Orlando, Florida
SperlingViews

Great place to visit but you probably won't like l - 1/24/2012

In 2011 Orlando was named as the worst place to live in the US for young adults. It is in the top 7 areas for worst crime and there's a lot more. There are towns outside of Orlando that are great places to live according to the "Florida Move Guide" that are close enough to commute where you can live a normal life without the high crime and problems that millions of partying tourist bring.[more...]

Orlando or Fort pierce - 1/20/2012

I will be moving to Florida for my job.I have got 2 job offers.One is in Orlando and other one is Fort pierce.I will be staying alone.All I want is safe place to live.Which of these would you suggest considering safety?[more...]

Quality of Life - 1/14/2012

Orlando has a fair to good quality of life, depending on your education level and if you can find a professional-level job. I have lived here for 8 years. It was VERY difficult to get started here. Orlando is really a small town, and has a small town mentality. The way to get a job is to know someone, unless you are in a career that is really competitive, like engineering, computers, finance, etc. Once you get that job, keeping it can be rather political, as Florida is a right to work state, meaning you can be fired for any reason, or no reason at all, and they don't even have to give you a reason if they do fire you. On the plus side of things, it is a very clean and pretty city. There are good restaurants, and things to do, and it is not that far from either coast. The singles scene is a bit iffy. Many people here are not goal oriented. If you like the weather and can find a job that satisfies you, give yourself time to make friends. [more...]

Great weather - 1/11/2012

Nine months of beautiful weather and three months of rain, heat & humidity. Up north you get cold, snow, & then brutal summers. This is the best place to live.[more...]

Gay & Lesbian Community - 12/12/2011

Are there safe places for Gay and Lesbian people to visit in the state of Florida other than Miami? My parent live in Orlando and if it weren't for them, I wouldn't step foot in the state, but I have to see my parents. My partner and I are staying with my parents for Christmas and therefore would like to know if anyone has any recommendations for nice restaurants, bars, and a community of like minded individuals or individuals who are sympathetic to the gay and lesbian community in Orlando Florida. [more...]

good quality of life - 10/23/2011

I raised my kids here from 3 and 2 years old till gone to college. Safe environment , bilingual and multicultural Orlando is excellent for a home base for those ho travel or commute for work! [more...]

Great weather but very crowded - 10/20/2011

I grew up in Winter Park (and for most people, it is just a continuation of Orlando). After high school, I moved away -- college, job, marriage, so on. My wife and I recently lived in Elizabethtown Kentucky; great people, beautiful scenery, quiet, and small government; but, it has some of the worst weather we have encountered (and we have lived in much more northern areas of the US). The wind constantly blows -- people there think nothing of 30 to 50 mph gusts. Because the jet stream moves up and down across the middle of the US, it brings volatile weather. There is simply no good season: flooding rains and hail in the fall and spring; flooding rains and ice storms in the winter; and the worst -- tornados anytime there is severe weather. It is obvious the local news media has ramped up talk of severe weather, as it gets ratings. But, really, just a cloud in the sky is not severe weather. In Kentucky, however, severe weather with threat a of "spinups" (aka tornados), is constant. So the weather radio going off is so constant, you feel like a mole running down to the basement to wait out a severe weather should it actually contain a tornado (or even the popular "straight line winds", which apparently allows FEMA to avoid any disaster relief, even if the house is destroyed). This sounds like a disaster movie, but my wife and I suffered through this for five years. We were fortunate to have no mortgage, so we could sell our house and move...to sunny Florida. I know people talk about hurricanes, and I have lived through several. But, you have a lot of advanced notice, the track tells you approximately where they will hit (coastlines are the areas to worry about). For most in Florida, its the flooding in low areas due to the heavy rain from a hurricane. And, its not easy to determine the low areas, as the state and Feds have done a marvelous job in trying to confuse the issue with umpteen maps and zone changes. If its really important, spend a couple hundred bucks and have a licensed surveyor provide an elevation certificate for the house (you may need this for insurance in some areas anyway). Your house may be high (10 feet or move above sea level), but your neighbor could be low...you need a survey to really know. Anyway, we love it here. We are renting now so we can re-learn the areas. In a year or so (perhaps a little longer after the housing bottoms out), we will probably move to a quietier and smaller area. But for all those thinking of Florida, there really is still a lot of room and you are welcome here![more...]

Orlando is a great place to visit but I wouldn't.. - 9/12/2011

If you don't mind the ills of bigger city life like higher crime rates, congestion, and no sense of community, Orlando may be for you. If you want to be able to experience the benefits of Orlando but want to live in a safer area with a sense of community consider Longwood, Lake Mary, or even Winter Springs just north of Orlando. Close enough to commute but far enough away to live a peaceful life.[more...]

ok,not great - 8/8/2011

ive lived in orlando for 3 yrs,there are a variety of cultures here,but in spite of that its not culturally sensitive. yes it can get real hot here from may until oct.ive lived in hotter places than this where their weather makes orlando weather feel cold.[more...]

Endless summers - 5/2/2011

Orlando, is the land of endless summers. It is so beautiful walking around Lake Eola in the spring with the Palm Trees and swans.[more...]

City of orlando is still pretty nice. Outer areas - 4/26/2011

The areas outside of Orlando-with a few exceptions-have really declined over the last thirty years or so. Major influx of hispanics has created the requirement to speak spanish for most jobs. Quality of life is definitely trending down. Would not recommend. Moving away from Florida.[more...]

relocating - 4/13/2011

I am interested in moving to Orlando, FL from the inner city of Michigan, Saginaw, which is close to flint to be exact. I am 22 married with one child who will be starting kindergarden in the next year. I do not have a college degree and neither does my husband. Looking for feedback from people who live/lived in Orlando. Interested in knowing about schools, crime,cost of living, and most important jobs.[more...]

Don't Complain! - 4/8/2011

Orlando people are friendly and kind. Orlando people are not rude. It is the best place to visit. Now come to NYC people are rude, unfriendly, do not help others and disrespectful. I have lived in NYC all my life and I now how people are. God for bid if you look at someone on the train you could get beat up or killed. NYC subway's is dirty and has rats running all over the place. NYC people are always in a hurry and if you don't move out of there way they will knock you down!!!! Even people who drive cars will run you over if you do not get out of there way. So do not say nothing bad about Florida. Whoever is giving bad negatives are the one's with the attitudes. [more...]

Quit complaining!!! - 4/2/2011

I don't know what everyone is talking about Orlando being so awful, you guys are lucky....move to Miami for a week and you'll be crying to go back to Orlando!!!! Downtown in Miami shuts down at 6pm, if you're out walking around past then....beware! You'll be mugged, have drugs thrown in your face, raped, or worse...there is trash and bad people everywhere you go here and absolutely nothing for employment. If you look up worst cities for a job in 2011, Miami was ranked number 2. I'm moving back to Orlando in a few weeks because of all of this. But everyone complaining....if you want quiet, no crime, no traffic, then DON'T LIVE IN A BIG CITY, DUH! I can't wait to move back to Orlando, already have a beautiful 2 bedroom condo for 800 a month (same I pay for a tiny 1 bedroom in Miami) and already have a great job in the Millenia area, happy as can be!!!!![more...]

Truth how bad Orlando, really is - 3/18/2011

Let me tell you, I have lived all over the world, Germany, Italy, NY, West Virginia, Texas, Colorado, Canada, Brazil. The worst place has got to be Orlando, Fl. Orlando, Fl, has got to be the most unfriendly place in the world, the people are just angry, the traffic is terrible, the crime rate is out of control. The most dangerous cities for pedestrians. Housing is ridiculous expensive. Do not move here, as matter of fact stay out of Florida entirely. There is no work, the rip off state of the country. Please this is the truth, I lived there for 5yrs, and I am happy I left. I will never go back, I hope the city burns to the ground. Try the mid-west, like Nebraska, Kansas, Montana, Wyoming, not Florida. [more...]

This Town Is Awful - 3/6/2011

First, allow me to clarify that I was born and raised in Florida. Specifically, the beachside. This state gas been on a sharp decline since my childhood, helped along by Northerners who imported the horrible, jaded, rude attitude that defines Florida today. Every day starts with my commute to work. I am lucky I have a job, seeing as there aren't many here. Sure, you can get a job at one of the theme parks making $7.25 an hour, but most people like to eat and pay rent. My commute involves navigating a series of clogged backsides before hitting the I-4 parking lot. There are accidents every morning, and every yokel has to stop and gawk at it. I plan 90 minutes to get to work each day. I live 31 miles away. Seriously. The roads have not kept up with the fact that every New Yorker, Canadian, and retiree has moved here. Yes, lucky to have a job. Except, of course, this is a right-to-work state, meaning I could be fired at any moment without a reason. It's good to feel valuable. Thanks, Florida! Another thing I can thank Florida for is my subpar education. Americans are getting dumber by the year, and Florida consistently ranks at the bottom of every education list. If you graduate from a Florida public school, you'll either be able to read or do math. Both are never achieved successfully. I can barely work an algebraic equation which rendered me to numerous remedial classes in college (a very common problem), yet they gave me a high school diploma and kicked me out into the real world. My education was a joke. I was never diagnosed with ADHD in school and had issues that were never addressed. In fact, I barely did homework and spend 50% of class doodling and 50% daydreaming. It's nearly impossible to have an intellectual conversation here because locals are absolutely incapable of critical thinking. I graduated with above a 3.0 GPA. In Florida, I could have become a doctor. On that note, many flunkees of life do practice medicine here. Our healthcare is a joke. In Orlando, I had to see four different gynecologists to get a common female problem diagnosed. Doctors who have been kicked out of New York regularly practice medicine in Florida. We also have a slew of "pain clinics" that are painkiller dispensaries. One of these babies in your neighborhood, along with the onslaught of people dealing on your lawn, will surely kill your property value. The cost of living here is not great. People say it is, but these idiots are from New York. $700 for a 1-bedroom apartment in a neighborhood with drive-by shootings is not spectacular when the average person makes about $12 an hour. The pay here us garbage. Thank you, Disney. I hold a degree and the jobs I see want to pay me $9-$10 an hour, which is insulting. Gas is often higher in price than most states and we definitely pay more for fruits and vegetables. Now that I've trashed Florida as a whole, let me sum up Orlando: -Angriest City In America 2006 -#9 Rudest City in America 2011 -#3 Most Violent Crimes 2011 -Traffic congestion so bad, your car will become a vessel for primal screaming -Extremely high number of uninsured drivers -We have one of the highest populations of registered sex offenders in the country -Turn on "Nancy Grace." I guarantee that murdered child case happened here -Everybody is aloof. Southern grace and charm has long been replaced by Northern apathy -There are NO jobs. What you'll find is low in pay. Anybody who moves here for work is a fool -There used to be a defined Orlando ghetto. It has spread outward. Now it encompasses most of Orlando -If you live in an apartment complex as a single woman, you will be frightened -Orlando hates the homeless. It is illegal to feed them. Yes, you can go to jail for giving a bum at Big Mac. Guess what they do now? They bombard you for CASH when you go downtown. Good luck getting from your car to destination on food without bring solicited at least 3 times -The weather. If you like being hot and sweaty (and some people do) then this will be Heaven. If you like mild and sunny, we get that for about a month. Every day from April-October is when it pours rain every afternoon. Thunderstorms with lightening are normal -Because of the lovely weather, it's harder to get insurance on your home. My parents were dropped after 25 years and had to find another provider. It was a difficult process. Orlando sucks. I hate this place with a passion. As a young woman, I'm desperate to leave so I don't end up settling here and raising idiotic children. Coming here would be a poor decision on anybody's behalf.[more...]

Job Market - 1/26/2011

First thing, first. I've been in Florida all of my life over 30 years. I consider myself a Florida expert. Everyone knows we have the best weather and beaches in the U.S. The one thing we lack is JOBS! Unless you have a career job or own your own business, Florida is not the place to move to. And even if you do have a career job, Florida pays less then any other state. So unless you are retiring or on vacation this is not the place to make money. Happy state searching! I hope that helped you make your decision. P.S. I'm considering move to Charlotte, NC. Help me out if you know something. [more...]

QUALITY OF LIFE IN ORLANDO - 1/4/2011

WELL WHERE DO I START, I GOT TO SAY ORLANDO HAS GOT TO BE THE MOST UNFRIENDLY PLACE I HAVE EVER LIVED, AND I HAVE LIVED IN NY, WEST VIRGINIA, MICHIGAN, COLORADO, TEXAS, ITALY, GERMANY. THE PEOPLE DO NOT TALK, DO NOT EVEN WANT YOU TO EXIST. THE PLACE IS OVERCROWED, TRAFFIC IS TERRIBLE, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IS A JOKE( CANT WAIT FOR THE TRAINS TO COME) FAMILIES SHOULD NEVER THINK OF LIVING HERE, THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS ARE A JOKE. THE CRIME IS TERRIBLE. DOWNTOWN IS FILLED WITH WHORES, DRUG DEALERS, AND IDIOT DRUNKS. IF YOU WANT TO COME BE PREPARED THE HOUSING IS EXPENSIVE. PLEASE DO NOT RELOCATED TO FLORIDA, I CANT WAIT GET OUT, I AM FROM NY, I WOULD RATHER PUT UP WITH THE COLD WEATHER, THE PEOPLE IN NYC ARE MORE FRIENDLY THAN HERE. I WOULD GO BACK TO ITALY BUT I CANT FIND ANY WORK THERE. TAKE MY ADVICE IF YOU HAVE A FAMILY AND CARE ABOUT THEM DO NOT MOVE TO ORLANDO, ITS A SNAKE PIT. [more...]

My life in Orlando - 1/1/2011

We have 2 years living in Orlando Fl. The first thing is you must have a car, buses here are the worst they run every hour or every 30 mins. If the bus is late you miss your tranfer and you need to wait another 30 mins up to 1 hour. So if you have to get the bus scheduled yourself for at least 2 hours in advanced that means a waste of time. About job is really difficul to get a full time like if someone can live being part time and of course you need to be billingual. Places look very nice and clean but be cafefull where you move. [more...]

OPINION MATTERS - 12/1/2010

ORLANDO AREA @ ORANGE BLOSSOM TRL AREA DOWNTOWN IS FULL OF WHORES AND DRUGGIES,ROBBERIES. WHY? DUE TO UNEMPLOYMENT HIGH RATES IS DESTROYING THIS CITY.[more...]