Moving to Orlando
 

Looking like will be moving to Orlando area next spring (I know that's still a while but I like to be prepared for big things especially where I might live..)

I'll be going to grad school at UCF and she will is an accountant, so probably downtown at a firm or south at a theme park.

Won't be in an apartment, hoping to rent single family house. Just us 2 and the dog. I grew up in the country so I'm used to lots of space so this is already a big change.

Most important would be getting to work in Orlando, and maybe getting to UCF ( though I'll most often be off of canaveral anyway doing research so I understand I'll have to drive)

Next in importance would be nearish lakes, I would like to keep the boat on our property, not have to rent storage.

I at first was thinking ok, people love clermont, but that's just crazy driving for me to UCF and canaveral. As of now I'm thinking maybe winter park area?? How are the winter park lakes? Depth good enough for surfing? We surf more than board but probably like a 70-30 or 60-40 so do both.

Dr Phillips seems a little pricey, and the yards are tiny which it don't like but the lakes around there seem gorgeous. Am I on the right track with winter park? Is it safe? I want her to be able to walk the dog safely if I'm getting home crazy late.

Thanks all!

Check out Winter Garden, Gotha, and Windermere. I live in Windermere and love it, but it is pricey. Winter Garden is between Clermont and Windermere, very cool downtown historic district ( bars and rest. )and not far from Clermont chain of lakes and the Butler Chain in Windermere. Winter Park is pricey and the lakes have boat length restrictions, it is closer to UCF.

Thanks! How far of a tow is winter garden to clermont? Easily doable? What about tow traffic? The cool downtown sounds nice and up our alley.. We are hoping to rent around 1500.. Doable? From maps it looks like the butler chain would most likely be closer. I see there is a big highway that kind of splits winter garden.. Should I look on one side of he highway preferably?

old winter garden is the north side and it's in your budget, either the Butler or the Clermont chains are 15 min + - , depending on ramp/ lake of choice, Winter Garden also has the West Orange Trail ( 27 mile bicycle trail ) running through it with several bike shops in the cool area ( Plant street )

Ah! Love the sound of the bike trail! Can you commute to downtown and back 20 min each way realistically? All I can really see is what google maps says.. I've heard of course how terrible traffic is but also heard that people that actually live there learn side roads to avoid this?

I'm pretty excited about being on the water all year

Windermere to downtown this am was 27 min on a $1.95 toll road at 7am, it was a little sticky, could have been better and could have been worse

Ouch, that's longer than I was expecting

Joel, that's normal in Orlando, I-4 becomes a parking lot during Christmas, Spring break and even in the summer. I take the backroads and have No problem getting to lake Butler. My other go to lake is the Winter Park chain of lakes, beautiful lake but very difficult for me to get to from Clermont. Winter Garden is a beautiful city, but I have not been on the Clermont chain of lakes yet, but plan on trying them out. I have been on hwy27 quite a bit and have never seen it back up like all of the roads east of I-4. Route 50 is always stop and go because of all the stoplights.
Drew, do you know what the boat restrictions are on Winter Park, I had my VLX on there during spring break, was that legal?

I was trying to sell a guy a Supreme 226 a few years back, he said the WP chain has a 21' restriction for non residents, I would think he would know, I live on the Butler chain so I have no reason to go or know other than what he said, so I do not know it to be 100% fact but I am pretty confident that you have to purchase an annual pass ( sticker )

Thanks joe and surf. I'm guessing there is a higher restriction for residents? We are 21'6 right now and eyeing a 226 in a few years. So not in love with size restrictions. I think she will get used to the drive I was just hoping to minimize it if possible. I like the looks of winter garden just can't find much actually available, granted that my change by the time we sign

Here's the scoop on boat length. 21' it is.

https://cityofwinterpark.org/departm...t-information/

Thanks! That pretty well rules out winter park. Looks like winter garden/gotcha/Windermere area is where I will concentrate on

After searching heavily didn't realize that the field would be narrowed so heavily when trying to find a place that would allow dogs. We had no trouble in NC at all really. So that may dictate where we end up some. Might have to move further away from a lake, oh well that's how it goes

Take a look in Casselberry. I've lived on Lake Howell for 10+ years now. There are houses and apartments available on on the water and all have available storage for your boat. It's close to UCF and not a bad drive to Canaveral and DT. Look in Sausalito, The Harbor, Lago Vista and the Lake Howell Arms.
Good Luck!

Sweet. I'll check them out! Also looking into the option of closer to downtown for her job and just renting a slip/lift on a lake and driving to it. Not sure how common that is there.

You need to be closer to UCF because the cost and time spend driving will have you hating life. I would never even consider western suburbs such as Windermere and Clermont if you drive to UCF. Visit those lakes on weekends but you can find something that splits work and school and you will be much happier. As a student you will find yourself hard pressed to find something cost effective in Winderemere. Winter Park is a little run to the theme parks as well. I would look southeast.

UCF isn't a guarantee, especially if I find a biotech position. Her working downtown is more of a guarantee though there is a chance of a theme park, as all accounting firms are located downtown. Is southeast safe/enjoyable? I like the "feel" well... As much as you can get online of winter garden community but the availability is scarce there. We will likely be headed down soon to check some neighborhoods out..but being from a rural upbringing the scale of the city t is overwhelming to me haha

Luckily I will know whether I will be attending before a lease needs to be signed

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/41...47687811_zpid/

Not directly on the water but could walk to the boat ramp in less than 2 min. About a 15-20 min drive to DT and about the same to UCF area. Only a couple wakeboarders on the lake unlike most the lakes around winterpark and DT that are all over run with boats and it's a private (no public access) lake. Also the Harbor Apartments on the other side of the lake are really nice, allow pets and have boat parking included and a private boat ramp.

I like this! Is all of casselberry allowed lake access of just the waterfront or closest homes? I've tried searching and can't get much info.. Just that it is private

If you move downtown just be careful of what side of I-4 you chose to live on haha. OBT is not so friendly. Anything to the opposite side of OBT and I4 would be nice. Close to downtown and plenty of lakes, Lake Holden being probably the nicest and most convenient to downtown. Hard to find rental property on the lake though.

Only communities and apartments on the lake have access to Lake howell.

The best thing to do is really just drive around each of the neighborhoods and look for rent signs and talk with the apartments too. I lived in the Harbor when I first moved here from Arizona 10+ years ago and still have quite a few friends that live there and we go over to BBQ and play volleyball with friends quite a bit. We just take the boat or the jetski from the house across the lake to their beach.

http://www.harboratlakehowell.com/