Moving to Orlando: Neighborhood Suggestions Please? (Tampa, Kissimmee: renting, homes, employment)

[idr591]

Keep in mind, the other areas mentioned (Dr. Philips, Maitland, Windermere, Lake Mary) are NOT AT ALL downtown, and do not have a downtown feel. They are textbook suburbs, with in some cases very nice "Town Centers." These are basically glorified strip malls with some upscale chain stores and restaurants.


I would drive around a bit before you settle on a place.

[SLX2]

After doing some researches, we are really interested in the Lake Mary area. Is there any other neighborhoods that are similar to Lake Mary?

Here are some of the neighborhood that we are considering and our perception of them, please point out if they are correct, and if there are any further pros & cons:

1. Windermere/Dr. Philip/Celebration Area: Looks like a very good neighborhood, but it might be hard to get a one bedroom apartment that is cheaper than $1,200. I am also worried that the traffic might be bad there since it's close to the theme parks. (I have read that the tourists cause bad traffics)
Pros: 1) Highly Gentrified(?) 2) Robust community 3) Close to Disney
Cons: 1) Higher Cost of Living 2) Too close to Disney, causing bad traffic and other problems

2. Areas surrounding Downtown: Such as Eola Height, Delaney, Thorton Park, or just basically North/East/South of Downtown. (I have heard the West is a no-no).
Pros: 1) Close to Downtown and easy accessibility to events and community,
Cons: 1) Safety? Crime rate seems to be an issue.

3. Up North: like Lake Mary, Maitland, Altamonte Spring, Oviedo
Pros: 1) Cheaper rental prices for same quality apartments 2) suburban but still plenty to do 3) Looks fairly safe 4) People seems friendly
Cons: 1) how is the traffic? Is it easily accessible to work/city center etc? I wouldn't mind a half hour drive.

These are my perceptions for now. It seems like the "up north" neighborhoods are pretty good for a new comer to first experience life in Orlando. Is there any other similar neighborhoods? What should I watch out for?

Thanks!

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by SLX2

After doing some researches, we are really interested in the Lake Mary area. Is there any other neighborhoods that are similar to Lake Mary?

Here are some of the neighborhood that we are considering and our perception of them, please point out if they are correct, and if there are any further pros & cons:

1. Windermere/Dr. Philip/Celebration Area: Looks like a very good neighborhood, but it might be hard to get a one bedroom apartment that is cheaper than $1,200. I am also worried that the traffic might be bad there since it's close to the theme parks. (I have read that the tourists cause bad traffics)
Pros: 1) Highly Gentrified(?) 2) Robust community 3) Close to Disney
Cons: 1) Higher Cost of Living 2) Too close to Disney, causing bad traffic and other problems

2. Areas surrounding Downtown: Such as Eola Height, Delaney, Thorton Park, or just basically North/East/South of Downtown. (I have heard the West is a no-no).
Pros: 1) Close to Downtown and easy accessibility to events and community,
Cons: 1) Safety? Crime rate seems to be an issue.

3. Up North: like Lake Mary, Maitland, Altamonte Spring, Oviedo
Pros: 1) Cheaper rental prices for same quality apartments 2) suburban but still plenty to do 3) Looks fairly safe 4) People seems friendly
Cons: 1) how is the traffic? Is it easily accessible to work/city center etc? I wouldn't mind a half hour drive.

These are my perceptions for now. It seems like the "up north" neighborhoods are pretty good for a new comer to first experience life in Orlando. Is there any other similar neighborhoods? What should I watch out for?

Thanks!

1. You are correct about everything other than heavy traffic due to Disney proximity. Of the areas you mentioned, Windermere/Dr.Philips is likely the least congested.

2. You are correct. Avoid the West like the plague. Some parts of the West have some very nice ethnic stores that make it worthwhile to venture to, but to live there is a no-no.
Aside from that, the downtown area is pretty densely populated and trafficked, and with that comes some crime, but for the most part, it is considered safe. It's pricey, though.

3. Lake Mary is... Lake Mary. I haven't quite found any other suburb of Orlando to have the same feel. Parts of Longwood and Sanford, maybe, but that's about it. That said, Lake Mary would be an excellent choice if you don't mind a respectable commute... And some pretty terrible traffic at times. Getting downtown from Lake Mary can take you as little as 20-25 minutes if I-4 is clear... Or as much as 1.5 hours if it's congested. You alternative, 17-92, is a commercial boulevard and gets pretty bad too. That said, chances are, if you are planning on working, you won't be working near the city center. Lake Mary has A LOT of office complexes... As do nearby Sanford, Longwood, and especially Maitland.

[SLX2]

Originally Posted by Arcenal352

1. You are correct about everything other than heavy traffic due to Disney proximity. Of the areas you mentioned, Windermere/Dr.Philips is likely the least congested.

2. You are correct. Avoid the West like the plague. Some parts of the West have some very nice ethnic stores that make it worthwhile to venture to, but to live there is a no-no.
Aside from that, the downtown area is pretty densely populated and trafficked, and with that comes some crime, but for the most part, it is considered safe. It's pricey, though.

3. Lake Mary is... Lake Mary. I haven't quite found any other suburb of Orlando to have the same feel. Parts of Longwood and Sanford, maybe, but that's about it. That said, Lake Mary would be an excellent choice if you don't mind a respectable commute... And some pretty terrible traffic at times. Getting downtown from Lake Mary can take you as little as 20-25 minutes if I-4 is clear... Or as much as 1.5 hours if it's congested. You alternative, 17-92, is a commercial boulevard and gets pretty bad too. That said, chances are, if you are planning on working, you won't be working near the city center. Lake Mary has A LOT of office complexes... As do nearby Sanford, Longwood, and especially Maitland.

Thanks for the useful information! Then I don't know if there is any cons for windermere and DP!

In regards to Lake Mary... May I ask if you can elaborate more? What do you mean by the "feel"? Is there any other neighborhoods that has the same pros (safety, cheaper rental, having its own commercial boulevards, etc), but is less terrible in commute? How about Altamote Spring, Maitland and Oviedo?

And how would you guys describe Conway?

Thanks so much! It is truly helpful and i appreciate your feedback.

[brinkofsunshine]

Altamonte Springs, while nice, has some of the worst suburban traffic I've encountered. I'm not sure how Maitland's traffic compares but it is a really beautiful area.

[bmw335xi]

Dr Phillips traffic is not bad at all. The only traffic spot is along Sand Lake Road where all the restaurants and access to I-4 are... However, there are so many side streets you can take during rush hour to avoid this road, which really isn't bad because it's maybe like 0.5 miles. I really can't think of much cons in this area, it's why I'm moving back to it from San Francisco very happily.

[idr591]

If I were young without kids moved here from New York, I would be bored out of my mind in Lake Mary. Maybe it's just me.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by Arcenal352

Lake Mary is... Lake Mary. I haven't quite found any other suburb of Orlando to have the same feel. Parts of Longwood and Sanford, maybe, but that's about it. That said, Lake Mary would be an excellent choice if you don't mind a respectable commute... And some pretty terrible traffic at times. Getting downtown from Lake Mary can take you as little as 20-25 minutes if I-4 is clear... Or as much as 1.5 hours if it's congested. You alternative, 17-92, is a commercial boulevard and gets pretty bad too. That said, chances are, if you are planning on working, you won't be working near the city center. Lake Mary has A LOT of office complexes... As do nearby Sanford, Longwood, and especially Maitland.

Just pointing out that since the OP hasn't secured work yet that the premise of a commute from Lake Mary into Orlando isn't a given, especially since the metro area doesn't have the typical concentric set-up of a core downtown where a majority of the jobs are. If I'm not mistaken somewhere in the neighborhood of 10% of all jobs are located in "Downtown Orlando". With one of the OPs in the medical field there are plenty of options well within a 15-20 minute commute of Lake Mary ( as well as in town) plus for the other in marketing, much of the same in terms of options and drive time. Lake Mary has become something of a jobs center on it's own, along with other hubs like Maitland Center and the UCF area.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by SLX2

Thanks for the useful information! Then I don't know if there is any cons for windermere and DP!

In regards to Lake Mary... May I ask if you can elaborate more? What do you mean by the "feel"? Is there any other neighborhoods that has the same pros (safety, cheaper rental, having its own commercial boulevards, etc), but is less terrible in commute? How about Altamote Spring, Maitland and Oviedo?

And how would you guys describe Conway?

Thanks so much! It is truly helpful and i appreciate your feedback.

Lake Mary has a less dense park-like feel with lots of trees/greenspace yet has fairly well-planned town amenities in terms of infrastructure and not overcrowded and congested like much of the area which suffers with textbook suburban sprawl. Again I would look less at the commute component since this area doesn't have the typical "commute from the outer edges to the city core" set-up like most cities. Altamonte Springs is as pointed out very dense and heavily traffic-congested, but considered desirable in most areas. Maitland doesn't have much of an identity at all in my opinion (though has been trying) but has some good neighborhoods and is close to Winter Park's nice amenities. Oviedo is similarly desirable as Lake Mary to many (primarily families) but like Maitland lacks a commercial core of any relevance and is more or less rural with very low density and isn't convenient to a whole lot. Conway is an older suburban area of Orlando which if I'm not mistaken is still considered unincorporated Orange County versus Orlando proper. It's convenient to Downtown Orlando but lacks in services in the immediate area, plus is bordered by a not so great area just to the east (the Semoran Boulevard corridor). It is very green/tree-covered and is considered one of the prime areas in Orange County.

[chopchop0]

Originally Posted by idr591

If I were young without kids moved here from New York, I would be bored out of my mind in Lake Mary. Maybe it's just me.

Agreed. Would rather be in Dr Phillips if I wanted a "suburb" at least it is closer to downtown and all of the big attractions in Orlando