Celebration FL

[paragon]

I have no idea where to put this, so I'll just try it here.

Does anyone here live in Celebration? Or have you lived there??
I have a friend who lived there for a very brief time, and she didn't have a whole lot of good things to say about it.
We are contemplating a move to central FL sometime in the not too distant future. I was just wondering if anyone here has lived there.

Its mor likely, that we will end up somewhere else, in the Orlando area. I don't want to be more than 1:30 away from a beach, or more than 1:30 away from WDW.

[dnickels]

I've lived north of there (Winter Garden) for a few winters so I can't really add anything specific about Celebration, but I wanted to pipe in and suggest renting for 6 months or a year first when you move. There are quite a number of rentals available in Celebration so you could get a feel for what it's like and whatnot - it's like any other neighborhood in America, some are going to love it, some are going to hate it.

I just think that renting at first is a great idea because rather than seeing a few neighborhoods or subdivisions that your realtor shows you or you find with listings online you have the time to spend weekends checking out everything. Getting the bikes out and biking through or walking through areas gives a much better feel for what it'd be like to live there than driving does. It's taken me three winters to see everywhere and finally know where I want to buy a place when I get back again but I know exactly where I want to be now. (well that and I understand basic math and knew that home values appreciating 20% year over year meant they would come down just as much)

I know people are generally in a rush to move into another house because they've got so much stuff that they feel they need to put somewhere, but just something to consider if/when you do move.

[Rosanne]

I'm confused as to what your friend didn't like about Celebration. It is really a wonderful community. I lived off of 192 when I lived down in Orlando, and Celebration was noticibly nicer. I heard the school is very good, the hospital is great and the shops and restaurants are adorable.

I do agree with the above poster, however, that it would be a good idea to rent for a while. While you rent, you can find the perfect home for your family and get a feel for the community.

Good luck!

[paragon]

My guess would be the "codes" and "restrictions" is what she disliked, apparently there are/were too many rules about appearance and such.
I actually used to live in Deltona FL for a while early in the 80's. It wasn't yet a city, as it is today. We toured there about three years ago and were actually considering making a purchase on a beautiful house there.

We definitely like the central FL area, and have been scoping the surrounding towns. Kissimmee seems to keep poppoing up on our list. Schools wouldn't be an issue, my son graduates high school next year. Just looking for a small town feel if thats possible still.

[afowl1017]

I actually lived in Celebration for a very short time, But I rented an apartment. I believe they are condos now. We loved living there. It was the year they were hit with three different hurricanes ... we never lost water or electricity. We couldn't believe it! It was beautiful and felt like a small town, some thing like Mayberry, at that time but it has changed quite a bit since then. We also lived in Champions Gate area...lots of fun. We loved living in Florida. Renting is a great way to "feel" out an area. Best of Luck!

[DAKustodial]

I lived in Celebration for two years and my wife lived there for four. We both loved it there...I had no major complaints at all the entire time that I lived there.

As someone else posted, the school there is fantastic, the hospital is nice and the small downtown area itself is great! My wife and I loved walking down from our condo, seeing a movie at the movie theater, eating dinner in one of the restaurants, then finishing the night with a couple of drinks (or more!) at the Celebration Town Tavern.

I do understand there are some restrictions on how your house needs to be maintained and things like that but I don't think it's outrageous or much different from many gated communities. All in all, Celebration was an amazing place to live and I'm so thankful that I had the opportunity to live there!

[7165red]

If you want to do some research about moving to Fl go www.city-data.com and click on to forums. You'll get all the info about every area. I'll repeat, rent first.

[MissMaryPoppins]

I live in Kissimmee and go to Celebration very often. I get my hair cut at a salon there, I enjoy the restaurants and shops, the people watching. It's a great town. When I came down with my parents briefly in 2005 I got a part time job in Celebration and got to meet a lot of wonderful people. I had read a book about the town and was so excited when I met someone who was mentioned frequently in it. It seemed like everyone had a reason for living there and I loved hearing those stories. It's not a town for everyone, it can be a little over the top, but I love it. It's beautiful and a lot of people I met were community oriented and worked to make Celebration a better place. Now that I'm back in Florida I'm hoping that once I'm doing better financially I can find a little apartment to rent there. Even if I only stay for a year I think it would be a great experience.