What part of the Orlando metro are should we move to? (Oviedo: apartment, renting)

[misselmaja]

My family and I have been visiting Orlando (ok actually mainly just Universal Studios & Disneyworld) at least twice a year for the last 8 years and we absolutely love it. We have made the decision that sometime within the next 2 years we will definitiely move there, we love Florida and many of our friends have moved to Florida and we miss them. Now the question is which area do we move to?? We would be looking for an area for myself, my husband, and our 9 year old daughter, as well as an area for my mother in a separate dwelling. Here's a little background.....I'm a caucasion woman, my husband is African American, and our daughter is biracial. I'm about to be 30 and my husband is 33 years old. We want a neighborhood that encompasses many racial backgrounds, has lots to do nearby, has a fairly decent amount of college graduate twentysomething's/thirtysomething's, coffee shops, book stores, and places that are walkable closeby with an abundance of smaller stores instead of huge malls. Any suggestions? I'm willing to live in Orlando itself, and we are willing to live up to one hour away from Orlando.

As for my mom, she will be wanting to have the same qualities as I desire....but she can live a bit more city-like than I can since she does not have any children living with her. She also makes about 120k per year so she can afford to be a bit more extravagant than us, lol. She would like the hippest area she could possibly live in without the people being too snotty. She would definitely be looking at buying a condo or renting an apartment, no houses for her. She currently lives in the Midtown section of Houston....if anyone is familiar with this area.....this is the perfect kind of neighborhood she would like to try to find in the Orlando area. She will be transferring from NASA here in Houston to the Kennedy Space Center in FL, and she would like to try to stay within a 30 minute morning commute if possible.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[Wilshire81182]

I think you would like any of the family oriented areas like Lake Nona, Oviedo, Waterford Lakes, Oviedo, or Winter Garden/Windermere, Lake Mary.

I think that your mom would like a hipper area like Winter Park or close to downtown Orlando like Colonialtown, College Park or Thornton Park.

Because you mentioned that you like walkable areas with less big box stores, you may also want to look into these areas. Because your mother has a high income, she may also like the Dr. Phillips area, but it is not quite as hip, just posh with a lot of dining and retail options.

Congratulation on your move!

[Crane's Rooster]

I welcome anyone that wants to move to Central Florida with a positive attitude and bright outlook such as yours but please let me say this. Living in Orlando and vacationing in Orlando are two very different things. Just like anywhere else, visiting or vacationing does not give you a true taste of what your in for. My suggestion is make a few more trips and stay out of your normal vacation routine. Stay outside of the themepark areas. Explore some of the residential areas that you may be interested in living in, shop some of the grocery stores, dine at some of the local restaurants, and drive by the schools and neighborhoods during "real" living hours. If you still like it than come on down.

That being said, areas you may want to explore on your next trip are Winter Park, College Park, Thornton Park, Hunter's Creek, Waterford Lakes, and Windermere/Dr. Phillips area. As for your mother a 30 minute commute from East Orlando to KSC may be possible once the connection from Alafaya to Beachline is complete. She should look in Waterford Lakes or Avalon Park. If she wants to live closer to work she should look into Merrit Island.

[annerk]

I would determine where you'll be working before you decide on where to live. And KSC is just about to layoff thousands, so don't be so sure your mother will be able to transfer.

I agree with Crane's Rooster, come here and DON'T go to the theme parks, instead stay at a hotel in a suburban area or downtown and learn more about the area.

Working and living here is a lot different than playing here.

http://www.universetoday.com/2009/05...irement-looms/

[misselmaja]

Yikes! Ok I will definitely keep that in mind. I will be an R.N. within the next year, so I would like to work in a hospital (no nursing homes or clinics...would like to work in the ER). My husband is a general manger of a national store, I don't anticipate that his transferring to another store in the Orlando area should be too much of a problem, but then again you never know. With me going into the medical field, i don't anticipate too much of a problem getting a nursing job. We may have a problem with my mom's job though understandably....she's a senior network engineer at NASA in Houston and has 25 years experience....we anticipate that there may be some difficulty for her transferring so we are trying to think of other options for her down the line as far as places that would employ her if a transfer is not possible. Does anyone have any feedback regarding the town of Celebration for myself and my husband/daughter? I recently discovered this town online yesterday...sure looks pretty with lots of small stores and lakes. Pro's and con's?

[annerk]

Celebration is over priced and surrounded by some pretty crappya areas. And the highschool is very underperforming, as are Osceola County schools in general.

Get a job first, then worry about where you'll be living. You don't want to be living in one area and commuting to anotehr--traffic around here can be a bear.

[misselmaja]

any recommendations as to what companies may appreciate a super techno wiz with lots of experience such as my mom? What would be in the top 5? Would Disney be a consideration? She likes to work for fairly large companies so there's still room for her to move up. Any company names would be a great start :-)

[misselmaja]

Sorry, I know I'm getting a little off-topic....

[annerk]

There are some programming jobs here, but probably not making the kind of money she's used to. When my husband looked into it, I/T salaries were about 30% lower than they were in the northeast.

Disney is laying off, not hiring.

[beachmouse]

There's still a fair amount of defense contracting in the Orlando area. I'd probably poke around the websites of the usual suspects in that secotr. (very helpful if she's got an active security clearance)