Winter Park or Lake Mary (Orlando, Sanford: homes, school districts, subdivisions)

[sak9210]

Winter Park or Lake Mary...Which one do you like better? Why? Which town has the better schools, esp for special needs. Sorry, I already posted about Lake Mary, then someone told me how nice Winter Park is also.

[Crane's Rooster]

Both school districts are considered very good, however I do not know if anyone is better for special needs. I personally prefer Winter Park, more established, less surburban and great areas like Park Ave. Also much closer and more convenient to downtown and the attractions. Nothing wrong with Lake Mary though, I just prefer Winter Park. If needed I would live in either one with no hesitations but given a choice...Winter Park.

[kyle19125]

Overall I prefer Winter park as well, but as a parent with a special-needs child I think Lake Mary is preferable for schools and personal safety. I'm not saying Winter Park is unsafe, rather Lake Mary is less congested and easier to navigate if utilizing a wheelchair or other apparatus.

[gs70119]

Because individuals like or dislike a particular area because of personal tastes and other intangible reasons, I do not want to start a "ping-pong" match of opinion on the message board. But, I do recommend that you do take a look at Winter Park. I have lived here for 11 years and find it most rewarding.

The city was developed in the early 20th Century. We have a real (suburban)downtown with an Amtrak station and large public golf corse. We also have Whole Foods Market here. (People from Lake Mary have to drive down to shop as it's the closer one)

The town has many large live oak, magnolia and palm trees. The architecture (from craftsman and bungalow to current styles) and feel should be familiar to anyone from the Mid-Atlantic/ Northeast.

As far as the schools, Seminole County statistics will look better than Orange because the urban areas are much smaller (Sanford vs. Orlando) But, the schools in Winter Park match any in Seminole County because the parents/homeowners demand it. Teachers try hard to get assignments here because of facilities, student calibre and parental support. When it comes to issues related to special needs children, I have no knowledge. A good idea may be to post on a Central Florida message board related specifically to that topic.

If you do decide to look at Winter Park, be emphatic that you want a property within the city limits. It does make a difference.

[Broker Dave]

Agree with Kyle19125 on the traffic congestion just need to plan out your repetitive daily routes such as school etc...

Also gs70119 as it relates to Winter Park city boundaries, there's a lot of homes with a Winter Park zip code.

Hope this helps,

[BfloNY]

What are the pros & cons livining in Lake Mary. I'm looking to move late 2012 and I was told this city was a great and safe place to live. Any advice would be really appreciated.

[kyle19125]

Lake Mary is less congested than most of Central Florida in terms of traffic and development, it's quite safe and a great place to raise kids as the school district overall is the best in the area and there's a lot to do for kids in terms of outdoor activities etc. The area has become more sophisticated in recent years and provides more for adults I think than it has in the past and seems to be a trend that's continuing.

The con to some is the location, as it's the most distant suburb from downtown Orlando and the Disney area in particular. However the distance to me is the reason for the pluses as it helps filter some of the negatives associated with Orlando's sprawl.

[beckycat]

Originally Posted by BfloNY

What are the pros & cons livining in Lake Mary. I'm looking to move late 2012 and I was told this city was a great and safe place to live. Any advice would be really appreciated.

Everything is very convenient and it's safe. It's a place to live, work and play. Not too big and not too small. Schools as good as well.

The cons are cookie cutter subdivisions on 0 lot line.