Moving to FL soon and could use some advise on these areas! And SoFLa vs. Central question... (Miami: rental)

[FLDreamin31]

My husband and I are looking to move down to the Orlando FL area pretty soon from NYC with our 3 (almost 4) year old daughter. We are really looking into the Oviedo, Altamonte Springs, Lake Mary areas. A few questions we have are:

How far from downtown Orlando will we actually be living in any of those three areas (considering traffic during rush hour)?
How far from UCF would we be, will the commute be too much?
How are the daycare/preschools out there? Do they cost money? I know out here in NYC childcare is based on your income in some places. Are there daycares/preschools like that in Orlando? Just want to know because if not then how much would it generally cost? Would be great for us to know so we can plan to set that money aside, considering she might be in daycare for 1 or 2 years.

Also, I wasn't sure if to post this as a separate thread but I'll just shoot the question out here in case I decide not to...

South Florida vs. Central Florida?? My husband also got an opportunity with a friend down near Miami so right now we're just trying to make the decision as to where would be best to raise a family. In Miami he would be making just a bit more (not much) but the cost of living does seem to be higher in SoFLa. Up in central FL it seems like we could make rent in certain areas on just his salary alone! Orlando looks like it's winning from reading some different posts on here but I'm still a little unsure. We just came back from Miami and fell in love but Orlando is also beautiful. Ughhh decisions, decisions. Would appreciate all the help and info we could get!

Thanks!!

PS--looking to rent not buy for now and our budget for a 2 bedroom in Orlando would be around $1000. Would be willing to go a bit higher but I seem to be finding a lot of nice places for much lower online so we'd rather stick with a nice low price range for now.

[Crane's Rooster]

For your rental price range CFL would be best, particularly if you are only going to make slightly more in Miami. Although nowhere near the NYC prices you are used to, MIA prices are noticeably higher than ORL, you would need to make more than just slightly more to enjoy the same lifestyle. Among the areas you mentioned, Oviedo would be closest to UCF but furthest from DT. Altamonte is the closest to DT but farthest from UCF. Lake Mary is not the closest distance wise but because the 417 expressway runs to UCF it might be shorter commute time. Of three areas and given your situation I would recommend Altamonte because your likely to get the most bang for your buck there given your price range.

[kyle19125]

To begin with you're comparing apples to oranges, and quite frankly the answers received from the cheerleaders in the Orlando Forum are going to paint the prettiest picture for Orlando. I would recommend posting in the South Florida and Florida forums for contrasting opinion. Posting for positive feedback about South Florida here is kind of like asking for positive feedback about President Obama from a Fox News call-in show.

As a South Florida native myself (and recent Northeast transplant back to the state)I feel coming from NYC you're going to find suburban Orlando quite boring/non-progressive while South Florida would be more in keeping with your current lifestyle without complete culture shock, not to mention knowing someone there already which helps speed transition considerably.

[Crane's Rooster]

To be completely fair I am an Orlando cheerleader but not a South FL hater in any sense. I lived in Miami and Broward county and loved my time down there. Your husband making "just a bit more" in SFL will not compensate for the cost of living difference. $1000 will not get you much in a nice area of SFL. I'm just speaking from my experience but certainly do not want you to think my opinion was biased or clouded.

[FLDreamin31]

Originally Posted by Crane's Rooster

For your rental price range CFL would be best, particularly if you are only going to make slightly more in Miami. Although nowhere near the NYC prices you are used to, MIA prices are noticeably higher than ORL, you would need to make more than just slightly more to enjoy the same lifestyle. Among the areas you mentioned, Oviedo would be closest to UCF but furthest from DT. Altamonte is the closest to DT but farthest from UCF. Lake Mary is not the closest distance wise but because the 417 expressway runs to UCF it might be shorter commute time. Of three areas and given your situation I would recommend Altamonte because your likely to get the most bang for your buck there given your price range.

Thanks for your response. I was sort of leaning towards Altamonte so I'm glad u recommend that one. The ride to UCF doesn't matter to me as much as the one to downtown so it works out.

[FLDreamin31]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

To begin with you're comparing apples to oranges, and quite frankly the answers received from the cheerleaders in the Orlando Forum are going to paint the prettiest picture for Orlando. I would recommend posting in the South Florida and Florida forums for contrasting opinion. Posting for positive feedback about South Florida here is kind of like asking for positive feedback about President Obama from a Fox News call-in show.

As a South Florida native myself (and recent Northeast transplant back to the state)I feel coming from NYC you're going to find suburban Orlando quite boring/non-progressive while South Florida would be more in keeping with your current lifestyle without complete culture shock, not to mention knowing someone there already which helps speed transition considerably.

So I think I've already come to terms with the fact that CFL might be our best bet for the initial move. The opportunity for my husband in SoFla will always be there. I really would like to finish my degree so me working full time right now would not be an option so we would definitely rather go where things could be just a bit on the cheaper side. But eventually SoFla is where we want to end up without a doubt! And Orlando wouldn't be too much of a culture shock for us at all. My husband and I are very laid back people. Not really into the party scenes that NYC has to offer. We're definitely looking forward to the peace and quiet, nice restaurants, and just the chill kind of life out there. And we have friends in family both in CFL and SoFla so we'd be ok adjusting in either place.

Still wondering about my daycare/preschool questions though if anyone could give some input?!

thanks!