Young couple planning on moving to fla (neighborhood, parks)

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by boy3365

I am not familiar with crime statistics with both areas, but as in all cities/areas, you have the good places and the bad places.

Identify theft shouldn't influence where you choose to live. That can happen anywhere, both online and offline.



Why is tinytrump or anyone else giving an obvious opinion such a big deal? Is it because it places Orlando in a positive or superior light to somewhere else?

Exactly... I spent my college years in the Tampa area, as well as my first year of employment following. While I love the Tampa/St-Pete area, I find myself having much more to do for me and my kids in the Orlando area. And no, we aren't big on the theme parks.

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

But that's exactly it, a preference versus fact. Your perspective doesn't match everyone else's and vice versa, so to make the claim there's more to do in one city over the other is based on your personal taste. Disney World/Universal Studios aside there isn't anything more compelling in Orlando than what Tampa has to offer since both (like any other sizable cities) has restaurants, shopping, cultural venues, pro sports etc.

Orlando gets the most visitors in the entire country so it's not surprising there is more stuff to do plus the city keeps its nice areas sparkly clean to continue growing the tourist base. There are many more things to do at least in my opinion even without the theme parks.

[tinytrump]

I lived in Carrolwood- when the children came- all my neighbors were older and kept to themselves. We moved to Northdale and joined the YMCA who has a great water park- but the neighbors were retired or withdrawn - no local friends on our street- go figure?? housebound? We moved to Clearwater - off Belcher- the neighbor was a teacher at the kid's school NOT once she ever do anything but wave high- the neighborhood was retirees and new set of twins babies-whose parents also only waved- kids moved to Holiday then Springhill- had one friend around the block -rest elderly- until they moved to Clermont- and the kids are non stop- little faces in the window to come out and play- because they have a yard with no fences- kids everywhere from all over. They go everywhere now- invited by parents of the kids - have a lot of activities and parties and our teen has movie night- bunch of teens come to the house and act silly- NO it is very different-
I was extremely worried the kids were never going to be social in TBay- as for me, besides coworkers, never met ANYONE to be friendly- I moved to my house here in Orlando 1 yr ago, and my neighbors come check on me- help me with my hedges- lend tools- and we all talk and share-- MUCH different. I love my neighborhood! Tampa was aloof- I had co-workers in the New Tampa area and they felt the same - nobody comes out of their houses- I will give you there are the beaches- we fished, lots of sports and the new children's museum- but coming from Miami, I was sorely disappointed in TB- attitude of non- community-- hi, good bye- slam- -and more than happy to be in Orlando. TBay never became home- sorry-

[totsuka]

Tampa has more sink hole problems than Orlando and home insurance is more expensive in that area because of it. You might look at the job first, then the schools (eventual need) and their the home.

[EliteFLliving]

Both areas have great pluses. I would say some family friendly areas would be Davenport, Clermont, Winter Garden. These are all within 20-30 minutes of Disneyworld. Convenient access to major roads to get to Orlando and Tampa easily. When you think of crime, there will be some of that everywhere but the ones I mentioned are places I would recommend and ones I would live in with younger children

[jwolfer]

Originally Posted by tinytrump

I lived in Carrolwood- when the children came- all my neighbors were older and kept to themselves. We moved to Northdale and joined the YMCA who has a great water park- but the neighbors were retired or withdrawn - no local friends on our street- go figure?? housebound? We moved to Clearwater - off Belcher- the neighbor was a teacher at the kid's school NOT once she ever do anything but wave high- the neighborhood was retirees and new set of twins babies-whose parents also only waved- kids moved to Holiday then Springhill- had one friend around the block -rest elderly- until they moved to Clermont- and the kids are non stop- little faces in the window to come out and play- because they have a yard with no fences- kids everywhere from all over. They go everywhere now- invited by parents of the kids - have a lot of activities and parties and our teen has movie night- bunch of teens come to the house and act silly- NO it is very different-
I was extremely worried the kids were never going to be social in TBay- as for me, besides coworkers, never met ANYONE to be friendly- I moved to my house here in Orlando 1 yr ago, and my neighbors come check on me- help me with my hedges- lend tools- and we all talk and share-- MUCH different. I love my neighborhood! Tampa was aloof- I had co-workers in the New Tampa area and they felt the same - nobody comes out of their houses- I will give you there are the beaches- we fished, lots of sports and the new children's museum- but coming from Miami, I was sorely disappointed in TB- attitude of non- community-- hi, good bye- slam- -and more than happy to be in Orlando. TBay never became home- sorry-

It's not a good example for a teach to be smoking marijuana LOL

[Pete C]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

That is utterly false. Outside of the pricey amusement parks (which Tampa has it's own version of with Busch Gardens) there is every bit as much to do (if not more) since Tampa is larger.

Let's just compare major theme parks and water parks:

Tampa:

Busch Gardens
Adventure Island

Orlando:

SeaWorld
Aquatica
Discovery Cove
Magic Kingdom
Epcot
Animal Kingdom
Hollywood Studios
Typhoon Lagoon
Blizzard Beach
Universal Studios
Islands of Adventure
Wet n Wild being replaced by Universal's waterpark opening next year

You are far underselling Orlando's theme parks here. I think for kids it is absolutely a selling point and annual passes can make the prices much more digestible. Sure, Tampa is is just over an hour's drive to the same parks, but living here makes it a much more spontaneous thing to do. You would make the same argument for a beach person choosing to live in Tampa vs Orlando, would you not?

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by FreeLiving

Hello we are a young couple recently married planning on moving to Fla I and my wife have are cold class b are what part f Florida is a good place to start a family we are thinking about Orlando or Tampa what about crime and is the identity theft bad in those areas

Originally Posted by tinytrump

My kids like Orlando better lots to do, they have 3 kids- Tampa has the cut off suburbs- and most time the neighbors where elderly- no one to play with- this happened in many areas between Clearwater and north Tampa

Originally Posted by Pete C

Let's just compare major theme parks and water parks:

Tampa:

Busch Gardens
Adventure Island

Orlando:

SeaWorld
Aquatica
Discovery Cove
Magic Kingdom
Epcot
Animal Kingdom
Hollywood Studios
Typhoon Lagoon
Blizzard Beach
Universal Studios
Islands of Adventure
Wet n Wild being replaced by Universal's waterpark opening next year

You are far underselling Orlando's theme parks here. I think for kids it is absolutely a selling point and annual passes can make the prices much more digestible. Sure, Tampa is is just over an hour's drive to the same parks, but living here makes it a much more spontaneous thing to do. You would make the same argument for a beach person choosing to live in Tampa vs Orlando, would you not?

If you'll read back through the thread you'll see I wasn't underselling Orlando's "charms" but was responding to the second post where it was stated their kids liked Orlando better because their old neighborhood was lacking in kids, which was generalized as characteristic of the whole Tampa Bay area, ans the premise that every breathing human/child lives for amusement park/water park entertainment in their down time is a bit of a presumption. The fact that the immediate Tampa metro (Hillsborough County) ranks as the 14th fastest growing in the country alludes to that a bit it would seem.

[Crane's Rooster]

I grew up in Ft. Myers (coastal community) and later here in CFL (Theme parks) but rarely went to either one, what happened to kids growing up in the neighborhood?

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by Crane's Rooster

I grew up in Ft. Myers (coastal community) and later here in CFL (Theme parks) but rarely went to either one, what happened to kids growing up in the neighborhood?

That's how my kids (and other kids in the neighborhood) are. We/they spend the majority of their free time playing together outside, whether riding bikes, playing soccer, basketball, etc.
We walk the dog to the nearby park and go for strolls through the nature trail. All that's in our small town. Never mind what we find to do on weekends. On the rare occasion we go to the theme parks, it's a treat. Most of the time, we forget that they're even here.