Florida Towns

[waymickey]

Can anyone out there tell me what towns close to Disney (say 30 mile radius) are nice towns to live in? I am starting to plan for our move and would like to get an idea of what areas have low crime, nice parks/recreation, shops, and services. Schools are not an issue because our children are grown. However, a good school system always makes for a better town IMHO.

We want to be close to Disney for weekend trips and maybe a dinner here and there. It doesn't matter to us of the direction north south, east or west, we just want a nice place to live. We would like a single family home.

thanks for any and all help.

[disneydeb]

I have friends in Lake Mary AND Celebration they both love where they live!

[Dyanna]

Have heard Mount Dora is very nice. It may take you an hr to get to WDW however with traffic. Its located north of Orlando.

[dnickels]

Are you looking for walkable neighborhoods or not so much?

[Main Street Jim]

Davenport, Haines City, Four Corners (intersection of US 192 and US 27), south Clermont...all southwest of the Disney property.

Windemere, Gotha, Kissimmee...east of the property, but Windemere and Gotha are REALLY "high-dollar".

Mount Dora is quite a ways away in my opinion. Celebration has kinda gone downhill since Disney turned the town back over to Orange County/state of Florida - that, and it's still a bit pricey for what it is.

Hunter's Creek is just north of Kissimmee, but you have to either take the toll road (Osceola Parkway or SR 417) or brave the traffic on US 192.

Poinciana is nice, but again, it's a ways, and it's only a two-lane road to get up to Disney.

My suggestion? The Davenport/Haines City/Four Corners area.

[Christine]

Celebration has kinda gone downhill since Disney turned the town back over to Orange County/state of Florida - that, and it's still a bit pricey for what it is.

Just a correction: Celebration is in Osceola county & the town center is run by Lexin corporation.
IMHO it hasn't gone downhill, but to each their own. I still feel like I'm living in a resort / small town community and love hopping off celebration blvd & onto world drive to be in Disney in 5 minutes

I would also recommend looking at reunion. It's growing up well post the economic downfall.

[waymickey]

Thanks for the suggestions.

Walkable neighborhoods would be nice. Being able to walk to a deli or to a nice little restaurant . But walkable is not a must.

I would love to be able to go to Epcot for dinner, or Go to the MK for a parade. Go shopping at DTD
or catch a few attractions after dinner. However I want a nice town overall. Low crime, recreation services, parks, shops.

I am not sure if I am being unrealistic. I may want what doesn't exist outside of the 1950's.

[dnickels]

Thanks for the suggestions.

Walkable neighborhoods would be nice. Being able to walk to a deli or to a nice little restaurant . But walkable is not a must.

I would love to be able to go to Epcot for dinner, or Go to the MK for a parade. Go shopping at DTD
or catch a few attractions after dinner. However I want a nice town overall. Low crime, recreation services, parks, shops.

I am not sure if I am being unrealistic. I may want what doesn't exist outside of the 1950's.

If you're looking for areas that have more of that 'established neighborhood' type I'd take a look at Winter Park, Celebration (though it's not as old as these other two, it does still have that feel) and part of Winter Garden. Winter Garden is the one of those that I'm most familiar with so I'll give the specific detail there I can.

Winter Garden has a great historic district that runs along Plant St. from Dillard St. and going west for about 6 or 7 blocks. A number of historic buildings with great non-chain restaurants and unique stores, ice cream / soda fountain shop, a restored theater that has shows and movies, a bike trail running right through town, a great farmers market every Saturday, free live music every Friday at the plaza / fountain, monthly classic car show, and several other festival / event type things throughout the year. If you look at homes, look at the area north of Plant and West of Dillard. Winter Garden has some sketchy areas the further south of Plant and closer to Colonial Drive (State Rt 50) that you get so I'd avoid that area.

One other just general thing I'd add is that it's a really, really, really, really good idea to rent somewhere for 6 months or a year before buying. I know we're usually eager to buy a house so we have somewhere to put all the stuff from the last house, but there's only so much you can find from looking at homes online or from a few weeks or weekends of house-hunting. Having that extra time to really check out a neighborhood at all times of day and check out other neighborhoods that people recommend is really the best way to go about it. Keep the bare essentials, store the rest for a few months and really find that area that's perfect for you.

[Lizzy]

My parents live in the Viera area. It is about 40 minutes from Disney. You are minutes from the beach, there is a nice mall called the Avenues. It has a brand new Hospital.

I live in Palm bay, and wouldn't recommend it to anyone. it is a black hole that once you get in you can't leave. If you are lucky to get out, you get sucked back in somehow.

[jkj1224]

I find that the South Clermont/Four Corners area is great, it is just off the end of 192 so it has easy and quick access to all of the Disney parks (about 20 minutes) and all of the major restaraunts along 192 itself, but is also still kind of a newly developing area so there are still orange groves and it isn't overly crowded.

[Main Street Jim]

Winter Garden, to us, is still a bit far (30+ minutes going up CR 535/Winter Garden-Vineland Road). Still only two-lane roads, and a lot of stoplights (south of SR 50).

Viera is way over on the east coast. Only 40 minutes? More like an hour, really...LOL...By the time you get out to I-95, drive south to US 192, then the 45 minutes or so to get to Kissimmee, then *through* Kissimmee...I lived in north Melbourne/almost in Viera for two years before I moved to Orlando.

Four Corners. Plenty of grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and a Wal-Mart South of the US 192/US 27 intersection is pretty nice. 10-15 minutes to the parks (well, to Animal Kingdom/Studios ). Not much traffic at all. Cagan Crossing has its own little "shopping district" (north and west of the 27/192 intersection); we lived there for two years as well. But it's apartment living. 20 minutes south is Haines City; 20 minutes north is Clermont.

If you'd like to check out *how close* I used to live to Disney, Google-map "10712 Hobbit Circle, Orlando". I could watch both MK *and* EPCOT fireworks *every night* from our balcony

[dnickels]

Winter Garden, to us, is still a bit far (30+ minutes going up CR 535/Winter Garden-Vineland Road). Still only two-lane roads, and a lot of stoplights (south of SR 50).

Depends where you are in Winter Garden. I can see the MK fireworks every night from my house and be at the rear cast member entrance to MK less than 10 minutes after leaving my driveway.