What is so great about living in/near Orlando? Who loves or hates it & WHY? (Kissimmee: property taxes)

[foxlore]

Wow Wilshire - Portland to Orlando?! Talk about culture shock! I'm not sure if you're still hanging around on this thread, but I'm interested in grilling you a bit. How did you find the adjustment to the temps? I've been in GA for three years and it looks like we're relocating to Orlando next month. I'm as confused as the guy who was supposed to move from KC after reading this thread! I was very excited, but concerned about the heat and humidity. I am concerned about traffic and it seems to be a bit difficult orchestrating where we want to live with where we want our child in school and my husband's office (Baldwin Park). Still, I've lived in Portland, S. Cal, MD (am quite familiar with DC traffic) and have spent many an hour in Atlanta during commute times... So, I'm wondering if people are just whining - maybe no experience outside Orlando or if it really is that horrible... I know everyone whines about Atlanta traffic and I was concerned about that, BUT it's nothing compared to DC or LA - so I'm thinking perhaps it's all in perspective? I'm very spoiled with a lack of traffic right now, but hey I'll trade that for the ammenities that go with a larger population. I also vastly prefer warmth to cold although I'm not fond of humidity... So, how bad is it really?? Is it going to be vastly worse than GA??? Thanks for the input!

Originally Posted by Wilshire81182

I think a lot of the negativity comes from people who move here because they are unhappy with their lives where they used to live. I think a lot of the rudeness comes from the notorious "New Yorker" personality. I think people who live here remember Orlando the way it used to be and become disappointed in "growing pains". I moved to Orlando in 2005 from Portland, Oregon and I love Orlando. I think it is clean and safe and full of entertainment options. I have a great job for not having a degree and live in a safe and quiet neighborhood (Conway) even if it is not the nicest or newest in town. I think that people drive aggressively in town and complain a lot, but I think that people expect too much of Orlando because it is a place people visit and long to escape to realize that it is just a normal place with pros and cons. There are a lot of exaggerations on this site and a ton of things I do not agree with. I do not make 100k or live in a mansion but I love Orlando and think it is a great place to live. If you want an unbiased view or list of great areas in town, talk to me. I like Conway a lot. It is close to downtown and those urban amenities. It is also close to the airport and the beachline. The beachline makes disney and idrive convenient. There are always new restaurants and stores opening and changes occurring. It is a vibrant and beautiful place to be. Now I am rambling as well, but I do not think people are painting a very accurate picture. It is not Detroit or Buffalo, on the other end, it is not NY or LA. =)

[Wilshire81182]

Yeah, I picked Florida over WA/OR because I wanted warmer weather. I spent two weeks in New Orleans in July and absolutely loved the weather. The culture shock has come more from the East Coast Mentality vs. West Coast. The demographics are much diiferent too, more Puerto Ricans whereas I was used to good Mexican food and being around a lot of Mexican people. I think that I-4 is pretty bad and I would avoid using the freeway if possible, the rest of town is not that bad. I think the worst part and what brings people to absolute fury over I-4 is the fact that between tourists and wrecks, the freeway can get suggested at any point. I am actually in the airport now getting ready to fly out to Portland for a week, so I can think of more pros of Portland, but I did not like it much there. My biggest complaints were weather and entertainment, which Orlando has them beat hands down. Portland is generally safer and more efficient as a city but they are low on the priorities for me I suppose. =) I have been to about 25 states and most major cities so I feel like I had a lot to base my decision on and I am happy here. I think a lot of the complaints are pretty exaggerated, but I see myself as a pretty positive person. I have met great people in Orlando and had two great jobs since I moved. I am still young and in school, but I plan on living in Florida for a long time. I think Orlando's humidity is probably tied with Atlanta, but is one of the worst places in the state. Other places have more ocean breeze and thus have less humidity. I also like Tampa and parts of South FLorida from what I have seen. I was not impressed with Jax, but I think it could warrant another visit.

[foxlore]

Hey Wilshire!

Have a safe trip and I am SO JEALOUS!! I loved Portland - well the rain and cold get a bit old, but otherwise it has most of the bells and whistles I want - Traders for one... Thank you for the input on Orlando - I was getting a little worried reading the threads last night... I've lived in CA (North and South), OR, WA, MO (can you say ICK?), MD, MN and GA. I do not want to be cold. I could live without bugs and humidity, but cold... :P We're in Columbus now - great for commuting - not great for ammenities. You're absolutely right about the mentality differences - it takes some adjustment. I think I'll be happy in Orlando - hope DH is as well. I guess we'll see how we all survive the summer! LOL If it's a doable trade-off then maybe we're finally home. If not then I'm issuing a queen's mandate to move WEST. That was our original deal when we married - If I didn't like MD he'd move West - as you can see I'm still East and no I did not like MD. I need more bells and whistles and I don't like driving an hour or two to get to them. I can handle some congestion, but honestly would prefer it if people would just get off my road! I'll live. Have a great trip!!

[Betsey Lane]

Originally Posted by Magnulus

I'd pick Winter Park over Oviedo... and I live in Oviedo. Winter Park is one of the few places where you can actually walk to a few places . Oviedo is not walkable at all unless you live in an apartment next to a strip-mall. If you like being car dependent, Oviedo is fine. But traffic here will get worse, if you think it is fine now.

When I first moved here with my family in 1996, traffic was almost nonexistant. It has steadily gotten worse in the last 6 years. Some intersections, such as Red Bug and Lockwood, are frankly dangerous at rush hour, and some of the intersections along lockwood need to be signalized, or turned into roundabouts, as they are not safe for the people that actually live there and need to enter around rush hour.

You can add in the typical incompetence and aggressiveness of the average Central Florida driver to a cause. These people will do things like park in an intersection on a red light and "feel" out an opening, or block traffic. Things that get you a ticket in other states. The cops are too busy eating donuts I guess, to write some tickets.

Oh, and Oviedo is not perfect for crime- the crime thing is everywhere in Orlando, if you discount the serious stuff like murders- your car can be broken in to everywhere. Vandalism and destruction of private property has been increasing, even in upscale neighborhoods. According to some of the hubbub going around ,some of the neighborhoods in Oviedo have actually decreased in desireability, and housing prices have fallen just like the rest of the country. We have also gotten more minorities into these areas, particularly from Haiti/Jamaica, but also hispanics of various kinds - normally I'm not against minorities but you are seeing more single moms and that sort of thing- not established minority families, and people that have not been in the US very long and have obvious thick accents (why the heck are we even letting Jamaicans in the country? They aren't refugees). Single moms IMO are not the best people to be raising children, and their kids will probably grow up to be delinquents. It could explain why, according to the police, we've had more gang-related activities in the area.

According to the police a bunch of hispanic kids went around and slashed some neighborhood cars, dozens in fact- everybody on the block had slashed tiers if they had cars in the street. They wanted people to sign affadavits pressing charges so they could lock the kids up for a while. When we moved in here there were mostly young families and singles, several gay couples. Now it has gravitated more towards older families with kids in their teens- the singles and gays have left, and there is more trouble. Kids ride around in groups on skateboards in the streets, and probably are accounting for some of the vandalism at night. Not really serious troublemakers but all the ingredients are there. At the very least, they present a safety hazard, as they play on blind curves- I almost nailed two of them one time on a curve on my motorcycle, good thing I knew how to brake on a curve.

The only problem with Winter Park is housing is high. IMO though Winter Park is a model location that all the other towns in the area should have emulated- it was built up by people who wanted to creat a nice town with some culture behind it, and it was also built before cars were widespread (in the 20's and 30's). Why is Winter Park so expensive? Because it is desireable and there are few other towns in CF like it.

LET ME GET STRAIGHT TO THE POINT(S) HERE!! Haitians, Jamaicans and Hispanics aren't allowed in Oviedo? Oh lets not forget unestablished single moms and thick-accented people! Where are you living in Oviedo? Under a rock? Moderator cut: comment How old are you? You ought to be ashame of yourself!!! So the right to a good education, a decent job, home-ownership in clean, safe environment only belongs to a privilege few? GOD FORBID SOMETHING SHOULD EVER HAPPENS TO YOU, SHOULD SOMEONE SUDDENLY OSTRACIZE YOUR NEWLY SINGLE-MOM WIDOW OUT OF THE COMMUNITY? (She's unestablished remember, in other words she doesn't have a husband, bigoted or not). Why don't you think before you speak? Are we not in 2008? Moderator cut: comment How dare you? Well you better get ready for me because here comes this single, mother of three (FYI all of which are honor-roll students) African-American, well educated, professional nurse to Oviedo. Roll out the red carpet buddy cause ain't no devil in hell can stop me from getting a piece of this american pie that my ancestors have fought so long for. You've got the right one baby (excuse me buddy) Uh Huh!!!!!!!

[compelled to reply]

Betsey Lane, good reply. I also think it's funny that he said that traffic was nonexistent in 1996? Were you living in the same 1996 as me? 434 was a two lane road that was backed up almost 24-7 from Mitchell Hammock all the way to Orange County line. I would definitely take ugly but fast moving, six lane, 50 mph speed limit 434 in 2008 over two lane, overbuilt, constantly stopped dead two lane 1996. I yearn for the OLD 434 though...lined with oak hammock all the way down...it's probably the only major roadway in Orlando that actually can handle the amount of traffic that is on it today.

[Magnulus]

I don't have anything against black people. Oviedo has alot of black people and they go to the same grocery stores I do, some of them are friendly. I don't like having alot of neighbors that don't speak English or are foreign born- I can't relate to them, I can barely related to my white Scottish neighbor anyways. Hispanics make me uncomfortable in general speaking Spanish all the time in Orlando, and I speak Spanish. So what? I'm probably not unique in that regard, Moderator cut: ..

And yes, there are hoodlums in Oviedo. I make no apologies about that, though I admit it's not a daily occurance but it just seems to be going downhill, slowly. They seem to be creeping in here from Orange County. The crime rate is creeping up, we've had two murders last year, something that almost never has happened in Oviedo.

Am I an elitist? Maybe. I don't like most people as a whole, I'm cynical and getting more cautious and suspicious of people in general, though I used to be alot more optimistic and open when I was younger. I have always been "eccentric". I like assosciating with people who are comfortable with unconventional, independent thinking and are intellectually inclined, something Oviedo or Orlando doesn't have alot of.

[Keeper]

calm down.. stay on topic..

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by Magnulus

I make no apologies about that, though I admit it's not a daily occurance but it just seems to be going downhill, slowly. They seem to be creeping in here from Orange County. The crime rate is creeping up, we've had two murders last year, something that almost never has happened in Oviedo.

Crime in Oviedo by Year
Type 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Murders 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
per 100,000 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Rapes 10 12 12 12 8 6 8 1
per 100,000 44.5 47.6 44.4 43.6 28.5 21.0 27.2 3.3
Robberies 12 8 4 9 5 6 9 7
per 100,000 53.4 31.7 14.8 32.7 17.8 21.0 30.6 23.1
Assaults 50 65 105 85 93 94 87 62
per 100,000 222.7 257.7 388.9 308.9 330.9 329.1 295.4 204.3
Burglaries 183 127 174 133 139 121 94 82
per 100,000 815.1 503.5 644.5 483.3 494.6 423.7 319.2 270.2
Thefts 545 458 500 487 524 355 445 358
per 100,000 2427.4 1815.9 1852.0 1769.6 1864.6 1243.0 1510.9 1179.5
Auto thefts 16 22 32 22 27 22 28 17
per 100,000 71.3 87.2 118.5 79.9 96.1 77.0 95.1 56.0
Arson 4 6 8 9 11 2 6 1
per 100,000 17.8 23.8 29.6 32.7 39.1 7.0 20.4 3.3
City-data.com crime index (higher means more crime, U.S. average = 323.2) 256.1 214.0 246.5 217.5 211.2 174.5 180.4 121.0

I heard about the murders in Oviedo too. Apparently there were three...

I did just look Oviedo up and noticed that crime up 14% in that area in 07. It was down in every other Seminole County city except for Casselberry.
http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/FSAC/UCR...2007annual.pdf

About the rest, I say fine. If that's what you believe, that's what you believe.

[Betsey Lane]

Originally Posted by Magnulus

I don't have anything against black people. Oviedo has alot of black people and they go to the same grocery stores I do, some of them are friendly. I don't like having alot of neighbors that don't speak English or are foreign born- I can't relate to them, I can barely related to my white Scottish neighbor anyways. Hispanics make me uncomfortable in general speaking Spanish all the time in Orlando, and I speak Spanish. So what? I'm probably not unique in that regard, Moderator cut: ..

And yes, there are hoodlums in Oviedo. I make no apologies about that, though I admit it's not a daily occurance but it just seems to be going downhill, slowly. They seem to be creeping in here from Orange County. The crime rate is creeping up, we've had two murders last year, something that almost never has happened in Oviedo.

Am I an elitist? Maybe. I don't like most people as a whole, I'm cynical and getting more cautious and suspicious of people in general, though I used to be alot more optimistic and open when I was younger. I have always been "eccentric". I like assosciating with people who are comfortable with unconventional, independent thinking and are intellectually inclined, something Oviedo or Orlando doesn't have alot of.

It's your choice to love or to hate or feel embittered towards a certain group of people. You have a right to be "eccentric". That's you, that's your feelings, that's what makes us all individuals. Correct? You know, I always lived by: It's not what you're called, but it's what you answer to that's important! I am a single mother that's fully capable of raising my children on my own. As I have stated in the previous comment, they are all honor roll students. I am raising the next state senator and future secretary of state and/or whatever their hearts desire them to be as long as they're are good, productive CITIZENS of America! You know, it's keeping them out of a dysfunctional household with TWO parents it's what most important towards becoming the productive citizens I've spoke about. So don't knock us just yet! You never know, we can probably become the best of neighbors. Who knows!

[CMR6307]

I Hate To Ask Again But--- How About Fairway Greens On The East Side Of Orlando? Or Starlight Ranch On Ranch House Rd? We Are Retiring And Would Like To Buy A Resonably Priced To Lower Priced Mobile Home In A 55+ Community With Lots Of Activities. These Seem To Make The Grade- Any Info?