Kissimmee vs Jax? (Jacksonville, Orlando, Jacksonville Beach: crime, to live in, restaurants)

[TurquoiseSky]

Hi All,

I'm relocating to FL (again) and am debating between Kissimmee and Jacksonville (east side, possibly as far as Jacksonville Beach). I'm leaning toward Jax because I assume the weather is slightly better there with the sea breeze and I imagine it's less tourist-y. Plus, it's closer to places I like to go road trip to (Smoky Mountains, Asheville, etc).

Which would you recommend?

[projectmaximus]

Jax and your assumptions would be correct.

[TurquoiseSky]

Sweet.

[Gromicide]

agree. Kissimmee is great for visiting though. I just drove my family up to the smokies a few months ago. Wish I was there now!

[sithlord72]

Kissimmee is a dump, full of traffic and crime and you ar at least 30min from the beach. Go with your area you are considering in Jacksonville. Good luck

[germanoricua]

Kissimmee and Jax are two opposites, I would say. It all depends on your preferences. I lived in Jax for over 10 years and now live not too far from Kissimmee.

Yes, I liked the weather in Jax, it is not as humid as in the rest of Florida. I also liked the beaches.
Apart from that, I found Jax very boring. We are into Latin entertainment and there was really nothing to do for us. Going out anywhere was always so frustrating that we eventually gave it up and drove to Orlando a couple of times a year.

Kissimmee is also called "little Puerto Rico," it is predominantly Puerto Rican. If you like the Latino "world", than it is for you. Going to restaurants and stores there makes you feel like being in Puerto Rico. It is the real deal! Cheap restaurants with authentic Puerto Rican, Dominican, Venezuelan, you name it, food. Great dance clubs with great salsa music. Great Latin concerts with famous artists and bands, etc. We would not want to live in Kissimmee but enjoy its proximity and amenities.
Yes, some parts of Kissimmee look run down but other parts look nice, it all depends where you are.
And yes, the traffic there is really bad.

If you are more into nature, beaches, the outdoors, and not into Latin entertainment, I would not recommend Kissimmee. But why would you pick Jacksonville out of all places in Florida?
- It is the murder capital of Florida.
- As a white European female I experienced a lot of covert racism from African American women towards me in Jax (which I never had experienced anywhere else)
- Jax also has a lot of unappealing and run down areas.
- Downtown Jax with the St. John's river and the Landing is quite appealing, nice to take a picture, but always deserted. There is nothing going on there.
- Jax has a great Jazz Festival with lots of famous artists and everything is free.
- If I had to do it again, I would not move there again. There are certainly nicer and more appealing places along both coasts in Florida to move to.