Native Floridian moving: Gainesville or Orlando (Altamonte Springs, Sanford: crime, home, job market)

[victoria1016]

First let me start by saying I am a 5th generation Floridian. Born in Everglades in 1971. (Naples actually, Everglades did not have a hospital.) My family came here from Georgia in 1845 when Florida became a state. I know it's humid, I know traffic stinks, I know wages are low, crime is high, and there are too many tourists. I have lived everywhere from Marathon to Defuniak Springs, including Gainesville and Orlando as a child.
But now I am an adult with 2 children, 14 boy, 10 girl. My husband needed to find a new job for his health and he has found 2. One in Orlando, one in Gainesville. Both at the same rate of pay. Now we have a dilemma. Which do we take. I love Gainesville, but my concern is high cost of living and locating employment for myself, bookkeeping office management, I like Orlando also, but the fast pace is a little out of our comfort zone, so here are the specifics.

Married 40 something's
Caucasian
2 kids 14&10
Rent not buy, $1200.00 and under
Husbands work: 4000 block of N Orange Blossom Trail
Need good schools
Decent Neighborhood
Willing to travel an hour to work, would prefer not to
Lower crime
We love to be outdoors, fishing, bikes, beach, camping etc.

If anyone can give me some ideas on locations to look at so I can work on an informed comparison I would really appreciate it. My head is getting ready to explode!

Thank you!

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by victoria1016

First let me start by saying I am a 5th generation Floridian. Born in Everglades in 1971. (Naples actually, Everglades did not have a hospital.) My family came here from Georgia in 1845 when Florida became a state. I know it's humid, I know traffic stinks, I know wages are low, crime is high, and there are too many tourists. I have lived everywhere from Marathon to Defuniak Springs, including Gainesville and Orlando as a child.
But now I am an adult with 2 children, 14 boy, 10 girl. My husband needed to find a new job for his health and he has found 2. One in Orlando, one in Gainesville. Both at the same rate of pay. Now we have a dilemma. Which do we take. I love Gainesville, but my concern is high cost of living and locating employment for myself, bookkeeping office management, I like Orlando also, but the fast pace is a little out of our comfort zone, so here are the specifics.

Married 40 something's
Caucasian
2 kids 14&10
Rent not buy, $1200.00 and under
Husbands work: 4000 block of N Orange Blossom Trail
Need good schools
Decent Neighborhood
Willing to travel an hour to work, would prefer not to
Lower crime
We love to be outdoors, fishing, bikes, beach, camping etc.

If anyone can give me some ideas on locations to look at so I can work on an informed comparison I would really appreciate it. My head is getting ready to explode!

Thank you!

The cost of living is higher in Orlando and the unemployment rate is lower in Gainesville. If your husband's job pays the same in both cities and you prefer lower crime/less congestion it seems like a no-brainer to me.

[chopchop0]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

The cost of living is higher in Orlando and the unemployment rate is lower in Gainesville. If your husband's job pays the same in both cities and you prefer lower crime/less congestion it seems like a no-brainer to me.

Plus gainesville has lots of outdoorsy stuff right nearby. Paynes prarie, Itchetucknee springs etc. Orlando has these things too but not nearly as much or as close.

[victoria1016]

That's been my thinking. I lived in Gainesville from 3rd to 8th grade and loved it, but things have changed in 30 years. I don't really think the Orlando area is a fit, I just thought maybe there was somewhere outside of town that might work. It seems like finding a job in Orlando would be easier due to its size, Gainesville has a very small job market and tons of college students to work. After discussing it at lunch I think we are just going to go with our heart and Gainesville, and hope things work ou.

[FloridaNative35]

I actually had the same thought about finding a job. It doesn't matter what the unemployment rate is if there's no jobs overall. You will probably have better luck in Orlando. Can you find out what is available in your field before deciding on a location?

[Crane's Rooster]

Obviously your money would go alot further in Gainesville but the trade-off is that jobs may be harder to come by. $1200/month for a 3bd home in good area with good schools is tight budget for Central Florida. The only areas I can think of that are doable are Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, West Sanford, Winter Springs, parts of East Orlando, and maybe Apopka.

[FloridaNative35]

Hmmm... It is possible in the Dover Shores, Lake Underhill, Lake Como, and Conway areas. Elementary schools can be dodgy or good in those areas, depending on exactly where you are, but Boone High is good. $1200 is about as low as they go for a 3 bed, though. But they are there.

[neaters]

Lake Underhill is so nice.

[bmw335xi]

small town choose gainesville
big town choose orlando

[Rebek56]

Which did you choose?