license.. you can make anywhere from 30,000 to 60,000.. put it this way. 40,000 is so easy to make driving a truck you would have to be braindead or really lazy to make less. As long as you "want" to make 7 bucks an hour and be all grumpy and crybaby.. youll be stuck. Get the cdl.. youll see.. all smiles mate

Why don't you just tell me to go to medical school a become a doctor ?

Obviously, If I wanted to drive trucks I would drive trucks and If I wanted to live in poverty, I'd move back to Florida. You picked the wrong username, instead of " your " you should have probably put ( I'm ) btw truck driver, It's you're.

[Obamanation]

Originally Posted by compelled to reply

In a strange way, it is kind of like Las Vegas. It's not that bad really, but Tampa is my central FL choice by far. The number one problem with Tampa is that it's physical appearance can be dirty in some areas and there is also somewhat of a high crime rate there.

Tampa's crime really isn't an issue unless you're in Ybor City, University, and a couple other areas. Also some earlier poster said Florida is the "armpit of America" which is ridiculous. This state is so diverse it is basically like a microcosm of America.

[yoursolame]

Look I'm not trying to put you down. I just don't like people to say it's so hard here. It's so freaking easy to live anywhere in america including Florida. Just adjust to the surroundings. Driving a truck is easy money. Any semi-trade is easy money also. Satellite technician (I do that now and make a 1,000 a week) This is just my experience. Making 7 dollars an hour like you describe and acting like thats all thats out there is a complete lie. btw your right on my spelling,thanks for pointing that out big guy.

[Magnulus]

Orange County is largely a dump. Aside from Winter Park/Maitland and downtown Orlando, there isn't much to talk about, it is just suburban sprawl, bad traffic, and too much crime. Lake Nona isn't too bad but there is very little there and if follows the rest of the county it'll be consumed by useless developement in time. I think the major business in Orange County has to be Amscott- they are everywhere. You could drop a neutron bomb on this area and I don't think the world would be worse for it. Glut of service industry froth (nail salons, chain restaurants, that sort of thing), not alot of real jobs that actually produce anything necessary.

Seminole County is somewhat better, and I'd rate Oviedo, Winter Springs, and Sanford at the top of the list for liveability. There is also more greenery. Casselberry is probably the ugliest city in Seminole County, and Altamonte Springs and Lake Mary aren't too far behind. But they are still better than most of the stuff in Orange County.

Osceola County? Well, it isn't as overgrown as Orange County but it also has very little to do there unless you are into the tourism industry. The commute to Orlando or Seminole County can be ridiculous, too, and vice versa.

[shadow1376]

I have lived in and around Orlando since the early '90s. I have never seen a city grow in such enormous proportions so quickly. There is NO PLACE in Orlando that is not affected by horrific traffic and rush hours. I have a Love/Hate relationship with this city. I don't know every area intimately, but from my experience, this is what I know.

Here is what I like:
There are many contained single family home communities in the suberbs that allow you to live, shop, dine, and enjoy entertainment without having to go too far. I work from home, so I never have to deal with traffic. I rarely leave a 5 mile radius because everything need is in that area. The downtown area has been renovated a lot in the past several years and boasts some wonderful restaurants, cafes, specialty shops, etc. but I wouldn't recommend living down there because they still haven't figured out what to do about the multitude of homeless people wandering around this otherwise lovely area. Park Avenue in Winter Park is and old classic area that is beautiful with upscale shopping/dining area. Nearby Winter Park Village is a new establishment with wonderful dining, shopping and a great movie theater.

If you are wealthy, the areas I would recommend for suburban living are: central orlando - Winter Park; north of Orlando - Heathrow; to the south- Lake Nona, Celebration; on the west-side Keene's Point, Windermere, Isleworth, and the Dr. Phillips area (which has some of the best restaurants in the city).

If you are gay, the Thornton Park area has become very trendy and popular with the gay community. The area has some of the most wonderful restaurants and boutiques. Housing consists of modern upscale condos, and renovated homes built in the 50's and 60's. Great retro architecture in a trendy urban community.

Now, if you are a middle income, family oriented kind of person, the city of Oviedo is very nice, as is the Waterford Lakes and Stoneybrook communities on the east side.

Here's what I loathe:
We live on the east side near Waterford Lakes/UCF. We moved out here after living on the west side (Ocoee/Windermere) for 5 years. We left the west side because it was becoming so overpopulated. At the time, the east side was "no man's land". Houses in most of the Orlando communities are tyically built on "zero lot lines" meaning that there is only 10 feet between your house and your neighbors. We have a 3,000 square foot house with just 10 feet between are house and the house next door. Our backyard it the size of a dog run. And, there are no mature trees anywhere because they were all plowed down by the builders and replaced with saplings so there is no such thing as shade. But, living on the east side was good for my husband's commute to work near Florida Mall. Back then, it took him about 20 minutes to get to work. It now takes him 45 minutes in the morning and about 1 hour at night (or more if there is an accident). Traffic is unbelievable. Secondly, a new elementary school was built behind our neighborhood last year. It was built for 700 kids and on opening day was overcrowded with 1100. One year later, it's bursting at the seams with nearly 1300 kids. Lunch has to begin at 10:00AM to try to move 1300 kids through the lunch room by the day's end. My kindergartener eats "lunch" at 10:05AM. The poor 5th graders don't get lunch until just before they leave for the day! The high school in our area has nearly 4,500 students - that's the size of a small city!

Also, if you plan to live in Orlando, you better take a class in conversational Spanish if you don't already speak the language. We are quickly becoming a bi-lingual community and I foresee jobs going to those who speak both languages over someone who only speaks English.

Crime is certainly a factor but I believe it is concentrated in the "bad areas". I am really not overly aware of my friends or neighbors here in suburbia being victimized. However, I would not be so bold as to leave my doors unlocked or go for a walk in Pine Hills, a.k.a "Crime Hills". Again, we're in the suberbs. It's not Leave-It-To-Beaverville, but it's not the Bronx either.

The weather: November through May is absolutely beautiful. We have occassional freezing weather that goes to the 30's. But very occassional. The Fall through the Spring here makes you feel like you're alive. However, in June, the heat begins. You can barely leave the A/C in your house from July thru September. Seriously, the heat is nearly unbearable. Even children won't go outside to play! October is quite warm but not hellacious like the summer. And of course, there is the hurricane factor. They don't happen often but when they do, it's chaotic and scary. You must invest in plywood or storm shutters in the event of a hurricane so you don't get caught in the lines at lumber stores frantically trying to grab the last piece of wood in town to board your windows with.

Well, I hope this helps all you people out there with your choices. If I had the chance to move to a place with seasons and a big yard, would I? Yes, I would. I hate how crowded it is here. But, my husband has a good job here and my family is here, so I think we are staying for awhile. We have great friends and great neighbors, and we live in a contained community, so it'll do. My opinion of Orlando is that it's not the worst place in the world. It's not the best place in the world.

[Wilshire81182]

That was very thorough and accurate, shadow1376. I can tell yu put a lot of thought into that. Very unbiased too.