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Whats going on in Orlando exactly? I haven't gone in about 5 years but I've heard about how it's changed drastically. The only thing i remember about Orlando was the sprawl and besides downtown the other areas were "meh".
1. Young Population - Orlando has a strong and thriving population of young professionals and young couples, it is a very popular city for young adults for this reason, there is a big emergence of new "hip" neighborhoods, a thriving local arts scene, trendy bars, foodie restaurants, social groups, live music venues, and quality nightlife which all are big draws and create a sense of community..
2. Friendliness Factor - In comparison to other Florida cities (Miami in particular which is the opposite) most Orlando locals are very friendly, welcoming, and open minded.. The culture is not as ego-centric as it is in South Florida which is a big reason why Miamians in particular flock to Orlando as a social refuge and tend to like it better than Miami..
3. World Class Entertainment - Its impossible to argue that having immediate access to one of the largest and most famous vacation destinations in the WORLD is not at least a minor factor.. Who wouldn't want a Disney theme park within easy driving distance? Spontaneous trips to Magic Kingdom on the weekends? Drink around the world at Epcot on leisurely evenings? When you want it its there and when you don't then you can just ignore it, it is a luxury that is always nearby and available..
5. Local Arts and Culture - Contrary to popular belief, Orlando actually has a thriving local arts scene that is often overshadowed by the tourist attractions to the south of city.. The Dr Phillips Center is one of the highest quality performing arts centers in the nation, the city has a ballet, a philharmonic orchestra, art galleries, art museums, the largest Tiffany glass exhibit in the US, street art, art festivals, etc..
6. Airport - Orlando locals reap the benefits of having a top-rated international airport with affordably priced direct non-stop flights to nearly every US city not to mention a handful of international flights ranging from South America, Europe, and even the Middle East. Ask any Orlando local what they think about their home airport and the reaction will be, I LOVE IT!
1. Young Population - Orlando has a strong and thriving population of young professionals and young couples, it is a very popular city for young adults for this reason, there is a big emergence of new "hip" neighborhoods, a thriving local arts scene, trendy bars, foodie restaurants, social groups, live music venues, and quality nightlife which all are big draws and create a sense of community..
2. Friendliness Factor - In comparison to other Florida cities (Miami in particular which is the opposite) most Orlando locals are very friendly, welcoming, and open minded.. The culture is not as ego-centric as it is in South Florida which is a big reason why Miamians in particular flock to Orlando as a social refuge and tend to like it better than Miami..
3. World Class Entertainment - Its impossible to argue that having immediate access to one of the largest and most famous vacation destinations in the WORLD is not at least a minor factor.. Who wouldn't want a Disney theme park within easy driving distance? Spontaneous trips to Magic Kingdom on the weekends? Drink around the world at Epcot on leisurely evenings? When you want it its there and when you don't then you can just ignore it, it is a luxury that is always nearby and available..
5. Local Arts and Culture - Contrary to popular belief, Orlando actually has a thriving local arts scene that is often overshadowed by the tourist attractions to the south of city.. The Dr Phillips Center is one of the highest quality performing arts centers in the nation, the city has a ballet, a philharmonic orchestra, art galleries, art museums, the largest Tiffany glass exhibit in the US, street art, art festivals, etc..
6. Airport - Orlando locals reap the benefits of having a top-rated international airport with affordably priced direct non-stop flights to nearly every US city not to mention a handful of international flights ranging from South America, Europe, and even the Middle East. Ask any Orlando local what they think about their home airport and the reaction will be, I LOVE IT!
The list goes on but I will stop here..
So in a nutshell, unlike Miami which likes to copy and paste cool trends, Orlando actually likes to let it flourish, mature and not get over-saturated? I also would like to echo your #2/3 comment, Orlando people aren't as fake and are nicer than people in Miami, and for #3 don't forget about Universal studios haha, that one is my personal favourite theme park. But that sounds great, as long as the new hip neighbourhoods are natural and not forced and fake like Miami, i should enjoy my time in Orlando. Any specific areas for a good local beer?
So in a nutshell, unlike Miami which likes to copy and paste cool trends, Orlando actually likes to let it flourish, mature and not get over-saturated? I also would like to echo your #2/3 comment, Orlando people aren't as fake and are nicer than people in Miami, and for #3 don't forget about Universal studios haha, that one is my personal favourite theme park. But that sounds great, as long as the new hip neighbourhoods are natural and not forced and fake like Miami, i should enjoy my time in Orlando. Any specific areas for a good local beer?
Yeah he is definitely right on number 2. Miami is a very rude city.
If I was going to live in any of Florida's major cities, Miami would be the last place I would want to live. I have seriously considered living in Jacksonville or Orlando (and would in a heartbeat if I had the opportunity) and wouldn't be opposed to living in Tampa. Miami though seems like a cool place to visit but I can't see myself living there.
Yeah he is definitely right on number 2. Miami is a very rude city.
Oh trust me, i know it all to well, especially as a Canadian living there i wasn't used to the rudeness. Between me getting rude remarks from not speaking Spanish, racist comments for being white, the fake South Beach lifestyle etc... I never once encountered that in Orlando, so it was refreshing. That's also another reason some friends are moving to Orlando, they can't take the fake and rude Miami scene, and now hearing about how the city is changing,improving , isn't fake and lets things grow organically, i can't wait to visit after many years.
Whats going on in Orlando exactly? I haven't gone in about 5 years but I've heard about how it's changed drastically. The only thing i remember about Orlando was the sprawl and besides downtown the other areas were "meh".
Everyone I know who lives in Orlando calls it BORE-lando ... just saying.
This just proves the citydata bias that we all talk about. Some of the most hated on major cities on city data are actually liked by the American public....go figure
On a side note, I'm really shocked that Pennslyvania made the list of top 15 states where people wanted to live. Good for them, but I'm still finding that pretty interesting.
This just proves the citydata bias that we all talk about. Some of the most hated on major cities on city data are actually liked by the American public....go figure
On a side note, I'm really shocked that Pennslyvania made the list of top 15 states where people wanted to live. Good for them, but I'm still finding that pretty interesting.
Are you serious? This is based on a survey of only ~2k folks who agreed to the survey vs. being seeked out for any specific reason.
Everyone I know who lives in Orlando calls it BORE-lando ... just saying.
As somebody who lived in Miami for 3 decades and moved to Orlando a decade ago it is "Bore-Lando" in every sense of the word.
Orlando gets boring very quickly if you aren't into the Theme Parks. It is a city full of chain restaurants and Wal-Marts pre-dominate.
You really have to scour to find good ethnic cuisine in the metro.
Most tourists never get to see the actual city of Orlando since Disney / Universal and the other attractions are a good 45-60 minutes away southwest from downtown & never explore anything else.
Except for some neighborhoods most of Orlando is a sprawling mess of strip malls & cookie cutter sub-divisions built behind walls with 6 lane arterial roads without sidewalks in many places.
There is just a certain blandness to Orlando even though it has a diverse population.
Remember the movie "Edward Scissorhands"? It was filmed in Orlando over 20 years ago and not much has changed when it comes to sprawl in that regard as portrayed in that film.
Orlando has improved in aspects when it comes to Sports & the Arts over the past decade and it does have Florida's second Commuter rail line in SunRail but is almost a joke since it doesn't operate on the weekends & Holidays which is bizarre.
As for the comments Miami being a rude city? Who cares? It's a major US metropolis that is growing by leaps & bounds.
Everyone I know who lives in Orlando calls it BORE-lando ... just saying.
I can see that haha....I had a friend that moved to Phoenix from Orlando when I was growing up and he would brag about how Orlando was better than Phoenix because they had farms in the middle of the city, he also used to rag on people because they weren't country enough.
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