Getting laid-off... Tell me about Winter Garden...

[E-P-C-O-T]

My company has given me layoff notice, I can transfer to a couple of places and Im seriously considering Orlando. We visited Winter Garden last September and I could see myself living there. What areas can you recommend? Good schools?

 

[VanessainWonderland]

I LOVE Winter Garden..I know there are some not so good areas, but the new area by Winter Garden Village is nice. My only gripe about Winter Garden is it's close proximity to Pine Hills, AKA 'Crime Hills'.

We are eventually going to move to Clermont, but the schools in Orange County (Winter Garden) are better than Lake County (Clermont), but my husband prefers Clermont. I am a teacher, so my kids can just go to whatever school I teach at, so I am not worried about that....

Some areas of Orlando are REALLY bad, but others are beautiful, however, it is much more expensive to live in the nice areas of Orlando (Dr. Philips, Windermere). Property taxes are pretty high for those areas.

I guess it's a toss up. If you need more info as to what schools are good, etc, you can PM me and i will be happy to help!

 

[E-P-C-O-T]

I like what I see at Windermere, thank you for the suggestion. Most likely, we would just get an apt as my husband would be commuting weekly. As far as the schools go, my DD is 3, with an October birthday, so, we still have a few years. Most likely by then, if we like the area we would move there permanently.

Thanks!

 

[mickeysaver]

The unemployment rate in Florida is very high and because of the glut of new residents that relocated here from all over the US to live closer to their aging relatives after they lost their jobs where they were living, there is a lot of competition for the jobs. Just be careful in thinking that you will easily be able to find work, because it's not always an easy task, even with a solid work history, a great work ethic, and lots of experience. Basically, the employers down here are hiring only the best of the best and for the lowest wages you can imagine.

When I was trying to look for a position down here before we moved, I was getting call backs, which was great, but the wages they were offering were less than half of what I was making and with no benefits. I was extremely happy to work out a deal with my employer that has allowed for me to keep my job, but work from home. I took a small cut in pay of about 17%, but was able to keep my benefits, and I lost having to pay state income tax. It has not been easy to deal with that lose in pay, being that we have two mortgages, because the house in Georgia hasn't been sold yet, but it sure beats being unemployed.

Oh, be prepared, car tags cost a fortune! Groceries cost more down here too. Gas also costs more too. Moving to Florida sounds good, but it's not for everyone.

 

[JDUCKY]

Loving Winter Garden, myself!

Moved over here from Lake Mary about 18 months ago and it's been nothing but great. We live kind of on the edge of it and we have the best neighbors I've ever had.

Winter Garden Village makes shopping easy and head the other way and it's totally rural and a short drive to WDW!

We're nowhere near Pine Hills. Ocoee and downtown Winter Garden are more urban but the areas around Winter Garden Village and down towards the western edge of Windermere are very nice and plenty of nice homes for sale.

Schools are good. A new elementary/middle school is being built off 545 (Avalon Rd.) near the Turnpike that will greatly help with the crowding at Whispering Oaks Elementary. They'll likely move our middle-schooler to that one instead of Bridgewater even though we're closer to Bridgewater.

West Orange High School continues to improve its score and seems to be handling the number of students better this year. A new high school was supposed to be built within a few years near Summerport but apparently the location is moving so who knows when that will happen.

Downtown Winter Garden has a few good restaurants and a cool theater that does stage productions as well as a summer movie festival and every 3rd Saturday there's a custom/hot-rod car show up/down the street.

Groceries are higher here than when I lived back north but gas is cheaper here, for me. My car insurance dropped, too, after moving to FL.

Plus, no state income tax...winning!

 

[E-P-C-O-T]

I really appreciate all your feedback regarding the area, it makes my research so much easier. Im actually transfering, so, I will have a job waiting for me when I get there...

Thank you!

 

[KodakFigment]

We live on the border of Windermere and Winter Garden and love the area. Just an FYI, there seems to be a real housing shortage in the area. Competition for rentals (other than apartments) is fierce and buying is almost impossible. We want to keep our home up north, so are trying to buy something around 200K. We've made 7 good offers and an offer on new construction and didn't get any of them. Really frustrating because you can drive around the better neighborhoods and see lots of vacant homes, but you can't buy them.

 

[mickeysaver]

Im actually transfering, so, I will have a job waiting for me when I get there...

Thank you!

Thank goodness for that! I hope you enjoy your new home.

 

[disprincessatheart]

Just be sure to budget for some fla resident annual passes and a tables in wonderland card!

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

Winter Garden is well away from Pine Hills.

You have choices of "old Florida" in Winter Garden or new Florida (south of 50 for the most part). The housing market is still slumped so be picky in your choice of housing.

The elementary school on Stoneybrook West Parkway (Whispering Oaks) is good. Olympia High School over in Windemere is also a good school, for the most part.

Things to do? Get into the Winter Garden activities. Today is Chili cookoff. There are farmer's markets, and plant shows, and other festivals. Disney is a mere 20 or so (depending upon the route you take) away.

The 408, turnpike and 429 are very close so you can be on your way to anywhere in minutes...

Clermont? Not so nice. Not a fan of there and chose not to live there for very specific reasons. Lake county is one of the drawbacks to Clermont. Atmosphere and general "vibe" is another. To each their own.

Getting info and then visiting is the only real way to make a decision that will be right for you.

 

[JDUCKY]

We live on the border of Windermere and Winter Garden and love the area. Just an FYI, there seems to be a real housing shortage in the area. Competition for rentals (other than apartments) is fierce and buying is almost impossible. We want to keep our home up north, so are trying to buy something around 200K. We've made 7 good offers and an offer on new construction and didn't get any of them. Really frustrating because you can drive around the better neighborhoods and see lots of vacant homes, but you can't buy them.

Yeah...there are a few vacant ones in our development. One used to have a for-sale sign but that's gone. And with the banks in trouble over the robo-signing scandal, it's no wonder a lot of foreclosures and bank sales have been put on hold. That "shadow inventory" will stay for some time to come.

 

[lucigo]

I'm going to jump in here and ask a question for the locals who have answered here. My oldest graduates from UCF in May and has been offered a full time job at her place of employment, which is basically at I4 and 408 (on Orange). She wants to get away from the UCF area and live in a more adult rental area. Any suggestions? Winter Park maybe?

 

[BrettS]

I'm not sure I can help with Winter Garden much, but I did want to say that I was in pretty much the same situation about 4 years ago... The company I was working for in Albany, NY was purchased by another company and they closed the office in Albany... they gave me the choice of "move to Florida, or don't have a job". I chose the Florida option and we moved to Lake Mary, which isn't too far from Winter Garden.

Like I said, we've been here 4 years now and we're very happy... we really like Florida. It's a bit hotter than I'd like in the summer, but the rest of the year is great. We weren't really sure about the heat and humidity when we first moved down, but you definitely get used to it in a couple of years.

Plus, you can't beat the FL resident annual passes... especially when you live so close to Disney... my wife and I often drive down to spend an evening at the parks after work.

 

[JDUCKY]

I'm going to jump in here and ask a question for the locals who have answered here. My oldest graduates from UCF in May and has been offered a full time job at her place of employment, which is basically at I4 and 408 (on Orange). She wants to get away from the UCF area and live in a more adult rental area. Any suggestions? Winter Park maybe?

Winter Park is certainly nice but it's one of the more expensive areas to live (along w/Windermere and Dr. Phillips)

There are actually some decent areas east of Orange and there's a high-rise condo/apartment complex off Orange in what they're trying to call SoDo (South of Downtown) and it's right next to a Super Target and other shopping/restaurants/banks/etc. which would make for a very short commute.

Personally, I would avoid the east side of Orlando as the traffic is *much* heavier coming in on the 408 and construction won't be finished for a while and even then it will still be heavy in that 417/408 junction area.

I-4 heading to downtown isn't bad once one passes the Maitland exit and heading to downtown along I-4 from the south of Orlando (like, say, Dr Phillips) isn't bad in the morning (I take the turnpike to I-4 and then north toward downtown and traffic isn't usually too bad...can take a few min from OBT exit to downtown but I exit at either OBT or Kaley so I don't deal with the mess in downtown itself )

You wouldn't want anything west of town unless you went all the way to Winter Garden.

Thornton Park (just east of Lake Eola) is seeing life again after the real estate bust and there's plenty of high-rise condos available, for cheap I would imagine.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

I really appreciate all your feedback regarding the area, it makes my research so much easier. Im actually transfering, so, I will have a job waiting for me when I get there...

Thank you!

Then change your title ~ you're not getter laid off *fantastic* you're being transferred.

 

[E-P-C-O-T]

Then change your title ~ you're not getter laid off *fantastic* you're being transferred.

You are so right, it is *fantastic* that I have to leave my home, my family and my friends, because the company that I have worked for for over 15yrs has decided they will no longer need me here, therefore I am been laid off, but, given the option to transfer if I want to keep my job

Why do people feel the need to create drama?

 

[DisneyMomma81]

You are so right, it is *fantastic* that I have to leave my home, my family and my friends, because the company that I have worked for for over 15yrs has decided they will no longer need me here, therefore I am been laid off, but, given the option to transfer if I want to keep my job

Why do people feel the need to create drama?

You didn't explain that at all, 1st you said laid off, people said "make sure you have a job it's hard to find one here" you came back and said "I'm getting transferred" so yes to me that is fantastic, at least you still have a job. Stay where you are and try and find something else, so you can stay by all you know and love if you'd like *that's what I'd do most likely.

Best of luck whatever your choose.

 

[E-P-C-O-T]

You didn't explain that at all, 1st you said laid off, people said "make sure you have a job it's hard to find one here" you came back and said "I'm getting transferred" so yes to me that is fantastic, at least you still have a job. Stay where you are and try and find something else, so you can stay by all you know and love if you'd like *that's what I'd do most likely.

Best of luck whatever your choose.

As I said, thank you for all the useless drama

 

[lucigo]

Winter Park is certainly nice but it's one of the more expensive areas to live (along w/Windermere and Dr. Phillips)

There are actually some decent areas east of Orange and there's a high-rise condo/apartment complex off Orange in what they're trying to call SoDo (South of Downtown) and it's right next to a Super Target and other shopping/restaurants/banks/etc. which would make for a very short commute.

Personally, I would avoid the east side of Orlando as the traffic is *much* heavier coming in on the 408 and construction won't be finished for a while and even then it will still be heavy in that 417/408 junction area.

I-4 heading to downtown isn't bad once one passes the Maitland exit and heading to downtown along I-4 from the south of Orlando (like, say, Dr Phillips) isn't bad in the morning (I take the turnpike to I-4 and then north toward downtown and traffic isn't usually too bad...can take a few min from OBT exit to downtown but I exit at either OBT or Kaley so I don't deal with the mess in downtown itself )

You wouldn't want anything west of town unless you went all the way to Winter Garden.

Thornton Park (just east of Lake Eola) is seeing life again after the real estate bust and there's plenty of high-rise condos available, for cheap I would imagine.

Thank you, this is helpful! She is excited and considering buying a house, but I'm guessing an apartment for a year is probably a smarter idea. Looking for one with a dog park. I had forgotten about the mess at 417!

 

[lucigo]

You are so right, it is *fantastic* that I have to leave my home, my family and my friends, because the company that I have worked for for over 15yrs has decided they will no longer need me here, therefore I am been laid off, but, given the option to transfer if I want to keep my job

Why do people feel the need to create drama?

Have you considered staying and looking for a job where you currently live? When my DH was laid off we considered moving to Orlando for a job, he even worked down there for 5 months, but in the end we stayed put, mostly because we can't sell our house.