does anybody actually like orlando? (pros and cons, friendly, racist)

[backtofla]

orlandorico? i like that one too!

[INeedAChange]

I recently spent 2 days in Orlando and it's great--the lakes around the city are fantastic.

[Tashlover]

I've been here for 7 years and I love it. I'm raising 3 kids here. It's definitely home.

[VaNative]

I'm happy living here and don't plan to move anytime in the near future...well...at least for another 3-4 years anyway. I love being close to the parks and since they never close seasonally, you can always have fun no matter what time of year.

[Tashlover]

Yeah VaNative. I was beginning to think I was the only happy Orlando resident on this board.

[Dee2e]

Originally Posted by kastika

so this forum has severely scared me about coming to orlando.

i want to hear more. i want to hear negatives. i want to hear positives (please, please, please give me some positives). does anybody actually like it there? anybody at all?

Actually, many of us do like it here! We just are berated and called names for saying so.

I've been here for a long time and still enjoy Central Florida. I still enjoy the themed parks but now I don't feel obligated to stay all day long! I enjoyed the shows and food at most parks. I enjoy meeting friends that come from out of town at the parks for dinner and a few attractions.

I love being close enough to the beach to visit for the afternnoon. I love the watching the shuttle launch from the beach! And I can get to the ocean or the gulf for the afternoon! Choices, choices, choices.

I do miss having a major league baseball team, however, St Pete's is just too far to go for a night game! We get great concerts and theatre in Orlando! The Science Center rocks. The Sanford Zoo is not big but enjoyable most of the year. Our medical facilities rock! We still like Big Tree Park in Longwood. The "Senator" is amazing. The Citrus Tower view has changed over the years. Bok Tower and the gardens are lovely. Cruising the chain of lakes from Mt Dora is a delightful way to spend a few hours or an entire day!

The sun shines mostly every day!

I avoid the rush hours on I4 but then it's still better than rush hour in Philly or DC, where I have also lived.

Life is what you make it. I'm glad I'm here in Central Florida!

[dvigor]

Most of Florida seems to be love it or hate it with no in betweens. Orlandorico is no exception. If you have a great job or are one of the trust fund kids in S. Florida and live in a posh neighborhood with a supermodel or underwear model then Florida is Utopia. Otherwise it stinks. No to low jobs, high crime, transient criminal and loser population, con artists and liars galore, pygmie illegals everywhere, yada...yada...yada.

Will the last true American leaving Florida please bring the flag!! Tallrick might have it last. lol

[Tashlover]

I don't have a trust fund and I have an okay job. But even in the worse of times, I can't say that living in Florida ever was my problem here.

Maybe it's just me.....

[Magnulus]

No, I don't much care for Orlando-Rico.

Ten years ago I would say Orlando is nice . Now it's a **ithole.

As somebody who took 4 years of Spanish in highschool, and 2 courses in college, I do not appreciate the Spanish influence in Orlando, which has steadily grown in the thirteen years I've lived here (I lived 4 more years in Tampa as a kid). The area is becomming far less culturally diverse, an outlet for Miami and San Juan. Want to feel like an alien in your own country? I have felt this way in many parts of Orlando.

The traffic is bad for a city or metro area of Orlando's size (population). Too many cars, too many bad drivers. People drive to go everywhere, and they drive long distances over poorly planned roads. Regular traffic here in Orlando is often the same as rush hour traffic in midwestern cities. Most drivers are aggressive, rude, and have no problems breaking traffic rules.

Orlando's population is more transitory than other cities. It's not like Las Vegas or Washington DC but there aren't as many people rooted here. Orlando people are NOT friendly. The friendliest people I think are the blacks and crackers, since they have the deepest roots here. But the average yankee transplant, the majority of the white population, has a crappy attitude. Eye contact is rare, genuine warmth is rare. I feel the people are not friendly for the most part. It is not like the midwest where people are warm and friendly, or the west coast where people are fun-loving. No, people in Orlando bear a deep seated mistrust of everybody and everything. It could stem from their low paychecks and crappy surroundings, who knows.

Human beings deserve better than this misery.

[THASPECIAL]

Originally Posted by Magnulus

I feel the people are not friendly for the most part. people in Orlando bear a deep seated mistrust of everybody and everything. It could stem from their low paychecks and crappy surroundings, who knows.

Human beings deserve better than this misery.

I agree with this portion of your post 100%.....I have been on here (citydata) for a couple months now and i have changed some ways of thinking by reading and learning about other peoples views on issues and some things i havent budged on at all......but i figured that i am a big part of what people see around me in my community and felt after reading about rudeness in Orlando and knowing it on a personal level that it was time to make an effort to be nicer as if i wasnt nice already......well i decided i should try waving when i see a neighbor and they notice me there and try to say hi to any neighbors that i have that i walk by.......


Well i got home from work last night around 4am and this guy that i always see walking at this time in the morning to go to his job was walking by me at the same time.....so i figured i would say hi or wave or something.....well i said hi to this guy and smiled and he just looked at me like i was stupid and kept walking.....


i will continue this but usually when one person does that to me i dont try it with that specific person again, unless the situation is right.....


Well that has been my experience in Orlando since i moved here....very rarely will people accept a greeting if they dont know you personally....they look at you like you are a pervert or like you are stupid for saying hello to them