Violindude

Some pictures from my trip to Downtown Orlando

Swedish people must really like Orlando. We get Ikea and now H&M. What's next an

I love the Schimmerhorn because it has awesome acoustics. I don't care if the OPAC is modern or has old world charm as long as it's good for performance.

He mentioned the magic moving to Nashville several times. If they left they wouldn't go to TN because Memphis has the Grizzlies. TN is a pretty small state to accomidate two pro basketball teams. I think this article was written by a real drama queen.

While Orlando might not have Charlotte's height hopefully we'll pass them in density. Like some one said earlier look at Vancouver. You wouldn't even know all their building are under 500' because it's so dense. They have a low height limit to protect the view of the North Shore mountains. Who needs a tall skyline when you've got mountains? While Charlotte is trying to be Atlanta I think we should model our city after Vancouver. I love Atlanta but Vancouver's skyline is much better in my oppinion. But I must say a good photo.

I've seen Spiderman 3 twice (once at 1 am) on Imax twice there.The theater and all of Pointe Orlando is looking better now then it was. It's a great deal too. I spent $12 on my ticket and got free popcorn and soda with my ticket to Imax.

Nashville's commuter rail is considerably small. I think it only runs back and forth from Lebanon to Nashville . I've been to Lebanon, TN and I can see why they would want a ride out but I'm not sure why the would want to come back. I was suprised to hear it doesn't even go in to the larger suburbs. I think once Orlando's commuter rail starts running it'll be alot more effective from the get go.

Orlando has got more going for it then alot of large mid sized cities. Orlando is becoming a major hub for medical, technological, educational advancement. Orange county alone has grown by over 300,000 people in the last 17 years. That's a huge growth spurt. Orlando proper could have a much larger population if the county were considered a part of the city like Nashville, Charlotte and so forth. Orlando city limits are quite small when compared to alot of other places. There's nothing but good going for Orlando. While people aren't wanting to move to cities like Miami, Chicago, LA, SF anymore; cities like Tampa and Orlando are thriving. Orlando in my oppinion couldn't be doing any better. Optimsm all the way.

Subsidies, government granted monopolies, and other forms of corporate welfare today exist as privileges granted by government to those with political access. These destroy the level playing field that free markets depend on, create a corrupt relationship between government authority and special interests, and are unconstitutional. It's not the responsibility of the Gov't to keep us entertained with the museums and arenas. That's what buissness'/private investors are for. Like I said in my previous post. I think Orlando deserves these venues and if they aren't built here they'll be built somewhere else with public money

That's a question that I can't seem to answer. I as a Libertarian think it's wrong to give subsidies to anyone much less a billionaire. I do understand though that if cities everywhere are doing this why can't we? I wish we'd do this the good old capitalistic way of having ONLY private entities paying for it. I say lets have them buit or else some other city will do it.

Orlando (aka Disney) has some of the best New Years Eve fireworks in the country. I can't remember what the public poll ranked it on AOL but it was in the top 5

I got a little flustered up when I read a few pro tax arguments but I decided my origonal response was out of place and the next one I was planning was as well. I think I might actually create a thread in the Orlando coffee shop about this very subject. Back to Orlando headlines!

Are you actually implying income taxes are a good thing? The reason why people are moving to FL, TX, TN is because thoes states don't have an income tax. Before 1913 there was no income tax. Even in the 50's the average American paid 2% of his income in taxes and we had the highest standard of living in the world. Now the average American pays upwards of 30% of his or hers income in taxes and we now have the 8th highest standard of living in the world. The lower the taxes the more people will spend and invest which will help the economy not only in Orlando, FL but all over the nation. The best alternative is to only tax what is spent but I won't get in to that.

up untill I'd moved here my family would vacation here every year as a kid. I always thought it was weird that I'd never seen a house here. I wanted to move here ever since I came down here though cause I remembered it as the "happiest place on earth". Disney might be the happiest place on earth but 1-4 sure isn't at 6 o clock. When ever I have friends and family come down here though I show them the touristy side of Orlando and the part that everyone lives in. What most people I know who come here are shocked by is all the stuff Orlando has to offer. Sure, some might say that's not Orlando because you're at Universal or Disney. If it weren't for Universal and Disney world no one would have heard of Orlando, FL. Tampa and other FL cities would think of it along the lines of Bithlo, Christmas, and other small FL towns. I get frustrated with all the tourists sometime but I still like all the stuff we have because of the tourists. So even though it's un hip for Orlando residents to visit the theme parks and all the other fanny pack filled tourist areas. I'll go to beach, theme parks, water parks and enjoy my time here in Orlando.

Sounds great and Orlando really deserves one. I don't believe it will hapen though because we're to close to Jax and Tampa. I think our best bets are MLS, NHL and/or baseball if the Marlins leave Miami.

Who needs the Marlins when we've got a 70 yr old renovated citrus bowl that wont hold a proffesional team? (sarcasm) I think the citrus bowl is a waste of money. That money should be spent on getting the Marlins or be put into the OPAC.

I am a native Nashvilleian living her in Otown. Good to see theres more then one of us from Nashville on here.

Orlando's pop has more then enough room for a basketball and an NFL but Orlando will never have an NFL team because we're so close to Jacksonville and Tampa. We've got 2.2 million people in metro that's more then enough to sustain NBA, NHL, MLS. I don't know if we could sustain a MLB team unless we put it on Idrive. I think we shouldn't have spent 175 million dollars renovating a 70 yr. old citrus bowl. I think we shold have gone after the Marlins and built their stadium on Idrive.

I'm not feigning, I am genuine in my belief. I believe that private enterprises could build all of this themselves since they'll be making the money. I can see giving them a loan maybe that they would pay back with interest! but if tax dollars are paying for it why do the people who paid the taxes (i.e. the tourists in this case) have to pay to see the game when it finally opens? I am just saying that's the way it should be but clearly that's not the way it is. I want an arena and I wish it wasn't through corporate welfare but people will use the system and until the system is more pro capitalism and thats the way it's gonna be.

Personally I don't think it's the place of tax dollars to go to pay for any arenas, pacs, art museums, ect. Unfortunatley it happens all the time across the country. I am not for it but I think Orlando deserves an arena and that's how the system works. What can ya do?

Why are we renovating the citrus bowl though? 195 million dollars is a waste of money for a handful of foot ball games a year. Orlando will never have an NFL team because there are too many NFL teams in the area. I think we should pursue the Marlins rather then renovate the citrus bowl.

I don't know if Orlando can handle a MLB team yet. We've got 2.2 mil people metro and Miami has got 5 mil metro and they're having a hard time selling tickets. I think the only way it would work in downtown is once we get the commuter rail in and tourists come to see the games. Or put it on Idrive.

My feeling is that the people of Orlando want it in downtown where it belongs. Downtown (church street) use to be the hippest place in the city til' Downtown Disney and Citywalk came here. I think if we put the arena and PAC on Idrive, it would only make Orlando look only like tourist city. If we put the arena and PAC downtown that would give tourists a chance to see the real Orlando aswell. Orlando is so much more then a theme park city and it's about time people see that.