Family w/ young kids...looking at Lake Mary and surrounding areas (Orlando: transplants, houses)

[sofla_diyer]

Hi all,

My husband and I are researching the Lake Mary and surrounding areas for a potential move from Boca Raton. He works remote and I'm currently a stay-at-home mom so we are free to move wherever we want. We are considering the Lake Mary area because of the presence of many software/high tech companies for potential employment should my husband decide to change jobs at some point.

We have two small kids (almost 4 and 18 months) and another on the way over the summer. We want to be near good schools, but not necessarily zoned to top schools as long as we're close enough to magnet programs with good academics (we're not interested in private schools). We're looking to eventually buy a home in the $350-400K range and would love to have an acre of property. Low traffic, but easy access to shopping would be great. Other young families in the area is a must. We're moving out of Boca to hopefully surround ourselves with people closer to our age. I grew up in Gainesville with family in the South, and we're looking to get more of that Southern charm feel than where we currently are. Does this area have that?

Based on our wish list, does Lake Mary or any of the other nearby areas sound like a good fit?

If anyone has lived in Boca and the Orlando area and can provide a comparison of the two, that would be especially helpful.

Thanks in advance!

[Arcenal813]

With near an acre in a good area near good schools?

This has always been one of my favorite areas:

https://www.google.com/maps/@28.7989.../data=!3m1!1e3

There are a few million-dollar homes around, but also a number of houses within your budget range.

[Crane's Rooster]

The hardest part of your search will be the acre property. Most of Lake Mary and surrounding areas, even the older neighborhoods, are the traditional 1/4-1/3 acre lots. The only area where you will find that land is along Markham woods road, but if the acreage is not a deal breaker you will have many options that fit your criteria.

[Bert_from_back_East]

Originally Posted by sofla_diyer

Hi all,

My husband and I are researching the Lake Mary and surrounding areas for a potential move from Boca Raton. He works remote and I'm currently a stay-at-home mom so we are free to move wherever we want. We are considering the Lake Mary area because of the presence of many software/high tech companies for potential employment should my husband decide to change jobs at some point.

We have two small kids (almost 4 and 18 months) and another on the way over the summer. We want to be near good schools, but not necessarily zoned to top schools as long as we're close enough to magnet programs with good academics (we're not interested in private schools). We're looking to eventually buy a home in the $350-400K range and would love to have an acre of property. Low traffic, but easy access to shopping would be great. Other young families in the area is a must. We're moving out of Boca to hopefully surround ourselves with people closer to our age. I grew up in Gainesville with family in the South, and we're looking to get more of that Southern charm feel than where we currently are. Does this area have that?

Based on our wish list, does Lake Mary or any of the other nearby areas sound like a good fit?

If anyone has lived in Boca and the Orlando area and can provide a comparison of the two, that would be especially helpful.

Thanks in advance!

There is absolutely no "Southern charm" in Lake Mary whatsoever, and this is coming from someone who lived in Boca Raton for several years in the not-so-distant past and just recently visited the Lake Mary area a few weeks ago.

When I lived in Boca, I used to think people in the Orlando area were more polite and mild-mannered than people in South Florida, which they are to a degree if your context is South Florida.

However, after recent visits to Charleston, Savannah, Nashville and New Orleans in the past year or so, I can assuredly say that there is absolutely zero Southern charm left in the Greater Orlando area, if it ever even existed there in the first place.

Perhaps one can find Southern charm in the small towns and outlying areas of Central Florida, but you're certainly not going to find it in newer, upscale suburban communities like Lake Mary or Windermere, which are home to mostly Northern transplants and Latin American immigrants.

If you want any semblance of Southern charm, but want to remain within the suburbs of a major city (i.e., a robust, diversified job market), you really need to leave Florida - and the Southern states along the Eastern seaboard, for that matter - altogether.

In my experience, even the larger and medium-sized Southern cities on the Eastern Seaboard (i.e., Richmond, Raleigh, Charleston, Savannah) are beginning to resemble Florida cities in terms of attitude, mindset, etc. due to the cultural paradigm shifts that have been occurring in those cities over the course of the past 15-20 years or so with all of the incoming transplants from Florida and Northern states as well as immigrants.

Although the social atmosphere of cities like Raleigh, Charleston and Savannah may be shifting, people in those cities are still much more polite, courteous and pleasant than people in Orlando or elsewhere in Florida.

When I was in Lake Mary a few weeks ago, I observed how cashiers don't smile or make eye contact with you, people don't thank you for holding a door open for them and will rarely hold a door open for you, drivers cut you off in traffic at the last possible second without turn signals and honk at everything, etc. - typical Florida ****.

Truth be told reminded a lot of Boca, and that's not a good thing. Coming from California, it was like getting hit in the face with a brick, and I have absolutely zero desire to return to Florida ever again.

However, if you want a little more greenery and elbow room, a more affordable COL, better performing schools (Seminole County is one of the top-performing school districts in the state), more family-friendly attractions and things to do, a slightly slower pace of life and better proximity to your family in Gainesville (and elsewhere in the South, for that matter), then Lake Mary is a decent alternative to Boca.

Better yet, if your husband's industry is well-represented in that area, then all the more I say go for it. Best of luck in your relocation!

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by Arcenal352

With near an acre in a good area near good schools?

This has always been one of my favorite areas:

https://www.google.com/maps/@28.7989.../data=!3m1!1e3

There are a few million-dollar homes around, but also a number of houses within your budget range.

Exactly, more specifically Sanford addresses. The schools are excellent ("A" and "A+" rated) and tend to be less densely zoned with larger lots yet convenient to Lake Mary/Heathrow (work), shopping and things to do minus loads of traffic. Look in/around the SR46 corridor west of I-4 in varying subdivisions around Sylvan Lake, Lake Markham, Wekiva Preserve and Sylvan Woods as well as the Orange Blvd loop (SR431) north of SR46 and west of I-4. There you will find smaller subdivisions behind Lake Forest (larger more densely-populated planned community) such as Astor Farms and The Retreat at Wekiva.

[sofla_diyer]

Thanks so much for your responses! I will check out the neighborhoods you mentioned and add them to our must-see list when we visit in the next few weeks.

Bert, thanks for your comment as well. I completely understand what you're saying. We looked into moving to Raleigh about 18 months ago (my husband's company is located there) and it was funny how many New Yorkers lived there, many of whom moved from South Florida for the more affordable housing. While I'd love to try living in a different state, my husband and I both decided that for now we want to stay close to family for our kids. If the area is even a slight improvement over Boca, I'll take that!

[StreetSmarts]

Raleigh will then suck in 10-20 yrs. what a shame.

[StreetSmarts]

Look into Oviedo. It's a great alternative to Lake Mary. Better schools too, and more spread out for the most part. I like Lake Mary much better than 'Orlando' tho.

I'm a south FL native. I wouldn't live in Boca for free. Hate the ppl. Only a few places I only like in Orlando anymore. They are Oviedo, Lake Mary and Longwood for the most part.

[jwolfer]

Sanford off SR46 west of I4 has some bigger lots people have horses etc. I rented a small guest house up there and the property was really nice. It was off New York St( Bunch of streets named after states) It felt like you were in the middle of nowhere but minutes from I4 and civilization. Not far from Lake Mary and you can get there without getting on I4.

If you are in Sanford/Longwood west of I4 many neighborhoods have bears so keep that in mind as well. I saw bears, wild boar and deer all the time, there was a nature preserve right across the street.

[VTGal]

Lake Mary gets two thumbs up from me, can't speak for the schools though.

Just come up and check it out. Maybe Dr Phillips or Windemere might meet your needs.

I'm from the north and I have not found any southern charm so far in FL, didn't expect to, most people here are from somewhere else. But I do think the sunshine has most people in a much better mood. Unlike one of the other posters though, driving and dealing with cashiers is much more pleasant here than up north.