Moving from Dunwoody, Ga to Orlando area, HELP!!!!! (Winter Park, Maitland: apartment complexes, lofts)

[Pete C]

I moved here from Dunwoody in 2008, and love it here...just keep in mind it is a lot smaller. Thornton Park, Winter Park (near Park Ave), and College Park all fit the bill...they are more like Virginia Highlands than Dunwoody though, like johnatl said. Dunwoody, though technically walkable in that area, is still mostly big huge stores and a lot of cars and wide roads. The areas we are talking about are more like main street type areas with a lot of smaller shops, restaurants, bars, and clubs. Orlando's Millennia Mall is nicer than Perimeter and is a short drive from any of these spots. If you want to be in walking distance to a lot of nightlife, choose Thornton Park which is in the downtown area...I don't think you will be disappointed living in this area.

[Pete C]

Originally Posted by EndersDrift

I'd suggest Maitland.

Maitland will centralize you between Winter Park and Altamonte and is also where a lot of the designer and architects are located in this area.

Dr. Phillips is also good.

I don't really consider College Park to be very upscale. Though that is where a lot of bars and independent galleries are at.

No matter where you live you're going to have to drive in Orlando, its just life.

Atlanta is the same.

[EndersDrift]

Originally Posted by Pete C

Atlanta is the same.

Thats what I always thought from my limited experience of visiting there but posts in this thread made it sound like at least in Dunwoody its walkable.

[johnatl]

The area around Perimeter Mall has become quite walkable over the past several years. There is a Community Improvement District there, where the businesses tax themselves. They have spent many millions of dollars to retrofit the entire neighborhood in phases, and it is working. It is light years ahead of where it was just several years ago. I used to commute to the area by train every day, then walk to my office if I missed the shuttle. I watched all the changes, and they are very impressive for such a suburban, mall-dominated neighborhood.

EndersDrift, there are several areas here that are very walkable. They just happen to live in the newish suburban area that offers it moreso than any of our other 'burbs. As to your view that being within walking distance of 50+ restaurants isn't possible in Georgia - well, you would be very wrong, to say the least. There are many, including areas outside of Atlanta. They just tend to be very expensive, unfortunately.

[Pete C]

Originally Posted by EndersDrift

Thats what I always thought from my limited experience of visiting there but posts in this thread made it sound like at least in Dunwoody its walkable.

It's walkable if you would also consider living at The Mosaic across from Millenia Mall and walking to the mall, Super Target, and all those huge stores and restaurants walkable. Same exact type of area...just a shade more compact. If you stuck a SoDo-type complex in the middle of that area it would be about the same. The only difference is that area of Dunwoody doesn't border the hood, which is such a shame for the Millenia area.

[johnatl]

Pete, this is for your enjoyment. And, yes I would say Perimeter is way more pedestrian frendly than anything around Millenia. Way more.

Perimeter Community Improvement Districts

[annerk]

Originally Posted by Pete C

It's walkable if you would also consider living at The Mosaic across from Millenia Mall and walking to the mall, Super Target, and all those huge stores and restaurants walkable. Same exact type of area...just a shade more compact. If you stuck a SoDo-type complex in the middle of that area it would be about the same. The only difference is that area of Dunwoody doesn't border the hood, which is such a shame for the Millenia area.

The Mosaic? Are you kidding me? That's one of the most crime infested areas of Orlando, and I'm not even talking about the fact that Jennifer Kesse disappeared from her Mosaic condo. Sure, you could walk to the mall, and then get shot by a gang banger while walking home.

[johnatl]

Originally Posted by annerk

The Mosaic? Are you kidding me? That's one of the most crime infested areas of Orlando, and I'm not even talking about the fact that Jennifer Kesse disappeared from her Mosaic condo. Sure, you could walk to the mall, and then get shot by a gang banger while walking home.

Yeah, I have a real hard time saying that these areas are virtually the same. They might as well be on different planets, imo.

The only thing they really have in common is lots of retail. It ends there.

[GLS2010]

The best place in Orlando for you would be the downtown/Thorton park area. It is walking distance to various resturants, bars, clubs, stores, venues, etc and it is often walking distance to various festivals and events.

It's not really walkable to big box stores like target or malls. but it's walking distance to the regions best supermarket publix, and it's a short drive to all those popular big box stores, chains, a luxury mall, luxry outlet mall, and the high end shopping and dinning on Park ave.

[Pete C]

Originally Posted by annerk

The Mosaic? Are you kidding me? That's one of the most crime infested areas of Orlando, and I'm not even talking about the fact that Jennifer Kesse disappeared from her Mosaic condo. Sure, you could walk to the mall, and then get shot by a gang banger while walking home.

I never suggested living there. I would never suggest anyone to live at the Mosaic or that area.