What is so great about living in/near Orlando? Who loves or hates it & WHY? (Fort Myers: mortgage)

[Prichard]

I like Orlando, otherwise I wouldn't be still living here. It's close to my family, close to the east coast beaches - 45 minutes; has some very pretty lakes and rivers in the area; job opportunities are good; somewhat upscale due to Rollins College, UCF, all of the hospitals and medical facilities, the tech-sector corporate jobs, and of course Disney, Universal, Sea World, etc.

For all of it's growing pains, and complaints about traffic, you'd be hard pressed to find a better city (not country town) to live in than Orlando. Of course, there are pleanty of country towns that are prettier than Orlando, have less crime, and people are friendlier, at least they appear that way when you first meet them. If I was rich, didn't need to work, and didn't need to be near decent schools, I'd be living in a pretty little country town.

[devin1229]

Originally Posted by LauraerieL

Just wanting opinions and comments from people that actually LIVE in or near the Orlando area...including Winter Park, Oviedo...
What are the pros and cons?? What should someone beware of?
Are there busier areas...constant traffic issues in particular places? Are there any affordable rentals left or is everything a condo?
Not to be mean, but this is for those actually living IN the area, NOT from a tourist point of view.
What is it REALLY LIKE living in or near Orlando???
All comments are greatly appreciated. Thanx!
What is YOUR experience?

Pros:

• Attractions (Disney, Universal, Sea World, etc.)
• Weather. Yes, it can get crazy hot during the summer, especially with the humidity, but the winters are great. If you come from up north, you'll just have to get used to not having a change of seasons.
• No state income tax
• Almost everything is new since it's a growing area
• Decent size city: not too small, not too big
• Close to other state-wide attractions/locales like Miami; good for weekend trips
• Not terribly far from the coast; depending on where you live it could take only 30 minutes or up to an hour

Cons:

• Absolutely no infrastructure; lots of suburbs only have 1 or 2 ways in/out. Forget "shortcut" routes- to go anywhere you have to take a major road which is almost always congested to the extreme. The highways/tollways are a joke; I-4 is consistently a parking lot, the so-called "beltway" system is so far out of the way that it's practically useless, is only partially complete, plus they're tolled every 5 miles or so (I pay $1.25 one-way to work every day)
• Super-aggresive drivers. Speed limits don't exist here; law enforcement doesn't seem to care if people do 20+ mph over the speed limit. Many drivers don't have insurance (because it costs so much), so many accidents lead to hit-and-runs. Drivers don't think twice about tailgating to the max, using signaling devices, or obeying any kind of traffic devices. Also, many of the drivers appear to be absolutely clueless and have no idea where they're going; while some of them may be tourists, the majority are actually locals.
• Skyrocketing cost of living. Don't let anyone fool you that the cost of living is lower. Car insurance is intense (see above), groceries seem to cost much higher here than up north, and don't event think about buying a house unless if you have a six-figure income. The relationship between salaries and cost of living is unbalanced.
• Urban sprawl. Yes, every growing city has this. What's unique about Orlando is that you can find a desirable neighborhood/suburb literally 1/2 mile next to a "ghetto." Also learn to love master-planned communities. The entire metro area has a giant suburb feel to it.
• Language barriers. You should learn how to speak Spanish.
• "I don't care" attitude. No one seems to care about the well-being of others or preserving anything in general.
• No culture. Like theatre? We don't have one (except for the poor excuse of a performing arts center). Bakeries, "corner stores/markets," and the like don't exist. Be prepared to shop at big-box stores only. There are some local independent eateries, but it pales in comparison to other cities.
• Crime. There seems (to me anyhow) a growing number of just sketchy people in general. The crime is widespread, too (unless if you're lucky enough to live in an extremely well-off suburb/community); it's not uncommon to hear of armed robberies and the like in areas where you wouldn't expect them. My perception too is that many people here are just out to make a buck.

[Prichard]

Speed limits don't exist here; law enforcement doesn't seem to care if people do 20+ mph over the speed limit.

I'm put this in the "pro" side myself! If I could drive 120mph on the interstates and limited access highways, I'd do it routinely.

[Floridian to relocate]

devine great post there orlando could be a great place to be if they would pay wages a bit more than $7 to $14 a hour . how can you have a family and make it on that money. we have small kids and daycare is a joke $160 $200 a week for 40 hours for each child . so how do you make it

[Rhett_Butler]

Originally Posted by Floridian to relocate

devine great post there orlando could be a great place to be if they would pay wages a bit more than $7 to $14 a hour . how can you have a family and make it on that money. we have small kids and daycare is a joke $160 $200 a week for 40 hours for each child . so how do you make it

Wow.... For starters I'd say you're overpaying on daycare.... Ours is $110 a week and it's a very nice daycare. Just have to hunt a bit instead of just assuming you have to go to La Pettite or KinderCare.....

If my assumption is wrong on where your kids attend there's no offense meant by it, and even so, the amount saved there only scratches the surface of how difficult it is to afford to live around here...

[Floridian to relocate]

that is true va it is no big saving . we do not put them in daycare now works out better for her to stay home . we know who is watching them . he day care is just the start everything has just seemed to have got more expencive in orlando

[Rhett_Butler]

Originally Posted by Floridian to relocate

that is true va it is no big saving . we do not put them in daycare now works out better for her to stay home . we know who is watching them . he day care is just the start everything has just seemed to have got more expencive in orlando

Yeah, cost of living raises (which I'm one of the few fortunate souls that get one) still don't keep pace with how much more expensive things have gotten....

[vickiesflores]

I am planning on relocating to the Orlando area before winter. I am curious to know where the safest neighborhoods to live are and good schools. I am far from rich, but I cannot handle another winter. I work for the state and make ok money. I live in a 4 bed/2bath duplex that I pay $795 a month for. I live in a nice family oriented established neighborhood where it is safe and no problems. Any guidance? What is it like during hurricane season? I thank you for your response.

[turboflgrl]

Currently I live quite close to UCF (Alafaya Trail area) and I will say that I have noticed a common theme on this website concerning traffic. Everyone states that it is outrageous and some of the worst they've seen. I find it to be decent at all hours simply because I am originally from Maryland - about 30 minutes from DC and am used to living 30 miles from work and sitting in 2 hours of traffic each morning. Orlando was a pleasant surprise in the comparison I will say that between the hours of 8am-10am as well as 4pm-6pm, traffic can be what small towners would see as a "nightmare" and people such as myself, normal. It really just depends what you are used to. Of course, I am talking about my area (Colonial/Alafaya intersection area is what I am mainly speaking of).

Oviedo tends to be good for traffic flow as compared to other areas. I go to the gym to sort of "get away" from it all and it has never been bumper to bumper for me. I really like Oviedo - it's a very nice, safe area.

Winter Park is dependent upon the area. I took a class a couple semesters ago at the VCC Winter Park campus and traffic was not fun considering all of the stop lights, but manageable.

As far as weighing the pros and cons of safety, traffic, people, etc., I would pick Oviedo over Winter Park any day. (No offense to intended to anyone living in WP - it's just an opinion).

As for apartment rentals, I'm looking into Avalon Park. Again, I don't mind traffic, nor do I mind paying a premium to live in a safer place, so it's an option you may want to look into if those are things important to you. I cannot truly say that I am a fan of Winter Park - I've looked at various rentals and was not impressed. Oviedo has some nice apartment rentals. You may actually want to look into renting from an investor. Do not count yourself out for rentals just because something went "condo". Plenty of investors pick them up and rent them out sometimes cheaper than the apartments in the surrounding area! I would definitely consider it...

Hope I helped a bit and good luck

[TravelingDude]

Originally Posted by LauraerieL

Just wanting opinions and comments from people that actually LIVE in or near the Orlando area...including Winter Park, Oviedo...
What are the pros and cons?? What should someone beware of?
Are there busier areas...constant traffic issues in particular places? Are there any affordable rentals left or is everything a condo?
Not to be mean, but this is for those actually living IN the area, NOT from a tourist point of view.
What is it REALLY LIKE living in or near Orlando???
All comments are greatly appreciated. Thanx!
What is YOUR experience?

There is NOTHING great about living IN Orlando. Orlando, my 'hometown', has become a crime-infested area where people are kidnapped while jogging, people are shot while isnide convenience stores, babies get carjacked, women are stabbed at bus stops, and 80 year old ladies drive their cars into stores with people inside.

If you live in the "metro area", meaning in areas that are north of orlando, you will actually be happy to be home every night after work. I can suggest several other areas right outside of Orlando that are quite nice and are still safe.

As for the upsides ot living in orlando... well....The weather is one of the few plus in the wintertime.... and i know it is not bad at all in NC in the winter. You can drive to the beach... which you also can in NC... uh... i dunno... i think that's about it. you can wrestle gators in gator farms if you like...

FYI - I see you are from NC.... boy will you be shocked when you see the high insurance costs, the high home prices, high rent, high property taxes, and the ridiculously low wages. I think you are VERY brave to want to move to Orlando. IMO, it's suicide coming from NC to try and live in orlando... i have a few family members who live outside Raleigh/Durham and they live lifestyles that are just no longer possible in Orlando, due to the fast and continual increases in the cost of living and wage stagnation. I think you got a great thing going in nc and you will be trading an area for another area that is not as financially viable.

You will also have to compete with several other applicants for job openings that are not horrible Disney-type jobs (I am not talking about 2 or 3 other candidates competing against you, which is usually expected anywhere else; I am talking 30+ candidates for 1 job opening). This is what causes wages to remain depressed.... you see, we have way too many people in orlando, people are moving down here in droves from northern states... peple move here w/o a job trusting that "fla creates a lot of jobs", ecept they do not know these jobs are low paying service jobs...

So think CAREFULLY BEFORE moving to Orlando so you don't throw away a nice life you have in NC for a dream in fla.