[Kristynicole]

My fiance and I are looking at relocating to either Jacksonville or Orlando. He will be transferring through his company and I will be beginning a career in Occupational Therapy. We are in our mid 20s and will be newly married. We would like to be within an hour from the beach, a good nightlife, sporting events nearby, and fun things to do! We want to stay away from areas similiar to Miami. Any help would be great!

[runswithscissors]

Jax has the medical, the beach, the pro football, the huge GA v. FL football game, the boating, some stuff like Jazz festivals, symphony, the family vibe AND the young married with no kids, too. The nightlife and "fun things to do" is pretty much an individual opinion. Just like some people really love Disney and move to Orlando because of it.

Things To Do in Jacksonville FL | Crowne Plaza Jacksonville FL Attractions

I worked for and lived [in a high rise in Jax] with plenty of relocations and people your age and nobody was complaining and all had active social lives. Commuting can be tricky so take it into consideration if and when you decide where to live. You can't always go by mapping it (time wise)

Aside from the normal work,another plus for Jax is you should be able to work alot because lots of people go to Jax for specialized treatments and stay for a few months. I don't know about the elder care up there but where I live further south, I see all the OT people doing therapy with seniors in the ALF I work in, like with my dementia client. Either through private agencies or on staff. So there should be plenty of work for you here.

Last time I flew out of Orlando I got annoyed with even the CAR RENTAL people not speaking English. Granted, this MIGHT be a coincidence but who hires non English speakers for working in the major auto rental cashier job??? And the car porters etc. Not a fan of that vibe and it's possible you can avoid it, I just don't know personally, though.

[bmw335xi]

I prefer Orlando a lot more than Jacksonville. I feel like I am in South Carolina or Alabama when I'm in Jacksonville. It's too sleepy and ordinary for my taste. Orlando has some really great residential areas, some of the nicest in the country. It also receives the most tourist than any other city in the entire country, so there is constantly new attractions, people and things to keep yourself entertained. I would look into areas such as Windermere, Dr. Phillips and Winter Park. I've lived in eight different cities and two countries and Orlando (if you can afford to live in one of the areas I mentioned) rank way up there in terms of quality of life IMO.

[kyle19125]

Jacksonville is much more of a well-rounded city than Orlando in terms of the economy, jobs and even things to do since most of it doesn't revolve around theme parks like Orlando. The coastal location is much more of a draw in my opinion, since many don't find having to plan a day trip to the beach with an hour's drive or more each way a positive when living in Florida. While supposedly "isolated" in Northeast Florida, Jacksonville is still an easy two hour drive to Orlando if for some reason the theme parks hold a constant appeal and an easy drive to interesting places like Savannah, Charleston or the high country in northern GA, SC and NC. Having lived in Raleigh/Durham NC, Washington DC, Philadelphia and NYC I find Orlando kind of sterile and lacking in a city vibe. It's kind of one big suburb with a bunch of theme parks attached and perfect for those that find "shiny and new" (regardless of content) the biggest draw. Jacksonville feels more like a city, has some character/soul which I find more interesting and a more diverse offering of things to do than Orlando. Last but not least the people tend friendlier in Jacksonville in my opinion, where it is in fact a good bit more Southern.

[Trigger-f]

ORL is great if you got kids (not so great if you don't, even though the theme parks can be a year round project(i.e. deciding which one to visit)). I don't like it being land locked, but has plenty of options for shopping/eating out, plus Kennedy Space Center is about an hr away. The Mall at Millenia is probably the best Mall in FL. Other than that, If I lived there, I would find myself heading for the Atlantic coast a lot (JAX has an advantage over ORL on that (being right on the water, plus St Augustine is near by-lots of history).

[FlyMIA]

Besides for the beach being closer Orlando has more to offer. Yes it is Disney World etc.. But you wont be going to Disney World all the time or anything. You just need to deal with tourist lost in rental cars. Orlando has things to offer that Jacksonville does not because even though Orlando is not a huge city, it is a huge tourist destination which means a lot of different entertainment options to cater to those tourist from all around the world. Jacksonville does have the NFL (for now) But Orlando has 41 NBA home games, a soon to be MLS team, Tampa MLB, NHL and NFL teams not too far away an UCF right there for decent college Football. Orlando's nightlife will be better and more diverse too.

If I was choosing between the two it would be Orlando. After the Miami area, Orlando would be the place I would want to live in Florida. I suggest you visit both though.

[OrlFlaUsa]

Yeah i think the results are in, Orlando wins hands down.

[StreetSmarts]

I'd choose Jax.

[Irishtom29]

Jacksonville is a city with a diverse economy, a port and an interesting history going back to the 1560s; a "real" city, so to speak. It's genuine, gritty and culturally significant (after Memphis, perhaps the most important southern city in Rock and Roll history). It's also on the ocean and I see little sense in being landlocked in Florida if one can avoid it.

Orlando on the other hand is a synthetic tourist town set in the middle of a dismal prairie and is pretty much a rube Valhalla.

[OrlFlaUsa]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

Jacksonville is a city with a diverse economy, a port and a history; a "real" city, so to speak. It's genuine, gritty and culturally significant (after Memphis, perhaps the most important southern city in Rock and Roll history). It's also on the ocean and I see little sense in being landlocked in Florida if one can avoid it.

Orlando on the other hand is a plastic tourist town set in the middle of a dismal prairie and is pretty much a rube Valhalla.

What you say about Orlando is not true. So I think you need to prove it or just admit your comment is without merit.