Orlando Neighborhoods.

[SanFranciscan]

We are looking at the possibility of moving as soon as our lease is up in April. I can't believe that it has been only nine months since I left my home, and what felt like my heart, in San Francisco. I have considered getting a car, but so many people are spending close to half of their income on their cars. That is not even including the cost of depreciation.

I also have other reasons for wanting to live where I can walk as much as possible. Whenever someone asks me a question such as "Do these pants make me look fat?" I am chewing my tongue not to say something like "No, but your SUV does." I really do believe that our obsession with driving -- to the extent that I am in awe of how many people I see driving through 24 hour fast food to eat what they cannot possibly burn off driving everywhere -- accounts for the obesity that I keep hearing keeps rising and rising in this country.

Which neighborhoods do you who know Orlando consider to be the most pedestrian-friendly?

 

[colaboy29]

There aren't really any I've heard of. The closest thing would be to find a location with a bus line that runs to your work area, or very close to your job. Are you still working at Universal? There are apartments in that area. I would just avoid MetroWest around the WalMart and Valencia College. You might even find a home to rent right around Universal. There is an older but nice neighborhood on the NW side of the property.

 

[Tinkerboy00]

I am going to hijack this post, sorry, and be totally 180 from my previous post but....

So we are originally Floridans (both from Gainesville) and moved around a lot the past 10 years (VA, DC, Orlando, Boston and now in Suburbs of Boston, MA). Thinking we want to move BACK to Orlando area. Ive lived in Hunters Creek and Celebration and we moved back 5 years ago and lived in Hunters Creek.

DH is a HR professional so would be looking to stay in HR and hopefully with a larger company. By the time of our move I will be a Yoga Teacher and Spin Instructor ( so looking for places with Yoga Studios or Gyms)

We would love to buy, preferrably a townhome or small single family. We would like to be in a sort of suburban, upperscale area. If you know anything about MA something along the lines of Wellesley or Newton. An area where we could have a few restaruants, markets, shops etc within walking distance, and places to be able to bike.

We are kind of thinking Celebration, Winter Park, Winter Garden, Winter Springs (thats a lot of Winter! Which is exaclty why we are leaving New England). We are trying to think of areas that may be up and coming, and outside of Orlando proper.

We hope to become foster parents and adopt some day soon so ideally a place that is more for families.

Any suggestions or tips would be great! Thanks in advance.

 

[colaboy29]

I am going to hijack this post, sorry, and be totally 180 from my previous post but....

So we are originally Floridans (both from Gainesville) and moved around a lot the past 10 years (VA, DC, Orlando, Boston and now in Suburbs of Boston, MA). Thinking we want to move BACK to Orlando area. Ive lived in Hunters Creek and Celebration and we moved back 5 years ago and lived in Hunters Creek.

DH is a HR professional so would be looking to stay in HR and hopefully with a larger company. By the time of our move I will be a Yoga Teacher and Spin Instructor ( so looking for places with Yoga Studios or Gyms)

We would love to buy, preferrably a townhome or small single family. We would like to be in a sort of suburban, upperscale area. If you know anything about MA something along the lines of Wellesley or Newton. An area where we could have a few restaruants, markets, shops etc within walking distance, and places to be able to bike.

We are kind of thinking Celebration, Winter Park, Winter Garden, Winter Springs (thats a lot of Winter! Which is exaclty why we are leaving New England). We are trying to think of areas that may be up and coming, and outside of Orlando proper.

We hope to become foster parents and adopt some day soon so ideally a place that is more for families.

Any suggestions or tips would be great! Thanks in advance.

I would suggest using a Realtor. They will know the areas in Central Florida and with access to the MLS system, they can notify you quickly of new properties that match what you are looking for. I would suggest David Dorman if you are looking for an LGBT Realtor. He's been in the Orlando Real Estate business for many years.

 

[Tinkerboy00]

I would suggest using a Realtor. They will know the areas in Central Florida and with access to the MLS system, they can notify you quickly of new properties that match what you are looking for. I would suggest David Dorman if you are looking for an LGBT Realtor. He's been in the Orlando Real Estate business for many years.

Thanks for the tip. We will certainly contact a realtor, but trying to narrow down areas now. It's been so long that we are not sure what is a nice area and whats not anymore. LOL

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

Baldwin Park, and Avalon Park are two possibilities.

If you want older homes with much more character, Thornton Park is nice and more downtown.

Winter Garden (just to add another Winter for you) is slowly but very surely up and coming. The bit along 50 doesn't do much for you but south of 50 are any number of new home options (including condos) and north of 50 is old Florida.

 

[OrlandoMike]

The Lake Nona area is getting ready to explode, literally! One exit further away from Disney on the 417 than the airport, they are building a huge medical city, and the housing market is in a bust there currently. Worth a look into...

 

[Tinkerboy00]

Thanks guys!

I feel like the first time we moved back to Orlando we looked into Baldwin Park and there was not much around there. Not postive about this though.

I think when we come down we are going to have two days to explore and hopefully narrow down an area, then hook up with a realtor. We plan on checking Celebration, Winter Garden, Winter Springs, Winter Park, Baldwin Park.

I was also recommended Auburn Park I think? I know the Thronton Park area is nice but we dont want to be right in the center of downtown Orlando. Kind of want to be on the outside of Orlando proper.

 

[SanFranciscan]

Tinkerboy, you didn't hijack this thread. You had a real question which was related to what I was asking anyway.

I don't know much about the Orlando real estate market yet because the turnover rate at Universal Studios (yes, I still work there) is so high that I am always able to pick up shifts for people quitting or getting fired so that all I have done much is go from the front gate of where I live to the front gate of Universal and the front gate of Universal to the front gate of where I live.

However, since you mentioned Winter Park, I would like to put in a good word for that city. I have only been there a couple of times since moving to Orlando. However, I have liked what I have seen. One good thing in its favor is that the area near Amtrak, which usually puts stations in the less desirable parts of town is even nice.

I moved here from San Francisco via Amtrak because our rent was up March 31st while our apartment here wasn't ready until April 9th. Many of the cities that we came through on the train triggered a major "Yuck" reaction in me, but Winter Park looked nice even through the window. I have since gone back out there a couple times and found it quite nice.

From what I can see the Hunter's Creek area, which came highly recommended to me, looks nice with one possible drawback. It would put you very close to the airport, which might be more noise pollution than you would wish to contend with.

The MetroWest given a thumbs down here looks fine from a distance so DP was thinking that that would be a good place for us. However, recent crime reports do not agree so we have scrapped that. However, statistically we live in the most dangerous zip code in Orlando and, knock on wood, have had nothing violent happen to us.

 

[SanFranciscan]

Baldwin Park, and Avalon Park are two possibilities.

If you want older homes with much more character, Thornton Park is nice and more downtown.

Winter Garden (just to add another Winter for you) is slowly but very surely up and coming. The bit along 50 doesn't do much for you but south of 50 are any number of new home options (including condos) and north of 50 is old Florida.

Oh, yeah. Thornton Park is lovely. It reminds me of my old neighborhood in San Francisco because I lived down the street from Golden Gate Park. All of that urban greenery is sweet. I also got the impression that Thornton Park is a bit of a "gay-borhood" as well if that is important to you. It appears that way to me judging from the clientele in the surrounding businesses.

 

[Safari Queen]

We've got six years to get ourselves together for a move to retirement in the Orlando area. I want to work part time at WDW and DH insists on being close to where he can keep a small boat and fish. We'll have to live very frugally, so we're thinking it might make sense to buy now while real estate is priced low. Sacrificing now could give us a better retirement living mostly on Social Security. Comments?

 

[KDilly]

Oh, yeah. Thornton Park is lovely. It reminds me of my old neighborhood in San Francisco because I lived down the street from Golden Gate Park. All of that urban greenery is sweet. I also got the impression that Thornton Park is a bit of a "gay-borhood" as well if that is important to you. It appears that way to me judging from the clientele in the surrounding businesses.

I live in Winter Park and I love it!! Def get a realtor though and really learn about the area where you are considering. There are great areas but also not so great ones...

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

We've got six years to get ourselves together for a move to retirement in the Orlando area. I want to work part time at WDW and DH insists on being close to where he can keep a small boat and fish. We'll have to live very frugally, so we're thinking it might make sense to buy now while real estate is priced low. Sacrificing now could give us a better retirement living mostly on Social Security. Comments?

Just seeing this. If you want to be near water, do you want lake, river or ocean? That will make a difference.

There are very nice beachside condos in the Daytona Beach area going for very little right now. However, that's a heck of a commute to Disney.

Closer to Disney there are many areas with lakes, and then there is the St. John's River (just north of Sanford).

It's amazing how many houses are for sale now. We just looked at a listing for one that was built in 2006 and sold for a little over $400,000. It's listed for $163,000. Excellent condition... Apopka.

 

[Brrrendon]

Try for the Lake Eola area. It's a very nice area just outside of Downtown Orlando and not too far from the Disney/Lake Buena Vista area. There are a ton of new condos/apartments/homes for sale in that area.