Living in Celebration

[GoinToDisney...Again]

Is there anyone on the board who can provide me with some insight into living in Celebration? My family and I are from Boston and we are very seriously considering moving down there.

We have driven through, looked around, and it is of course beautiful.

I am looking to correspond with someone who lives there and can help me get more of a feel for the lifestyle within the community.

We are a family of 6 with kids that range from 4 to 15.

Thanks!

 

[Microcell]

I don't live there, but I would like to know myself what people think of Celebration. My DH and I decided it looks like a midwestern suburb complete with maple trees put really close to Disney. That figures, since Walt loved Marceline MO so much. Don't move to Marceline if you like celebration though, not close to any big towns and no WDW 5 minutes away! If you do move there, do not under any circumstances, look at housing prices in Kansas City and definately not in Oklahoma City (brand new houses there for 140,000!), or you will be depressed and living in Celebration!!

 

[DawnCt1]

There was an article in the New York Times magazine regarding Celebration and what it was like living there. My impressions from the article since I read it so long ago is that it is a very controlled environment. The Yards are very small. When someone complained that there wasn't enough room for a small swing set in the back yard, the answer was, "we want children to play in the park". The color of your walls seen from the street must be a neutral, acceptable color. This rule applies to apartments, condos and free standing homes. Also it applies to window coverings. No changes can be made to exterior of the homes without explicit permission. One man was walking his dog when he encountered a very well groomed white standard poodle walking with his owner. The poodle owner asked him if he was the "replacement". They hired someone to walk their dog up and down the streets and he assumed the new dog and owner were also hired. . Transplants from the northeast were very disappointed in the school system. It was supposed to be a charter school but they found that there children were going to school with kids who were bussed in from many other areas and there was a sense of "them and us". Educationally, parents felt the schools were inferior from those in the northeast. There was a community government of sorts, some who were controlling and supportive of the school system and quite a few parents who were disgruntled. Tensions abounded. The article was lengthy, maybe I will try to google it.

 

[monkeyboy]

Didn't Disney sell the town?

 

[DawnCt1]

Originally posted by monkeyboy
Didn't Disney sell the town?

It was turned over to Osceola county so Disney could separate themselves from the turmoil but the covenents, restrictions and the culture persisted for a long time. I can't find that original article but here is one point of view. www.citypages.com/databank/20/979/article7956.asp

 

[BensMom]

If you can get over the Stepford Wives theory, you'll be okay! Expensive, but you're moving from Boston, so I don't have to go down that route (having grown up in Needham!). If you have school-age kids, Celebration schools are excellent, even though it is in Osceola County (I heard Orange/Seminole counties are a tad better). I love the architecture, personally, but, again, having grown up in New England, that's a no-brainer! It gives a very home-town feel, which is VERY hard to find in Florida. Florida isn't exactly known for its sense of community. I think Celebration gives you that. Good luck!

 

[BensMom]

If you can get over the Stepford Wives theory, you'll be okay! Expensive, but you're moving from Boston, so I don't have to go down that route (having grown up in Needham myself!). Be prepared to spend $400K and up for a single-family. If you have school-age kids, Celebration schools are excellent, even though it is in Osceola County (allegedly Orange/Seminole counties are a tad better). I love the architecture, personally, but, again, having grown up in New England, that's a no-brainer! It evokes a very home-town feel, which is VERY hard to find in Florida. Florida isn't exactly known for its sense of community. I think Celebration gives you that. Good luck!

 

[LUVDSNY04]

Hi,
I have a retired teacher friend that lives in Celebration and she just loves it there. I do remember her saying that the school in Celebration was NOT very good. I f I could afford to live there I would be there in a minute though!
Good Luck with your decision.

 

[Microcell]

Hey! I'm Ben's mom! I mean, welcome Bensmom. I guess I will have to settle for being Ben and Alex's mom since you stole my name!

As far as Celebration, I would move out to the midwest! You will feel virtually rich out here! Our cost of living is low, probably because there is no beach or mountains!

 

[DawnCt1]

Originally posted by LUVDSNY04
Hi,
I have a retired teacher friend that lives in Celebration and she just loves it there. I do remember her saying that the school in Celebration was NOT very good. I f I could afford to live there I would be there in a minute though!
Good Luck with your decision.

I wouldn't mind the covenents and restrictions. We have them where we live now. I would like an ocean though. Do you think that they could make one?

 

[JustHolly]

Any luck finding the NY Times Magazine article?

Please post a link if you found it!

 

[Lars624]

There is a book that was written by a guy who lived there for a year or so with his family.......let me see if I can remember the name of it.................................................anyone else remember the name of that book???

 

[Bichon Barb]

We got lost in there on our way from the airport last year. It was was a horrific experience. All those white buildings and homes--it was blinding!! And we thought all those little Izod crocodiles on people's shirts were going to come to life and eat us up!!

But then some nice couple--I think it was Buffy and Miff--or was it Muffy and Biff? No, I'm sorry, it was Babs and Chad . Yes, they were quite the dears and gave us directions.

 

[doxdogy]

Is this the article?

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9807EFDB143CF937A25751C1A961958260

 

[Tinkerbelloncapecod]

Hello,

I have friends who live in Mirasol Apartments and they love it. They have no children. They love going "downtown". The streets are nice to walk around and they always have something going on "downtown" like the Annual Pie Festival. The last time we were there a couple of months ago they had a lovely art fair downtown. Yes it's expensive to live in Celebration and we would jump at the chance to live there but we cannot afford some of those lovely houses.

By the way we are leaving in a week to go to the Orlando Area to look for jobs/living accommodations...not Celebration though.

It seems there is always something going on in the Town of Celebration and they have lovely boutique-like stores. They have nice walking trails and a nice movie theatre.

Hope this helps.
Rosemary

 

[vernon]

Here's an alternative destination, it's about 30 minutes drive from WDW. http://www.harmonyfl.com , It's also worth considering the Poinciana area that's about 20 minutes drive (South) from WDW

 

[PatriciaH]

Tinkerbelloncapecod we looked at some of the Mirasol apartments they are so beautiful! We were planning on renting there or Centergate in Celebration while we look for a home. Celebration is pricey now. I think we missed out on the great "intro" prices while the town was still growing. Ugg... we missed out here in MA too. Kicking ourselves in the butt that we could have had a nice house in Celebration for under $200,000.