Winter Park, Conway or Lake Nona? (Orlando: apartments, foreclosed, crime)

[djones87]

Relocating young family to Orlando. Looking for good schools, quick access to MCO and great neighborhood with lots of kids and younger families. Price Range around $350k for 4 bedroom home. Any suggestions on the pros and cons of these neighborhoods I am comparing. I am out of state so cant drive around at this time and have not been to any of these areas personally.

[Wilshire81182]

I think the pros of Conway and Winter Park are that they are more established neighborhoods. I live in Conway and love it, but Winter Park is a little nicer if you can afford it. If it is east of Semoran Blvd in Winter Park, I would go with Conway. I know a lot of people will probably bash me for saying this, but I would wait to buy in Lake Nona because the area has no identity yet and the housing bubble burst has left a lot of these houses unsold, foreclosed, or selling for less than they should be going for. Vista Lakes is close to there and has the stigma of the bombs by the Middle School. Once the area has been around longer and goes in a clearer direction, I think it would be a better option. If you like to be away from the urban areas and don't mind driving a little further to get places, it may be a good option. It is a nice area still, I don't want to discourage you, it is just still forming it's identity.

[Alphaman]

Originally Posted by djones87

Relocating young family to Orlando. Looking for good schools, quick access to MCO and great neighborhood with lots of kids and younger families. Price Range around $350k for 4 bedroom home. Any suggestions on the pros and cons of these neighborhoods I am comparing. I am out of state so cant drive around at this time and have not been to any of these areas personally.

I would say winter park or conway lake nona is a bit stuffy and I don`t see that many kids as I do in the other areas.

[GregTraub]

Have any of you guys driven through the Northlake Park neighborhood/area within Lake nona???? The elementary school and YMCA is IN the community full of walking trails. I see nothing but kids in that area! I agree it is not as established as the Conway or Winter Park area's. For the money you will probably get more house in Lake Nona than Conway or WP.

Winter Park is also a great area, for 350K you can get a decent older home in Brookshire heights and winter park pines area, still good neighborhoods, but closer to crime area's than the 32789 area where homes are quite a bit above the 350K mark. Conway is a great area too.

The only way to really judge an area though is to take a tour of them yourself when you eventually do come down. You will get a thousand different opinions, that may not have any bearing on what you are looking for in an area. Do you like older established neighborhoods, or new construction and a pre-planned community? What size and kind of features do you want in a house? How close do you want to be to shopping..what kind of shopping? How close do you want to be to schools, what kind of schools would you prefer?

[Silence Dogood]

Conway is the Walmart crowd, avoid!!!! Winter Park is upscale except areas East of Semeron which are like Conway and bad. Conway gets worse every month. Huge Home Invasion Robbery at Cornerstone Apartments last month, plenty of residential burglaries and two days ago a drug dealer was murdered right off of Michigan and Conway. Conway has become 3rd World.

[Wilshire81182]

I like your point at the end since the areas are pretty different.
It is true. Winter Park is old money. Conway is like an established neighborhood of mainly 80s homes. Lake Nona is new construction. They have different appeals and Winter Park is the priciest.

[Wilshire81182]

Originally Posted by Silence Dogood

Conway is the Walmart crowd, avoid!!!! Winter Park is upscale except areas East of Semeron which are like Conway and bad. Conway gets worse every month. Huge Home Invasion Robbery at Cornerstone Apartments last month, plenty of residential burglaries and two days ago a drug dealer was murdered right off of Michigan and Conway. Conway has become 3rd World.

Just check this individual's other posts for his credibility. Orlando is Iraq to him or her... I don't step foot in WalMart for personal preference, but there is one nearby. Conway is also one of the only secondary thoroughfares to have a Starbucks on it. Take a drive along Gatlin, Ashford, Conway Gardens, Lake Conway Woods, etc. and look at the kept up neighborhoods then resume your laughter. You can also view demographic and crime stats for the 32812 Zip code to confirm the information.

[Alphaman]

Originally Posted by GregTraub

Have any of you guys driven through the Northlake Park neighborhood/area within Lake nona???? The elementary school and YMCA is IN the community full of walking trails. I see nothing but kids in that area! I agree it is not as established as the Conway or Winter Park area's. For the money you will probably get more house in Lake Nona than Conway or WP.

Winter Park is also a great area, for 350K you can get a decent older home in Brookshire heights and winter park pines area, still good neighborhoods, but closer to crime area's than the 32789 area where homes are quite a bit above the 350K mark. Conway is a great area too.

The only way to really judge an area though is to take a tour of them yourself when you eventually do come down. You will get a thousand different opinions, that may not have any bearing on what you are looking for in an area. Do you like older established neighborhoods, or new construction and a pre-planned community? What size and kind of features do you want in a house? How close do you want to be to shopping..what kind of shopping? How close do you want to be to schools, what kind of schools would you prefer?

I stand corrected! You are right Northlake is just like you state...I was thinking lake nona the gated section.....But yes northlake is pretty vibrant..

[Alphaman]

Conway is not third world...Good grief!

Is there crime? yes but the area in general is not to bad. I know plenty in the conway area and they like it.

You want third world goto belle glade florida then go back to conway and then tell me it`s third world.


To op maybe you should re think lake nona area it migh suit you pretty good.

[LDM06061967]

We are planning to move to Florida in the near future in Bervard County near Coco Beach area. Could anyone provide any insight on the crime, job market and churches in the area?