Orlando Area Information

Area Information

Arts and Culture
Orlando's arts community is, strong and growing." The budget of all arts organizations is $25 million annually. The quality of what the community receives for this investment is extraordinarily high.
Two organizations need to be mentioned:
Central Florida Performing Arts Alliance

The Central Florida Performing Arts Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit member organization that advances theatre, dance and music through informing, advocating and nurturing relationships on behalf of the performing arts community. The Performing Arts Alliance serves roughly 500 individual artists and 85 producing companies in Central Florida.

United Arts of Central Florida

United Arts of Central Florida is a dynamic collaboration that includes regional corporations, small business, local governments, arts organizations, museums, artists, school districts and individuals. They work to enhance the quality and diversity of cultural experiences available throughout Lake, Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties. Since its inception in 1989, United Arts has invested over $74 million in local cultural organizations and cultural education.
Opera, Ballet and Dance
A MAGI Entertainment/Dance Productions
Orlando Ballet
Orlando City Ballet
Orlando Opera
Orlando School of Cultural Dance
Music
American Guild of Organists, Central Florida Chapter
Bach Festival Society
Festival of Orchestras
Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra
Florida Young Artists Orchestra
Orlando Gay Chorus
Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra
The Orlando Chorale
Theater
Annie Russell Theatre
Art Sake Film Acting Studio (Warehouse Studio)
Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre
CBC Creative
Central Florida Theatre Alliance
Cirque du Soleil
Civic Theatres of Central Florida
The Dying to Perform Players
Mad Cow Theatre
Mark Two Dinner Theatre
MicheLee Puppets
Mother J. Productions
MurderWatch Mystery Theatre
Orlando Hauntings
Orlando International Fringe Festival
Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival
Orlando Youth Theatre
Osceola Center for the Arts
People's Theatre
Pickett & Spiller Productions
Playright's Roundtable
Puppet Celebration
SAK Comedy Lab
Sleuths Mystery Dinner Theatre
Studio Theatre
Suntrust Broadway Series
Theatre Downtown
Theatreworks!
THEM
UCF Civic Theatre
Wekiva River Players
Zora Neale Hurston Festival - 2003 - Celebrating 50 Years of Black Theatre
Visual Arts
Galleries
Albertson Peterson Art Consultants
AKA Lounge
Crealde School of Art: Alice & William Jenkins Gallery, Community Gallery, & Sculpture Garden
Boom Art Gallery
Florida Photographers' Gallery
Gallery 17-92
Gallery at Avalon Island
Grand Bohemian Gallery
Guinevere's Coffee House
Jeanine Taylor Folk Art
Leslie Boyd Gallery
Maria Reyes-Jones Gallery
Millenia Fine Art Collection
Mount Dora Center for the Arts
Museum Artists' Studio Gallery
Orlando City Hall Terrace Gallery
Orlando Visual Artists' League (OVAL)
Prima Gallery
Timothy's Gallery
Wentworth Gallery
Wilfon-Remieres Gallery
Museums
Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens
Cornell Fine Arts Museum
Harry P. Leu Gardens
Maitland Art Center
Mennello Museum of American Art
The Morse Museum of American Art
Orange County Regional History Center
Orlando Museum of Art
Orlando Science Center
Osceola Center for the Arts
Other Visual Arts Links
Atlantic Center for the Arts
Downtown Arts Market
Florida Artists Registry
Zora Neale Hurston Festival
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Film
Enzian Theater, Inc.
Florida Film Festival
Pickett & Spiller Productions
Art Schools
Atlantic Center for the Arts
Art Sake Film Acting Studio (Warehouse Studio)
City of Orlando Recreation Bureau
Crealde School of Art
Doug Sinning Productions (Music Classes)
L.A. Acting Studio
Mad Cow Theatre Acting Classes
Maitland Art Center - offering visual arts classes
Osceola Center for the Arts
SAK Comedy Lab Improvisation Classes
Theatre Downtown
Community Arts
City of Orlando Recreation Bureau
Maitland Art Center
MicheLee Puppets
Mother J. Productions
Orlando Youth Theatre
Osceola Center for the Arts
People's Theatre
Storytelling: Project Imagination
Theatreworks!

Above information from Performing arts council site at: http://www.orlandoperforms.com/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=25

The following stats include Orlando and communities within 25 miles-Kissimmee-Winter Park-Maitland

Museums and Culture
There are 32 museums
Dance and theatre
There are 34 facilities
Performing arts-schools-instruction (music to ballet)
There are 35 facilities
Art Galleries/ Visual Arts
There are over 150 galleries
Antique stores
There are over 210 Antique stores
Orlando Symphony Orchestra
3710 Neptune Dr, Orlando, FL 407-228-8414

To see lists and addresses go to www.yahoo.com/ or www,google.com

Some local highlights include the following:

The artistic director of the Orlando Ballet, Fernando Bujones, is internationally renowned in ballet circles.
Orlando is home to one of the top orchestras in the state.
Orlando is home to the top opera in the state.
The Morse Museum is internationally known for its Tiffany Glass collection.
The City of Orlando’s Public Arts division curates three galleries, all of which are free to the general public. Two of the galleries are located in Orlando’s City Hall; the third is housed within the historic Harry P. Leu Gardens Garden Home.
The Florida Film Festival in Orlando has been ranked among the top 10 festivals in the world by The Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide, 2nd Edition.
The Zora Neale Hurston Festival is an internationally known celebration of the cultural contributions that Africa-descended people have made to the United States and to world culture.
The Orlando Museum of Art boasts a renowned permanent collection and has played host to many world-famous traveling exhibits, including American glass artist Dale Chihuly, China’s Ming Dynasty Collection, and American folk painter Grandma Moses. In the past, they have hosted the Ming Exhibit, among others.
Orlando annually hosts the Orlando Broadway Series, Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival and the Festival of Orchestras.
The Orlando Fringe Festival is a well-known, off-beat cultural event.

We are also home to professional sports and the annual Capital One Bowl and Champs Sports Bowl games.

In conclusion, a good tax base and income from visitors and new residents means an expanding arts program. Arts and culture is a very strong part of the Orlando experience.

Cost of Living

The cost of living index is based on the composite price of groceries, housing, utilities, transportation, health care, clothing and entertainment.

Cost of living indexes will generally be higher in areas that offer access to beaches, culture, arts and recreation. In addition areas, that offer a wider variety of services such as health and education will run higher due to higher wages, and increased quality of living.

Cost of living indexing explanation
A figure of 100 points is used as an average both for the USA and Florida. For example:
Boise Idaho is ranked at a 99
Boston Mass is rated at 240
San Francisco at 217
Statewide, Florida cities come in from a low of 90 and up.
One way to compare Florida areas to salary requirements

For example-If you were relocating from Portland Oregon (whose rate 1s 94.0) to Orlando, and you currently make $50,000 per year, the formula is as follows
Take the destination index, in this case Orlando-94.0 and divide by Portland’s index-120, then multiply by a salary of $50,000. This will give you a figure of $39,166 which would be required to make in Orlando to have the same quality of life.
See comparable Florida statewide
* Re cost of living--in some areas Real Estate has went up dramatically however costs that factor in such as food, transportation, rents etc have not increased at the same rate-so in some areas, even though housing is expensive, the overall rating may still be low

2007 stats per Sperlings best Places http://www.bestplaces.net/

Boca Raton-154.74
Bradenton-114
Cape Coral-Ft Myers-108.0
Ft Lauderdale-132.0
Fort Walton-Destin-120
Jacksonville metro-94.0
Big Pine Key fl-132.46
Key Largo-146.0
Key West-168.0
Marathon fl-162.06
Miami metro-138.0
Melbourne-92.72
Naples Fl-250.59
Orlando metro-94.0
Palm Bay-84.56
Palm Coast-Flagler-125.01
Panama City-86.35
Pensacola metro-82.0
Sarasota-108.75
Tampa 94.60
St Pete-Clearwater-91.58
Vero-Beach Indian River-122.87
West Palm Beach metro-112.05
(Population Weighted-State Average=100
See national comparisons
Cost of living (100 = nationwide average)

* New York, NY -164.50
* Long Beach, CA -135.71
* Palo Alto, CA -234.42
* Boston, MA -127.60
* Malibu, CA -492.80
* San Francisco, -187.23
* Greenwich, CT 215
* Chicago, IL -126.45
* Dallas Tx -92,94
* Atlanta Ga -112.21

For more information about cost of living go to either
Sperlings best Places http://www.bestplaces.net/
or Accra's site at http://www.coli.org

A lower cost of living means you keep more of what you make. That mixed in with a great quality of life makes Orange County very appealing.

There is one thing you need to be aware of and that is the housing market has risen here significantly-so the housing cost will skew the CGI index.. Prices have gone up 30 to 40 percent in just the last year—there is some sign that things are slowing down but in comparison to other parts of the country (see below) and given the lifestyle here, is why the areas real Estate market is hot.
You can still find homes ranging from 200,00-300,000 (condos to single family)

Cost of living calculator-comparing salaries in Orlando vs other areas of the country
http://swz.salary.com/CostOfLivingWizard/layouthtmls/coll_

metrodetail_127.html

Housing.

Minimum two bedroom single family homes in Sarasota
As of August 2005, the median sold price is $248,600.
New homes start at 240,000
Condo starting price is $200,000

Utilities.
Orange County http://www.orangecountyfl.net/cms/DEPT/utilities/default.htm

Water and sewer go to
City of Apopka
City of Orlando (OUC) - Water
City of Orlando - Sewer
City of Maitland
City of Winter Park
Electric
Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC)
Progress Energy
Natural Gas Companies:
TECO Peoples Gas
Telephone Companies:
BellSouth
Sprint

In conclusion, given Florida’s climate and Job opportunities and the outdoor recreation prospects, Miami can really make sense. Why not live in a vacation spot?

Health

Sunshine makes people feel healthier and improves your outlook on everything. After living in Florida for 10 years, I can tell you that it’s great to wake up to a warm climate and sunshine almost year round. It makes for a positive outlook on life. What’s your mood when it’s cold, drizzling and cloudy out? Orlando’s mild weather and great lifestyle makes staying health much easier.

Orlando Regional Healthcare is one of Florida's most comprehensive private, not-for-profit healthcare networks. Their facilities, advanced medical treatments and procedures, and highly qualified staff distinguish Orlando Regional as a healthcare leader for two million Central Florida residents and 6,000 international visitors annually.
Statistics for Orange County. As of 2004, there are:

77 assisted living facilities
13 major hospitals
5 adult day care centers
109 health care clinics

The 1,572-bed system includes:

* Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children & Women
* M. D. Anderson Cancer Center Orlando
* Orlando Regional Medical Center
* Orlando Regional Lucerne Hospital
* Orlando Regional Sand Lake Hospital
* Orlando Regional South Seminole Hospital
* Orlando Regional St. Cloud Hospital
* South Lake Hospital
* Orlando Regional Healthcare Foundation
* Health Research Institute
* Graduate Medical Education
* Orlando Regional Visiting Nurse Association

Above information from: http://www.orhs.org/

For specific information and address/phone number of health facilities, please go to http://facilitylocator.floridahealthstat.com

Orange County Health Department message: http://www.orchd.com/

All of us at the Orange County Health Department believe that we can make a difference as we strive to become the healthiest and safest community in Florida. Our mission is to provide leadership for superior community health promotion, protection and preparedness. We place special emphasis on health education, maternal and child health, epidemiology, environmental health, school health, dental care services, and a variety of other programs.

We hope you will become familiar with what this health department has to offer. In addition to providing information concerning our services, this site gives you the opportunity to learn about many health and safety issues. You will be able to read about the latest health tips, acquire education on parenting skills and breast feeding for healthier babies, and obtain information about environmental health issues and our many other programs. You will also find links to other health sites.

We hope you will enjoy our Website at http://www.orchd.com/. Even more, we hope you will find this resource helpful in keeping you and your family healthy. Our experienced, dedicated staff is always available to provide you with information regarding your health and safety needs.

For hospital and medical facility names and addresses in Orange County go to:

http://facilitylocator.floridahealthstat.com/
For more specific health information see the Website listed above.

Schools

There are more than 165,000 students, 7600 teachers and over 150 elementary and secondary schools in Orange County. Orange County Public Schools are the 12th largest school district out of more than 16,000 in the nation.

It is the fifth largest in Florida. OCPS grows by more than 5,000 new students a year.
To keep up with growth, the district typically builds between four and seven new schools each year.
http://www.ocps.k12.fl.us/
http://www.eflorida.com/profiles/CountyReport.asp?CountyID
=29&Display=all

For a comparison of schools and school districts on a variety of criteria, view Florida School Indicators Reports at the Florida Department of Education's Web site. http://www.fldoe.org/

Orange County school specifics:

100 Elementary Schools
51 secondary schools
125 junior high
94 senior High Schools
150 College-Universities
3 Magnet schools
10 junior colleges
22 Charter schools
240 private and parochial schools
4 Alternative Schools
15 adult education
50 business and vocational schools
263 pre schools

Partial list of Colleges/Universities:

University of Phoenix
Rollins College
Stetson University
University of Central Florida
Florida Metropolitan University

Junior/Community Colleges:

Seminole Community College
Valencia Community College
Lake-Sumter Community College

Vocational/Technical Schools:

Winter Park Tech
Orlando Technical Center
Mid-Florida Technical Institute
Orange Technical Education Centers / Westside Tech
Lake County Area Vocational Technical Center
UTI-Motorcycle, Marine & Mechanics Institute

Other Schools:

Florida Technical College
DeVry University
ITT Technical Institute
Orlando Culinary Academy
Full Sail Real World Education (Digital Media)
International Academy of Design & Technology
FAMU College of Law
Barry University College of Law
Sistema Universitario Ana G. Mendez
Nova Southeastern University

For specific locations and more information-see
http://www.ocps.k12.fl.us/

Weather

Orange County’s mild climate, lets you enjoy outdoor recreational opportunities year round. Winter, spring and fall are filled with lots of sunshine.

The hottest month is July and August, with an average high of 92° F and an average low of 73° F. In January the average high temperature is 70° F and the average low is 48° F.
Normal annual precipitation is 53 inches, with the largest monthly totals accumulating from July through September.

Orange county Temperature Annual high average

Month Air
January 70.8
February 72.7
March 78.0
April 83.0
May 87,8
June 90.5
July 91.5
August 91.5
September 89.7
October 84.6
November 78.5
December 72.9

*To compare Orange County weather with other major USA cities go here http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0762183.html

Other Weather Indicators Annual

Average Wind Speed 8.5
Clear Days 89
Partly Cloudy Days 147
Cloudy Days 130
Avg. Relative Humidity 74.0. To see stats by the month, go to
For hurricane information go to the FEMA site at http://www.fema.gov/hazards/hurricanes/
For current information about hurricanes go to http://www.nhc.noaa.gov
For 2005 climate info by areas go to http://www.coaps.fsu.edu/climate_center/LCD/2005LCD.html
For current weather forecasts by cities go to http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov/iwin/fl/fl.html

*Although it looks like we have lots of cloudy days, the sun is out almost year round and the clouds are partial-not like in the Northwest (where I’m from) and it will stay overcast and dark for weeks on end.

*Although we do get rain here-it is a tropical rain and comes and goes quickly and acts as a refresher to the hot days.

To see average January temperatures across the United States go to http://www.mapsofworld.com/usa/thematic-maps/usa-temprature-january.html
Compare where you live or want to live in Florida. For more specific info, look at the area you are interested in and go to the weather page.

So what about Hurricanes, the rainy season and humidity?
We are a tropical climate, so our rainy season comes in the summer. Generally it will rain hard for a half hour then subside. It does get humid then. Although not as bad as you’d think. Our water breezes really help cool us off.
Hurricanes.
Despite four devastating hurricanes in 2004, the number of Florida visitors rose 7% to an all-time high of 79.8 million last year and is on target to hit 80 million this year.
To think on:
If you live on the coast you stand the greatest chance of having one affect you. Some areas of Florida have gone fifty years plus without one but you never know.
As a resident having lived in the Keys and now in central Florida I’ve been through them.

In my opinion, the best thing you can do is buy a home that was built after Andrew-August 92 that was built to stricter building codes. Have window protection and a backup generator and make sure your insurance is up to date. If they ask you to leave, do it!

Realize-If you live in an older home that was not built up to the stricter building codes (After Hurricane Andrew-August 1992) or you live in a mobile home you stand the best chance of having major structural damage.

Living on the beach in a mobile home is asking for it. Although, you may never have a problem, you’re still definitely taking your chances. Barrier islands and open-water Ocean or Gulf front are the most prone to damage.
Having lived in California, I prefer the threat of a hurricane however as opposed to an earthquake. At least you have a warning.

For current information about hurricanes go to http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
For 2005 climate info by areas go to http://www.coaps.fsu.edu/climate_center/LCD/2005LCD.html
For current weather forecasts by cities go to http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov/iwin/fl/fl.html

*Living in a waterfront home typically means that you will pay a higher Insurance premium. The insurance is higher due to flood and wind concerns.
Part of this is also because the pricing on these homes is higher so there is more value to insure against.

Having said all this, I can’t imagine living elsewhere. It is really great to wake up and it’s sunny out.
We spend over half our lives indoors, so when you do go outside, wouldn’t it be nice if it was warm and sunny?

What if you went on vacation and never went back? Sound crazy?

We spend half our lives indoors—why not spend the rest of the time in the sun? You can live in Paradise