[censusdata]

I am possibly considering moving to Florida in 2-3 years after I finish college. I like Kentucky but would like to live somewhere with milder winters, it gets just as hot in the summer as Florida up here so I know I can handle the summers down there.

My wants:
* Mid sized to larger city
* Low risk of having to evacuate for hurricanes (no inland flood zones either)
* A city that has a decent amount of young professionals, maybe with "cool" neighborhoods or local shopping areas similar to Bardstown Road in Louisville where young profs. hang out

* Fairly affordable areas that are safe. I can tolerate being near higher crime areas as long as there aren't shootings in the immediate area every night.

* I enjoy cycling. Does either city have a good bike/ walking path system?
* I really like lower end Mexican and Cajun food places. Does one city have more such restaurants than the other? A google search seemed to indicant a lack of good Cajun food in Orlando (?)

[DailyJournalist]

Jacksonville would be your best choice. Its much more affordable, close to the ocean, and has a better non-tourism based economy.

[censusdata]

Does anyone know what part of Jacksonville is safest? I know that Duval Co had 143 murders last year, a rate of 1 for every 5,594 residents. That's quite a bit higher rate than the county Louisville is in (1 for every 8,974 residents). Orange Co has a rate of 8,130 residents.

Is most crime in Jax concentrated in a few areas?

[Wilshire81182]

Orlando feels much larger to me than Jacksonville, probably due to all the entertainment venues and surrounding areas. Jacksonville is more like the South and probably closer to what you are used to in KY. Orlando has a much more latin vibe while still being pretty well rounded. It is a big melting pot here.

Orlando is further inland, but seems to get more hurricanes than JAX. They tend to weaken a lot before they get to the city for the most part. There are flood prone areas in the outlying suburbs more than in the city. If you look at a map, cities like Sanford, Debary, and Kissimmee all have more problems with flooding.

Orlando has a young population. There are more college students and young families than young urban professionals, but you can find both groups. There are a lot of cool hip areas though with a lot of shopping, lounges, restaurants, and the like. Thornton Park, downtown Orlando, College Park, Restaurant Row in Dr Phillips, Park Ave in Winter Park... these are all local hang outs with different things to do and see.

A lot of the safer areas are also the more expensive. Some decent areas that are affordable are Altamonte Springs, the 32803 zip around Colonialtown and Audubon Park, College park, and Conway.
The very high crimes where you have to steer clear of are Pine Hills, Parramore, and areas along Orange Blossom Trail like Oak Ridge and Sky Lake. You will probably not hear gunshots in some other areas like Azalea Park or Union Park, but they are not good choices either. The suburbs can provide different experiences based on the areas, but a lot less non-chain and hip options as the more urban areas I described.

There is a really long bike path on the West side, West Orange Trail, and then there is also Cady Way through the central area of town east of Winter Park and on out to Oviedo.

Orlando has many more Cuban and Puerto Rican and Dominican restaurants than Mexican. You can find some great options of just about anything by asking around and reading reviews and local publications. I have found some mexican restaurants I like but not many Cajun.

For Mexican I like Tauitos Jaliscos in Winter Garden and Colibri in Baldwin Park, and there are many more I am meaning to try out. I do not find Amigos, Moe's, or Tijuana Flats too great, Chipotle is everywhere and Qdoba is good but is just a counter service chain as well.

I wish I knew more about Jacksonville to compare the two. I have been there and found it pretty boring and smaller. A lot of people from JAX end up moving to Orlando and most of the people I know who have done this do not necessary dislike Jacksonville, but Orlando has more to offer.

You may also want to consider Tampa which I think is a better option than Jacksonville.

[rogercobb]

Originally Posted by censusdata

I am possibly considering moving to Florida in 2-3 years after I finish college. I like Kentucky but would like to live somewhere with milder winters, it gets just as hot in the summer as Florida up here so I know I can handle the summers down there.

My wants:
* Mid sized to larger city
* Low risk of having to evacuate for hurricanes (no inland flood zones either)
* A city that has a decent amount of young professionals, maybe with "cool" neighborhoods or local shopping areas similar to Bardstown Road in Louisville where young profs. hang out

* Fairly affordable areas that are safe. I can tolerate being near higher crime areas as long as there aren't shootings in the immediate area every night.

* I enjoy cycling. Does either city have a good bike/ walking path system?
* I really like lower end Mexican and Cajun food places. Does one city have more such restaurants than the other? A google search seemed to indicant a lack of good Cajun food in Orlando (?)

I'd probably choose Orlando because you'll be closer to the Tampa/St.Pete area which I am fond of. And as far as crime is concerned I've felt a bit less safe in Jacksonville although we certainly don't have a solution to the escalating crime here in Orlando. You mentioned the heat in Louisville and as I'm sure it gets hot up there try doubling the length of Louisville's summer and that's what you'll have in Orlando. If that isn't a concern than you'll probably love it down here but for me it seems like a perpetual summer in Orlando.

[LA-VA-FL]

Jacksonville. You get the nice sea breeze in the summer, your close to the beach, and there are soo many different vibes in Jax depending on the neighborhood you live in. You could live at Jax beach, or one of the more eclectic historical neighborhoods surrounding downtown. BTW the majority of the crime in jax is highly localized in the lower income areas (as with most places). Hurricanes usually completely miss us in JAx too.

[angiebmcg]

hi
are you from the louisville area? we are thinking of leaving orlando to move there. my husband and i are both from a small town in north florida and have lived here and panama city. My husband has worked in Jax, and we considered moving there, although after a couple of months of him doing home health as a physical therapist, he thought the city was a little more run down and neglected as opposed to orlando. There was only one good privately owned cajun restaurant here to my knowledge, and they have only one location in the disney area now, and its just a cafe where you order at the counter. Orlando seems to be very nice to live in seminole county areas: altamonte, winter springs, lake mary, oviedo, casselberry, maitland, winter park, and around ucf. South of state road 50 generaly isnt as nice as the north suburbs especially off of 441 or obt. The crime rate is also generally in pine hills area and off of obt, although it is also all over. We are in a "nice" neighborhood, and our cars get broken into in the driveway. We are looking for more "southern culture" I think. We love visiting Tennessee and the people. We want to visit Louisville, its on our list as a possible place to relocate. Please tell me info about Louisville

[jsimms3]

Jackonville has a much better job market right now and if funky eclectic neighborhoods like wherever you came from are what you are looking for then Jax is going to beat out Orlando neighborhoods by a pretty wide margin. There are more historic neighborhoods in Jax, and most are desirable, and in good condition. You will be able to find Mexican food here, though I don't know how good it is since most of our Hispanics are not Mexican either, but are more Latin American and Carribean/Cuban. I have been to Lousiville, both Jax and Orlando are bigger than Lousiville and growing a lot faster, as well. Orlando is almost twice the population. Orlando seems very new to me, it is a pretty clean city, whereas Jax is more of a mixture of old and new. The Southside where a lot of young professionals are seems very new, whereas the rest of Jax has some history behind it. BTW there are lots of young people in the older neighborhoods, too, they are for urbanites, so if that floats your boat then look in Avondale, Riverside, and San Marco.

[yaniv22]

orlando for me
[url=http://things-to-do-in-orlando.com/]things to do in orlando[/url]

[projectmaximus]

Census, I seem to recall running across your previous posts that indicate a healthy interest in social geography and urban planning. Therefore, I'll direct you to http://www.metrojacksonville.com a site that thoroughly discusses all the urban development and transportation issues in jacksonville. It also offers a wealth of amazing information about the city's history and various neighborhoods. One of the three guys who started the site and does work as a planner has occasionally mentioned how back in the day he turned down a better paying job in Orlando for one in Jax after visiting and falling in love with the city. So, if you have a similar mindset as him, you might visit Jax, see the history, see the potential, and decide this is the place for you.

That said, given your preferences...primarily the following:

Originally Posted by censusdata

* A city that has a decent amount of young professionals, maybe with "cool" neighborhoods or local shopping areas similar to Bardstown Road in Louisville where young profs. hang out

* I enjoy cycling. Does either city have a good bike/ walking path system?

I'd strongly recommend Orlando over Jax.