View Full Version : AREAS TO LIVE
Hi,very new to the forums handle with care!
Can anyone recommend areas around Orlando that would be suitable
to move to from the uk? Important features for us would be;
Schools,local shopping,play areas, nice people and a good local
community.I will be in Orlando April 2005 for holiday and fact
finding so any recommendations can be investigated on the net for
now and in person in April,
Many thanks Kinch
DarrenShort
29-11-2004, 18:46
Southern Dunes is a great community, although it is a 15-20 minutes drive from Disney area. Great shopping, play areas and very friendly people.
There is only one place for us - Celebration - a lovely community, and Walt Dinsney's dream child. 'Esprit' on the forum lives there and runs a management company so she would have lots of advice.
They have a school, hospital etc etc.
Worth taking a look at when you are out there in April.
Good luck
E. Cosgrove
29-11-2004, 20:34
Ellie is right. Walt Disney's vision of "planned urbanization" really works. If I was going to "live the American Dream" that's where i would want to do it.......not cheap though.
Ray&Sarah
29-11-2004, 20:46
Have to agree with you Ellie, Celebration is a lovely community.[msnsmile2]
Beverley
29-11-2004, 21:26
Hi Kinch
There is a whole section on 'Moving to Florida' on this forum you will find loads of info in that section:)
chrizzy100
29-11-2004, 22:04
Celebrations is the place to bring up young kids in FL.....if you don't have kids find a none STR area... cheaper bigger homes.......or if you like having holiday makers around like we do......find a place in STR with lots of locals....Celebrations is nice....but to be honest..unless you have a lot of money....its best to find somewhere cheaper and have fun then be forever paying a large home loan.....
RUSHBURY
29-11-2004, 22:39
Hi chrizzy100
Are there many areas that you would recommend that have lots of locals and also STR? I have been looking at mainly residential areas with no rentals.
Thanks
linda allen
29-11-2004, 23:36
Our friends moved to Orlando a year ago. They initially moved into their holiday home on Cumbrian Lakes but soon decided they wanted to live in a more residential area and moved to Hunters Creak. Our other friends live in Dr Philips. Both these places are predominently residential areas so much more settled for their children, yet still close to all attractions.
chrizzy100
30-11-2004, 01:04
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by RUSHBURY
Hi chrizzy100
Are there many areas that you would recommend that have lots of locals and also STR? I have been looking at mainly residential areas with no rentals.
Thanks
[/quote]
Its the schools I'd look at first....I love where I live.......but I'd not recommend it to people with kids until they build new schools if they ever do.....are you on any other forums about moving to FL.....the more forums you are on the more info you get.....from people living in the area......
I will bite my tongue and not say one word..
chrizzy100
30-11-2004, 01:16
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Ray9
I will bite my tongue and not say one word..
[/quote]
Ray.....you're getting so good at this not saying stuff....I think you're going soft in your old age...[xmas1][xmas1]......
If you have kids, live in an area that has full time residents so they have friends not a rental community which are pretty lonely places if you live there full time. Celebration is lovely because it has the feel of an English small town. It also has a fair number of UK expats and that is nice when you first get here and feel a bit homesick ( only a bit!) Great schools too and a real sense of community. Not the cheapest of areas but the prices go up nicely. Other than that. there are other similar communtites around such as Baldwin Park ( very similar to Celebration but in Orlando) and Harmony on 192 east going towards Melbourne. Bella Collina up on Lake Apopka is also getting good reviews, that is a Mediterranean styled community. Windermere, anywhere on Lake Butler or Lake Nona, Bay Hill, Dr Phillips, Winter Park, Hunters Creek.
Ray would say not in Orlando at all I guess?
lisasranch
01-12-2004, 01:22
Kinch, we are in the same position as you! We are over in January loking to identify a business and area to settle with all the same criteria affecting us. I will keep you posted as to how we progress. I would be keen to know of your findings and research also.
Andy and Lisa
Thankyou all for your advice and opinions lots of investigating to do, once again thanks.Good luck Andy and Lisa will keep in touch.[clap]
Kinch
flyrr100
01-12-2004, 18:07
Kinch... Chrizzy100 is right.
Your number one consideration (as was ours when we moved here fcrom Ohio) must be schools. Unless you are thinking about private schools, forget Orange County (City of Orlando) Schools. Oceola County Schools are a little better, but then you are close to the parks. Thats great if you are on vacation, but a headache if you live there. In June-September the traffic is horrible. Also you'd probably have to deal with I4. And belive me you don't want to deal with I4!
Seminole County on the other hand is north of the city. I4 goes through here but look at Winter Springs, Cassleberry, Oviedo, even up in Sanford and Lake Mary. To get to town or the parks you have the toll roads. A little bit of money for a clear modern expressway? Money well spent in my view! We have annual passes for Disney and it takes us about 40 minutes from my driveway to the Magic Kingdom.
Seminole County Schools are probably the best in the region. My kids go to Red Bug Elementary and Tuskawilla Junior High. Both good schools. Also, Seminole County has some great magnet schools. My neighbor's kids (Brits) both go to a magnet school in Sanford.
Amy is a teacher and before we moved here she did alot of reaserch on Central Florida Schools.
Please contact me if you are serious about relocating here. And think seriously about where you live. There are some great established neighborhoods here and many new developments going up all the time. I bought a 25 year old house and it went through the hurricanes without a scratch. Charley passed right over us!
Good luck......
I would agree about the schools. There are some bad ones and even the good ones, well, if I tell you my son got C, D, D at AS level in the UK and then entered Celebration, s good school, as a grade A student and continued along that path, does that tell you something. It is Florida more than the US generally apparently.
flyrr100
01-12-2004, 20:07
It's the South! In general schools below Tennessee are sub standard. By that I mean the pay is alot less for teachers, therefore all the good ones live in the North. Also the counties give more funds to northern schools. As an example, my wife tought 6th grade in Ohio. She earned around 42k a year. In Florida she'd earn around 25k. A huge difference.
If she had her MS she'd maybe earn 30k. So she subs and does private tutoring.
Both my kids went from being B students in Ohio to straight A students here in Florida. That's why we are looking at magnet or private schools for both of them.
chrizzy100
01-12-2004, 20:37
The same thing happened to my son until he went to the Tech high school......where they have to work really hard to get good grades......
My son is now in US college doing the first year of a degree and it is about the same standard as UK A levels or even AS. British kids who come to Florida generally do very well at school, one of the perks, but I am guessing it doesnt work well for anyone who has to go back home.