Reviews & Comments
Lakeland, FL
re: The undesirable life style
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3/11/2021I rarely take the time to engage with, or reply to, any posts and/or comments by most folks on any sites; however, when I came across this particular post I was struck by the vitriolic language and temperament of this individual author. It certainly appears as if this author had either limited exposure to or poor engagement with a very limited number of questionable characters over her time in Lakeland.
If there is one thing I've learned in life it is that when someone talks in absolutes (i.e., "everyone," or "everything;") they "all," fit that individual's mold of perception. In 417 words, there was not a single positive statement that this author could lend to muster balance in her review... none.
Granted, this review was put together back in 2013, nearly 8 years ago -to the day. However, the words are vitriolic, and bigotted, or at least targeted.
The people of Lakeland are warm, (Southern) gracious, hospitable, educated, and motivated to see this gem of a city prosper -yet, not lose its small-town charm.
I'll thus leave you with one gift of a challenge for this author... that of the statistics on Lakeland via the latest of census results: https://datausa.io/profile/geo/lakeland-fl/#covid.
Lakeland, FL
A Diamond in the (NOT-so) Rough! -
3/11/2021Nearly 10 years ago, my wife and I moved to Lakeland; this time as a result of her employment opportunities. And, as it turned out, it was one of the best moves we'd made to date!
Now, I should state that I was (and still am) hesitant to write anything about Lakeland; certainly nothing GOOD, and purely for selfish reasons! You see... Lakeland is one of the rare gems that one finds that you just KNOW that if the word gets out, that it will be overrun; which is especially true during this pandemic, as people in droves are leaving the large metro areas (i.e., NYC, LA, etc.) for places much more affordable, AND with all of the benefits; BOTH fiscally, as well as for all things "safe."
Located directly between both Orlando (40 minutes away), and Tampa (30 minutes away), it allows access to every form of entertainment, dining, and sports offering that could be imagined. Not to mention that Lakeland itself boasts only headliner entertainment in their own RP Funding Center, Polk Theater, and other venues as well.
Lakeland is divided into two (or, in reality, three) basic sections: Southside ("old money") and Northside ("New Money"), with Downtown in-between. It boasts over 100 lakes (hence the name).
A few years back, Lakelandland was rated as the 10th BEST Place to Live in travel magazine. Similarly, just last year, it was also rated by Realtors.com to be the #1 place to purchase a new home! Lastly, it has been pegged to be the key link in the (eventual) High-Speed Rail leading from Tallahassee to Sarasota and beyond.
And, as the word is now obviously OUT... anyone owning property in Lakeland is SURE to land it as a lucrative investment. But for those of us that consider it HOME... it is a harbor of safe, honest, wholesome living; away from the metro "5th gear" overdrive. A place that enjoys its Christmas parades, and its Downtown feel. As well as the neighborhoods, and its neighbors!