First of all, to make an accurate analysis, it is always interesting to have the opinion of people, research in different sources, check the safety data of the places, in short, analyze exactly the areas and choose where to live taking into account aggregate factors, and not isolated factors. Thus, this analysis that I do and expose here, does not aim to rank itself the neighborhoods and / or neighborhoods in Orlando. I just put my view, very subjective, by the way, on this topic.

Some points I understand are important to evaluate the neighborhoods here. I put them below, not necessarily in order of importance:

1) SECURITY: I understand that the most important feature in this analysis is how secure it is in the region where you intend to live. In Orlando, unlike what you “paint” when you don’t actually live here, there are dangerous places that should be avoided.

Not that these places represent a great, enormous danger. Or much less that they look like slums, crowded with people without the slightest dignity. Nothing like that. I just understand that, if you can avoid it, it is better not to go to places where you may have some kind of problem. Unfortunately, and I would be lying if I didn’t speak this way, there are places here that should be avoided at night and that, in terms of crime, are quite high by the general standards of the region. In these places, it is very important to understand that living permanently can carry some risk.

2) GOOD SCHOOLS: The analysis of schools is a major factor for families with school-age children. Naturally, it is important that these children have access to a quality public education system (elementary or high school).

Schools with better grades in official assessments do not always represent the best opportunities for children. Like this? A school ranked as 10 may have a level that the child, newcomer, cannot follow, thus creating a deficit that can cause some problem ahead. As a rule, one of the main points to analyze the school itself is the assessments that parents make of it and not, simply, the ranking of students’ grades.

There are several ways to analyze the quality of the school, through these rankings that score the same between 2 and 10. In the surveys that I have done, I have never observed any school with a rating lower than 3. In my view, the important thing about the school is that parents feel the environment, talk to the coordinators, see the facilities and so on. One should not just stay in a numerical analysis that, many times, does not corroborate with the reality of that environment.

COMMUNITY PROFILE: Another point to be taken into account is the profile of the area to be chosen, in terms of community, neighborhood, in short, to establish a cut line to facilitate the search for this community. There are a lot of people who would like to live away from immigrant communities (as if it were possible here !!!), others, on the contrary, feel more comfortable living in a multi-cultural community, while others prefer a more familiar community, others a more “agitated” community in terms of social life, and so on.

In general, a good analysis meter for these communities and neighborhoods is the feeling that people have when they go to them, especially on weekends, where they can see people on the streets, understand who is who (or at least have some impression) ), walk, talk, in short, feel the places. Establishing the profile of a community and aligning that profile with the family’s desire is always a great challenge, especially when this analysis is linked to various factors, such as age, education, per capita income, etc.

4) COST OF LIFE: One of the main points in terms of definition, in my view. Here in Orlando, as in any other place in this “world” in which we live, the cost of living is different from region to region. You pay for the neighborhood you live in, you pay for your name. This is normal here in Orlando, although it is far from being similar to the classic cases in Brazil, in the “exclusive” communities of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

Here, if you are rich, you can live in neighborhood X (considered elite), as well as you can live in neighborhood Y (considered normal people, like me). The line between wealth and poverty exists, of course, but it is not as wide open as it is in Brazil and even in other parts of Florida, like Miami, for example.

Of course we know that it is not wide open but it does exist. In this regard, it is worth remembering that in Central Florida we have different counties (county), as in all the USA, of course. Each county has a specific rule in terms of the tax charged for services and purchases, which may vary little but make a difference in the final sum of annual expenses. Just so that readers understand: ORLANDO, the most famous city of all, is part of Orange County, where the tax is 6.5%. Now KISSIMMEE, one of the most important cities here, stuck in Orlando, by the way, is part of Osceola County and has a tax of 7%. Apparently this is not a big difference, but put 0.5% more on all annual expenses that you will understand the cost itself.

5) TRAVEL TIME – HOME / WORK / SCHOOL: Another good way to do this analysis is to stipulate the time spent traveling that the family takes to carry out their daily activities. Naturally, this factor is taken into account in the life and planning of many families in Brazil, in particular, because of the cruel, slow, dangerous and complicated traffic factor in most large urban centers in Brazil.

Here, I confess that I do not see that traffic is the main factor of analysis (although it is also important, no doubt). Here, there are several factors that corroborate the choice of the neighborhood where you will live, and the issue of proximity to work is undoubtedly very important. For the comrade who lives in this region, any distance greater than 10/20 miles where the travel time between the 30 minutes is already a LONG way.

Therefore, the American himself prefers to live as close as possible to where he works, where he does his daily shopping, where he has fun, etc. That is why it is so common, even common, to observe that in any small town here, however small, there is a whole trade infrastructure (malls, restaurants, services, etc.) that makes it independent from another larger city. As a rule, all communities are, shall we say, self-sufficient in this regard.

To facilitate my analysis, I will divide the neighborhoods / regions according to the criteria I put above. I reiterate that this is a subjective analysis only. I understand that it is still important for the reader to visit the websites of the communities, whose links are available in this article, to learn more information about life, daily life, important phones, residents’ associations and the sub-divisions of places. This is super cool here in the USA. Information is everything and all communities have their own communication networks, all very well organized.

 

Windermere and Dr. Phillips:

Possibly these are the trendy neighborhoods in Orlando, at least in terms of “wow, I wanted to live there, you know !!!”. I don’t know exactly if they are the best known, but certainly among the Brazilian community, especially those who have lived here for a long time, Dr. Phillips (whose name is a tribute to a great businessman in the orange juice area) is a kind of “Leblon”, traditional neighborhood of the city, VERY well located and very exclusive. I would say it is the neighborhood of the traditional rich, or those who have a very large family and prefer to live in mansions. Most of the buildings are old, dating from the 60s, 80s.

Similarly to the reality in Rio, Windermere I compare to “Barra”. A relatively new place, the scene of several construction works in recent years, where the “new” rich live in their mansions. They say, I don’t know for sure, that several famous people, sportsmen, personalities, have homes in the region. You will know, right. It is one of the few places I have ever been to in the region where you can really see gigantic mansions, like the ones we see in movies. In terms of investment, Windermere is one of the best-selling brokers, eager to sell and sell properties to Brazilians in the region.

Of course, these comparisons I made just to exemplify. If it were to be placed in a ranking, these two regions would certainly be in the TOP 5. Security is extremely interesting (also because there are several closed communities), the level of schools is excellent, and Dr. Phillips High School is one of the most traditional ones here in Orlando, the cost of living (in terms of house, rent, etc.) is really high, as these are very targeted places whose supply (at least in Dr. Phillips) is limited, as well as being central regions. It takes no more than 20/30 minutes to reach Downtown Orlando or Disney parks. I mean, if you take the base that I mentioned at the beginning of the text, it seems to me that point by point, these places are excellent to live in, leaving no doubt about the quality of life that the family would have chosen to live in these neighborhoods.

Click here to access Windermere’s official website.

Click here to access the official website of Dr. Phillips High School, one of the best in the region.

– Security: Excellent.

– Cost of Living: Upper middle class.

– Schools: Excellent general level.

– Location: Well located, central region.

– Community Profile: Mixed. However, there is a preponderance of families with a salary margin above US $ 100 thousand annually.

 

Metrowest:

The Metrowest region is also in one of the most privileged locations in Orlando, close to the tourist center of Int. Drive and also very close to the most popular community college in Brazil, Valencia College – West Campus. It also has an entire infrastructure of markets, stores and services that supply the community.

Generally speaking, it is one of the strongholds of Brazilians here in Orlando. There is a huge concentration of the community in the region, perhaps due to the high supply of properties there, with varying prices, sizes and styles. In Metrowest you can rent from large houses to smaller apartments, including Townhouses. There are several communities of Townhouses in the region. And the prices for investment in the area are also inviting. In terms of rent, I understand that it is not so cheap to rent a property in the region, including the research I have done in several condos.

If you ask me, do you advise this neighborhood to live? I say no. There are other places around here that are more interesting in terms of living in an American community.

Click here for more information about Metrowest

– Security: Very good. Also consider that many properties are in closed communities, with 24 hour security.

– Cost of Living: Middle class.

– Schools: Very good in general, with emphasis on Metrowest Elementary School.

– Location: Centrally located region, on Kirkman Road.

– Community Profile: Mixed, many Latinos and students. Salary margin also very varied.

 

Lake Nona:

One of the regions with the greatest growth potential here in Orlando. Lake Nona is a relatively new region, in a sector dedicated to hospitals and major treatment centers in the region that, in a few years, can become one of the centers of reference in the USA in terms of health care – they call this region Medical City .

Living in Lake Nona is very interesting, especially as it is part of American communities, for sure. However, if you look at it in terms of distance, the region is relatively isolated. Not that it is far from the center, on the contrary, Lake Nona is 10 minutes away by MCO. However, when compared to the other neighborhoods already mentioned in this matter, living in Nona is quite the opposite in everything.

Besides the fact that the region is surrounded by tolls, in all the entrances that give access to the condominiums. In addition to spending on gasoline, you certainly spend a lot on tools if you need to drive a lot.

Again, if you asked me if I would live in the region, I would say yes. However, it must be borne in mind that the region is remote and the process of growth and consolidation will still take some good years. However, in terms of real estate investment, I’m sure it will be one of Orlando’s main regions in a few years.

Click here for more information on Lake Nona. Here you have the specific article that Living in Orlando produced about the neighborhood.

– Security: Excellent.

– Cost of Living: Upper middle class, in general.

– Schools: Excellent general level. Virtually all Elementary Schools are rated between 8 and 10. The level is really good.

– Location: Region a little isolated. If you look at the map, it is southeast of Orlando airport and relatively far from downtown.

– Community Profile: Mixed community in general. However, there is a preponderance of families with a salary margin above US $ 100 thousand annually. Many doctors, lawyers, people of the highest middle class, live in the region.

 

Celebration:

Well, in terms of exclusivity, Celebration is the best expression of that here in the region. Not that only millionaire people live there or anything like that, but because the city is VERY SMALL and is considered a kind of enclave, as it is in the heart of Kissimmee. I think Celebration is that kind of retired community, upper middle-class Americans, who live in a good way, play golf and have no reason to worry, that’s the impression I have of the area.

Virtually all houses have a very typical construction profile, with the display of the American flag being a characteristic of the community. When you walk down the street, it looks like you are in a Disney setting, such is the cleanliness and care with all possible details.

Talking to people who live in the area, the only complaint is the strictness of the rules of the residents’ associations. They fine for anything; for example, if your grass does not comply with the rules, fine. If you leave a chair on your balcony outside the standard, fine, and so on. Then it gets a little complicated.

Click here for more information on Celebration. Click here to read the article about Living in Orlando about the city (I listed some curiosities at the end of the article that are really cool).

– Security: Excellent. There are practically no crime rates.

– Cost of Living: Upper middle class.

– Schools: Excellent general level. Schools with assessment levels 10.

– Location: Well located, central region. It is in Kissimmee, but the presence of a Latin community or immigrants is hardly noticeable.

– Community Profile: American Community with a preponderance of families with a salary margin above US $ 150 thousand per year.

 

Hunters Creek:

Well-regarded area here in Orlando. It is in a very interesting location, next to Kissimmee and halfway to the tourist center of Int. Drive. It is a mixed community, with Americans and immigrants (the latter are the minority). Very interesting pattern of houses and apartments, very expensive properties and others very accessible.

In terms of community, it is undoubtedly one of the best places to live in the Orange County area. Excellent security, great schools and good income range. A 2/2 apartment rental in the region does not cost less than $ 1000 / month.

Another stronghold of Brazilians in Orlando. Many families who have been established for years in Florida live in the region. For investment in homes and townhomes, there are excellent opportunities. I certainly suggest to live in it.

Click here for more information on Hunters Creek.

– Security: Excellent.

– Cost of Living: Middle class.

– Schools: Excellent general level, both in Elementary and High School.

– Location: Well located, central region. Easy access to shopping malls, parks, etc.

– Community Profile: Community with a preponderance of families with a salary margin between 70 and 100 thousand dollars per year.

 

Winter Park:

Another highly valued and highly regarded region to live here. Winter Park is no longer in Orlando, it is another city, “glued” to Orlando, already to the north. Extremely interesting and pleasant place, where you live inserted even in a real American community. Few immigrants live in this region.

On the other hand, it is in Winter Park that is home to two of the most important private colleges here in Florida, Full Sail, a reference in animation and cinema (highly regarded among Brazilians) and Rollins College, a hyper traditional school in the region and very expensive. It has one of the most reputable MBA programs in the USA. So, based on these colleges, there is a considerable part of the population in Winter Park that is very young, college students.

Click here for more information on Winter Park.

– Security: Excellent.

– Cost of Living: Upper middle class.

– Schools: Excellent general level, both in Elementary and High School. Schools rated 10 in several sub-divisions.

– Location: Well located region. Easy access to shopping malls, restaurants, study centers, etc. It is less than 10 minutes from Downtown Orlando and relatively far from the tourist hustle and bustle of the parks.

– Community Profile: Essentially American community with a preponderance of families with a salary margin of around US $ 100,000 per year.

 

OTHER INTERESTING COMMUNITIES AND / OR CITIES IN THE REGION:

– Oviedo – Click here for more information about Oviedo, FL.

– Lake Mary – Click here for more information about Lake Mary, FL.

– Winter Garden – Click here for more information about Winter Garden, FL.

– Baldwin Park – Click here for more information about Baldwin Park, FL.

These communities mentioned above are references in terms of quality of life, safety and housing. The cost of living in each of them is quite high, of course, but certainly the person is within the best places to live here in the region, with emphasis on Lake Mary and Baldwin Park.

I hope you enjoyed these analyzes. As I said, I do not intend to end the discussion here. Of course, there may be other communities not mentioned where the quality of life is also excellent.

Source: http://bit.ly/1M6PfGJ