Who actually LIKES living in Orlando? (Tampa, Clearwater: crime, houses, theater)

[DavieJ89]

Am I the only one who is happy in this city or what? Am I the only one who sees the endless good things this city has to offer to anybody of any taste and lifestyle?

Who else lives in Orlando and is happy to be here like me?

BTW I dont think Orlando is perfect, I just wanna know does anybody like it like me?

[Wilshire81182]

I think a lot of people like it a lot. I think a lot of older residents are just upset that Orlando is not what it used to be. I actually like the growth and the evolution to a larger and more diverse city. I, like you, definitely appreciate all the city has to offer as well as all the theme park/tourist activities the area offers as well. I enjoy the weather and the other areas of the state and what they offer. All around I have a pretty positive overall opinion of the area and enjoy living, working, and going to college here quite a bit!

[sgs123]

Originally Posted by DavieJ89

Am I the only one who is happy in this city or what? Am I the only one who sees the endless good things this city has to offer to anybody of any taste and lifestyle?

Who else lives in Orlando and is happy to be here like me?

BTW I dont think Orlando is perfect, I just wanna know does anybody like it like me?

ANOTHER one of those ?

Ok, I thought about this , since I have not posted anything positive about Orlando, I am going to try :

Positive things about Orlando ( to me personally):
1. within just a little over an hour from beautiful beaches
2. most of my friends live near here
3. my husband and myself have great jobs and the cost of living is not as high as a lot of other places
4. the kids like the theme parks
5. we like our church
6. trees! Not too many other cities I have ever been to have as many trees
7. storms in the summer ( yeah, I actually like those )
8. all sorts of restaurants and grocery stores ( love shopping at the Asian ones close to where we live)
9. my son can play baseball most of the year
10. Orlando at least "looks" nice, not too many obvious horrible looking ghetto areas

There, happy?

[Crane's Rooster]

I've always enjoyed living here. I know Orlando isn't perfect, I admit it has some drawbacks and some serious problems. That being said, there are so many things here that out weigh the negatives and most importantly, everywhere has its drawbacks. And 99% of the drawbacks in most other places I would want to live are the same as those here in Central Florida. The things I enjoy about Central Florida are the weather, the abundance of conveniences (except mass transit), the abundance of things to do and the diversity. By diversity I mean all aspects, not just the people. I think there is just such a great diversity of things to do, places to see, foods to try. For example, I was in Daytona for work earlier today. Being out on Beach St and the ocean is just amazing, it's a completely different world from being in downtown Orlando but less than an hour drive away. It just has a completly different environment, atmosphere and vibe to it. On the same token, I can drive an hour or less in another direction and be in Mt. Dora which is just beautiful old Florida. Very slow, laid back pace. I can take in a Magic game in the evening and wake up and be tailgating in the Swamp the next morning. I can hit the downtown Orlando night scene on Friday and be swimming in a natural spring the next morning. You can hit the theme parks one day and take in a local theater the next day. Living in Central Florida is just a great experience which really requires motivation more than anything else. It's true that you could go broke easily spending a couple days in the theme parks, but the beaches and the state parks cost less than a meal out. Millenia Mall can drain your wallet, but you can browse at the local street fairs and art shows for free and the people watching is just as good. I have lived all over the place. What I came to realize is no matter where you are you will not enjoy it unless you take full advantage of your environment and jump right into it.

[beckycat]

Originally Posted by Crane's Rooster

I've always enjoyed living here. I know Orlando isn't perfect, I admit it has some drawbacks and some serious problems. That being said, there are so many things here that out weigh the negatives and most importantly, everywhere has its drawbacks. And 99% of the drawbacks in most other places I would want to live are the same as those here in Central Florida. The things I enjoy about Central Florida are the weather, the abundance of conveniences (except mass transit), the abundance of things to do and the diversity. By diversity I mean all aspects, not just the people. I think there is just such a great diversity of things to do, places to see, foods to try. For example, I was in Daytona for work earlier today. Being out on Beach St and the ocean is just amazing, it's a completely different world from being in downtown Orlando but less than an hour drive away. It just has a completly different environment, atmosphere and vibe to it. On the same token, I can drive an hour or less in another direction and be in Mt. Dora which is just beautiful old Florida. Very slow, laid back pace. I can take in a Magic game in the evening and wake up and be tailgating in the Swamp the next morning. I can hit the downtown Orlando night scene on Friday and be swimming in a natural spring the next morning. You can hit the theme parks one day and take in a local theater the next day. Living in Central Florida is just a great experience which really requires motivation more than anything else. It's true that you could go broke easily spending a couple days in the theme parks, but the beaches and the state parks cost less than a meal out. Millenia Mall can drain your wallet, but you can browse at the local street fairs and art shows for free and the people watching is just as good. I have lived all over the place. What I came to realize is no matter where you are you will not enjoy it unless you take full advantage of your environment and jump right into it.

Nicely said! I'd rep you again but I can't.

I,too, like living here.

[Pete C]

We are moving to Thornton Park (from Maitland) in January and can't wait. I hope to see this area develop the way I think it can. There is a lot to like about Orlando, and I read all of the threads on why people dislike it. We always take advantage of the beaches (both coasts), natural springs (tubing!!), downtown nightlife, farmers markets, local restaurants, festivals, theme parks...everything that is available we will seek and we are never bored here. I think the main thing we need to address is the crime, but the economy is partly to blame.

[mongoslade223]

Over in the City vs City section, there is a thread on the most ghetto, crime ridden cities in the country.

Orlando has not been mentioned once.

There are a lot of places that are percoeived as worse than Orlando.

And I enjoyed the time I spent there (7 years) and would gladly come back.

[Wilshire81182]

Originally Posted by mongoslade223

Over in the City vs City section, there is a thread on the most ghetto, crime ridden cities in the country.

Orlando has not been mentioned once.

There are a lot of places that are percoeived as worse than Orlando.

And I enjoyed the time I spent there (7 years) and would gladly come back.

I don't think even the worst parts of Orlando have the most ghetto image even if they are terribly crime ridden. For the most part other than unkept lawns and some graffiti, the worst parts of Orlando are not too terribly unattractive. That forum is all about ghetto perception and most of the cities mentioned: Camden, East St Louis, Gary, Detroit, etc are known for having a lot of projects and decrepit areas so Orlando is definitely not like that in any place. Even Parramore is pretty clean in general.

[mickey mouse is dead]

You said it offers endless things to all kind of lifestyles...and that's where you are wrong. Culturally speaking, there is nothing here....No respectable museum, no theater district, no opera house, no art scene, etc....merge that with endless lines of cookie cutter houses, and is just plain boring....

Now, Orlando is not unique in that sense, many other cities are the same way. For me the only thing that Orlando has going for it is the proximity to good beaches....but then again, if the good beaches are in Clearwater, wouldn't that mean that the Tampa Bay area is better?....

Now if your thing is drinking and partying, then you'll be alright.

[boy3365]

I like it.