Xahm Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 In my home town there is an area full of the worst extended stay places you could imagine. People get stuck there because they are too expensive to save for a security deposit and it is that or homeless. They are full of both people trapped in poverty and criminals using the apartments for their dealings. PLEASE check where you are going before you get there, especially if you find a great deal. I'm sure good extended places exist, but there are lots of bad ones IME. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 "Pick a different state" ... Basically it seems to me that you all think I'm stupid or something. And I do still have the option of coming back to Colorado if need be. I think it is how some phrased things. Instead of getting offended, maybe you should consider that people who have lived there and who are familiar might know a bit more than you and are trying to help you. This doesn't make you stupid. They took the time to type up a response. Don't assume the worst; be grateful. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luanne Posted November 17, 2015 Author Share Posted November 17, 2015 I'm not the only one making this decision. Nikki who already lives there is going to make the final decision. People keep acting like it is optional for us to go elsewhere. We are going to Florida. A lot of the responses aren't even addressing my original post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luanne Posted November 17, 2015 Author Share Posted November 17, 2015 As far as there supposedly being no public transportation there, Nikki takes sunrail to work. There is also an extensive bus system there. I checked into it. I don't know why someone feels like lying to me is going to be helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 As far as there supposedly being no public transportation there, Nikki takes sunrail to work. There is also an extensive bus system there. I checked into it. I don't know why someone feels like lying to me is going to be helpful. LucyStoner said next to no public transportation there. One of my best friends has lived in Orlando for 30 years and when she wasn't teaching, she worked for a nonprofit that helped people who were essentially homeless and living in hotels. She says the system is frustratingly awful and people waste hours of their day on the bus. People getting a reliable vehicle was pretty much essential for them to maintain employment. I think it's a fair warning if you've never been there and are thinking it's a reliable and easily accessible system. Good luck with your move. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MFG Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 I know nothing about Orlando, but I would think that wherever one moves, assuming that people's answers to asked-for advice are given in good faith, even if such advice proves to be not useful or strictly on point, is probably the best way to establish helpful connections in a new community. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alisa in Florida Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 I live in the Orlando area and Sunrail & Lynx (the bus system) are great if you want to go where they go. Sunrail is a north-south line that goes through downtown, but if you live east or west, it's of no use. The bus system is best in the central parts of the city, but service is sparse the farther out you go. I live about 15 miles northeast of downtown and the closest bus stop is about 3 miles from my house. Since Nikki already lives here and uses Sunrail, I'm sure she can steer you to the best areas for public transportation. It's available as long as you are in the right areas of town. I think Lynx has a website that shows all of their routes, if that would help. I've lived here all my life and can't imagine living anywhere else. It might take some getting used to after Colorado, but you can make it work. Good luck with your plans! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 No one is lying to you Luanne. Many who have responded either live in Central Florida (some right in the Orlando area), have lived here before, or have a good working knowledge of what it's like here. Also, when you said this: It will either be in Tampa or Orlando. and then this: We found a place called Celebration Suites at Old Town in Orlando. ...those of us who are familiar with the distance between Tampa and Orlando became concerned. If you found a place to live in Old Town (which is actually in Kissimmee not Orlando) you'd still be over an hour away from Tampa. Also you'd be a good distance from many parts of the metro Orlando area. The Sun Rail system is still fairly new (just a little over a year old) and they're still having issues. It only runs on weekdays, no weekends or holidays. You will need to have a M-F no-holidays job if you want to use it. Lynx buses are somewhat better but as another poster said, getting from Point A to Point B on the bus can take hours. Please look at these posts as concern, and the questions as trying to get a better idea of where you will be, so we can actually give you the advice you asked for. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 According to booking.com, it is $439.65 per week. The rates are different for a week vs a night. Luanne, many of the hotels in the Orlando area vary their rates from week to week, based on how popular that week is for tourists. During popular Disney visit weeks, for example, their rates go up. December/January is a popular time, as the weather is nice and many families are on vacation for at least part of the time. With that in mind, I went to booking.com and looked at the rates for the Celebration Suites hotel. I put in 3 adults for December 9 through January 6, which is four weeks. The price for a one-bedroom villa with one king bed was $2,943.60, a two-bedroom suite was $4,338.60. Those prices don't include the $9 service charge (per night) or the 13% tax. Adding those fees ups the prices to $3,578.26 for the one-bedroom, and $5,154.62 for the two-bedroom (for a four-week, 28-night stay, assuming the service charge isn't taxed). On the up side, Google Maps said it is less than a mile from a Sun Rail station. There's a pharmacy within walking distance, several restaurants including McDonalds, and a large flea market and something called Machine Gun America right across the street. My family spent some time in Florida. Despite considerable research ahead of time, things did not go entirely smoothly, especially when it came to finding a place to live. I hope that things go much smoother for you, Rebekah, and her friend Nikki. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 ...and something called Machine Gun America right across the street. Dear Readers, I will save you the rabbit trail: SHOOT REAL MACHINE GUNS Feel the rush of power as you take on the ultimate shooting experience at Machine Gun America, Orlando’s first and only Automatic Adrenaline Attraction™. Our mission is simple—to provide each of our guests with big thrills and unforgettable action, as well as a bullet hole-ridden target to take home as a souvenir. You’ll get the opportunity to shoot real machine guns and other world-class firearms or square off in realistic, military-grade simulators for a totally new experience. Choose your favorite guns from our wide selection of premier firearms or go for one of our themed shooting experiences for non-stop excitement. Shoot fully-automatic machine guns and legendary firearms. This is one adventure you don’t want to miss. Live Shooting Experiences start at just $99, High-tech Simulators at $30. Build Out Your Arsenal with the Pick of 4 firearms and even add extra Ammo to the firearm of your choice. From corporate events to Bachelorette parties, make your next group gathering an experience your guests will always remember. With extra special perks to go with the shooting experience of your choice, hosting your event at Machine Gun America promises endless action and even more thrills. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Geek Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 One more thing I thought of and it only happened to us once. We got into an extended stay for a week or 2 and were trying to get stay longer and they were just plain sold out already. We ended up in a panic to find another place to stay. It was a popular tourist destination, there were lots of contractors and there had been local flooding from a storm, so there weren't tons of rooms. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Cupcakes anyone? Maybe we should discuss where Luanne can buy good cupcakes in Florida? (Trying to lighten things up :) ) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 I'm not sure I completely understand the situation. Where does Nikki currently live? She's planning to move out of where she is and into a hotel or short-term place with you and your daughter? If her commute is worked out for where she currently lives, it sounds like it may not be quite as easy from a new place with the limitations of the system. My brother has been in Florida - right in Orlando and Kissimee for the past 20 years. He works for Disney. Some places look really close on the map but the long out of the way routes that have to be taken to get there make the commutes very long. I think those who are offering advice are speaking from experience and don't want you to wind up in a bad situation. Certainly making sure your medical needs can be taken care of is very important. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 I don't plan on driving when I'm there. I don't want to pile on here, but if you don't drive you should be aware that our public transportation system is not great. The area you're talking about is very touristy, with a lot of traffic and not much within safe walking distance. It's also on one edge of Orlando, which is a big place in terms of geographic area. You can be in Orlando and going somewhere else in Orlando and still be on the road for an hour, even if driving yourself. Add the need to take public transportation and it can be very challenging and time consuming. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 As far as there supposedly being no public transportation there, Nikki takes sunrail to work. There is also an extensive bus system there. I checked into it. I don't know why someone feels like lying to me is going to be helpful. For what it's worth, Luanne, I've lived in Orlando for 17 years. For the first several years we lived here, my husband did not drive and made use of the bus system. Neither of my kids drive, and we have encouraged them to learn to use the buses, too. I'm a big believer in public transportation and, if I could do so, I would love to go back to not having a car as we did in New Jersey. I'm not sure what public transportation is like where you are, but I assure you that our system absolutely does not qualify as extensive. There are many parts of Orlando that are not reachable by or from public transportation, and there are often big gaps in the schedules along various routes. If your daughter's friend is taking Sunrail to work from where she lives and that is working for her, that's great. But please know that the options for where you go and when are limited. (Also, Sunrail does not run on weekends.) 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Instead of getting offended, maybe you should consider that people who have lived there and who are familiar might know a bit more than you and are trying to help you. This doesn't make you stupid. They took the time to type up a response. Don't assume the worst; be grateful. Well said. All I've seen on this thread are people trying to be helpful. People with experience in the area trying to be helpful. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted November 20, 2015 Share Posted November 20, 2015 As far as there supposedly being no public transportation there, Nikki takes sunrail to work. There is also an extensive bus system there. I checked into it. I don't know why someone feels like lying to me is going to be helpful. I've lived in Orlando. I have a lot of family in Orlando. I moved my brother's family from Orlando when they became homeless (incidentally, Central Florida leads the country in number of homeless families and children.) I know of what I speak. The public transportation is limited at best and the little bit there is is geared to tourists, not low income workers. Before you call me a liar maybe move there and see for yourself. -signed someone who has actually waited 2 hours for a bus in Seminole County. ;) 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted November 20, 2015 Share Posted November 20, 2015 Cupcakes anyone? Maybe we should discuss where Luanne can buy good cupcakes in Florida? (Trying to lighten things up :) ) I'm not sure if the humidity is good for the butter cream. :P 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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