Good place to live near Valencia CC?? (Orlando, Winter Garden: apartment complexes, rentals)

[corinne148]

Hi everybody!

I´m coming from Sweden to study at Valencia CC, west campus and I´m feeling a bit lost on which area I should choose to live in. Valencia is in Metro west, correct? And that area is really bad according to everybody, so that is a no go. But the traffic in Orlando isn´t that great either so I don´t want to live to far from the school. So any advice on where to find an apartment? Area or specific apartment recs would be great!

I lived 5 minutes from Inglewood in LA for a year, a classified bad area, and that worked great. Is Metro west worse than that? Anybody know?

Would really appreciate any help I could get as it´s so hard trying to research this from Sweden. Been to Orlando a couple of times but mostly been in the touristy areas so that´s no help.

thanks!

[annerk]

There is NO WHERE within five minutes of the Valencia campus that is comsidered a good/safe area to live.

You'd need to go further out. Frankly you couldn't pay me to live in Metrowest. Between the crime and traffic, no thanks.

[corinne148]

Originally Posted by annerk

There is NO WHERE within five minutes of the Valencia campus that is comsidered a good/safe area to live.

You'd need to go further out. Frankly you couldn't pay me to live in Metrowest. Between the crime and traffic, no thanks.

Ok, good to know. Do you have any suggestions further out then?

[Practice]

I'd suggest Conroy-Windermere rd and further south, it gets a little better as you go further south. Also Dr. Phillips area is good.

[Wilshire81182]

I would live in the College Park area and while it is not super close, you can get on the 408 to the Kirkman exit. It does not take forever.

Like the other poster suggested, Dr Phillips and most of the rest of SW Orlando is nice. You may find nice complexes in Winter Garden as well. Just avoid most, if not all of Metrowest and the Millenia area.

[volk2k]

Originally Posted by annerk

There is NO WHERE within five minutes of the Valencia campus that is comsidered a good/safe area to live.

You'd need to go further out. Frankly you couldn't pay me to live in Metrowest. Between the crime and traffic, no thanks.

I'm not sure why annerk has such an extreme distaste for Metrowest, but please take what she and others say here with a grain of salt.... I don't even think she even knows the correct bounds of Metrowest or has even been through the golf course communities here which are absolutely safe and beautiful. And there is no traffic THROUGH Metrowest. Yes Kirkman can get busy, but that is not IN Metrowest, and even with that traffic, Metrowest's location is still closer and convenient than living further out.....

Annerk likes to make Metrowest out be an area like South Central LA/ Compton/Ghetto, but c'mon, have you actually been to Metrowest, Annerk... tell me exactly where in Metrowest YOU personally have been that gives you this impression.... I am quite confident that the areas you decide to point out are NOT in Metrowest.

Metrowest itself is not a bad area, but it is close to some rough neighborhoods on the other side of Kirkman..... and the Walmart next to Valencia has given it a bad reputation. In fact, Metrowest was one of the nicest areas in the Orlando area.... and borders Dr. Phillips and Windermere... There are very nice properties in Metrowest.

However, the one section of Metrowest that I would stay away from is the Raleigh/Westgate area since that is right next to Kirkman..... look for neighborhoods/apartment complexes closer to Hiawassee.

Corinne, you may to take a look at the apartment complexes off of Lake Debra drive like La Palazza

Finally annerk.... please tell me on this map where you believe the traffic in Metrowest is.....

Metro West, Orlando, Florida Zip Code Boundary Map (FL)

[volk2k]

Originally Posted by Wilshire81182

I would live in the College Park area and while it is not super close, you can get on the 408 to the Kirkman exit. It does not take forever.

Like the other poster suggested, Dr Phillips and most of the rest of SW Orlando is nice. You may find nice complexes in Winter Garden as well. Just avoid most, if not all of Metrowest and the Millenia area.

Wilshire... respectfully, can you point out "most of Metrowest" that one should avoid?

Metro West, Orlando, Florida Zip Code Boundary Map (FL)

Thanks!

[tworent]

I would move into one of my rentals it’s in a good area and will be ready Sep 1st sorry a shameless plug

[annerk]

Originally Posted by volk2k

I'm not sure why annerk has such an extreme distaste for Metrowest, but please take what she and others say here with a grain of salt.... I don't even think she even knows the correct bounds of Metrowest or has even been through the golf course communities here which are absolutely safe and beautiful. And there is no traffic THROUGH Metrowest. Yes Kirkman can get busy, but that is not IN Metrowest, and even with that traffic, Metrowest's location is still closer and convenient than living further out.....

Annerk likes to make Metrowest out be an area like South Central LA/ Compton/Ghetto, but c'mon, have you actually been to Metrowest, Annerk... tell me exactly where in Metrowest YOU personally have been that gives you this impression.... I am quite confident that the areas you decide to point out are NOT in Metrowest.

Metrowest itself is not a bad area, but it is close to some rough neighborhoods on the other side of Kirkman..... and the Walmart next to Valencia has given it a bad reputation. In fact, Metrowest was one of the nicest areas in the Orlando area.... and borders Dr. Phillips and Windermere... There are very nice properties in Metrowest.

However, the one section of Metrowest that I would stay away from is the Raleigh/Westgate area since that is right next to Kirkman..... look for neighborhoods/apartment complexes closer to Hiawassee.

Corinne, you may to take a look at the apartment complexes off of Lake Debra drive like La Palazza

Finally annerk.... please tell me on this map where you believe the traffic in Metrowest is.....

Metro West, Orlando, Florida Zip Code Boundary Map (FL)

Apparantly you've never driven down Hiawasee during rush hour. I hit terrible traffic a week ago today around 5:15 on Metrowest Blvd. 435 (which IS in that zip code) is a freaking armpit. When you're dealing with the type of crime that the Wal-Mart brings, a quarter mile into the "good" section isnt' enough space for me.

[volk2k]

Originally Posted by annerk

Apparantly you've never driven down Hiawasee during rush hour. I hit terrible traffic a week ago today around 5:15 on Metrowest Blvd. 435 (which IS in that zip code) is a freaking armpit. When you're dealing with the type of crime that the Wal-Mart brings, a quarter mile into the "good" section isnt' enough space for me.

First of all Metrowest is NOT a zipcode.... 32835 is a large zipcode that encompasses three areas including parts of Dr. Philiips so should we condemn Dr. Phillips now as well?

FOR the record.... 435 is NOT part of Metrowest... It is part of Orlo Vista.

I have had homes in Metrowest since 1992..... I think I know the area just a LITTLE more than you.

First of all, traffic is not bad on Hiawassee.... I wouldn't say that Metrowest has any real traffic problems.... I drive on 435, Hiawassee, and Kirkman on a daily basis? How often do you? Oh yeah... one time last week.... during RUSH HOUR.

Of course there is going to be some traffic during "rush hour"... why do you think it's called "rush hour"? How can you call that a legitimate traffic issue? My significant other travels from Downtown Orlando during "rush hour" in less than 30 minutes.... EVERY DAY.

You obviously don't know your way around Metrowest.

So you say.... 1/4 mile is too close to Walmart.... what is your magic number? a mile, 2 miles, 5 miles... There goes Dr. Phillips... There goes Windermere....

You always fail to realize that the "good" parts of Metrowest border Dr. Phillips and Windermere..... share the same A-Rated schools.... have nicer homes in some cases.... and can be almost 3 miles away from that god-forsaken WalMart...

I have never claimed that Metrowest is perfect... there are definitely things that could be done to improve it.... but it is definitely not as bad as you make it out to be...

So back to the OP's question...

Corinne if you want some REAL WORLD experience from someone who actually lives in the Metrowest area (and has for 17 years), please feel free to send me a message...

I would probably stay away from the apartments on Raleigh and Westgate... I'd encourage you to check out the apartments on Lake Debra Drive as well as Bermuda Dunes.

Once you visit these complexes and wander through the housing developments in the area, you will definitely change your mind about how you feel about Metrowest.....

If you're still not convinced, then honestly, there are no other places within 5 miles of there that I would recommend. Primarily because there are very few apartments (if any?) in Dr. Phillips and Windermere... That's not to say that apartments on Metrowest Blvd or Conroy are bad.... they just aren't as nice.

But if you are looking to rent from a private owner, I'm sure you have some choices.

Good Luck!