Recommendations for quiet suburban like towns

[kyle19125]

[quote=Arcenal813;63829468]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

In what universe is Deland 30 minutes commute from the center of Orlando? You do know it's not even part of the Orlando MSA, right? It's in fact, NOT a suburb of Orlando. Everything from its demographics and beyond are a far cry from any Orlando municipality. Not saying it's a bad thing, but in no way is it a "suburb or Orlando." Come on, man... You know better.


It hasn't changed much in 15 years either. What, the silly roundabout on SR 44 by the BP station?

Semantics, whatever, A typical American commute is about 30 minutes and in what universe is the center of Orlando where all of the jobs are anyway? It's right around 30 minutes from the Victoria Park area in SE Deland to the Lake Mary/Heathrow corporate parks.

ms of change if you bother to look it now has much more of a modern, progressive vibe and is evident in the businesses now open/thriving as well as the events taking place with Artisan's Alley and beer fests/wine fests, etc

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

Semantics, whatever, A typical American commute is about 30 minutes and in what universe is the center of Orlando where all of the jobs are anyway? It's right around 30 minutes from the Victoria Park area in SE Deland to the Lake Mary/Heathrow corporate parks.

ms of change if you bother to look it now has much more of a modern, progressive vibe and is evident in the businesses now open/thriving as well as the events taking place with Artisan's Alley and beer fests/wine fests, etc

Well, the OP stated "not too far from the parks/city" in their opening post. Assuming they want to be somewhat close to the center of Orlando (city, downtown) and the parks. Also stated that they work from home and are home-schooled, so I doubt that the Lake Mary/Heathrow corporate parks are of any importance.

I'd say Deltona and DeBary are about as far North of Orlando as possible to fit that description. Deland is pushing it.

I guess OP can chime in on what exactly they want to be "not too far" from the parks and city for.

[FL_Expert]

Originally Posted by Arcenal813

Well, the OP stated "not too far from the parks/city" in their opening post. Assuming they want to be somewhat close to the center of Orlando (city, downtown) and the parks. Also stated that they work from home and are home-schooled, so I doubt that the Lake Mary/Heathrow corporate parks are of any importance.

I'd say Deltona and DeBary are about as far North of Orlando as possible to fit that description. Deland is pushing it.

I guess OP can chime in on what exactly they want to be "not too far" from the parks and city for.

And it’s worth noting Deltona can’t be recommended for anything as there’s zero appeal to Deltona/Orange City.

[Riversend22]

Originally Posted by Arcenal813

Well, the OP stated "not too far from the parks/city" in their opening post. Assuming they want to be somewhat close to the center of Orlando (city, downtown) and the parks. Also stated that they work from home and are home-schooled, so I doubt that the Lake Mary/Heathrow corporate parks are of any importance.

I'd say Deltona and DeBary are about as far North of Orlando as possible to fit that description. Deland is pushing it.

I guess OP can chime in on what exactly they want to be "not too far" from the parks and city for.

I've looked at some of the suggested options and although they are nice, I do think the furthest we'd want to be away is 45 minutes. It's not like we plan to visit the parks all the time, but we do like to visit Disney Springs a few times a month, so I'd say being any further away than 45 minutes is out. BUT, I will say that in looking at properties, I love the ones that have a nice patch of land with nothing but palm trees surrounding them. The "country" parts of Florida are definitely intriguing! I have a family member who lives on a palm tree farm and man, is it beautiful!

So this leads me to another question...Which directional areas do people like best? I have noticed a lot of suggestions are north of Orlando. Is that an easier drive/area to come from than like the south or west? Is there any particular area to avoid? With two young kiddos, safety is a huge priority for me.

[Arcenal813]

I’ll elaborate further in a few, but the short of it is that much of what is South of Orlando proper is a huge tourist district. The vast majority of the metro population lives North of the Turnpike.

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by Riversend22

I've looked at some of the suggested options and although they are nice, I do think the furthest we'd want to be away is 45 minutes. It's not like we plan to visit the parks all the time, but we do like to visit Disney Springs a few times a month, so I'd say being any further away than 45 minutes is out. BUT, I will say that in looking at properties, I love the ones that have a nice patch of land with nothing but palm trees surrounding them. The "country" parts of Florida are definitely intriguing! I have a family member who lives on a palm tree farm and man, is it beautiful!

So this leads me to another question...Which directional areas do people like best? I have noticed a lot of suggestions are north of Orlando. Is that an easier drive/area to come from than like the south or west? Is there any particular area to avoid? With two young kiddos, safety is a huge priority for me.

It really depends on what you like. I'd look as far West as Windermere, as far East as Lake Nona and as far North as Lake Mary.

[Riversend22]

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

It really depends on what you like. I'd look as far West as Windermere, as far East as Lake Nona and as far North as Lake Mary.

Ok great, thanks. I've definitely been looking around these areas and like them all (from research...def need to visit them in person). I mentioned in my initial post that I like Clermont. I know that's a bit further west than windermere, but realistically, how far away is it from the parks and such?

[WinterParkLocal]

From Clermont you would take the 408 and then head south on 429. 408 going on non-peak traffic times is pretty easy and the 429 is almost always smooth sailing. Maybe 45 min to get to Disney depending on how deep in Clermont you are. Here's the thing I think other posters were alluding to... most people that actually live here do not make the Disney trip that often. For the first 6 months to a year, it's popular but the magic does wear off (pun fully intended) and kids age out pretty quickly. I am a mom of 3 kids and I can't tell you the last time we went to a Disney park. We are now of the Universal/islands of adventure age.

I'd focus more on finding an area that suits your family, has a bit more insulation from tourism economy and near other points of interest whether that is jobs, sports, arts, whatever your family is in to other than Disney.

Also to note, while your kids are homeschooled now, is there any chance that could change in the future? I also advise clients that they should consider school districts not just for the schools themselves but also for resale value. Just some things to consider.

[verywanderlusty]

For the lot, sqFT, and budget I’d reccomend Sanford(EoI4) or Longwood. Lake Mary if you’d be willing to put up with a smaller lot, same with WoI4.

Longwood is really great for the suburban feel, as well as Sanford but Longwood is almost utopian every time I visit.