How is Orlando and the suburbs like to live in ?

[PHILCT]

Hi Everyone

I dream of palm trees, swimming pools all year round, occassional day trips to Disney World, and sadly the Florida Buffets.

But what is life like for a gay couple outside the Purple Gates of Disney World?

I listen to the DIS Podcast, and think how friendly it sounds for the local residents to be in the center of all the activity around Disney World.

I am not aware of the negatives invovled in living around Orlando. Except for the humidity, that I know of already, I have visited a friend in Orlando many many times. I have lucked out so far and not been in Florida during a hurricane. I have not yet seen any huge bugs or wandering gators that WILL scare me.

Where is the gay friendly areas to live in? Is there a gay paradise in or outside of Orlando ? I knew one gay friend and his family who lived in Clermont, I always love the hills there, and it is not too far from Disney to travel to. He made it seem like Clermont was Gay Yuppie Friendly, or at least on his street.

Are there great places to live outside of Orlando, that are gay friendly ?

I dream of no more winters with snow, no freezing toes that curl under the down comforter, floating at Typhoon Lagoon, and making the most of my annual disney pass.

I look through the homes for sale on realtor sites, and I can now see the prices coming down to something more closer to a fair market value. I sense prices may bottom out by the end of 2009, beginning of 2010.

I play with the idea of working my early retirement years at Disney, but I wonder if it would ruin the magic for me?

If you somewhat live near the magic kingdom, what do you think of life outside the Purple Gates ?

All feedback welcomed.


Hugs, Phil

 

[OrlandoMike]

Personally I love it!

The weather is great 9 months out of the year! You have theme parks and water parks galore right in your back yard, tons of unique restaurants, and a very welcoming community. The entire metro area is very gay friendly. The only gay Mecca is downtown, and that can be pretty pricey for what you get, and traffic down there is a mess!

I live in a predominantly Spanish community between Disney and the airport. The furthest park for me is the MK, and that's about 1/2 hour. I've never had any sort of problem here, or anywhere else I have lived in this area. You will visit the parks a lot when you first move down, but that will get old. We hardly go at all anymore, but it is fun to be able to say "Hey, lets go over to Food and Wine tonight!" You will swim the first two years all year round. Then you will stop swimming after Halloween, and wont start till after Easter! Yes your blood does thin out.

The drawback?

Bugs! We are currently in "love bug" season and you have to wash your car at least every other day!

Hurricanes. Not usually a problem, but after the three peat we went through, just have to warn ya!

Transportation. Be sure to check out how well the highways run in your area. You probably don't want to be any further east than Universal Studios. Anything past that and you are talking traffic nightmares!

There are a lot of bars, and nightlife. And don't forget Gay Days every year!

I'm sure the other locals will chime in soon......

 

[rpmdfw]

Not much to add after Orlando Mike, really.

I do miss having a "Gayborhood" like Oaklawn in Dallas, or West Hollywood (where my partner used to live), but other than that Mike's description is pretty spot on.

Well, except that we live closer to Claremont than where he described his home. Never any problems for us, either.

 

[OrlandoMike]

Heck our neighbors LOVE us!

(We bought a crack house and fixed it up!)

Even the cops stopped by one night to thank us!

 

[ConcKahuna]

I live in the "Champions Gate" area of "4-Corners". It's 14 miles from my driveway to the MK parking lot, and I'm right off of I-4 for an easy commute to Downtown if I choose to go there. My area is mostly middle-class Disney CM's, and well to do Golfers (we have the LPGA Ginn Open every year in April). The annual headdress ball is at the Omni Champions Gate, about 1.5 miles from my house. Here's an article about it from Watermark online.

It's still a fairly small area, but we just had an "outdoor mall" open up with a Target, Marshalls, and a few other big chain stores. It's also quickly becomming a new "gayborhood".

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

I just returned from Dallas. Had dinner one evening at Lucky's. Gosh, it was great! I loved seeing all the couples coming in doing just normal, every night things like having supper and discussing the day.

Wish we had that here.

We live in a diverse neighborhood. Families, singles, retired folks, cops, people who need to be afraid of cops and us. Most probably assume we are "sisters."

For the most part we really like Florida. We came here to Ft. Myers originally, and I sure would like to still be there. We ended up in Central Florida due to family responsibility, and that's ok too.

Don't much like the summer weather here. Seems to rain too much. LOL.

Sure do like living near Disney though. Proximity to the pixie dust, and to the community.

 

[TJM1976]

East Orlando here. About 40 min from WDW. Heck, sometimes I get the urge to go solo for a bite to eat and watch the fireworks! East Orlando is also known as the UCF area. So alot of college students. I love it here!! But if you take this area and the area closer to WDW, its night and day difference. No tourist traffic on this side of town. (not to be taken as a negative comment, just that no tourists are on the East side) But OrlandoMike did a fabulous write up!!!!

 

[QCast_Michael]

Hi Phil,

I'm also from Connecticut originally and let me tell you the best thing I ever did was move to Orlando. Despite my entire family living up north, I hated the winters enough to get out. As others have said, the weather is fantastic (and when it gets TOO hot, there's always air conditioning!), there's plenty to do (and eat) everywhere you turn, the cost of living is significantly cheaper than it is in CT and the job and housing markets are pretty good. We live just outside the Metrowest area of town and are in a great proximity to just about everything. Universal is about 10 minutes away and WDW is about 30 minutes away. I-4 and the 408 (East-West expressway) are close by enough that getting anywhere is pretty easy. The traffic is unbearable at times, but you quickly get used to when to avoid the main thoroughfares.

Come on down!!

 

[inkkognito]

Celebration is pretty gay friendly, even tho' it's mostly populated with Republicans. I think the proximity to WDW helps that along. One of our community service award winners a year or two ago was one half of a lesbian couple who live here in town.

I get the willies when I get farther away from WDW and downtown Orlando tho', as there are still lots of rednecks who are racist, homophobic, etc. Best to stick to the metro area or an enclave like Celebration. And lord knows, with all the foreclosures you can get a house for a LOT less than you would have paid a year or two ago.

 

[PHILCT]

Thanks Inkkognito, I must now check the realtor site for CELEBRATION, that would be a nice dream to live there.

By the way I like your shirt (MINE MINE MINE MINE), I bought that for my boyfriend a few weeks ago at Downtown Disney.

Hugs, Phil

 

[inkkognito]

If you'd like a recommendation for a good realtor, PM me and I can give you the name of a good friend. He's a CSP.