What is so great about living in/near Orlando? Who loves or hates it & WHY? (Tampa: crime rates, construction)

[Stavs]

Originally Posted by beckycat

We don't have much crime, but the crime is usually theft of your personal items. Usually, teenagers breaking into your house while you're not home and stealing your stuff.

Thats kind of a non chalant attitude-is this a common occurence? Are these neighborhood kids, or kids from other areas?

I've been lurking here for a few days and have a question. With the prices of real estate what they are down there (or were), how do all the "ghetto" folk get houses or pay rents? Is it just from fencing the goods they steal? Drugs?

[formertexan]

Originally Posted by stuckinfl

HELP....Get me out of Orlando! Jobs pay nothing here...$6.50-$12... if you're lucky! A lot of companies want you to work for commission ONLY...
Almost everyone is Hispanic! Where have the Caucasians gone? Don't belong here!
I'm desperately searching for a nice place to live...where it isn't freezing cold & you don't need to be a millionaire to afford it...
Any suggestions would be appreciated...

I feel your pain I have been here for a little over a year and feel it was the biggest mistake we made, Have you considered Texas? I would move back there in a heartbeat if we could.I loved coming here for vacations in the summer but living here has been a different story.

[Magnulus]

The housing costs are too high compared to the wages. Most people are not engineers, goes without saying. ALOT of people in Orlando are house rich, cash poor.

It's also one giant suburb. We will never have things like a good bus service or light rail here because of the way the area has been zoned, the population densities are relatively low and most of the businesses and employers are scattered over the suburbs. In the future this will severely impact the areas growth and quality of life. Some areas of Orlando already have very long rush hours and mobility within the metro area is compromised.

[ACSPM47]

I Plan To Move Fron New Jersey To Florida In 6 Month Can Samebody Tel,me Is Saint Cloud A Good Area?... Acspm47

[High Springs Gator]

I don't understand why Orlando has more crime now as compared to when I last visited which was 13 yrs ago. Orlando has always been a tourist mecca with Disney and all the other tourist attractions. What happened.

[luvthatmouse]

Originally Posted by High Springs Gator

I don't understand why Orlando has more crime now as compared to when I last visited which was 13 yrs ago. Orlando has always been a tourist mecca with Disney and all the other tourist attractions. What happened.

When people are not making enough to live on they become desperate. Crime goes up. In Celebration we had 8 or 9 Jeeps broken into the other night. They stole the soft tops and the doors and are probably selling them on Ebay right now. There are also a lot of gangs and drug issues in Orlando.

[Markfd]

Question for FORMERTEXAN, what part of Texas are you/were you from most recently since you said you would move back there in a heartbeat?

We live in Oregon and are considering the central Florida area as well as someplace in Texas. Just depends on certain factors.

Feel free to email me privately if necessary - Mark

[JTJ1977]

I am a recent college graduate from the Midwest (Iowa), and I am considering a move to Orlando, Miami, Cocoa Beach, and Jacksonville to participate in a year-long government program. (Americorps) Can anyone please inform me about the pros and cons of residing in all of these areas? I hope that I am placed in Orlando, but, I understand that I may be working for a nonprofit elsewhere in the state. What's the hurricane situation like? I know that Orlando's about 45 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, but, come on, that's close enough, I suppose. Jacksonville's obviously in hurricane territory, which is a major concern for me as well. What's the climate like in the summer? Having family in the Gulf South (Mississippi, Alabama), I know that it can get pretty humid during the summer months. I am guessing Central Florida's the same way.

And how's the dating scene for singles? Finally, which areas of the metro offer racially diverse neighborhoods and towns? (I am African American) I enjoy diverse areas--racial, georgraphical, and religious--and hope to encounter all of that in Central Florida. Thanks for your replies.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by JTJ1977

I am a recent college graduate from the Midwest (Iowa), and I am considering a move to Orlando, Miami, Cocoa Beach, and Jacksonville to participate in a year-long government program. (Americorps) Can anyone please inform me about the pros and cons of residing in all of these areas? I hope that I am placed in Orlando, but, I understand that I may be working for a nonprofit elsewhere in the state. What's the hurricane situation like? I know that Orlando's about 45 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, but, come on, that's close enough, I suppose. Jacksonville's obviously in hurricane territory, which is a major concern for me as well. What's the climate like in the summer? Having family in the Gulf South (Mississippi, Alabama), I know that it can get pretty humid during the summer months. I am guessing Central Florida's the same way.

And how's the dating scene for singles? Finally, which areas of the metro offer racially diverse neighborhoods and towns? (I am African American) I enjoy diverse areas--racial, georgraphical, and religious--and hope to encounter all of that in Central Florida. Thanks for your replies.

The pros in Orlando are
-You shouldn't feel uncomfortable about your race.
-Dating scene is actually decent.
Cons
-Ridiculous traffic
-Transient-mania population
-Mostly jobs that pay 7 dollars an hour
-High crime rate
-There is still an underlying racial tension there, but I think it's a tension more in general due to the transience.
-Far from the beach
-Particularly disgusting summer

Pros in Cocoa Beach
-Right on the water
Cons
-Not that diverse

Pros in Miami
-Top notch nightlife
-Feels like a different country at times
Cons
-Not really all that diverse (mostly Hispanic groups and blacks tend to live in their own enclaves)
-High levels of poverty and crime
-Gold digger dating scene
-Feels like a different country at times

Hurricane situation is the same statewide, but JAX has been spared for a long time.

I don't know enough about JAX to speak for the pros and cons.

The best place in Florida for someone looking for a diverse locale is BY FAR Ft. Lauderdale, hands down.

[katie_001166]

I absolutely hate traffic. I think its horrible for the environment, people's cash flows, and their waistlines. What are the walkable, livable areas of Orlando to live in without need of a car? Is it too hot and sticky to ride my bike most of the year? Also, what is the downtown like?