downtown orlando: ghost town? (please explain!!!!) (Tampa: sale, theater, prices)

[TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES]

By far the most ridiculous place I have ever been in my life, no restaurants, huge vacant buildings, high parking costs and nobody but tatto clad smokers and beggars after 8PM. No wonder Disney moved everything on site. Every time I go to downtown Orlando, I'm amazed and it is getting worse not better. What did the mayor get a kick back for building tall unnecesary charm killing buildings? Truly awful!!!

[johnatl]

^LOL! What a bizarre observation.

[Wilshire81182]

Originally Posted by johnatl

^LOL! What a bizarre observation.

Ridiculous actually. I don't see that when I go downtown.
I see some people who are rough around the edges and some vacant storefronts, but I also see a lot of people eating outside, walking around. People are dressed casually, in business attire, etc. I see a good mix of people downtown and I think if anything it is getting nicer.

[blueoktober]

I don't think this person has any idea what downtown even is. It's one of the few downtowns that don't die down after 6pm. I think I posted at least 30 non chain restaurants that are downtown right now and thriving.

When was Disney ever downtown?

Me thinks this person is just trolling.

[Crane's Rooster]

I really don't understand the observations people make about downtown being downtrodden, filled with vagrants and shady characters and full of empty buildings than go on to compare it to major cities. First, every downtown, regardless of where you're from is a diverse mix of characters. Whether you are in Manhattan's, San Francisco, DC, Boston, etc...it is not like they depict them on TV. The streets are not prestine, full of culture and teeming with beautiful people. They are full of mix of people from celebrities to homeless people. Most people are very guarded and do not make eye contact much less make random conversation. They also empty out considerably after 5 p.m. to be influxed by a younger crowd including yes...young professional looking types and those that look like they might be up to something. That's the beauty most people find in "real" downtowns, they are usually eclectic places. Downtown Orlando is getting progessivley better, but it does so in the same ways most other major downtown areas have. The only place your going to find a real downtown without issues most people gripe about is on a hollywood set.

[DailyJournalist]

A downtown refers to a city's core and central business district, usually in a geographical, commercial, and community sense. The problem with Downtown Orlando is that many of Orlando's residents do not feel attached to downtown. This detachment is the reason why I think many complain about downtown Orlando. This is a the problem of many car-centered sunbelt cities.

[Crane's Rooster]

I agree. It's hard to draw people back in after decades of promoting the idea that you will have a city center that serves a business purpose and than after 5 everyone can go back the burbs. This is the problem with most cities outside of the Northeast and save a few major cities in the Midwest and West coast. I think what Orlando is doing right is trying to create that attachment and recreate the desire to be downtown. The things Orlando has working in it's favor are beautiful older neighborhoods and parks surrounding downtown. They are capitalizing well on the Lake Eola/Thornton Park area. One of my roommates first observations he made when first moving here was "wow, there sure are alot of people walking around downtown." By this he was referring to Thornton Park, not the Central business district. One of the things that facilitates this is all the old oaks downtown. Where my roommate is from elsewhere in FL people don't walk around much because it's just too hot. He made a keen observation that just about all the residential streets downtown are shaded by large oaks. Finnally, I think they just did a good job of selling the idea of central living. When I left here years ago to attend college downtown, other than weekend nights, was dead. Now with all the restaraunts and improvements downtown it really has changed and is coming into it's own. Don't get me wrong there is a long way to go but even today it is world's apart from the downtown I remembered years ago.

[hrgal15]

I think Downtown Orlando is very attractive in that it has both "city" style entertainment (clubs, restaurants, etc) along with more quaint hometown areas like Thorton park. Years ago Downtown Orlando was really dead, now its thriving as much as it can considering the troubled condo industry down there. Years ago you could park and walk around downtown whenever you wanted. Now I have to drive around a little to find good, free parking. Another plus is that downtown is relatively safe.

I think the new arena will do wonders for the vibrancy of downtown once it opens.

[paleo99]

One thing I would give Orlando is that the downtown is more active than you would think for a city of its size. Quite a few middle-upper class yuppies and granola/new ager yoga types live and have businesses in the general area. Eola Park is one of the few places in the area where you can walk around at night and not have a problem. There's even a Publix supermarket in downtown next to Lake Eola. If I didn't work so far from downtown I would live there if I absolutely had to stay in the area.

[ORLguy]

Downtown Orlando slams at night. Some of the posters here I think make things up for some reason. I see tons of hot girls in dressses and people dressed up and partying. They have to shut down Orange Ave ..the main road! The weekends downtown until around 9 or so ARE dead because the only businesss open are bars and clubs. But I am here right now and there are people everywhere working professional 9-5 jobs like myself.