Pros of Living in Orlando? (Jacksonville, Tampa: homes, landscaping, neighborhoods)

[knicksin8]

Understanding that there are many perspectives, I find that there are alot of negative posts about living in Orlando and Florida in general. While I don't doubt there is truth in these posts, there is no perfect place either. Everything is relative and I'm assuming there must be people who have relocated to Orlando and have been happy for many years now.

As a person who is seriously considering a relocation to Orlando from the Northeast, and assuming if one is a professional and can secure a job with a good income, what are some of the pros of living in the orlando metro area?

Any helpful feedback or insight would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

[WithDisp]

Housing can be relatively inexpensive.
Good weather about 9 months of the year.
Theme park access cheap and convenient for residents.
Many cultural things to do.
Center of Florida so you're a day trip from the majority of the state.

The biggest con is the challenge of securing a job with a good income here.

[Crane's Rooster]

Location. You get just about anywhere in FL in 4 hrs or less. 1.5 hrs to either coast.
Weather is nice pretty much 7 months a year. The summer can be hot and humid but the rest of the year is nice.
World Class amenities. Because the theme parks attract visitors from all over the world local residents get the benefits of world class entertainment, dining, resorts. However expect to pay world class prices especially at some of the Disney restaurants and resorts.
Great outdoor activities. No we don't have mountains but we do have great lakes, springs, beaches coastline, trails, boating, fishing and watersports.
Cultural Diversity - not the melting pot of some larger cities but we have many different cultures throughout.
Geographic diversity- drive 1 hr one way and you're on a tropical beach. Drive an hour the opposite direction and you're in the rolling hills of North Central Florida.
Developing Downtown. Our downtown has a ways to go but it is lively and getting better everyday.
Cheap air travel. You can fly just about anywhere from Orlando international for a reasonable price.
Lots of beautiful people. This goes for Florida in general it's just something about the sunshine.
Great shopping. Again another by product of our tourism industry.
Always something to do. You can go years without stepping foot in the theme parks and not run out of things to do. There's always some type of fair fetival or event. During the summers I pretty much live on the water whether is fishing swimming canoeing boating or just lounging by the pool.

[bmw335xi]

Take it from me... I've lived in 8 different cities and two countries. I'll be ready to settle down and make a city my "home base" for the long-term and out of all the cities I've lived and visited, I will be choosing Orlando. It is not perfect, but no place is perfect, but it does have a lot of great things to offer. I think it is best suited for families.

Pros:

Inexpensive housing and cost of living
Nice street landscaping throughout many parts of the city
Great weather for those who hate the cold
Beautiful neighborhoods and homes
Plenty of safe places to live
Tons of shopping choices
Tons of tourists, which make going out interesting because you meet people from all over the world
It's green year round
A good chunk of the city is pristine clean
Very little homeless population, at least visible homeless
Tons of entertainment options available
Tons of cheap flights available
Nearby cruise ports in case you want to get away for a week
Plenty of outdoor activities available
A lot of friendly people

Overall, it's a beautiful, warm, clean, friendly, safe city that has plenty of shopping, entertainment and housing communities to choose from (if you can afford to spend $250k+ for a house). It's not perfect, my biggest complaints are... not on the ocean, doesn't have hills or mountains and doesn't have a huge selection of authentic ethnic restaurants.

[MrKnight]

I used to live in Orlando and moved away for a job promotion up north, sometimes we take things for granted until they are snatched away, after I left Orlando I realized how great of a city it really is and how enjoyable it was to live in Florida. Here are just a few pros:

- Friendly People
- Sunny and Warm Weather Year Round
- Proximity to beaches (Nearest is only 45 minutes away)
- World Class Theme Parks (Annual Pass discounts for Florida Residents)
- Great flight options out of Orlando International Airport (MCO) and a great airport itself
- Lots of shopping and dining options
- Most of the area is well landscaped and maintained clean and visually appealing
- I-4 and Florida Turnpike are major arteries to other parts of the state (in any direction)
- Housing is affordable (for the most part)
- Suburban areas are very safe and family friendly (+Good schools)
- Lots of concerts year round (Biggest acts almost always make a stop in Orlando)
- Local museums, performing arts, and cultural events
- A golfers dream (Lots of golf courses and PGA events)
- University of Central Florida - Go Knights!

The list goes on and on... Best of luck with your relocation!

[LordHomunculus]

To be honest with you, the only pros that really sets Orlando apart from other areas is:

- You don't have to deal with frigid weather.
- It's cheap compared to other places.
- You're close to theme parks and a few beaches.

Everything else is typical of most areas around the country or is done better by other areas in the country and even within the state.

[Jazzy88]

You had me at "sunny and warm". We're expecting 10-15" of snow tonight.

Originally Posted by MrKnight

I used to live in Orlando and moved away for a job promotion up north, sometimes we take things for granted until they are snatched away, after I left Orlando I realized how great of a city it really is and how enjoyable it was to live in Florida. Here are just a few pros:

- Friendly People
- Sunny and Warm Weather Year Round
- Proximity to beaches (Nearest is only 45 minutes away)
- World Class Theme Parks (Annual Pass discounts for Florida Residents)
- Great flight options out of Orlando International Airport (MCO) and a great airport itself
- Lots of shopping and dining options
- Most of the area is well landscaped and maintained clean and visually appealing
- I-4 and Florida Turnpike are major arteries to other parts of the state (in any direction)
- Housing is affordable (for the most part)
- Suburban areas are very safe and family friendly (+Good schools)
- Lots of concerts year round (Biggest acts almost always make a stop in Orlando)
- Local museums, performing arts, and cultural events
- A golfers dream (Lots of golf courses and PGA events)
- University of Central Florida - Go Knights!

The list goes on and on... Best of luck with your relocation!

[Mr Idealism]

Having lived here for 3 years now, I can say unequivocally that we are HAPPY and made the right decision. I'm originally from North Jersey and lived in Northern VA for nearly 4 years prior to moving here. I have absolutely NO interest in moving back to either place, especially the latter. The main thing that struck me about your post was the whole, "assuming I can get a good professional job" down here. If you can make that happen, I would, without a doubt, recommend moving here. The naysayers are usually the ones that don't have the means to take advantage of all of what Orlando has to offer. Everyone else pretty much hit the nail on the head as far as the lists go. I hope it works out for you.

[chopchop0]

World class airport for a city of this size
World class shopping for a city of this size
World class restaurants/theme parks for a city of this size.

Orlando is really a national/global destination (more visited than NYC in 2011!) without the massive populations of places like London, NY or Paris.

It's akin to Las Vegas IMO, but way more multi-dimensional as a city.

[OrlFlaUsa]

If you want a mid-sized metro that punches way above its weight class then Orlando is your place. Otherwise go to Tampa, Jacksonville, or Charlotte and enjoy what a mid-sized metro feels like without the extras Orlando gets from being the vacation destination it is.