Tampa vs Orlando (Lakeland, Palm Harbor, Dunedin: apartment complex, rental, crime)

[dst828]

First I am not trying to make this a tug-o-war against the two cities; I am really interested in opinions from you who have lived or have information in comparison of the two.

I am relocating to the area after much thought. Currently I am in Washington State so this is a huge move for me. My sister and family live in Southern Orlando and I will be staying with them while I look for work.

About me: Single in my 40's, love to hike, and enjoy the water. Would like to feel safe in my neighborhood so I can walk and enjoy the area. I have been working in Sales/Marketing in Assisted Living but can do the same in other types of communities or even hospitality. I am more of a rental house than an apartment complex type person (plan to rent for a year to see areas that I like). Not really into the bar scene or clubs. I am originally from Boston and have been in the Seattle area for 14 years. I do love what Seattle has to offer, I am just tired of all the rain and clouds. My sister and family being in Florida is certainly icing on the cake but was thinking of the move prior to that.

Can anyone tell me what the market for employment is in the cities? Can you compare life styles of the two? What does either one have to offer? Also looking for pros/cons of both areas. Advice on employment etc.

I really appreciate anything that you can offer, good and bad!

[Keeper]

I am not an expert on the Orlando area but from reading the Orlando forum it appears Tampa is the better choice for employment. Orlando is much more a tourist town from what I have read online. Tampa is home to some large employers like Met Life, USAA and others. You are close to the Bay or the Gulf.

[dst828]

Keeper: Thanks for the info, can you suggest any places/neighborhoods for me to look at when I arrive. I don't think I would like living downtown but somewhere a bit removed would be nice. I remember St Pete being very nice (but I have not been there in 10+ years)

Again, thanks for any advice or direction you can give

[flmom28]

I live in Tampa and my sister lives in Orlando. The Tampa job market is the worst i have ever seen it. My sister does very well for herself and never seems to have a hard time in Orlando.

[markhunt]

I moved out of Orlando over a year ago. I did not like it because of the lack of sense of community. It is very transient and primarily driven by tourism dollars, which means the majority of the jobs in Orlando are minimum wage. Not saying that are no good jobs, just that a good portion of the population are minimum wage workers. Draw your own conclusions from that and also take a peek at the crime rate.

Without disney world, what would Orlando be right now?

[dst828]

Mark: When you left Orlando where did you go? Are there area you would avoid in Orlando?

flmom: Is there a lot of tourism in Tampa, or mainly professionals living there? Also what area is you sister in, and she feels safe and likes being there?

Thanks for all the help you guys are giving, this is a hard decision and any advice/warnings is greatly appreciated

[dcabrer1]

I would pick Tampa other Orlando 100 times. Tampa seems to have more things to do where as Orlando is just disney parks and full of people who aggravate u with Westgate resort invitations. Traffic is also much lighter in Tampa than it is in Orlando so you could do more things in a short period of time.

[dst828]

dcabrer1: What is there to do in the Tampa area? I know the beaches but is there more....

I have been really looking at Dunedin & Palm Harbor or St Pete - any recommendations?

[markhunt]

Originally Posted by dst828

Mark: When you left Orlando where did you go? Are there area you would avoid in Orlando?

dst828, I moved to little town in Polk County called Auburndale (Borders Lakeland to the East). I still work in Orlando (unicorporated), and commute daily.

I chose where I live because I didn't want my family around Orlando. Especially didn't want my kids in the schools. I wanted more country and privacy. Anyway, I am most familiar with the South Goldenrod\Semoran\Conway area of Orlando. I would avoid that whole area. In the conway area, Belle Isle is VERY nice if you don't mind living in a "bubble", because you are surrounded by "undesirables".

More undesirables are:

32808
32822
32824
32839
32805

Those are a few. I am sure if you do a search in the Orlando forum about what zipcodes to avoid you will find a thread that was created about this. I remember seeing it. They also had a list of zipcodes that were decent.

If I could live in the Tampa area, I would definatley look into Lutz or Wesley Chapel though.

Now if I was in your shoes, for what you want, I would definatley pick Tampa. South Orlando (unincorporated), there is NO walking anywhere. You absolutley need a car. Plus Tampa is closer to the beach. I personally like the west coast beaches better than east.

[Sunnydee]

I have to agree with the people above. I've done a lot of research in the last few years because we intend to relocate to Florida. After numerous exploratory trips, reading countless books/websites/etc., and DM's from CD members we decided on the Tampa area. It just seemed to fit more of our criteria and felt safer. I do have to mention that Lake Mary, Mount Dora, Baldwin Park, and Eustis areas around Orlando were nice, so if you decide on Orlando you might want to check out those areas. Best wishes!