Relocating from Mableton, GA to Orlando Metro area (Altamonte Springs, Oviedo: apartments, to rent)

[zabalaa]

Hi,

My employer will be relocating me to the Orlando Metro area. Our office is located on 301 E Pine St, Orlando 32801. We are a family of 5 with two school age kids. My oldest will be starting middle school and my middle child will be starting elementary school. I have done some research but I am not very familiar with area. I would like to rent somewhere near my employer but for the time being until I get familiar with area. I have a budget of 700-900 for a 3 bedroom apt., townhome or single family home. Obviously quality of schools will be a big priority. I will appreciate your objective input.

Thanks

[norasusan]

Check out Hunters Creek. It was rated the 21st best place to live by Money Magazine this year. It's a child friendly community. The schools are good. Shopping is very close. The area is well designed and the homes are well-kept.

[zabalaa]

Cool, I will check it out. Thanks.

[Iris14]

No offense but Hunters Creek is like a half hour away from downtown, it's not particularly near where you'll be working. There are probably closer areas you could check out, but the problem is your budget. For a three bedroom, I can't imagine you could find anything nice for under $900 minimum, and I'm not sure where that would be. Maybe Casselberry? I used to rent up there and paid $1000 for a decent sized townhouse. It's still a little ride downtown though...
I'm not familiar with apartments in the area, so maybe someone else could help you out. They might be cheaper, but you have to pick the neighborhood well or there might be issues.
Everyone says the best schools are up in Seminole County, but there are decent ones scattered around the area in Orange too. I think the issue for you is being able to find suitable housing in the better areas, so I would focus on finding that before worrying about the schools more.

Oh, I meant to add that my sister works right around the corner from there. She lives in the Conway/Lake Margaret area, and loves how close it is to get to work. So I think there is something to wanting to live closer by....

[912]

Do NOT move to Hunters Creek unless you're a fluent speaker of Spanish. Look towards Seminole County.

[kyle19125]

^^^ I agree regarding Seminole County. It's a lot more family-friendly overall and the schools are better. 30 minutes is around the average commute time for most cities so perhaps it won't seem that far to you. Lake Mary and Oviedo are the most desirable school districts, followed by Wekiva in Longwood, Lake Brantley in Altamonte Springs and Tuskawilla or Lake Howell in Casselberry. I too would recommend looking for a condo to rent versus in a traditional apartment community as most here can be kind of sketchy in terms of residents. Good luck!

[zabalaa]

Thanks for the feedback. I will follow up on all the leads. In regard to commuting I'm actually about 20-25 miles from my current office in Atlanta so a smilar commute would not be that far fetched. I would certainly prefer as close of a commute as possible until I get a feeling for the area. I have heard a lot about Winter Park, Windmere and Altamonte Springs. Is there anything that I should be looking for at these locations?

Thanks,

[Crane's Rooster]

Originally Posted by zabalaa

I have heard a lot about Winter Park, Windmere and Altamonte Springs. Is there anything that I should be looking for at these locations?

Of these 3 areas, Altamonte Springs is the most affordable and closest to your price range. Try to stay on the westside of Altamonte (Westmonte 32714 zip code) because this is the Lake Brantley School district. There's nothing wrong with Eastmonte (32701) but Lyman is not nearly as highly regarded a school district.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by Crane's Rooster

Of these 3 areas, Altamonte Springs is the most affordable and closest to your price range. Try to stay on the westside of Altamonte (Westmonte 32714 zip code) because this is the Lake Brantley School district. There's nothing wrong with Eastmonte (32701) but Lyman is not nearly as highly regarded a school district.

I agree regarding Lake Brantley however Lyman is no longer "not highly regarded" since apparently they've worked hard enough to become noticed by US News and World Reports and now rank as one of the Top High Schools in the nation (#35 in Florida).

Lyman High School in LONGWOOD, FL | Best High Schools | US News