HELP what is MAITLAND? Safe? good area? We NEED ADVISE (Orlando: apartment, rent)

[guateek]

We just found out that we are moving to Maitland in less than ONE MONTH!!!!!!!!!!!! I thought our jobs were taking us to Windermere and had done all my research and we were very happy to move there and had found schools, organic grocery and even the starbucks!!!!! But now we are moving to Maitland, is this a nice area? Should we consider somewhere else...maybe LONGWOOD? Can someone help? We did find a school for my daughter ( 3 1/2years old a Montessori school)

[Brasstec]

Like anywhere else, there are good and not so good parts, but overall, Maitland is a great (but not new) area. I have several friends who have Maitland addresses - all are very nice homes. Check your specific address for property value/neighborhood conditions. BTW, there's a great Whole Food grocery in the shopping center at the corner of Aloma & Lakemont....that's actually Winter Park, but easily accessible from Maitland. Also, a new Publix is located just north of the 17-92/Howell Branch Rd. intersection. (Guess you can tell food's important to me....haha!)

[rholborn]

I know Longwood well, and Maitland a little bit. I am in those areas weekly, and I live only 10min. from longwood and 15-20 min. from Maitland! Feel free to send me a Private message, and I can answer any detailed questions you would like!

[sunstate]

As a native Floridian, I am very familiar with the Orlando, Winter Park, Maitland and Longwood area. I have lived in all. I now live in Longwood and I do like it. It is close to Orlando so you can get into the city if you want easily and it is far enough out so that traffic is less a pain.

The schools in Seminole County are better than Orange County and the neighborhoods are more established than some of the newer ones.

I would have no concerns about moving to Maitland if I were you. The city of Casselberry is located between Maitland and Longwood and parts of it are the pits. When it comes down to it, all the little townships around Orlando are really just part of the whole. The small towns have no real identity.

I am looking to leave this area mostly for work reasons (lack of work at a livable wage) but I would stay if I could find decent employment.

I am selling my house in Longwood. Right now I am awaiting a showing (as usual for Sunday). The market is very slow and it is frustrating.

I am sure you will be happy in your new location. As I said, I would stay if I could find a job at a livable wage.

[Prichard]

Maitland is a great town that is in Orange county but borders Seminole County. To the south of Maitland is Winter Park. To the North is Altamonte. House tend to keep their value in Maitland and appreciate pretty well there.

Here are some things you need to know about Maitland. Schools. East of Maitland Ave. goes to Domrich, Maitland Middle, and Winter Park High - pretty good schools. West of Maitland Ave. - Lake Sybellia elementry, Maitland Middle, and Edgewater High - Out of that grouping, Edgewater is the weak link.

Maitland politics are small town and contentious at times. Residents are very involved in Maitland politics. They are struggling to remake their "downtown" at the intersection of Horatio and Maitland Ave. Several plans have been proposed, but there is a citizens group that is pushing to get their plan approved. Eventually, Maitland will have a nice downtown area. There are a couple large condo projects along 17-92 in Maitland - the residents faught hard to keep them out, but the developers seem to be winning this battle. To the south west of Maitland is Eatonville - a historic all black town. It has some shabby areas, but it has a lot of pride as a community and sponsors a couple of black-oriented festivals each year. The part of Maitland that is actually just in Seminole County (really Altamonte, but has a Maitland mailing address), is spotty - with older neighborhoods that haven't necessarily kept up. But, it's not "ghetto" either. Also, that area feeds into the Lyman school district - generally thought to be one of Seminole County's lesser schools.

[Nirvana-Guy]

Maitland is still in (yuck) Orange county, but it is a VERY nice area!! It is far enough from Orlando so you will be MUCH safer and will deal with better quality people.

It is close to everything, but you beat a lot of the traffic going down to Orlando. It is 100x safer than Orlando, tons of rich people, very clean.... you will love it.

The ONLY problem with Maitland are the home and rent prices!! It is through the roof.

If you cannot afford it there, go for Longwood, Lake Mary, Winter Springs, or Oviedo. Still nice, clean areas and you will be farily close to Maitland.

Welcome to our neck of the world. It will be FREAKIN' hot from April - Christmas (80 in the morning, 95 during the day with 100% humidity), but at least you are going to a nice area.

IMPORTANT: Whatever people tell you, do NOT move to Orlando. I grew up in Orlando and the city is extremely violent, drug infested, and dirty. Go for either Maitland or Seminole county. Oh also stay away from Osceola county, Kissimmee, and Poinciana, unless you speak Spanish as your first language.

[trissidaae]

Does anyone know how the area around howell branch road is? my husband and I are looking at an apartment or condo right there but are new to the area.

[THASPECIAL]

Maitland, Altamonte Springs, Longwood, are All nice areas overall

[trissidaae]

do you know anything about the actual areas? such as howell branch road? because that is where the place we want to move to is?

[Prichard]

Does anyone know how the area around howell branch road is? my husband and I are looking at an apartment or condo right there but are new to the area.

Yes, I am quite familiar with this area.

Howell Branch Rd. (also called Horatio where it goes through Maitland) runs from Downtown Maitland east past 436 into south Seminole County curving south and then terminating into Aloma.

The first thing you need to know is that only a portion of Howell Branch Rd. is in Maitland - that part that we call Horratio. When talking about Maitland, forget trying to use post office addresses - there are many Winter Park and Maitland post office addresses that are not in those cities!

Most people think of Maitland being west of 436 along Howell Branch Rd. / Horatio, but it actually starts somewhere just west of Temple (intersects Horatio.

The reason I make these distincitions is because Horatio is in Orange County and most of Howell Branch Road is in Seminole County. The Orange County schools along Horatio are: Domrich Elementry; Maitland Middle; and Winter Park High School - all really good schools. Then, in Seminole County the High School is Lake Howell, which is OK, but most think it's no where near as good as Winter Park high.

There really are no appartments along Horatio / Howell Branch Rd. in Maitland. The appartments I think you are talking about are on Howell Branch Rd. between Lake Howell Rd. and 436. They are an older grouping of appartments, very average in nature - I looked there once many years ago, but thought the area looked a little congested - too much 436 traffic for my liking.

The neighborhoods north of Howell Branch Rd., and west of Lake Howell are generally called Domrich - but there are actually several neighborhoods back there with different names. Part of it is located in Seminole County - this part of the Domrich area is not as desireable, because the schools are not as good. The area south of Howell Branch Rd./Horatio is considered Winter Park (eventhough some of it is actually Maitland). This is a very desireable area to live - houses will be quite expensive in there.

Going past 436 on Howell Branch Rd., you are now in Seminole County. The neighborhoods are basically average, decent middle class. The school system is a notch or two below the Maitland/Winter Park school system, but it's still a decent school system. There will be a slightly higher hispanic population in the Lake Howell area schools. This was a real issue in the '80's but I don't think as much today - as seminole county really does a good job with its schools.

Personally, I wouldn't live right near 436, off of Howell Branch Rd. Nor would I live right on Howell Branch Rd. 436 is a very busy road, and the traffic on Howell Branch Road, going west toward I-4 in the morning is quite heavy. I had a friend who had a real nice house that backed up to Horatio, and even though he had a big concrete wall along his back yard and Horatio, the road noise was unbelieveably loud!

You really need to break Maitland into three areas: Domrich - east of 17-92 to about 436 along Horatio; Old Maitland - Downtown Maitland area, Sadspur and north to the Orange/Seminole County Border, and New Maitland - Lake Destiny area on the other side of I-4.