[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by StarryKnight1

Visiting is different from living here.

Visited in 2013 and moved in 2016 and I can say for us, living here is a lot better than visiting.

[beachmouse]

Originally Posted by Arcenal813

Glad you visited the actual city of Orlando! Yes, it’s a very underrated, if not overlooked place. Downtown and surrounding neighborhoods (Thornton Park, Baldwin Park, Colonialtown North and South, Ivanhoe, etc., are all wonderful, charming, walkable places, and as you said, quite vibrant and active. Winter Park I pretty much include in “surrounding neighborhoods,” as despite being its own city, pretty much seamlessly blends into those areas, particularly Baldwin Park and Colonialtown North.

As for your question (sprawl and theme parks,) quite simply put, it’s because 90% of people who visit “Orlando” never actually go TO Orlando. They get to the airport, and are shuttled straight to South Orange County/Osceola County, which jets them through hideous uninspired sprawl neighborhoods until they reach the tourist traps of I-Drive and Disney. They never venture North of the Turnpike, which is where you were, and where the majority of locals live and function.

For all that urban planning in Florida is largely Something Other States Do, I really think the Orlando got it right in kind of corralling those 90% of tourists in the southwest side of the metro area. The 1960s joint use agreement with McCoy AFB to put the area’s main airport in what was then seriously out in the boonies was then later complimented with Disney buying out land not far from said airport, and the main part of metro Orlando was far enough away that the locals and tourists had to actually kind of work at it to cross paths.

And then there were a lot of other people woh put a lot of effort into making the permanent resident side of Orlando a fun and interesting place to live over they ears; it’s been building for a long time.

I’ll also note that the OP managed to avoid the post-apocalyptic hellscape that is I-4 between Disney and Tampa, and that helps improve one’s opinion of the area.

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

The data doesn't show this. Florida has been continually the top 3 states people are moving to 2020-2021-2022-2023

They’re also one of the top states for people to leave. The old ‘1,000 new residents a day’ saying for Florida was net- it was 2,000 people arriving each day while 1,000 people left the state each day. The leavers were 470K in 2021 but were down to about 275K in 2022.

A lot of it is cost of living reasons and lack of entry level jobs that pay well enough to cover cost of living increases.

[StarryKnight1]

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

Visited in 2013 and moved in 2016 and I can say for us, living here is a lot better than visiting.

I said different, not better or worse.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by beachmouse

They’re also one of the top states for people to leave. The old ‘1,000 new residents a day’ saying for Florida was net- it was 2,000 people arriving each day while 1,000 people left the state each day. The leavers were 470K in 2021 but were down to about 275K in 2022.

A lot of it is cost of living reasons and lack of entry level jobs that pay well enough to cover cost of living increases.

I would bet heavily the 2023 and 2024 exit numbers are closer, if not surpassing the 2021 numbers. Pretty much everyone I knew in Central Florida has either already moved out (mostly NC), preparing to move in the near future or at least giving serious thought to moving out of state. Economics and politics are the two main drivers it seems.

[beachmouse]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

I would bet heavily the 2023 and 2024 exit numbers are closer, if not surpassing the 2021 numbers. Pretty much everyone I knew in Central Florida has either already moved out (mostly NC), preparing to move in the near future or at least giving serious thought to moving out of state. Economics and politics are the two main drivers it seems.

There’s long been a pipeline between the brighter youth in the panhandle and Atlanta because the ATL had ample entry level jobs that would actually allow you to get ahead in career and life while still being close enough to drive home to see family for the holidays.

There are financial incentives for us to hang on up here until 2028 instead of decamping to some place where so many people don’t seem so angry all the time. We may or may not make it that long.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by beachmouse

There’s long been a pipeline between the brighter youth in the panhandle and Atlanta because the ATL had ample entry level jobs that would actually allow you to get ahead in career and life while still being close enough to drive home to see family for the holidays.

There are financial incentives for us to hang on up here until 2028 instead of decamping to some place where so many people don’t seem so angry all the time. We may or may not make it that long.

Weirdly enough in Central Florida it seems to be the NC metros (Raleigh-Durham or Charlotte) and DC-Northern Virginia given the people I have known as well as their kids. Atlanta isn't mentioned much which is odd I feel.

[beachmouse]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

Weirdly enough in Central Florida it seems to be the NC metros (Raleigh-Durham or Charlotte) and DC-Northern Virginia given the people I have known as well as their kids. Atlanta isn't mentioned much which is odd I feel.

The chart I saw today puts Georgia as the #1 destination for leavers and North Carolina as #3. Like a lot of things here, I suspect the North Florida/Central Florida/South Florida divides are real and statistically significant.