Orlando: the City beautiful
By Victoria Phillips
24 Sep 2008
What city do you live in? What neighborhood?
Orlando, FL
Hilltop/Lockhart
What are some adjectives that describe your neighborhood?
Random, Crazy, City of Excess
How long have you lived there, and what brought you there?
About 21 years, or pretty much all my life. Just lookin' forward to the day I can get out. I was born in Ft. Lauderdale, and moved to Winter Haven with my mom when I was 5. Less than a year later, we moved to Orlando for my mom's job. My father was in jail till I was 8, and I found out at age 13 I had a brother & sister. They eventually moved down here from Maryland to stay with my dad so I moved out to Geneva, FL with them for about 7 months, enjoying the country life for awhile. Then we moved to Orlando separately, eventually leaving just me and my brother to live with my mom. My father disappeared about 6 years ago to live the life of a drug addict, I suppose. My sister is back in Maryland, with her mother. And I am just looking forward to the day I can get out of Florida.
What is your favorite thing about this place? Your least favorite?
Favorite thing is the cultural blend.
Least favorite would probably be the overpopulation & the dreaded "tourist season".
Do you feel that you belong there?
Yes, and no. It's quite complicated. I have alot of friends and family here, so its hard to leave. But I really want to explore the World. Mostly for photograph purposes, but also just to get out of Florida.
What is the most common misconception about where you live?
That it's a nice place to visit. I suppose if you don't live here it might be, but if I ever moved away again, I'd never come back to live, only to visit family & friends.
What is a special fact about your city that you have to live there to know?
There is entirely too many people in Orlando. Hence the high crime rate (#11th most dangerous city in America). We also have a great hospitality & tourist industry, which adds to the excessive amount of people here.
What aspect of your city do you secretly love?
The rural areas are great. We have a lot of lakes and wild life here, and only 45 minutes from Daytona. The people are very diverse, and you can find just about every culture somewhere in Orlando, whether it be food or specialty shops. If you have money, there is an endless supply of things to do & see here.
Anything else you'd like to add?
If you ever come to Orlando, bring a gun, cell phone, lots of money, and a camera. There is lots to see and do, and plenty of places to spend money! Check out the Orlando Science Center & Art Museum if you're ever in town.
2 responses
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Steve Merrill said (24 Dec 2008):
Did you do cross-processing ? I just LOVE the colours !!
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Henry Bowman gave props (31 Dec 2008):
I've been around the world... Florida is paradise!
