Drivers - advice on areas to avoid

[JanMary]

Just wondering if there are certain areas to avoid when driving (or navigating in my case - I prefer to let DH drive)? Are there some areas you could end up in that might have increased potential for crime etc?

Don't want to appear negative but no need to increase risk when it can be avoided.

Have not been to Florida since 1992 - used to be a lot of press about car-jacking and tourists being targeted. Have seen no such mention of crime mentioned of these boards so presumably no longer such an issue.

I am looking forward to our hols - honest - I just have to worry a bit first!

 

[UKIan]

The usual advice in Florida is to stick to the "tourist" areas and you should be fine, however, despite having been many times Orlando and never having felt threatened or unsafe, I exercise the same caution as I would in any major city.

Crime is relatively low in Orlando, but it certainly exists. If you take standard precautions and use common sense, you should be fine.

As for areas to avoid, there are a couple of suburbs towards downtown that are not great, but in comparison to other US cities and inner city areas of the UK, they are fine.

 

[Goofyish]

There is crime and bad areas in Orlando - as there are in all large cities in the UK

Just apply the same care and comon sense to driving there as you would here

 

[SimonV]

There certainly aren't any 'no-go' areas for tourists in Orlando, as there are in some big cities, but there are a few unsavoury areas you would probably want to avoid. Parts of the Orange Blossom Trail just south of downtown Orlando are home to various 'adult' clubs and bars, and you wouldn't want to be there of an evening, while the area just to the west of I-4 in downtown is also somewhere I wouldn't go wandering. A few parts of Kissimmee's Highway 192, most notably in its Vine Street stretch, are also fairly low rent (quite a few cheap and not-so-cheerful motels along here), and not advisable to go walkabout at night. However, as already mentioned, the main tourist areas are all fairly well removed from any undesirable areas, and they are all well policed. You certainly shouldn't leave your common sense at home, but, generally speaking, there are few incidents of crime in tourist Orlando.

 

[disneyholic family]

Crime is relatively low in Orlando, but it certainly exists. If you take standard precautions and use common sense, you should be fine.

low relative to what?
according to the FBI crime statistics, Orlando has a higher crime rate per capita than New York City.

 

[UKIan]

yes, but New York is now one of the top 5 safest cities in the US due to the zero tolerance attitude of the NYPD, I feel safer in NYC than I do in London.

Orlando is certainly not in the top 25 overall of most dangerous cities in the US, nor is it in the top 10 of smaller cities.

 

[SimonV]

The basic stats show that, for a tourist destination with some 50 million visitors annually (and the world's No 1 tourist attraction), Orlando is one of the safest places in the US to visit. The region's whole economy is predicated around tourism, so they pay VERY close attention to this issue. No-one is saying crime doesn't exist in Orlando (and the rates for parts of Florida can be worrying), but you are highly unlikely to run into problems here.

 

[UKIan]

additionally, the figures are somewhat skewed by the fact that the official population of Orlando is very small, something like 200,000 I think, but when you take into account the "real" population including tourists, the per capita crime figures shrink

 

[paulh]

i get muged every time we go to disney a big mouse takes me for thousands
Paulh

 

[SimonV]

LOL, Paul. Nice one!

 

[Miffy2003]

I have been to Orlando 5 times and never yet encountered an area I feel unsafe in


Very good advice to stick to the main tourist areas though

 

[JanMary]

Thanks everyone for your replies - that was the reassurance I needed.

Now I just need to find something else to worry about!

 

[susan1]

hi
have been to orlando several times and never felt unsafe, also got hopelessly lost in downtown miami, it looked threatning but the people couln't have been nicer. as no one spoke english there was lots of sign language and a map sketched on a brown bag!! the only time i have felt really frightened was in st petes beach very late at night in a fast food restaraunt where there were only 3 other people. even followed dh into the toilet!!

 

[JohnnySharp2]

I am not sure if areas around Colonial Drive would be safe at night..we have been to a nice mall down there but there were areas that possibly would be wary about at night.
Having said that it is several miles away from the tourist areas etc so it is highly unlikely that anyone would be venturing out there....there are areas close to Miami airport that are to be avoided.

The only place we have ever felt uncomfortable was Key West - we were setting off very early in the morning, there were some strange people about...then again it IS Key West

 

[pixiepower04]

i get muged every time we go to disney a big mouse takes me for thousands
Paulh

Man that was funny!!