DeLand, FL Reviews

DeLand Police - 2/22/2012
~ DeLand Police 'Killed' Teenage Girl ~
« Thread Started on Feb 19, 2008, 1:38am »
Mom: Police Told Daughter To Stop Calling Before Murder-Suicide--
'The Day She Died, She Knew She Couldn't Talk To Police,' Mom Says
February 18, 2008

DELAND, Fla. -- A Central Florida woman whose 17-year-old daughter was killed in a murder-suicide apparently committed by her ex-boyfriend said the teen was told by police to stop calling for help or she'd be arrested.

Police said Clay Coffner shot his estranged girlfriend, Natasha Hall, in the head outside her DeLand home Friday before turning the gun on himself.

Hall's mother, Sherry, said her daughter was concerned about Coffner and informed police.

In fact, Hall said her daughter called police so much that on Jan. 15 they threatened her.

"The police officer said if you call us one more time on him, I'm going to arrest you both," Sherry Hall said. "So, the day she Read More

crime in deland - 11/17/2010
DON'T MOVE TO DELAND,DELEON SPRINGS! The Deland Police department have some type of dirty dealings with the mexican criminals in Deland. They can do anything illegal and the deland p.d. will NOT arrest them mexicans for nothing! I think they have a relative in the department! I think they could get away with murder. Ten of the ramirez family members and friends with their Pit bull attacked a husband and wife at their home in deland and was on the husband and wife in their front yard when the Deland Police pulled up on the seen after the ramirez commanded the pit bull to bite the wife in the face! **THE DELAND POLICE DID NOTHING (no arrest were made at that time) ** After Three of the Hispanics attacked the Police officer the three was arrested for resisting arrest. Not assaulting an officer.After that that the same gang (They call their self's SUR13)Attacked another person whjle he was on his job. Again none of that gang was arrested! But guess what the deland pd arrested the worker Read More

DeLand, FL - 11/16/2009
Home of Stetson, University(the Harvard of the South), St. John's River(beauty beyond description, teaming with every sort of fish and wildlife), compassionate rednecks, strong religious foundation, friendly, retired, young, yuppie, and laid-back paradise, chock-full of huge, 100 year-old oak trees. The downtown area is a thriving, economic and artistic-oriented award-winning Main Street U.S.A. The kind of town you go out of your way to drive thru and not around. Traffic volume is very livable. Centrally located between Daytona and Orlando, with easy access to I-4 and I-95, you can get anywhere in Florida rather quickly. Real estate is a real bargain compared to other parts of the country. Better be self-employed or be willing to work your way up in service oriented industries. All in all, the perfect place for friendly, young, retired down-to-earth God-fearing, Nascar lovin', lovers of nature and year-around sunshine! Come on Read More

Nice Place to Live - 9/7/2009
De Land is a small town with lots to offer in and around the town. The small town atmosphere is kept with street side parking, old restored buildings and a friendly smile for those you pass. Within minutes from De Land, you will find the Daytona Speedway and the Read More

Great Winters, Nearly Intolerable Summers - 7/30/2009
I moved here a little over a year ago after living in Miami Beach, New Orleans and Los Angeles. I wanted to try living in a smaller community with more nature around and a lower cost of living.

DeLand is a good place in many respects because it has a walkable grid and a central downtown area. Rent is cheap and the university and the skydiving keep the atmosphere a little more diverse than what you might experience in other areas of Central Florida.

However, the climate has been a little less impressive than I'd originally expected. The winters are mostly wonderful; however on a few nights, you can expect lows of about 25 degrees Fahrenheit, which kills bougainvillea and other tropical plants that thrive in South Florida. In the summers, rain is a near daily phenomenon; in fact, sometimes the skies can appear threatening the entire afternoon, and the mugginess is more severe than South Florida, which is more temperate and has refreshing sea breezes. Read More

We Love DeLand! - 8/31/2007
Having personally lived all over the U.S.and in foreign countries, also, DeLand is a total delight. People sincerely care about one another. People living here are truly happy.
Stetson University (a private and historical university), restaurants, shopping and quality medical facilities are all within a 5 minute drive. The YMCA has lots of activities and after school care. The Art Museum has many classes. The Theater puts on many plays. Downtown is thriving with beautiful historical buildings including great coffee shops, art galleries, yoga studios, antique shops, etc. Hand painted murals adorn the downtown buildings. Festivals, wine tasting, dog parades are just a few of the downtown activites.
The St. John's River and the numerous State Parks offer boating, fishing, watching manatees, swimming in the springs, etc. Ocala National Forest is nearby.
Typically we go to Daytona Beach, a 20 minute drive, for movies, a walk on the beach and dinner out Read More

Highest population of public assistance in the cou - 6/13/2007
I have never seen so many people on welfare in my life. Generations of them, one after the other, having more and more babies. I don't think any one bothers to get married in Deland. Just read the birth announcements. It is unbelievable. Very low class of people make up a huge percentage of this part of Read More

bubble market about to burst - 1/30/2007
Reading the stats on Deland Florida, you would have to be a fool to invest in the housing market which at the moment is inflated. The income or job market is not anywhere near this town that warrants these over priced homes. This will lead to a collapse according to all the experts. South Florida, California, and the Northeast have already begun to see home prices fall and those areas at least have an average income that can support it. There is nothing, absolutely nothing in Deland, unless you want to pick ferns for the fern industry. Daytona isn't a great job hub, and Orlando, well, everyone knows what Orlando is. I suppose you can work for Micky Mouse.
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Better learn to speak Spanish before moving here - 1/29/2007
Deland is a pretty city as far as Florida goes, there is a slight roll to the terrain but is over run with illegals from Mexico. The US census figures are not accurate as there are so many that are unaccounted for. Some days while out and about I don't hear one word of English being spoken. I saw the same thing happen in Miami & San Antonio. Give Deland 10 more years, The weather is unbelievably hot and muggy, much worse than South Florida and the snakes, roaches and alligators thrive. There is a lot of crime for such a small town as well, and the medical situation is real bad.
I think you must learn Spanish before moving to this little part of our Read More

A city in transition - 10/2/2006
DeLand is a beautiful city with much to offer residents. Development is knocking at the door though, and most people already recognize it as the northern most suburb of Orlando. After the light rail system is complete in 5-10 years, DeLand's fate will be forever tied to Orlando. There is a lot of small town charm remaining in DeLand - perhaps the last in the region with the exception of some areas in Lake County. Hopefully, city and county officials will preserve this precious resource and not sqwander it for political gain as has happened throughout much of Central Read More