Need some HONEST opinions from Metrowest residents! (Azur/Hamptons/Tradewinds/Serenata/Etc)

[Soup Not See]

Originally Posted by metrowester

MetroWest is a beautiful neighborhood, I never feel endangered at all. The metrowest village shopping center with the Publix has several nice restaurants in a strip shopping center, don't see much of that anywhere. Just where are these horrible dangerous places to be? Be specific! What crimes have happened there, can you name one? I need to know what areas to avoid so I can protect myself! Should I stay away from Veranda Park? Maybe Bermuda Dunes complex on the golf course? Just how dangerous is the country club? Should I stay away from Apopka-Vineland Rd. on the back entrance of Metro West. Maybe Conroy Windermere Rd is the dangerzone! Maybe one of the lawncare people may attack me at any moment. I think they may be too busy taking care of the perfectly manicured roadways and golf course. Maybe I should quit going to Starbucks on Kirkman. Better watch my back, you can't trust those people in those Audis,BMWs, Jags, Lexus cars! That's it! It's the scum that drives Lexus's!!!!!!!Beware!! Be careful if you sit outside at Chipolte, there might be a drive by shooting!! Maybe it's the Bistro Gourmet McDonald's. It's the Panini eaters!!! That's why both McDonald's restaurants are two of four Bistro Gourmets in the Orlando area. You should see the Dr.Phillips and Windermere neighbors stick there noses in the air at Fresh Market, they don't like the MetroWest scum. Maybe it's Bill Fredrick Park, the city park with the horses. Maybe it's the horses!
I or my neighbors are terrified to walk or run, what if we get mugged. Maybe it's the large Indian population in the area. Can't trust those Indian doctors, pharmacists, and business owners and investors!
Damn! I should be terrified of the non-violent crime that's not happening around me!!! Be careful MetroWesters, make sure you lock up those 8,000 square foot homes. Better lock yourself in and don't venture outside!
And thanks for the warnings MetoWest bashers, I'll try to be a little more careful next time I eat a pizza at NYPD. That strip center seems a little shady. I had to pick up a paper cup last week there. I tried to find more trash and litter and wasn't succesful! Me and my hoodrat friends have been slacking off!!!

Wow, talk about defensive ... I used to live in Metrowest (1995-1998) and have seen the area deteriorate over the years. It used to be one of the safest communities to live in, now I believe it falls in the middle of the pack somewhere in crime stats. And when people say Metrowest, they are not just talking the Hiawassee side.

There have been plenty of rapes, forced home entry robberies, armed business robberies ( I was in Sam Sneads Tavern late one night when armed guys broke into the kitchen and demanded the manager open the safe) & property crime. I lived at Bermuda Dunes when the mail-stealing scam was happening. We moved out of the Summit Apartments because my neighbor was selling crack at all hours of the night and hightailed over to Dr Phillips.

And didn't the police just shoot a guy on Lake Debra Drive who was sitting on a bench and would not drop his gun ?

And if you need more proof, there's this from WFTV ...

New Cameras To Watch For MetroWest Crime - News Story - WFTV Orlando

[metrowester]

Originally Posted by leftee

Wow, talk about defensive ... I used to live in Metrowest (1995-1998) and have seen the area deteriorate over the years. It used to be one of the safest communities to live in, now I believe it falls in the middle of the pack somewhere in crime stats. And when people say Metrowest, they are not just talking the Hiawassee side.

There have been plenty of rapes, forced home entry robberies, armed business robberies ( I was in Sam Sneads Tavern late one night when armed guys broke into the kitchen and demanded the manager open the safe) & property crime. I lived at Bermuda Dunes when the mail-stealing scam was happening. We moved out of the Summit Apartments because my neighbor was selling crack at all hours of the night and hightailed over to Dr Phillips.

And didn't the police just shoot a guy on Lake Debra Drive who was sitting on a bench and would not drop his gun ?

And if you need more proof, there's this from WFTV ...

New Cameras To Watch For MetroWest Crime - News Story - WFTV Orlando

Thanks! I've seen the story about traffic cameras, MetroWest HOA had enough pull with the City of Orlando to get those installed. They'll be everywhere soon. To be totally honest, I moved from MetroWest
and a half yers ago to relocate downtown because I liked the pedestrian climate that keeps growing, but I still have friends and visit often. When MetroWest was new, there was a large popular Ecstacy dealer living there about 1993 when Orlando was Ecstacy crazy. They were white college boy from good families so maybe that was the difference. Maybe I'm one of the people that have contributed to the decline of MetroWest in your opinion. Also a guy I worked with at Disney moved into a MetroWest neighborhood when it was brand new who is a weed dealer and still lives there and does the same thing today (he's a white guy). I'm a long time Orlando resident and the a former Eastsider from Azalea Park. Drugs are anywhere and everywhere and the US is the largest consumer of illegal drugs in the world. I guess I'm kind of street wise when it comes to rough areas, the thing is to mind your own business. Orlando has a higher than average crime rate, I think we are all aware of that. I judge an area by how well-kept it is and hasn't deteriorated, I don't think MW is in that category yet. Neighborhoods that are not what they used to be are Pine Hills, Azalea Park, Sky Lake, etc. I've never understood why people abandon neighborhoods so they allow the riff-raff to move in. MW has always had that westside edge to it, I thought it was a neighborhood that would end the constant spread of the bad westside neighborhoods. I'm a guy and I'm not afraid of crime except rape and murder and I don't agree with robbery, especially at gun point. We all have a one in something chance of being the victim of crime, that's life, and with a higher than average crime rate we have a larger than a one in something chance of being a victim. I don't think we should run from it, unless you are a single woman in danger, which since the development of MW, danger was always a Kirkman Road away. We will probably let MW deteriorate, because of a reputation issue and evern rumours. One time the pharmacist at the Walgreens on Kirkman told me the night before they were robbed and they had to lie on the ground. It's a shame but I still continued to go there, I'm not a wimp. One thing I don't care for is the Walmart

[metrowester]

Originally Posted by metrowester

Thanks! I've seen the story about traffic cameras, MetroWest HOA had enough pull with the City of Orlando to get those installed. They'll be everywhere soon. To be totally honest, I moved from MetroWest
and a half yers ago to relocate downtown because I liked the pedestrian climate that keeps growing, but I still have friends and visit often. When MetroWest was new, there was a large popular Ecstacy dealer living there about 1993 when Orlando was Ecstacy crazy. They were white college boy from good families so maybe that was the difference. Maybe I'm one of the people that have contributed to the decline of MetroWest in your opinion. Also a guy I worked with at Disney moved into a MetroWest neighborhood when it was brand new who is a weed dealer and still lives there and does the same thing today (he's a white guy). I'm a long time Orlando resident and the a former Eastsider from Azalea Park. Drugs are anywhere and everywhere and the US is the largest consumer of illegal drugs in the world. I guess I'm kind of street wise when it comes to rough areas, the thing is to mind your own business. Orlando has a higher than average crime rate, I think we are all aware of that. I judge an area by how well-kept it is and hasn't deteriorated, I don't think MW is in that category yet. Neighborhoods that are not what they used to be are Pine Hills, Azalea Park, Sky Lake, etc. I've never understood why people abandon neighborhoods so they allow the riff-raff to move in. MW has always had that westside edge to it, I thought it was a neighborhood that would end the constant spread of the bad westside neighborhoods. I'm a guy and I'm not afraid of crime except rape and murder and I don't agree with robbery, especially at gun point. We all have a one in something chance of being the victim of crime, that's life, and with a higher than average crime rate we have a larger than a one in something chance of being a victim. I don't think we should run from it, unless you are a single woman in danger, which since the development of MW, danger was always a Kirkman Road away. We will probably let MW deteriorate, because of a reputation issue and evern rumours. One time the pharmacist at the Walgreens on Kirkman told me the night before they were robbed and they had to lie on the ground. It's a shame but I still continued to go there, I'm not a wimp. One thing I don't care for is the Walmart

continued, and I must of been asleep when that was in the works. The city of Orlando pulled a fast one on that. The new Walmart near Mercy Dr. may help things improve a bit. I've always thought MW had that westside edge to it. When the golf course shuts down like Silver Pines and Rosemont, that will be a sure sign not to be there. It's a shame that "flight" continues, if people would stay put, I think it would stop it. Things may improve when people aren't so desperate with the bad economy and all, but from what I read here, people will be running away. Unfortunately it may turn out to be another victim of the westside. (Eastside has changed a lot and is a high crime area from Semoran to Goldenrod, but I'm not afraid of the area, my parents live on Chickasaw near Vista Lakes and for now that seems to be the cutoff line. Well I understand and Peace Out!

[mxtp6963]

For people looking at metrowest as well as any condo residents that are being rented. You need to check with the hoa to see what type of people they let live in there. If they allow felony charges and even some misdemeanor charges or occupancy over 2 people per room you probably do not want to live there. Also the communities that have good gates not ones that can be tailgated into are a better bet as they are better at keeping out unwanted guest. If you are supposed to be in the community you will have proper access and wont need to tailgate anyways. Im finishing up my lease at tradewinds I have one bedroom on the first floor with only myself living here; however, my upstairs neighbors (also 1 bedroom) include 2 adults and 3 kids on a regular basis and on weekends plus 1 kid they babysit plus grandma, so needless to say im pretty tired of living underneath a playground. I have complained called police etc and there is literally nothing you can do. Let me not even mention I live in front of the pool. Anyways Im moving now to serenata in a 1 bedroom townhouse in 18 days and yes i been counting down my lease since the second day i moved here. plus for the extra $100 bucks monthly the amenities are priceless.

[tinytrump]

Im moving towards that area in the future- I just got back from a business trip to DC and it was WONDERFUL! so friendly and I am more than positive it gets seedy in alot of areas, but guess I am just a city gal and I love the hussel and bustle. Not a fan of crime, I got that, but plenty of crime behind the gated communities, just not petty thugs.

[anonyme12]

These posts are from 2008. 9 years later I have to say there is a huge increase in crime and it is not reported on the news so you would never know about it. Florida is 1 of the highest in crime. It is not like this in Washington or New York. The most recent crime has been a woman raped on Metrowest Blvd, a hold up in an apartment gym, a girl killed across from the Hilton offices in the parking lot on Metrowest Blvd., car and apartment break-ins. You may think it is safe. No it is not safe.