Good places to live in Orlando?

[Lazy8s]

Ok, so mid-week I posted asking Orlando vs. Raleigh, but looking further into the jobs I think the one in Orlando is really better for me. I have spent a few hours looking online and it seems the crime rate in Orlando is pretty d%$n high. :-/ Anyone here from Orlando? If so, where should we look at living? For reference I will be working on Sand Lake Road on the south side of the city and it would be nice to keep the commute to 30min or less. We will likely rent an apartment and have roughly $1k monthly to spend though cheaper is always better, we do have student loans to pay off. Mostly we will want safe, though entertainment and night life would be nice to have in driving distance.

 

[SunnyD]

Best place to live = Not in Orlando.

Raleigh = WAY better than Florida.

1k/month will afford you nearly nothing hospitable in Orlando.

 

[Kirby]

I'm from Alabama, and even I think Orlando is too hot.

 

[nerp]

omg wasteland of people cutting through for disney and old people, humid muggy crap filled in swamp stripmall disaster of urban wretchedness.

 

[Lazy8s]

We lived in deep south Georgia for a while, we like the heat honestly. Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[dud]

OP,

I've lived in Orlando since 1966.

The Sand Lake area is getting awfully close to the tourist areas ... where you do not want to live. I live east of I-4 and avoid the west side like the plague. Yes, there are nice parts but I've just gotten used to living by the University.

Some facts for you:

- It's been REALLY hot here the last few weeks, unseasonably hot. It got up to 99 today. it hasn't rained in a month. The place is ready to go up in flames.

- Rents are going down here so you might be able to find either a nice apartment or a small house to rent for $1K per month.

- Housing values have plummeted here. My house has dropped at least 33% in value in the last 2 years.

- No state income tax is a plus to living in Florida.


Honestly, if I had the choice I would choose Raleigh. I've been there on business and liked it very much. Here in Orlando you have two seasons warm and hot. Yes, you can lay out and tan in February ... but then you don't leave the air conditioning from June through October.

 

[duragezic]

Taft


Trucks and fucking trains

 

[ProfJohn]

Try the metro west area, although stick the southern part of it below Metro West blvd.

I'll send you a PM link to the place I live.

2 bedrooms, 1250 square feet. Very nice floor plan. I'm on the 3rd floor facing the lake and pay just over $1000 a month.

Metro West is also an upscale pre-planned community. Tree lined streets, sidewalks, some nice shopping and eating areas. And its close to Sandlake.

Another nice area might be around the Mall at Millennia, but its a little more expensive.

The area around Disney is rather nice too, but traffic is a bitch.

BTW where on Sandlake?? The road is LONG and goes essentially from one side of town all the way to the other so this would change where you want to live.

If you are on the east side I would look at Lee Vista, on the west side try the area I mentioned.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: SunnyD


Raleigh = WAY better than Florida.

if money is an object, yes.

 

[Narse]

I Like the Altamonte Springs and Casselberry areas, Both nice areas IMO.

 

[SunnyD]

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: SunnyD


Raleigh = WAY better than Florida.

if money is an object, yes.

Even if money is not an object. Of course given my druthers, if I had money and the desire to live in FL, it'd be in Palm Beach.

Originally posted by: Narse
I Like the Altamonte Springs and Casselberry areas, Both nice areas IMO.

Wrong side of town for him. Well more than 30 minutes (on a GOOD day) to where he needs to be, except maybe at 2am on a sunday of course.

Though, my suggestions for the Orlando area would be Lake Mary, west side (of I-4) Sanford, or possibly Casselberry. Otherwise you don't want to be anywhere near Orlando.

Hey OP... you might want to look in the Pine Hills area... :thumbsup:

 

[ProfJohn]

Pine Hills... oh man that is harsh.

Pine Hills is the Orlando equivalent of Harlem or Compton. Old, run down and full of crime/welfare recipients.

 

[sash1]

raleigh >>>>>>>> orlando

 

[dud]

Hey OP... you might want to look in the Pine Hills area...

Sure, that's why we call it "crime hills".

Do both of us a favor ... come buy my house so I can move far away ...

 

[marvdmartian]

OP, check out Cinderella's castle. She's hot!!!

 

[moshquerade]

i have friends who live in Orlando, and i would say the best place to live is next to them

 

[Lazy8s]

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: SunnyD


Raleigh = WAY better than Florida.

if money is an object, yes.

It is funny how many people say that, though Raleigh is actually more expensive to live in. This can be seen from the simple COL index calculated by the federal government as well as simple apartment searches. My aunt is in Durham and I called her amazed at how much more expensive research triangle is rated and the first thing out of her mouth was "That doesn't surprise me at all, it is very expensive here.".

I have done some looking and it looks like the COL has dropped enough in Dr. Phillips we could manage living there. It is rated extremely well as are the schools.

That said, I am still considering both. After some talks with friends in the industry and my advisor/basically mentor I am really torn. I am debating a full post here on ATOT but frankly I don't want to post it for all to see, especially the employers. :-/

 

[Newbian]

Originally posted by: marvdmartian
OP, check out Cinderella's castle. She's hot!!!

To bad she prefers Snow White.

 

[ProfJohn]

Originally posted by: moshquerade
i have friends who live in Orlando, and i would say the best place to live is next to them

awww mosh, didn't know you felt that way about me

 

[robphelan]

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
Pine Hills... oh man that is harsh.

Pine Hills is the Orlando equivalent of Harlem or Compton. Old, run down and full of crime/welfare recipients.

i listen to the Philips Phile on XM and they dog Pine Hills all the time.

 

[ProfJohn]

Pine Hills is old and run down and ugly. But it is not THAT bad.

Orlando has only existed in its current state for about 40 years (arrival of Disney)
So there is no generational poverty like you see in the bigger northern cities.

There are no vast public housing units. Or areas that are essentially no mans land.

When I lived in Portsmouth VA there were areas where the fire department would not enter without a police escort. As far as I know there is nothing in Orlando that bad, yet.

The good thing is that there are not a lot of bad areas in Orlando and those areas are pretty well defined. So just stay away from them and you won't even know they exist.