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Yes I have. I'm not saying the whole place is a dump. I'm sure there are nice little enclaves. But as a whole, Orlando does not compare with South FL in terms of nightlife and things to do.
I agree, but it sure beats the hell out of Tallahassee and Gainesville. Metro Orlando is the closest thing in FL to south FL outside of south FL. Orlando is a young city, tampa has much more older people and is more conservative and southern in culture. And im not even gonna mention jax.
These replies are confusing me as I'm not sure where some of these comments are coming from.
I have visited Orlando and South Florida. When I visited South Florida I spent time in Delray beach and also a little time in Fort Lauderdale.
Delray beach is a small little gem with a small little stretch of bars/clubs. The people there were very pleasant and I had fun socializing with them but it was not a place that would entertain me forever and would probably grow old very quickly.
There would be West palm a little further away, but my understanding is again it's a little stretch, nothing too major.
Further down south is Fort lauderdale. I went to the los olas stretch and while it was cold and not many people were out i found the venues to be small and a bit of a letdown. I also went to the hard rock cafe and went to a bar and a club. They were cool, but not all that big. Overall that huge venue definately did show promise (it's actually in Hollywood not fort lauderdale). I'm sure it could more than keep me entertained for a night.
Fort Lauderdale definately has a good amount of nightlife but I don't think it's as impressive as Orlando's nightlife pound for pound.
If you were to take all the nightlife combined from Fort Lauderdale all the way up to West palm (excluding Miami as I said in my OP) then you could make a strong case for them being equal or maybe even south florida edging out orlando. Problem is that I like to have a few beers when I go out and not worry about driving. This is way more spread out than the heart of Orlando with all it's nightlife. I'd need to hire a professional DD.
I like to bar hop and club hop. In Orlando it seems as if it has the same amount of nightlife in a very very compact area. As in 4 miles.
I definately don't understand how ANYONE could conclude that Orlando is more spread out than South florida for night life or for anything really.
Also I'm being told that jobs are a wash but if south florida season ends at the end of may and orlando's season doesn't go down until the fall I don't see how anyone can say it's a wash.
Im also totally baffled by the person who says there are less old people in south florida than Orlando???????? Never heard that one before.
It might be more helpful if I could better understand the logic in why people are saying these things.
I do agree that the beach is a definate bonus to south florida and I also realize that if you include Miami that South Florida blows away Orlando for entertainment but as far as one compact area with a bunch of nightlife, if you exclude Miami I think Orlando wins out.
If not you at least have to give conveniance points to Orlando.
I basically want to live in an area where it will be easy to network and make friends, very close to a major nightlife hub. Since I don't want to live in the heart of Miami I feel like Orlando is the next best thing. I really hope Im not making a mistake here, and if anyone can tell me where I am wrong and why that would be a great help. I must make a final transfer decision within the next few days for work.
These replies are confusing me as I'm not sure where some of these comments are coming from.
I have visited Orlando and South Florida. When I visited South Florida I spent time in Delray beach and also a little time in Fort Lauderdale.
Delray beach is a small little gem with a small little stretch of bars/clubs. The people there were very pleasant and I had fun socializing with them but it was not a place that would entertain me forever and would probably grow old very quickly.
There would be West palm a little further away, but my understanding is again it's a little stretch, nothing too major.
Further down south is Fort lauderdale. I went to the los olas stretch and while it was cold and not many people were out i found the venues to be small and a bit of a letdown. I also went to the hard rock cafe and went to a bar and a club. They were cool, but not all that big. Overall that huge venue definately did show promise (it's actually in Hollywood not fort lauderdale). I'm sure it could more than keep me entertained for a night.
Fort Lauderdale definately has a good amount of nightlife but I don't think it's as impressive as Orlando's nightlife pound for pound.
If you were to take all the nightlife combined from Fort Lauderdale all the way up to West palm (excluding Miami as I said in my OP) then you could make a strong case for them being equal or maybe even south florida edging out orlando. Problem is that I like to have a few beers when I go out and not worry about driving. This is way more spread out than the heart of Orlando with all it's nightlife. I'd need to hire a professional DD.
I like to bar hop and club hop. In Orlando it seems as if it has the same amount of nightlife in a very very compact area. As in 4 miles.
I definately don't understand how ANYONE could conclude that Orlando is more spread out than South florida for night life or for anything really.
Also I'm being told that jobs are a wash but if south florida season ends at the end of may and orlando's season doesn't go down until the fall I don't see how anyone can say it's a wash.
Im also totally baffled by the person who says there are less old people in south florida than Orlando???????? Never heard that one before.
It might be more helpful if I could better understand the logic in why people are saying these things.
I do agree that the beach is a definate bonus to south florida and I also realize that if you include Miami that South Florida blows away Orlando for entertainment but as far as one compact area with a bunch of nightlife, if you exclude Miami I think Orlando wins out.
If not you at least have to give conveniance points to Orlando.
I basically want to live in an area where it will be easy to network and make friends, very close to a major nightlife hub. Since I don't want to live in the heart of Miami I feel like Orlando is the next best thing. I really hope Im not making a mistake here, and if anyone can tell me where I am wrong and why that would be a great help. I must make a final transfer decision within the next few days for work.
Your making a good decision. Miami has better nightlife hubs than Orlando, but in miami if you wanna live in a nice area you have to live pretty far from the downtown area. Ft lauderdales night life is good but orlando's is bigger more established and more walkable. There are plenty of nice neighborhoods, in and around downtown orlando.
And economically i would think Metro Orlando has much more going for it than south FL does.
You are making lots of assumptions with no facts to back them up.
-There are more young people in South FL than Orlando. It baffles me why you think otherwise. Not sure how you conclude that Orlando is so young. First, the overall population of South FL is bigger than Orlando. There are 1.5 million residents in Broward and 1.5 million in Palm Beach County. That is excluding Dade County which has about 3 million. Orlando is probably only 2 million in their entire metro area which is VERY spread out. I attended FSU for college and there were a lot more students there from South FL than Orlando. Just a coincidence? No, it is because there are more students to draw from in South FL. Orlando seems to have a bigger retiree population of Southerners and Midwesterners. South FL has become younger and younger in recent decades and is no longer a mega-retiree destination. Also, South FL is right on the beach which attracts many young people down from the north to live here in the warmth on the beach.
-South FL's entertainment season ends early while Orlando's doesn't? Not sure where you heard that one. All of FL is busier in the winter months and gets slow in the summer. That is true no matter what part of the state. The reason is because of the weather. The summer is too hot for many people to visit here. Orlando is no different.
-Your assessment of nightlife in Fort Lauderdale is pretty accurate, but slightly underestimated. You can live in Las Olas, Fort Lauderdale Beach, and downtown Hollywood and be able to walk to all of the bars. Yes Hardrock is a good drive away as there is nowhere decent to live around there. The one big advantage you have in Ft. Lauderdale is you are 30 minutes from South Beach. You're not giving West Palm much credit. While not as exciting as Fort Lauderdale, it has Clematis Street which is a hot nightlife area and is getting bigger fast.
As far as Orlando, I have not gone out there much. I rarely ever go to Orlando for anything. I have heard from friends that the nightlife scene there is very dull. In South FL everything stays open all night. As I said already, in South FL you are between West Palm, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale. So you have 3 major nightlife areas to choose from whereas in Orlando you have one.
-Delray Beach- not a reflection of South FL in any way shape or form. Just a small little enclave. Delray has a very old population with a few young people mixed in. You are probably right that you would get bored there fast.
In conclusion, it sounds like you've already made up your mind. You seem to think everything is better in Orlando. So not sure why you are wasting your time on here.
Last edited by Nolefan34; 03-27-2010 at 04:43 PM..
I also disagree with your assessment of Miami. You have to live "pretty far from downtown"? Huh? I guess you are not familiar with Brickell, South Beach, Coconut Grove, or Midtown?
Economically Orlando has more going for it? How? That has never been the case in the last 20 years. South FL's economy is the biggest in the state by far.
You are making lots of assumptions with no facts to back them up.
-There are more young people in South FL than Orlando. It baffles me why you think otherwise. Not sure how you conclude that Orlando is so young. First, the overall population of South FL is bigger than Orlando. There are 1.5 million residents in Broward and 1.5 million in Palm Beach County. That is excluding Dade County which has about 3 million. Orlando is probably only 2 million in their entire metro area which is VERY spread out. I attended FSU for college and there were a lot more students there from South FL than Orlando. Just a coincidence? No, it is because there are more students to draw from in South FL. Orlando seems to have a bigger retiree population of Southerners and Midwesterners. South FL has become younger and younger in recent decades and is no longer a mega-retiree destination. Also, South FL is right on the beach which attracts many young people down from the north to live here in the warmth on the beach.
-South FL's entertainment season ends early while Orlando's doesn't? Not sure where you heard that one. All of FL is busier in the winter months and gets slow in the summer. That is true no matter what part of the state. The reason is because of the weather. The summer is too hot for many people to visit here. Orlando is no different.
-Your assessment of nightlife in Fort Lauderdale is pretty accurate, but slightly underestimated. You can live in Las Olas, Fort Lauderdale Beach, and downtown Hollywood and be able to walk to all of the bars. Yes Hardrock is a good drive away as there is nowhere decent to live around there. The one big advantage you have in Ft. Lauderdale is you are 30 minutes from South Beach. You're not giving West Palm much credit. While not as exciting as Fort Lauderdale, it has Clematis Street which is a hot nightlife area and is getting bigger fast.
As far as Orlando, I have not gone out there much. I rarely ever go to Orlando for anything. I have heard from friends that the nightlife scene there is very dull. In South FL everything stays open all night. As I said already, in South FL you are between West Palm, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale. So you have 3 major nightlife areas to choose from whereas in Orlando you have one.
-Delray Beach- not a reflection of South FL in any way shape or form. Just a small little enclave. Delray has a very old population with a few young people mixed in. You are probably right that you would get bored there fast.
In conclusion, it sounds like you've already made up your mind. You seem to think everything is better in Orlando. So not sure why you are wasting your time on here.
Orlando and Miami both have a median age of about 32
Orlando's busy season holds strong all year. The spring and summer is the busiest time of year for Orlando. It has nothing to do with the weather over here. Maybe the winter is Miami's busiest time because the snow birds.
Orlando's downtown/night life is better than ft lauderdales, hollywoods and west palms. South beach and Miami is better than downtown orlando but there are only a few good small areas to live in near it and they are expensive as hell, the rest of the area looks like a 3rd world country filled with non english speaking cubans and hatians. Downtown Orlando has plenty of nice areas and neighborhoods to live in all around downtown, just don't go west of I-4 unless your in north downtown. And south FL is much more spread out than metro Orlando, mainly because of the ocean and the everglades. South Fl is a long strip of development, its about 80 miles north to south and 20 miles east to west. Miami is at the southern tip of the metro area so its pretty far from all the other areas of the metro. Metro orlando is about 30 miles north to south and 30 miles east to west. Downtown orlando is centrally located in the metro so nothing is really that far away from downtown. 20-30 mins tops.
I agree, but it sure beats the hell out of Tallahassee and Gainesville. Metro Orlando is the closest thing in FL to south FL outside of south FL. Orlando is a young city, tampa has much more older people and is more conservative and southern in culture. And im not even gonna mention jax.
Tampa is much more tied to Chicago just like SoFla is tied NYC only a much more diverse slice of America. The whole southern thing you will find in any small town in FL not tied to fast growing metro area suburbia. It is much more southern in far western Palm Bch county, Clewiston and Okeechobee than anywhere near Tampa.
I LOVE Fort Launderdale - I don't understand how Disney can even be compared to Fort Lauderdale with Las Olas - the best beach - FL beaches are better than any other US beach (except for maybe Hawaii) Orlando is full of old people. I love old people, but...... - I just dont see how Ft Lauderdale and Orlando can even be compared. I guess that is why I spend so many hours on this board and not Orlando's!
You are making lots of assumptions with no facts to back them up.
-There are more young people in South FL than Orlando. In sheer numbers, yes. Per capita, probably not. Orlando is not a retirement area like almost all of S FL is.
It baffles me why you think otherwise. Not sure how you conclude that Orlando is so young. Actually it is.
First, the overall population of South FL is bigger than Orlando. There are 1.5 million residents in Broward and 1.5 million in Palm Beach County. That is excluding Dade County which has about 3 million. Orlando is probably only 2 million in their entire metro area which is VERY spread out. I attended FSU for college and there were a lot more students there from South FL than Orlando. Just a coincidence? No, it is because there are more students to draw from in South FL. Again, more in numbers, yes. But not on a per capita basis. S FL is retirement/blue-haired king. Orlando is not. I dont like Orlando much, so I'm not sticking up for it. But Orlando is not a retirement destination. It's pretty young.
Orlando seems to have a bigger retiree population of Southerners and Midwesterners. Southerners? I wish!
South FL has become younger and younger in recent decades and is no longer a mega-retiree destination. Also, South FL is right on the beach which attracts many young people down from the north to live here in the warmth on the beach. I agree here.
-South FL's entertainment season ends early while Orlando's doesn't? Not sure where you heard that one. All of FL is busier in the winter months and gets slow in the summer. That is true no matter what part of the state. The reason is because of the weather. The summer is too hot for many people to visit here. Orlando is no different. Agree here too.
-Your assessment of nightlife in Fort Lauderdale is pretty accurate, but slightly underestimated. You can live in Las Olas, Fort Lauderdale Beach, and downtown Hollywood and be able to walk to all of the bars. Yes Hardrock is a good drive away as there is nowhere decent to live around there. The one big advantage you have in Ft. Lauderdale is you are 30 minutes from South Beach. You're not giving West Palm much credit. While not as exciting as Fort Lauderdale, it has Clematis Street which is a hot nightlife area and is getting bigger fast.
As far as Orlando, I have not gone out there much. I rarely ever go to Orlando for anything. I have heard from friends that the nightlife scene there is very dull. In South FL everything stays open all night. As I said already, in South FL you are between West Palm, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale. So you have 3 major nightlife areas to choose from whereas in Orlando you have one.
-Delray Beach- not a reflection of South FL in any way shape or form. Just a small little enclave. Delray has a very old population with a few young people mixed in. You are probably right that you would get bored there fast.
In conclusion, it sounds like you've already made up your mind. You seem to think everything is better in Orlando. So not sure why you are wasting your time on here.
And economically i would think Metro Orlando has much more going for it than south FL does.
You must be kidding. South Florida is the economic engine of Florida.
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