After 30+ years, I'm leaving
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2/17/2013
I was born and raised in Central Florida. After thirty-something years, I'll be moving to Pittsburgh, PA this summer. Why? This town has really dissolved into a puddle of watery crap. I know they say things were always better in the past, but this place has fallen apart. The Southern feeling to this place has completely vanished and given way to hostility. People here are just angry, miserable and hateful. On top of that, rent is out-of-control expensive while salaries are getting lower. This area has always paid lower than the national average thanks to The Mouse, but it was supported by a lower cost of living. On this very site, I'm finding major metropolitan areas that pay better with a lower cost of living. Once I began to travel extensively, I started to realize that it's hard to find a cultural heartbeat of Orlando. Other cities have unique enclaves carved out by immigrants with quirky shops and restaurants. Orlando is a huge (outlet) strip mall with a tiny Vietnamese district. The weather? You're already aware that Florida is disgustingly hot and uncomfortable from May-November (and in this year's case, it will be disgustingly hot next week in the winter). In the concrete paradise of Orlando, it's amplified.
If you're considering a move to Orlando, it's probably a move you will probably make anyway like the other 95% of residents who don't count themselves as natives. Your reason is probably superficial: you hate snow. I'm sure you'll enjoy the theme parks, water parks and convenience stores on every corner. Enjoy it while it lasts. It's very easy to outgrow this place.
Noelle | Lockhart, FL