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And I love how everyone automatically just assumes we're only talking about proximity to "the beaches." I guess they forgot about the bay.
Not to mention the traffic is awful (good ol' I-4!), fewer non-service-industry jobs, and it's significantly hotter due to its inland location.
No thanks.
It is not "significantly" hotter. Tampa feels just as hot and just as wet. The coastal breeze will not stop you from sweating and does not make your car or house feel any more comfortable.
Last time I checked, I-4 is also in Tampa and the traffic is just as bad if not worse...not understanding your argument there.
What does the bay offer that Orlando's lakes do not?
Anyway, you asked why people would choose to live inland. It's really just the city itself. I prefer Orlando and find it to have a much prettier downtown area. We also have Winter Park which is one of the prettiest and most lively cities in Florida. In and around these areas there are lakes galore which make for scenic driving...everything here is not just a big flat grid. The streets actually have some terrain and roads twist around the lakes. It's just more interesting.
It is not "significantly" hotter. Tampa feels just as hot and just as wet. The coastal breeze will not stop you from sweating and does not make your car or house feel any more comfortable.
Last time I checked, I-4 is also in Tampa and the traffic is just as bad if not worse...not understanding your argument there.
It certainly does feel hotter vs. the coast. No denying that.
Yep, I-4's in Tampa as well, as are numerous other major roads and highways that are significantly less jammed up during commute times than I-4 through Orlando. There is no "argument" here.
It is not "significantly" hotter. Tampa feels just as hot and just as wet. The coastal breeze will not stop you from sweating and does not make your car or house feel any more comfortable.
Last time I checked, I-4 is also in Tampa and the traffic is just as bad if not worse...not understanding your argument there.
What does the bay offer that Orlando's lakes do not?
Anyway, you asked why people would choose to live inland. It's really just the city itself. I prefer Orlando and find it to have a much prettier downtown area. We also have Winter Park which is one of the prettiest and most lively cities in Florida. In and around these areas there are lakes galore which make for scenic driving...everything here is not just a big flat grid. The streets actually have some terrain and roads twist around the lakes. It's just more interesting.
The ocean smell, salt water fishing, different marine environment. But the bay is pretty blah compared to ocean front. I definitely prefer oceans to lakes. Prefer Orlando as a city, agree on all your points. Went to Tampa in January and not sure I've ever seen such a dead downtown that is that large. I mean it looked relatively clean and decent, just so so dead.
Can somebody make a good Orlampa Vs Greater Atlanta thread?
Cost of living in both places is pretty identical but others have said the cost of living is slightly higher in Orlando compared to Tampa.
Tampa is the winner.
Shopping:
Orlando seems to have more outlet malls and obviously has more shopping due to tourism. So Orlando wins this round.
Culture:
Depends on the person. I prefer Tampa's more Hispanic culture with their food and buildings.
So Tampa wins this.
Recreational activities:
Orlando has its theme parks but Tampa is more accessible to the beaches.
Tough one, they both win.
Restaurants:
Obviously Orlando has far more resturants than Tampa due to tourism and even the theme parks have fancy restaurants.
Orlando wins.
Airport:
Orlando's wins this.
Roads/Freeways/Tollways:
Orlando has a ton of highways that all connect very well to one another. I think Tampa, especially for its size is lacking the highways it needs. Tampa also needs more East to West highways as well as a beltway.
Orlando wins.
Nightlife:
Judging from what people on here have said, probably Orlando but I don't care about "nightlife" so I don't really know.
Orlando is again the winner.
Sports:
I think Tampa has more sportteams than Orlando does?
I don't know about this one.
Personally, I would prefer to live in Tampa as it seems to more of an "established" city and has more of a diverse economy. Orlando's economy is mainly tourism and if something were to happen to Disney, Orlando would suffer big time. However, Orlando is newer and cleaner looking than Tampa.
Having previously lived in Tampa Bay, and spending lots of time in Orlando, I can say that while I like Orlando better than Tampa , Tampa trumps Orlando in terms of Sports, Culture, Recreational Activities, and being less congested, even though it is a larger metro area. Tampa Bay is a larger metro area, so it had the amenities fit for a larger metro area.
However, I like Orlando a bit better because it seemed to have a more youthful atmosphere, and due to it catering to tourists, I found it a lot more cosmopolitan and "faster" than the Tampa Bay Area. Better shopping too. Metro Orlando also felt more cohesive than Tampa Bay. I realized how much water can be not only a physical boundary, but a psychological one as well. There were a lot of people who did not venture over to St. Pete, and a lot who did not venture over to Tampa. It felt more like a collection of mid-sized cities rather than a cohesive metro of 2.7 million people. I liked the more historical feel of parts of Tampa such as Ybor City and South Tampa (Hyde Park in particular). I loved the water views, and some of my favorite beaches in the country are right over in Clearwater and St. Petersburg.
Both have some of my favorite airports in the country due to their layout and ease of use, but Tampa wins to me because it's a less crowded airport.
I hated that only I-4 was the only freeway in Orlando. The rest of the limited access highways were tollways.
Yes, I know the economy isn't so hot in either. Lots of low-paying service jobs and the cost of living is pretty high compared to the salaries. And Tampa was Call Center central. It's an honest, but stressful living (I did it for awhile), but I realized that neither are the best options for young professionals.
What do you all think?
COL-Both are pretty similar
Shopping-not sure
Culture: Tampa. It has a really cool vibe to it
Not sure about some of these
Nightlife: I have pretty limited experience in either but I would have to give the edge to Tampa. There are some really cool areas that I dont think Orlando can match.
Sports: Depends on what sport you like.
I wish Governor Scott approved the high speed rail line. It would have been easier to get back and forth to each city for both work and nightlife.
Not sure where you found those dates but, Tampa became a city on 1.18.1849 but was known at the Village of Tampa. It later was named the city of Tampa 12.15.1855 Orlando was in 1885
Tampa for me all the way. Much closer to the beach and less tourist than Orlando.Tampa has more than one sports team.
I would choose Tampa as well. It is a nicer metro area because there are nice beaches and cities.
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, Tampa trumps Orlando in terms of Sports, Culture, Recreational Activities, and being less congested, even though it is a larger metro area. Tampa Bay is a larger metro area, so it had the amenities fit for a larger metro area.
