Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Wrong. It's in the center of the state so not sure what you mean.
And I'll grant that climate is subjective for where one might want to live, but as for better, how many people honeymoon each year in Siberia??
I think Bernie Sanders did. Well, at least in the Soviet Union, back when there was a SU.
I agree with you though. Although I personally prefer four seasons, and have known people to leave Colorado because of the winter here (which isn't all that severe in Denver), the growth in this country has been sunbelt for decades now. That's obviously the default preference.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CCrest182
Hurricanes can still have impact in inland FL, especially Orlando, which isn't insanely far from the east/west coast. It's smack dab in the middle and can still get the wrath of a bad storm. Disney World and Universal were both evacuated for Irma a couple years back.
And of course people prefer to vacaction in hot weather, but that's completely different than permanently living in a hot climate. Living around it all the time also takes away the vacationy charm of going "somewhere warm" for vacation. I personally enjoy living/being around hot weather, but others do not. I have friends who'd rather die than live in FL, TX, or AZ. Conversely, I also know plenty who'd rather die than live in WI, MN, or MA.
I was in Orlando right after a hurricane hit; I can't remember which one now, must have been at least 20 years ago. It was not devastated, but there was still a mess with downed branches, etc.
I specify "ice" because "roller hockey" is really big here, and most people think I play roller when I say I play hockey.
*I'm from Montreal by the way. And I was kidding comparing Orlando to MN/SP in terms of hockey. Although honestly, I was surprised at the level of skill of some beer leaguers here. Lots of ex-D1/ECHL/AHL guys.
Go Habs Go!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arcenal352
Did you go TO Orlando? As in, well away from the theme parks and into the city itself? (Not I-Drive/Millenia. Orlando... Lake Eola, Winter Park, etc.) I know it's not for everyone, but I'm Just curious.
This Orlando:
Where are all the people? These photos are even less attractive than people describe. Virtually no cars on the road. Not a single person out walking around. You can find more people on the street in the dead of winter in MSP.
Where are all the people? These photos are even less attractive than people describe. Virtually no cars on the road. Not a single person out walking around. You can find more people on the street in the dead of winter in MSP.
It was VERY early in the morning lol. That area is normally pretty busy. It's not one of the more heavily-walked streets either. But still. I will go outside some time in the afternoon either today or tomorrow and take a picture of the area that's more indicative of the daytime downtown vibe. It's certainly not a dead place. I was just curious as to whether the poster had actually been to those areas, as opposed to the tourist-packed theme parks, which are quite a distance from here.
I was in Orlando right after a hurricane hit; I can't remember which one now, must have been at least 20 years ago. It was not devastated, but there was still a mess with downed branches, etc.
Charley came through 15 years ago in 2004 as a Cat 1. It was really just wind and rain since we don't get the more damning storm surge that truly devastates coastal areas.
This was the worst storm to hit Orlando in my lifetime and will probably retain that title until I die and we didn't even loose a shingle.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vegabern
Where are all the people? These photos are even less attractive than people describe. Virtually no cars on the road. Not a single person out walking around. You can find more people on the street in the dead of winter in MSP.
Oh really because there Skyway in DT MPLS is actually designed to prevent just that. It really killed the street level vibrancy of the core IMO, not as bad as Houston for example, but unfortunate nonetheless.
And those pics of Orlando are more skyline shots really. The first pic is looking east from Lake Eola Park at the CBD. Lake Eola is our central city park which features an iconic lighted fountain, white and black swans, and has a shaded mile long walkway that windes its way past residential towers, great restaurants with year round al fresco patio dining. There is even a Swan boat rental for something fun to do on the water. Downtown MPLS has no answer for this park. The "street" shown in that pic is Rosalind which is a north flowing one way speedway for cars and not our most walkable street. Head over to Church and Orange for that and you'll feel like you're in just about any other mid-sized city.
The second pic is from miles away on an urban trail that traverses all over the city, from downtown to cool satellite neighborhoods.
It's my opinion that the poster was just trying to illustrate that there is an actual downtown in Orlando beyond the parks...because we get that one all the time. It would be the equivalent of me landing at MSP, going to MOA, and judging the twin cities by what I saw in Bloomington which is in a different part of the metro entirely.
I lived in Orlando for a year and really liked it. I've visited the Minneapolis/St. Paul area many times and it's one of my favorite metros in the country. May personal take:
- Location
- Culture - Neither is "better" (Subjective). Like each for what it is.
- Climate - Orlando
- Entertaining things to do / night scene - Orlando
- Infrastructure - Minneapolis
- Architecture - No opinion
- Parks - Minneapolis
- Recreational things to do outdoors - For me, Orlando
- Food styles - Orlando (Orlando is very underrated here)
Orlando is an incredibly misunderstood city, by most, not even just on C-D. I had one of my best childhood friends come into town for some kind of convention, and I took him for a drive to go grab some lunch. When we got into Orlando itself, he asked "What city is this?" "I said "Orlando." He though "downtown" was I-Drive. As would most tourists, since one basically flies in at MCO and ends up at a resort or large hotel in that area, never even getting a glimpse of the city. To them, my question is: Do you really think 2.5M people live around a bunch of theme parks and resorts? Look at I-Drive: Do you see locals? Other than workers and maybe a crowd at a nightclub? Do you see any houses around there? Apartment buildings/condos?
Minneapolis
Walk score: 69
Transit score: 57
Bike score: 82
St Paul
Walk score: 59
Transit score: 48
Bike score: 63
This may be an important criteria to you or not. Just stating the facts as according to Walk Score. Personally, I like a walkable community. There may be fantastic neighborhoods of Orlando that are very walkable among the many that are not.
Minneapolis
Walk score: 69
Transit score: 57
Bike score: 82
St Paul
Walk score: 59
Transit score: 48
Bike score: 63
This may be an important criteria to you or not. Just stating the facts as according to Walk Score. Personally, I like a walkable community. There may be fantastic neighborhoods of Orlando that are very walkable among the many that are not.
But has it really? I mean the OP didn't even list "Walkability" as one of the comparison criteria. You actually came along and very petulantly inserted it over a beautiful picture one of our fellow posters cared enough to share with the intent of demonstrating that there is an actual downtown in Orlando.
The OP did list infrastructure however. Orlando hasn't been around as long and only got rail mass transit 5 years ago so it's understandable that Minneapolis and St. Paul would rank higher in that regard. Also MSP is a more traditionally laid out city so I can also understand the Bike score being higher too as it's easier IMO to integrate bike ROW's and such into that type of urban layout.
In all fairness to everyone who responded on the Orlando side of this debate, not one of them gave Orlando the nod in the infrastructure (nor architecture) category.
Minneapolis
Walk score: 69
Transit score: 57
Bike score: 82
St Paul
Walk score: 59
Transit score: 48
Bike score: 63
This may be an important criteria to you or not. Just stating the facts as according to Walk Score. Personally, I like a walkable community. There may be fantastic neighborhoods of Orlando that are very walkable among the many that are not.
I also wonder... Because I looked up Montreal out of curiosity and it has a Walk Score of only 70, with a Transit Score in the 60s. It is BY FAR one of the most walkable cities in NA, along with having some of the best transit. It doesn't have the second highest ridership in North America (after only NYC) for nothing.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
