Moving to Downtown Orlando – Mid 2015 (Winter Park, Waverly: apartments, rentals, condo)

[The Saab]

Hello Members,
I’m pretty sure I will be relocating to Orlando for my job. I currently live in Washington, DC, and after more than 10 years, am ready to escape the concrete jungle and enjoy life a bit more.

I traveled to Orlando last weekend to hunt around and I really liked the city, although small and a little different than cities I’ve lived in the past. I really liked the Lake Eola/Thornton Park neighborhoods, due to walkability and proximity to my downtown office location.

I plan to rent a place for a year or so, and then will look at purchasing if all goes well.

I’m a 35 year old single male and my salary will be $115,000/year. Any great apartment buildings? Can’t miss bars or restaurants?

If anyone has personal experience living in this part of town, I would love to hear from you. Thanks in advance!

[idr591]

Originally Posted by The Saab

Hello Members,
I’m pretty sure I will be relocating to Orlando for my job. I currently live in Washington, DC, and after more than 10 years, am ready to escape the concrete jungle and enjoy life a bit more.

I traveled to Orlando last weekend to hunt around and I really liked the city, although small and a little different than cities I’ve lived in the past. I really liked the Lake Eola/Thornton Park neighborhoods, due to walkability and proximity to my downtown office location.

I plan to rent a place for a year or so, and then will look at purchasing if all goes well.

I’m a 35 year old single male and my salary will be $115,000/year. Any great apartment buildings? Can’t miss bars or restaurants?

If anyone has personal experience living in this part of town, I would love to hear from you. Thanks in advance!

I think you'll love it. I lived in Baltimore for a while (commuted to DC) and I'm really happy here (40, married, 3 kids)

I live in the Lake Cherokee neighborhood, just south of Thornton Park. I really wouldn't want to live anywhere else (...maybe Winter Park, but too far from I4 for my opinion). You're right in the middle of everything, right at the crossroads of the major North/South highway and the East/West highway, and there is always something to do. You can walk to the Amway center, you'll be able to walk to the performing arts center, etc. etc.

Good luck with the move.

[The Saab]

Thanks, idr591. Should I add Lake Cherokee to my neighborhood list, or is more suited for families?

BTW - I also drove through Baldwin Park, and while I thought a number of the townhomes looked amazing, I felt it might not be a place for a single guy to live...maybe too self-contained?

[Pete C]

Baldwin Park is nice, however I'd go with your first instinct and pick the Thornton Park/Lake Eola area. That is the best place to live downtown for a single person. There is just far more to walk to.

For renting, there are a few nice buildings to choose from. The Paramount sits right across from Lake Eola and on top of the Publix grocery store...can't beat that convenience. I lived there for 2 years and enjoyed it. The walls are a bit on the thin side though as you can hear your neighbors. It is a condo property that converted to apartments since it was build during the recession.

Other nice buildings right there are The Sanctuary (very high end and expensive) and 101 Eola (about the same as Paramount), however for those you'd have to rent from an owner, so check craigslist or get a realtor that specializes in rentals. The Waverly is also an option right there, but with your salary I'd go with one of the other ones I mentioned. Artisan 420 is being built right now and will be nice, but not sure when it will be completed.

On the east side of the lake (not as close to Publix) is an awesome building called The Vue. You'd have to rent from an owner there as well, but check it out...best gym downtown. The Aspire, right next to The Vue, is a managed property so you can rent directly from them. I don't know much about that building, but people say it is nice.

Some of the other properties downtown are in the CBD. Again, I'd stick with the Lake Eola area as it is more livable and you are just a few blocks from the bar scene.

[EditorJul]

We just did the DC-->Orlando area move in April and have no regrets whatsoever. Because we're married with kid, we ended up outside of the city proper down in Windermere for more of the family lifestyle, but it is just so much more laid back here that our stress levels have dropped a lot in such a short period of time. No more fighting through Metro or along the Beltway. Whew! Good luck with your move!

[idr591]

Originally Posted by The Saab

Thanks, idr591. Should I add Lake Cherokee to my neighborhood list, or is more suited for families?

BTW - I also drove through Baldwin Park, and while I thought a number of the townhomes looked amazing, I felt it might not be a place for a single guy to live...maybe too self-contained?

Lake Cherokee/Lake Davis are probably more suited for families. I probably wouldn't do Baldwin Park if I were you. Stick to Lake Eola / Thornton Park, and maybe add College Park to your list (more "earthy").

[The Saab]

Thanks, Pete. You are a wealth of great information! Last weekend, I drove by a few of the buildings you mentioned, but it's awesome to get that insider perspective. Thanks again.

[The Saab]

Originally Posted by EditorJul

We just did the DC-->Orlando area move in April and have no regrets whatsoever. Because we're married with kid, we ended up outside of the city proper down in Windermere for more of the family lifestyle, but it is just so much more laid back here that our stress levels have dropped a lot in such a short period of time. No more fighting through Metro or along the Beltway. Whew! Good luck with your move!

EditorJul,

I commute from Arlington to Gallery Place/Chinatown via Metro, and while it's only 4 stops on the Yellow line, it can be...well...exhausting. You know the drill...lol

[Pete C]

You also asked about bars and restaurants. Here you go:

Restaurants - Winter Park and Dr Philips have better restaurant scenes, but here are the best ones downtown:

Mingo's
Artisan's Table
Ceviche
Kres Chophouse
Rusty Spoon

Bars - there are loads of them downtown...most of which lean young, but if you want a more mature/professional crowd, here you go:

The Courtesy
The Woods
Ember
NV Art Bar (& Hanson's Shoe Repair speakeasy on 3rd floor)
Vanity (club)

There are so many in the CBD that you can just hop from one to the next to check them out. Wall St is fun especially during their events.

[The Saab]

I went to the Speakeasy on Friday night. My buddies and I stopped in for a quick drink. Good time!