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Old 05-19-2009, 08:16 AM
 
2 posts, read 5,664 times
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Can anyone tell me anything about the Lakeland area? My husband will be taking a job transfer to the area and I would like to know if anyone could suggest any good suburbs around there. We have children and would like to be somewhere where there is parent involvement in the schools, a good family community and safe. Are the public schools ok there? Or do majority of people send to private? Any advice on the area would be greatly appriciated! Thanks
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Old 05-19-2009, 11:59 AM
 
Location: Lakeland, FL
326 posts, read 1,301,706 times
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Do a search for Lakeland... lots of good info for the Lakeland area already posted.

Good Luck on your relocations!
Just relocated myself a couple of months ago to the area.
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Old 05-19-2009, 02:38 PM
 
Location: SARASOTA, FLORIDA
11,486 posts, read 15,306,908 times
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There is a ton of info on this board about Lakeland. Several posters here live in or around Lakeland.

Congrats to you both on your move to Florida!

Not to bust the OPs thread but k101608 it would be great for this OP and the rest of us if you would post why you moved to Lakeland, what are your likes and dislikes etc.

Seems there is quite a few people who ask about Lakeland and since you just moved there your information is very important to others if you do not mind sharing.
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Old 05-19-2009, 03:52 PM
 
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I have written many posts in the past about Lakeland since we did live there for almost two years (moved to Sarasota last December) but I will try to summarize what I liked or didn't like (which wasn't much) about the area.

Lakeland for the most part is a clean, beautiful, community oriented mid size city (almost 100,000 pop.) They have a strong downtown organization with a beautifully restored downtown - downtown features a park square, many small scale restored vintage buildings and beautiful Lake Mirror - which in itself has a classically restored Promenade, Hollis Gardens (formal gardens), an amphitheater, community players and Barnett Children's Park - Lake Mirror is awesome. Just to the south is Lake Morton which is a swan sanctuary with many swans swimming around. Lakeland's city symbol is the swan, and you will see beautiful swan (and butterfly) artist sculptures all over the town.

Another mile south is fabulous Lake Hollingsworth, where Florida Southern College (designed by Frank Lloyd Wright) is located. this beautiful lake has a walking/jogging path (3 miles) all the way around and you will see people of all ages day and night jogging, walking, roller-blading and biking - I really miss it!

Like any city, Lakeland has it's run down parts - this would be immediately north of downtown, near the hospital and going east on Memorial Blvd. The nicest areas are southside downtown and south Lakeland - there are many beautiful, beautiful neighborhoods here, new and old. I am not as familiar with north, but there are some nice areas there too, I believe.

I can honestly say that Lakeland has just about the most plentiful, and nicest public parks and recreational facilities I have ever seen. This is a family oriented town, and you don't see so many "snowbirds", vacationers or otherwise transient type people. This is good for people who want to raise a family and feel like they are part of a community. There is some diversity within the core of the town, but overall Lakeland still has a "southern" flavor, and people are very, very friendly and helpful here. This is like the town that time forgot - incredible vintage charm, and there are businesses that have been here for DECADES with the same families running them! Also, they have just filmed a movied there called "Endure" - Judd Nelson and Tom Arnold are in it. And back in the 90's "Edward Scissorhands" was filmed here at the historic Southgate Center (there are pix of this center right here on the Lakeland pix page) here is the link to the photo page here:

http://www.city-data.com/city/Lakeland-Florida.html

The slight "downside" for me and hubby was the charming downtown didn't have enough activity, although they do a great job of festivals, First Friday, free concerts, etc.. Also, I craved a few more different types of "foodie" places which the area currently lacks, although there are a few. Lakeland has a super nice outdoor mall called "Lakeside Village" which looks like it could be somewhere in Southern California. All in all, Lakeland is, IMO, a much nicer town than people expect it to be - most are really pleasantly surprised when they visit for the first time and see just how nice it is. We have some big corporate headquarters here - the main one is Publix - and they invest heavily in the town to keep it a nice place to live. A new polytechnic branch of USF is also just starting construction here as well.

I hope this has helped you somewhat - you may get differing opinions on Lakeland depending on a person's experience; but ours was all positive and I think it is one of the best places in Florida to live and raise a family. Sorry I can't help with schools (no kids) but I know there are some good ones there as well as some not so good, which is the case for just about anywhere in Florida.
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Old 05-19-2009, 05:37 PM
 
413 posts, read 1,368,701 times
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They are trying to change the downtown area to attract more people. I love it though because it isn't all touristy like some other places in Florida. It has a lot of old building dating back to the 20's and 30's.

I have lived in Lakeland since 1987. I had thought about moving elsewhere but I love the apartment complex I live in. With a family you probably would want a house. There are a number of housing developments going up as well as older homes that are for sale or rent.

Lakeside Village is really nice. The other mall in Lakeland has gone down hill a bit. It is called Lakeland Square Mall. I usually do a 30 minute or so drive to the Brandon Towne Center don't remember the name they changed it to. It is really nice for an indoor mall.

There are good public schools as well as private ones. Like others have said everyone has a different opinion. Some like it some don't. I love it because it is halfway between Tampa and Orlando so you can get to them without much trouble. It still has a rural small town feel. Just do research online or better yet come take a look around and see what area you are interested in.
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Old 05-19-2009, 06:12 PM
 
2 posts, read 5,664 times
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Thank you very much for everyone's input! Much appriciated. The way everyone has described it it sounds more of what we are looking for. Thank you again for your time in all the replies
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Old 05-20-2009, 06:30 AM
 
Location: Lakeland, FL
326 posts, read 1,301,706 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sunny-Days90 View Post
There is a ton of info on this board about Lakeland. Several posters here live in or around Lakeland.

Congrats to you both on your move to Florida!

Not to bust the OPs thread but k101608 it would be great for this OP and the rest of us if you would post why you moved to Lakeland, what are your likes and dislikes etc.

Seems there is quite a few people who ask about Lakeland and since you just moved there your information is very important to others if you do not mind sharing.
My hubby and I moved a couple of months ago to Lakeland from NJ to be close to family because we were expecting our first child.

Moving here from NJ was a big change... the atmosphere is totally different from NJ.

But all in all I love living here... I love being close to some many nice parks that I can take my son to as he grows. I love being close to so many nice beaches. I love the winters (especially compared to NJ LOL).

I love that there are some many nice areas to walk around in Lakeland... downtown, lakes, parks, etc.

I have also found people to be a lot nicer and friendlier down here.

Even though I sometimes miss Jersey I'm happy with the fact that we moved down here.
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Old 05-20-2009, 04:04 PM
 
Location: St. Petersburg, Florida
20 posts, read 61,910 times
Reputation: 25
I can't add much more then has already been said. But I transfered from Michigan to Lakeland. Once in Lakeland, I was transfered to St. Petersburg, and to tell you how much I loved Lakeland, for one year I drove from Lakeland to St. Petersburg daily. Yes, I'm nuts. Eventually it ate away at me and I had to move to St. Pete but if I could go back to Lakeland I'd never look back. It's big enough for everything you need....and if you need big city entertainment you are right between Tampa and Orlando, yet it maintains a small town feel. I don't know how to describe it other then to say Lakeland just feels like home. St. Petersburg is just the place I live.
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Old 08-07-2009, 05:25 PM
 
1 posts, read 2,444 times
Reputation: 10
Default im also thinking about lakeland fl

Hey i jus came into some money and want to get out of nj. I loved florida so much last time i was ther that i want to move out ther. I read many reviews about there and it sounds great
so k101608, idk if ur familiar with union county, but thats where im from and im wondering if you think its a good idea to move down there. I have no family down there, but theyre always visiting florida. I have a family of my own a 4 yr old and a new born, i want to buy a house and start a life of my own. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Also any one who lives there now ..what areas should i stay away from, i dont mind a busy area, but hate crime, as there is in newark nj not too far from where i am.
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Old 08-10-2009, 08:04 AM
 
Location: Lakeland, FL
326 posts, read 1,301,706 times
Reputation: 128
Quote:
Originally Posted by lemersonpcr View Post
Hey i jus came into some money and want to get out of nj. I loved florida so much last time i was ther that i want to move out ther. I read many reviews about there and it sounds great
so k101608, idk if ur familiar with union county, but thats where im from and im wondering if you think its a good idea to move down there. I have no family down there, but theyre always visiting florida. I have a family of my own a 4 yr old and a new born, i want to buy a house and start a life of my own. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Also any one who lives there now ..what areas should i stay away from, i dont mind a busy area, but hate crime, as there is in newark nj not too far from where i am.
Lakeland FL is totally different then Union, NJ. I would only recommend you moving here is you are ready for a lifestyle change. I would also recommend you having a job before moving down here expecially since you have a family to worry about. For nice areas in Lakeland to move to just do a search for Lakeland and you will see a couple of posting about Lakeland.
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