Oviedo or Lake Nona (Orlando, Lake Park: house, established neighborhood, new construction)

[StateHopper]

Which is the better area to live? My commute will be a hell of a lot shorter if I live in Lake Nona, but Oviedo seems like a better place to live; great schools, better housing for the money, more established...

How bad is the traffic to the medical city?

What other things should I consider?

[connor35]

I don't think the commute will be that bad. But others can answer better. Remember that the fast commute is down 417 which is a toll road.

So Ovideo housing may be cheaper, but tolls add up rapidly in every day commutes. As does gas. Plus factor in time away from family. A 10 minute drive vs. a 35 minute drive = 25 minutes per trip = 50 minutes per day = 4+ hours less with family in a week = 200 hours away from family in a year.

Lake Nona schools are very good. Northlake Park elementary is fantastic. George Bush visited as has current secretary of education Arne Duncan. The high school is Orlando's newest. The middle school will be opening very soon.

I'm sure you'd enjoy living in both, but I never understand why people choose long commutes when there are good / equal shorter commute options that provide more time with family.

Plus if you fly often for work, Lake Nona is advantageous. I love living so close to the airport.

[StateHopper]

Thank you very much for the response. Waste of time in commuting, toll and gas are huge factors to consider.

Are there older, established neighborhoods in Lake Nona? Instead of a new construction, I would prefer a house with more character, a yard with trees (if there is such a thing).

[Parrotrosie]

Oviedo, just so you know , is largely new construction (within the last ten years or so...) if that were a consideration. The older part, is well, really old...lol... I love it here, but a long commute would be a real deal breaker for me as well.

[GLS2010]

There are a few older nice neighborhoods in Oviedo, north and west of the small downtown and some along alafaya, but parrotrosie is right its majority newer construction. The commute would be about 25 mins one way with 2 dollars worth of tolls each way. To me thats not a bad commute but its a personal preferance.

Overall I think Oviedo is a better place to live because of how established it is. Lake nona is also a great place to live and is much more convienient but its still developing so you don't know for sure how its going to be in a few years.

[chopchop0]

Originally Posted by StateHopper

Thank you very much for the response. Waste of time in commuting, toll and gas are huge factors to consider.

Are there older, established neighborhoods in Lake Nona? Instead of a new construction, I would prefer a house with more character, a yard with trees (if there is such a thing).

I just visited LN recently for the first time. It seems that it was previously all cow pastures and undeveloped land, so everything that I saw there was pretty much new construction and uninspired for the most part. I've heard there are so nice million-dollar mansions in Lake Nona Golf and Country club though....

[connor35]

Originally Posted by StateHopper

Thank you very much for the response. Waste of time in commuting, toll and gas are huge factors to consider.

Are there older, established neighborhoods in Lake Nona? Instead of a new construction, I would prefer a house with more character, a yard with trees (if there is such a thing).

We moved to Florida 2 years ago and had the same 'problem'. We always liked older, mature neighborhoods with character, too. Unfortunately that's just very hard to find in Orlando. Lake Nona doesn't really have that sort of thing. But nowhere very desirable in Orlando really does. We settled in NorthLake Park in Lake Nona after hunting for 9 months and we're very happy. It's new and while it lacks the character of our previous neighborhoods, it's nice not having an 80-year-old house for a change.

You might want to check out Southern Oaks -- that's a (small) neighborhood within Orlando that best offers what you're looking for. And it's sort of between Oviedo & Lake Nona from the medical city. To get there go north on Northglen from Pershing street. It's the most character / nicest community of any place in Orlando, I think. The elementary and high schools are very good. The middle school -- due to bizarre zoning -- is awful.

[StateHopper]

Did not know Oviedo was pretty new as well! hmmm.... I will be visiting the area soon so hopefully will have a better feel then. All the responses helped me! Thanks a lot!

Southern Oaks sounds nice, but if the middle school is bad, it is out (why are middle schools often bad??? I never understand this!)

[mrFlaBound]

I live in Oviedo and love it here, for the record, I never looked at Lake Nona for consideration.

[chopchop0]

Originally Posted by connor35

We moved to Florida 2 years ago and had the same 'problem'. We always liked older, mature neighborhoods with character, too. Unfortunately that's just very hard to find in Orlando.

The neighborhoods in and around downtown and winter park have some of that.