Pursuing a Dream (not your typical coming to Orlando thread, hopefully) (Kissimmee: extended stay, to rent)

[Osborn89419]

Hello, I have been a long time reader of various city forums across the wonderful state of Florida, and do believe Orlando is the perfect match for my brother and myself.
My brother (26) and I (35) recently became unemployed casino workers in a small town outside of Reno, NV. Due to our comfortable (not extravagant by any means, just comfortable) lifestyle, we paid no mind to the future and lived for each day as it came. Well needless to say when the day came we were both unemployed, we found ourselves scratching our heads and wondering why we hadn't prepared ourselves better.
Both of our parents our deceased and we only have each other. We have been thinking for a while to just hit the reset button and start over somewhere new and "exotic". We have decided on the Orlando area due to it's vast recreational activities and music scene. We are both drug free (with the exception of the occasional drink) and well mannered adults that have just burned out on being in the middle of nowhere with only the same daily grind to look forward too.
My experience lies in bartending and most front of house type operations, while my brother was mostly janitorial and back of house operations. We are both happy with this type of work and are not above waiting tables, or washing dishes etc. to get by.
We will be coming with a very tight budget to begin with and will start looking for work immediately. I have a few basic questions and encourage helpful responses please, not lectures on how bad it is going to be, because frankly we have been to the bottom and only see blue sky above from here on out. Enough rambling, here are my questions:

1. We will be flying in to the main airport and probably taking a taxi downtown to look for a room, are there any motels or such that offer reasonable monthly rates for a kitchenette or similar type double occupancy room close to downtown? Can you give some names so I can contact them in advance please?

2. Is there a relatively good demand for service industry employment in the area?

3. Our main hobby and interest is music. We go to as many shows as possible and our main interest is hard rock/ Heavy metal. Is there a decent scene downtown with a decent scheduling of national as well as local artists?

As previously stated we are two well mannered drug free bachelors who will be spreading our wings for the first time, and we are scared as hell haha. I would like greatly to make some new friends and contacts in the area so if you would like to contact me and have a conversation I would enjoy that.

my email is osborn89419@yahoo.com I check it often from my phone.

Thank You in advance for any assistance offered, and sorry about the rambling nature of this post, I have never done anything like this before and just looking to reach out.

signed
Scott and Gary

[annerk]

Originally Posted by Osborn89419

1. We will be flying in to the main airport and probably taking a taxi downtown to look for a room, are there any motels or such that offer reasonable monthly rates for a kitchenette or similar type double occupancy room close to downtown? Can you give some names so I can contact them in advance please?

The extended stay places aren't in downtown. Most are in fairly sketchy areas not near employment opportunities. You'll really need to get cars asap. The LYNX buses stop running before you'd get done with work at a lot of places. You might want to consider looking to rent a room in a house in the Colonialtown area. It's on the busline and an inexpensive cab ride from the central business district and clubs downtown. There are some restaurants in the area, or you could take a bus to work and then cab it home.

2. Is there a relatively good demand for service industry employment in the area?

Fairly good, although it's hard to get f/t hours at least to start. I-Drive, Disney, Universal, Sand Lake Road, and the downtown club district are where most of those jobs are. Most of the people I know in the service industry here got in because they knew somebody, except at Disney where a lot of time you'll get one shift a week to start.

3. Our main hobby and interest is music. We go to as many shows as possible and our main interest is hard rock/ Heavy metal. Is there a decent scene downtown with a decent scheduling of national as well as local artists?

HUGE scene. There are at least 20 clubs that showcase local to national acts, but they are NOT all downtown. This area is spread out, and for every downtown club there is an equally good or better club with the same calibre of music elsewhere. The two best concert clubs are both 10 miles from downtown. (Hard Rock live and House of Blues.) You can see a band almost every night of the week. You'll run into me at some point in time, I'm out and about a couple nights a week.

[beckycat]

Originally Posted by Osborn89419

Hello, I have been a long time reader of various city forums across the wonderful state of Florida, and do believe Orlando is the perfect match for my brother and myself.
My brother (26) and I (35) recently became unemployed casino workers in a small town outside of Reno, NV. Due to our comfortable (not extravagant by any means, just comfortable) lifestyle, we paid no mind to the future and lived for each day as it came. Well needless to say when the day came we were both unemployed, we found ourselves scratching our heads and wondering why we hadn't prepared ourselves better.
Both of our parents our deceased and we only have each other. We have been thinking for a while to just hit the reset button and start over somewhere new and "exotic". We have decided on the Orlando area due to it's vast recreational activities and music scene. We are both drug free (with the exception of the occasional drink) and well mannered adults that have just burned out on being in the middle of nowhere with only the same daily grind to look forward too.
My experience lies in bartending and most front of house type operations, while my brother was mostly janitorial and back of house operations. We are both happy with this type of work and are not above waiting tables, or washing dishes etc. to get by.
We will be coming with a very tight budget to begin with and will start looking for work immediately. I have a few basic questions and encourage helpful responses please, not lectures on how bad it is going to be, because frankly we have been to the bottom and only see blue sky above from here on out. Enough rambling, here are my questions:

1. We will be flying in to the main airport and probably taking a taxi downtown to look for a room, are there any motels or such that offer reasonable monthly rates for a kitchenette or similar type double occupancy room close to downtown? Can you give some names so I can contact them in advance please?

2. Is there a relatively good demand for service industry employment in the area?

3. Our main hobby and interest is music. We go to as many shows as possible and our main interest is hard rock/ Heavy metal. Is there a decent scene downtown with a decent scheduling of national as well as local artists?

As previously stated we are two well mannered drug free bachelors who will be spreading our wings for the first time, and we are scared as hell haha. I would like greatly to make some new friends and contacts in the area so if you would like to contact me and have a conversation I would enjoy that.

my email is osborn89419@yahoo.com I check it often from my phone.

Thank You in advance for any assistance offered, and sorry about the rambling nature of this post, I have never done anything like this before and just looking to reach out.

signed
Scott and Gary

How close do you need to be to Orlnado? There are some Value Places for a weekly rate of $189-$229. Also, I know the Candlewood in Lake Mary does a monthly rate of $800. They both have kitchens. There are plenty others too. I'm sure others will chime in.

As for work, I think being that you are in the service industry, you should be able to find a job.

I think you can find what you like for entertainment in downtown Orlando. There are plenty of bars and clubs, something for everyone.

[Osborn89419]

thank you for your responses so far. I don't exactly have to be "downtown", just close to where the action, so to speak, would be. Is there temporary firms such as manpower etc. around that area?

[beckycat]

Originally Posted by Osborn89419

thank you for your responses so far. I don't exactly have to be "downtown", just close to where the action, so to speak, would be. Is there temporary firms such as manpower etc. around that area?

Yes, there are temp agencies. Adecco is one.

[EndersDrift]

You may want to consider living in Winter Garden, Ocoee, Clermont, Kissimmee, Davenport, Four Corners.

The Western Expressway that is brand new is almost a service industry road going to all the tourism places without the traffic of Downtown Orlando or the Airport.

I also sent you a pm with one resort I know of that is currently hiring, though not sure of what positions.

[annerk]

You don't want to live in those areas without a car, especially if you want nightlife. There is no bus service (except a commuter bus in the morning and late afternoon from northern Clermont, no bus in Davenport, extremely limited service in southern Clermont, limited service in Winter Garden, and Ocoee where there is bus service is a dump and there's no service in the nicer parts.

Kissimmee has bus service, but you can't get to any of the clubs from there without it taking two hours and an expensive cab ride home.

[EndersDrift]

... It takes me about 20 minutes to get from Kissimmee to downtown Orlando. I don't know what roads you're taking but there is no way it takes 2 hours to go from Kissimmee to Downtown.

They also said they drink occasionally, which to me means they can be out listening to music without getting drunk. And they didn't say anything about not having a car except upon arrival.

[annerk]

Originally Posted by EndersDrift

... It takes me about 20 minutes to get from Kissimmee to downtown Orlando. I don't know what roads you're taking but there is no way it takes 2 hours to go from Kissimmee to Downtown.

By bus. They aren't going to ahve a car. They are flying in.

They also said they drink occasionally, which to me means they can be out listening to music without getting drunk. And they didn't say anything about not having a car except upon arrival.

I never said they were out getting drunk, I have no idea where you came up with that. From the initial post, it does not sound like they will have a car.

[EndersDrift]

Originally Posted by annerk

By bus. They aren't going to ahve a car. They are flying in.



I never said they were out getting drunk, I have no idea where you came up with that. From the initial post, it does not sound like they will have a car.

I took the 2 hours as some absurd drive time to downtown and taxi back because they would be drunk. I didn't interpret it to mean bus and it was ambiguous.

I don't see where in the initial post you see anything about them without a car except upon arrival. They made no indication to not being able to get one or to getting one. I am presuming they intend to get one as this is Orlando and living here without a car is very difficult no matter where you live. They're obviously not driving from Las Vegas but that doesn't mean they don't plan on buying a car once they get here. I may be moving cross country soon and plan on buying a car once I get there as well.

Just different interpretations I suppose.