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I guess everyone has their own idea of what a great town is.
As for me, I moved to Orlando a few months ago. I got the best job I ever had in my life. I just rented an incredible apartment downtown for a fraction of what it would cost me elsewhere. This morning I took my little grandson out to Disney just to eat breakfast using my annual pass. Last week I swam at the pool. And the shopping is great.
I think it is as close to Paradise as one is going to get without going to the other side of eternity.
(And this is coming from someone who was totally homesick when I first moved here!)
I think some of the members will still argue with you, even though you are stating your opinion. Some people don't realize we all have different preferences on what kind of city we want to live in.
Last edited by Jonotastic; 12-07-2008 at 04:02 PM..
I don't usually respond to posts like this, and I wasn't going to respond to this one but I just have to as someone who is choosing to move to the area for no other reason than we want to. No, we're not moving for jobs, money or anything like that. We just want to.
I appreciate you trying to get across your points about crime, etc. to anyone moving...you know, you'd be surprised how many people don't research first.
It can be scary reading these boards on Orlando and I know that you and others have scared away hundreds of people who were thinking about moving to Orlando.
I personally know how hot it is, how humid, how many bugs and snakes there are, how bad the crime is (it's scary how bad it is) and about the yucky swamp water that comes out of the taps. But I choose to move there anyway. I am one of those "Disney freaks" you referred to in your first posts. We will be spending our days at Epcot enjoying ourselves. Guess what? We're moving to Orlando FOR WDW!!!! And we're going to really enjoy ourselves too
Thanks for spreding the word about the problems in Orlando, every city had it's problems and the only big one I see in Orlando is that the crime does seem really high in comparison to other cities but it's like other posters said ~ Orlando is a big place and I'm sure crime is concentrated in particular bad areas. It's not like you're going to be mugged or raped going to the grocery store in Clermont or Kissimmee...
I'm glad to see everyone defending their city ~ Orlando is a special place and needs to have more positive things said about it.
How come on these boards you don't read very much positive stuff?
When I get there next month I am going to be a positive contributor and if anyone asks about moving to Orlando I will tell the the ups and downs, in a positive non-personal way
I appreciate your optimism, but ummmmm....why couldn't you get mugged going to the grocery store in Kissimmee?? It could happen anywhere, especially at night in a big parking lot. Right after I moved to Orlando, I saw two kids smoking and/or selling pot in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart in Kissimmee. This shouldn't stop you from moving to Orlando, but I wouldn't be so naive...
Do a little reseach, a few people got mugged and killed in a Boca Raton (nice area in South Florida) mall parking lot! You need to have street smarts and be prepared.
I appreciate your optimism, but ummmmm....why couldn't you get mugged going to the grocery store in Kissimmee?? It could happen anywhere, especially at night in a big parking lot. Right after I moved to Orlando, I saw two kids smoking and/or selling pot in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart in Kissimmee. This shouldn't stop you from moving to Orlando, but I wouldn't be so naive...
Do a little reseach, a few people got mugged and killed in a Boca Raton (nice area in South Florida) mall parking lot! You need to have street smarts and be prepared.
I'm not naive ~ far from it actually. Anything can happen anywhere at anytime, I'm well aware of that...I'm just not going to not move to Orlando because I could get mugged going into a grocery store. I'm sure most crime is concentrated in crime ridden areas , of course you have random crimes happening in parking lots and stores, but to let that idea keep you from moving to Orlando would be paranoia. Some people on these boards make it seem as though Orlando has the worst crime anywhere and it's not safe to even walk out your door. I have spent 2 weeks a year in Orlando , the past two years offsite of WDW off of 192. I have been in WalMart, gas stations and grocery stores and felt comfortable and not like my life was in danger.
I'm not naive ~ just realistic. The chances of that happening are slim in a regular situation in a nice area if you are just an innocent bystander. You have more chance of being in a car wreck and everyone is not freaking out about that.
I appreciate your optimism, but ummmmm....why couldn't you get mugged going to the grocery store in Kissimmee?? It could happen anywhere, especially at night in a big parking lot. Right after I moved to Orlando, I saw two kids smoking and/or selling pot in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart in Kissimmee. This shouldn't stop you from moving to Orlando, but I wouldn't be so naive...
Do a little reseach, a few people got mugged and killed in a Boca Raton (nice area in South Florida) mall parking lot! You need to have street smarts and be prepared.
lol...walk the streets of San Francisco, especially the Tenderloin district, you will see homeless crack heads rolling joints, injecting themselves, and taking ****s guarenteed you will see them doing one or all of them anytime of the day, yet San Francisco happens to be one of the most desired cities to live in the United States. Orlando is a walk in the park compared to most large cities. Honestly, if you are scared of kids who MAY be selling drugs in a parking lot, I don't know where you would feel comfortable. They do that in almost every high school in the United States. I currently live in Boca Raton and no one was killed in the parking lot, there was a serial killer who abducted a couple women from the parking lot. In an area that is known to be one of the safest cities in Florida, crime can happen. It's the people who look like they are vunerable that become the target. Best advice I can give you, is not to worry about it and look confident. Orlando, it''s a driving city, you don't have to worry about walking into a bad section of the mall or a bad section of the grocery store, you just don't drive to the ghetto areas. Mickey Mouse isn't going to earthfarie at Disney World...maybe Pluto might chase her kids (which happened a couple years ago lol), but as she mentioned, you have a much higher chance of getting hit by a car and especially in Orlando the chances are even lower, unless you live in the ghetto, in which you wouldn't be safer anywhere.
lol...walk the streets of San Francisco, especially the Tenderloin district, you will see homeless crack heads rolling joints, injecting themselves, and taking ****s guarenteed you will see them doing one or all of them anytime of the day, yet San Francisco happens to be one of the most desired cities to live in the United States. Orlando is a walk in the park compared to most large cities. Honestly, if you are scared of kids who MAY be selling drugs in a parking lot, I don't know where you would feel comfortable. They do that in almost every high school in the United States. I currently live in Boca Raton and no one was killed in the parking lot, there was a serial killer who abducted a couple women from the parking lot. In an area that is known to be one of the safest cities in Florida, crime can happen. It's the people who look like they are vunerable that become the target. Best advice I can give you, is not to worry about it and look confident. Orlando, it''s a driving city, you don't have to worry about walking into a bad section of the mall or a bad section of the grocery store, you just don't drive to the ghetto areas. Mickey Mouse isn't going to earthfarie at Disney World...maybe Pluto might chase her kids (which happened a couple years ago lol), but as she mentioned, you have a much higher chance of getting hit by a car and especially in Orlando the chances are even lower, unless you live in the ghetto, in which you wouldn't be safer anywhere.
I am not making any arguments here. You are all entitled to your own opinions about Orlando. My post is to warn potential new residents of some of the biggest problems Otown is currently facing. It is a fact that per capita, Orlando has bad crime and a high murder rate. Already over 117 murders this year. The traffic has gotten way worse from when I first moved there in 2002 due to many of the side roads that feed I-4 have not grown with the rate of population growth. Finally, Central Florida has some of the worst public school systems in the country and these passed two years they even cut their school budgets more. These are facts that I used to base my opinions upon. I am not some grumpy guy who lived in Otown for six months then left because I couldn't find a good job or make any friends. I actually liked living in Orlando and had friends family and a job. Not until the last few years did I start to get fed up with the entire area taking a downturn.
If you are coming to Orlando because you have a great job waiting for you, then good for you. You are in the minority. Be sure to do your research and live in a good neighborhood that has lower crime, good schools and close to work. If you are coming to Orlando to look for work or you have other options, I would pursue those options. That's what this site is great for: info gathering.
I am not making any arguments here. You are all entitled to your own opinions about Orlando. My post is to warn potential new residents of some of the biggest problems Otown is currently facing. It is a fact that per capita, Orlando has bad crime and a high murder rate. Already over 117 murders this year. The traffic has gotten way worse from when I first moved there in 2002 due to many of the side roads that feed I-4 have not grown with the rate of population growth. Finally, Central Florida has some of the worst public school systems in the country and these passed two years they even cut their school budgets more. These are facts that I used to base my opinions upon. I am not some grumpy guy who lived in Otown for six months then left because I couldn't find a good job or make any friends. I actually liked living in Orlando and had friends family and a job. Not until the last few years did I start to get fed up with the entire area taking a downturn.
If you are coming to Orlando because you have a great job waiting for you, then good for you. You are in the minority. Be sure to do your research and live in a good neighborhood that has lower crime, good schools and close to work. If you are coming to Orlando to look for work or you have other options, I would pursue those options. That's what this site is great for: info gathering.
The whole country has taken a downturn in the fast few years. Some things like growth management can be specific to Orlando, but I think a lot of things will come back as the economy comes back to a more stable and healthier state.
lol...walk the streets of San Francisco, especially the Tenderloin district, you will see homeless crack heads rolling joints, injecting themselves, and taking ****s guarenteed you will see them doing one or all of them anytime of the day, yet San Francisco happens to be one of the most desired cities to live in the United States. Orlando is a walk in the park compared to most large cities. Honestly, if you are scared of kids who MAY be selling drugs in a parking lot, I don't know where you would feel comfortable. They do that in almost every high school in the United States. I currently live in Boca Raton and no one was killed in the parking lot, there was a serial killer who abducted a couple women from the parking lot. In an area that is known to be one of the safest cities in Florida, crime can happen. It's the people who look like they are vunerable that become the target. Best advice I can give you, is not to worry about it and look confident. Orlando, it''s a driving city, you don't have to worry about walking into a bad section of the mall or a bad section of the grocery store, you just don't drive to the ghetto areas. Mickey Mouse isn't going to earthfarie at Disney World...maybe Pluto might chase her kids (which happened a couple years ago lol), but as she mentioned, you have a much higher chance of getting hit by a car and especially in Orlando the chances are even lower, unless you live in the ghetto, in which you wouldn't be safer anywhere.
Exactly, I didn't say that she should cancel her move to Orlando out of fear - everything city has crime and you just need to not be naive and have some street smarts.
I only responded to this because she said "It's not like you're going to be mugged or raped going to the grocery store in Clermont or Kissimmee..."
And I thought, why couldn't a person be raped or mugged there? To say it isn't going to happen just sounds a little naive to me. You just have to be careful and aware out there!
I live in southern california, and have visited orlando in january for the past few years. Did all the disney, universal parks. And have stayed at different hotels and motels.
My impression...
-Very little traffic. I know so cal traffic is skewed, but I was amazed at the lack of traffic. Maybe it was because I went during off peak times (vs july or aug or sept). You'd never see the streets of so cal as empty. It was very relaxing. And much less stressful.
-I was suprised at housing costs, condo's for like $140 k, plus or minus a little bit. And this is 60-90 minutes away from the beach? Seems very cheap vs other inland cities in the country. That are days/weeks away from the beach.
-Safety. Never felt unsafe. I've been to Detroit, Baltimore, Philadelphia. Driven through the rough parts of New York. I don't know the crime statistics, but it didn't feel like a top 10 or top 20 most dangerous city.
Didnt seem any different than Vegas or another medium sized city. There are bad parts of Las Vegas, but do you feel unsafe if you stay on the strip?
-It seemed family friendly, modern.
-Maybe too many chain restaurants (fridays, etc).
-Time share pitches everywhere you turn...won't go into that
Seemed like a pretty decent medium sized city in Orlando. Depends on what you compare it to. If I lived in a small midwestern town and hated it (no beach), it would look pretty good. Or looking to relocate with a family. But if you had more money, maybe somewhere else in florida. Just depends on what you're into.
I live in southern california, and have visited orlando in january for the past few years. Did all the disney, universal parks. And have stayed at different hotels and motels.
My impression...
-Very little traffic. I know so cal traffic is skewed, but I was amazed at the lack of traffic. Maybe it was because I went during off peak times (vs july or aug or sept). You'd never see the streets of so cal as empty. It was very relaxing. And much less stressful.
-I was suprised at housing costs, condo's for like $140 k, plus or minus a little bit. And this is 60-90 minutes away from the beach? Seems very cheap vs other inland cities in the country. That are days/weeks away from the beach.
-Safety. Never felt unsafe. I've been to Detroit, Baltimore, Philadelphia. Driven through the rough parts of New York. I don't know the crime statistics, but it didn't feel like a top 10 or top 20 most dangerous city.
Didnt seem any different than Vegas or another medium sized city. There are bad parts of Las Vegas, but do you feel unsafe if you stay on the strip?
-It seemed family friendly, modern.
-Maybe too many chain restaurants (fridays, etc).
-Time share pitches everywhere you turn...won't go into that
Seemed like a pretty decent medium sized city in Orlando. Depends on what you compare it to. If I lived in a small midwestern town and hated it (no beach), it would look pretty good. Or looking to relocate with a family. But if you had more money, maybe somewhere else in florida. Just depends on what you're into.
Exactly!
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Well said 
