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The New York Times reported that Universal Studios in Orlando is unveiling a theme park within their theme park, fashioned after the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling.  The park, called The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, cost an estimated $265 million to construct and will relieve some of Universal’s dependency on Marvel characters for attractions, as Marvel was just purchased by Walt Disney.  Wizarding World will feature rides such as Flight of the Hippogriff, and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.  The park is fashioned after the fictional Hogsmeade, a wizarding town described in the series.  There’s also Hogwarts Castle, which although only 150 feet tall appears to tower at a height of 600 feet due to special effects.  The park is expected to capitalize on the books popularity and draw in a percentage of the millions of fans that love Harry Potter.  The Harry Potter Books have been translated into 67 languages, and when the final installment of the series was published, it sold 11 million copies in the first 24 hours.  If Wizarding World can cash in on even a fraction of this popularity, it will surely recoup its investment. And if you’re staying in Orlando corporate housing, be sure to check out what is sure to be a popular new attraction.

Forbes.com recently reported that Minneapolis-St.Paul is the least expensive place to live according to its geographic region.  In order to reach this conclusion, Forbes.com compared elements such as cost-of-living with quality of life measures such as crime rate and divided the country into regions.  The city ranked number 3 overall, and its high ranking was attributed to good salaries and the wealth of cultural opportunity that the city affords.  Al Lee, director of quantitative analysis at PayScale.com, was quoted in the article as saying “The best place to be is on the fringe of one of those cities.   An hour or so outside of town, you’re still close enough to feel the influence of the high wage areas.”
Here are three suburbs of Minneapolis to consider when relocating to the area, or if you’re on temporary assignment and staying in corporate housing there: (more…)

Orlando Convention and Visitors Bureau estimates that it will take 67 days to enjoy the more than 100 attractions that the city has to offer. The Orlando CVB recently announced the winners of the “67 Days of Smiles” social media contest. (more…)