Mills 50 is a lot of things, but boring isn’t one of them
Oh, Mills 50 – many nights have we stumbled back and forth between St. Matthew’s Tavern and Lil’ Indies. But the neighborhood isn’t just a safe space for Orlando residents who are too hip to function without craft cocktails and third-wave coffee – it’s arguably the center of gay life in Orlando, and it retains…
Orlando’s vibrant arts scene is always refashioning itself into something new
Like the rest of the city, our arts and culture community is undergoing enormous changes at the last minute. While we mourn the closure of the Venue, Blue Star’s former multi-use performance space, we welcome the imminent opening of Steinmetz Hall at the Dr. Phillips Center, an acoustically engineered performance venue that will serve our…
Change is the name of the game in Downtown Orlando
Next time you visit Downtown Orlando, you’d be well advised to snap a couple of quick photos. Because soon enough these streets are going to be very different. Maybe even unrecognizable. Change is the name of the game in this neighborhood, from the perpetual overhauls of the I-4 Ultimate Project, the revamped and relocated CityArts,…
Historic Parramore is constantly changing, though that’s not always welcome
Parramore is constantly changing, though that’s not always welcomed by residents. This historic west Orlando neighborhood has recently seen the opening of the Orlando City Soccer Stadium and the massive purple crowds that populate it, as well as an increased event schedule at the rebranded Camping World Stadium. Parramore is also gearing up to welcome…
Welcome to the 2019 Orlando Weekly City Guide
It started in 2010 as Annual Manual, and while we still have the same core mission – bringing to the surface things we love in the neighborhoods of Orlando – it’s gone through plenty of changes (as you can see from the vintage covers below). There are very few things you can count on staying…
Former no man’s land on Orlando’s I-Drive gets a new lease on life
Not too long ago, International Drive was little more than a no-man’s-land of second-string attractions and sketchy motels separating the major theme park resorts. But with Universal leading a construction boom along the I-Drive corridor, there’s now new life (night- and otherwise) to be found, from the outlet malls on the north end all the…
18 homegrown attractions everyone should visit in Orlando
Orlando attracted over 72 million tourists last year, and if that number soon breaks 100 million, you can bet Batuu’s Black Spire Outpost will be to blame. Better known to the non-Jedi as Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the eagerly anticipated 14-acre expansion to Disney’s Hollywood Studios will finally allow fans to sit in the cockpit…
Ever-changing Sanford remains the same at its eclectic core
Sanford, Orlando’s more charming neighbor to the north, is always reinventing itself with new restaurants, shops and experiences, but at its eclectic core, it remains the first magical escape off Interstate 4. The latest additions to this town only reaffirm Sanford’s status as a global destination whose cup runneth over with award-winning eateries, craft breweries,…
Mark your calendar with Orlando’s biggest annual events in 2019
Our City Guide is published annually in April. Events in this list run from April 2019 through March 2020. Set those calendar reminders now! APRIL Florida Film Festival April 12-21, 2019; Enzian Theater, 1300 S. Orlando Ave., Maitland; 407-629-1088; floridafilmfestival.com Whether you’re a fan of dramas, comedies, documentaries or shorts, the Florida Film Festival has…
Orlando’s music and nightlife scene is grinding into expansion
There’s a lot of evolution and expansion underway in the venue scene over the last 12 months, but it’s been more of a long-view grind than big flashy openings. Newer/rebranded spaces like Soundbar, Veranda Live, Celine and Iron Cow are maintaining their steady momentum of live music in an ever more competitive environment. Grumpy’s Underground…
Orlando’s Ivanhoe Village is experiencing a massive transformation
Along its Orange Avenue main strip, Ivanhoe still retains architectural vestiges of the past, but look to either side and you’ll see it’s an area experiencing rapid, massive transformation. The Yard at Ivanhoe, a 1.2 million-square-foot mixed-use complex of apartments and retail that’s almost halfway done, is looming over Orange Avenue to the east, while…
There’s no reason to stay home, Orlando – get outside!
If sports and outdoors culture in Orlando or Central Florida was ever lacking, it’s safe to say it’s thriving now. With a number of competitive college sports programs and professional franchises, such as the newly founded Alliance of American Football’s Orlando Apollos*, it seems as though we’ve finally hit a high point for spectator athletics…
The pastel-colored town of Atlantic Beach is worth the drive
South of Jacksonville and north of St. Augustine about two and a half hours from Orlando is a little town called Atlantic Beach. Drive until you reach the beach, and you’ll find rows of pastel-colored cottages mixed with a little history and a lot of local life and delicious food. PLAY Atlantic Beach Go to…
Orlando’s SoDo neighborhood has transformed into a legit locale
In just a few years after becoming an “official” neighborhood, SoDo (short for “south of downtown”) has experienced explosive growth – and it’s still growing. The attack at Pulse Nightclub in 2016 brought the community together, and since then, it’s transformed from a loosely defined district dominated by Orlando Health, quick-service chain restaurants and gas…
Sarasota is so charming you may never want to leave
This Gulf Coast city is just two and a half hours from the City Beautiful and it’s so charming, you may never want to leave. Sink your toes into its powdery sand, and you’ll definitely start making plans to return … or maybe even retire here. Current real estate prices might be a rude shock…
Thornton Park solidifies its status as Orlando’s chicest neighborhood
Almost everything within the tidy confines of Thornton Park looks new and shiny and nice. Unusually for this well-established drinking and dining district, it’s suddenly chock-full of new establishments, from fancy small plate restaurants to indie music venues, helping solidify the neighborhood’s reputation as one of the chicest citywide. Austin’s Coffee Satellite Café at the…
Despite living in theme park shadows, Kissimmee has emerged as a force of its own
What could possibly be new in a city whose main attraction is called “Old Town”? Well, a lot, thank you very much! Kissimmee has seen huge changes in the past year – hundreds of Puerto Rican people fleeing the destruction caused by Hurricane María have resettled in Kowtown, further strengthening the bond with the island.…
Lake Nona is farther into the future than any other Orlando neighborhood
Located in the southeast corner of the greater Orlando metro area, Lake Nona is a planned “smart” community far enough away from the city core to elicit groans from your downtown-dwelling friends. But that’s all changing now that the community’s entertainment options and other amenities have tipped the scales from “a couple of great restaurants”…
Orlando’s Audubon Park more than lives up to the hype
The deceptively sleepy and bucolic district that is Audubon Park is actually a busy hive of activity as a foodie haven and small-business and maker hub, nestled in and around veteran businesses like Park Ave CDs and Stardust Video & Coffee. New businesses are opening apace and existing spots are evolving: Redlight Redlight is expanding…
There’s a low hum of revolution in College Park
College Park is not the neighborhood you think of when you’re thinking “change.” It’s a traditional, settled bungalow district, home to a Publix that still sports its 1950s facade and a clock shop right there on the main drag. Yet there’s a low hum of revolution if you listen closely enough, with a lot of…
The students keep changing, but UCF is always a treat
Seeing arguably the highest turnover rate of residents out of any local neighborhood, UCF is both blessed and cursed with a student population that tends to move in, move up and move on. On the one hand, there are plenty of customers to go around, and more every year. But on the other, the popularity…
Daytona Beach is the perfect place for a semi-staycation
Beyond bikers and spring breakers, this world-famous beach town features history, character and waves for days. A quick one-hour drive northeast from Orlando, this location on the Atlantic Coast is perfect for a day trip or semi-staycation. PLAY Daytona Arcade Museum 176 N. Beach St., Daytona Beach, daytonaarcademuseum.com Missing your fill of Galaga, Street Fighter…
The Hourglass District is shaping up to be Orlando’s new ‘it’ spot
One of the latest areas to catch the urban revival bug, Curry Ford Road is shaping up to be the new “it” spot for local food and drink entrepreneurs. The legendary Pizza Bruno will always have a place in our heart, but here’s a list of some of the newer options to come to the…
Lose yourself in a day trip to the quaint Clermont
It’s so close and yet feels so far away. Orlando’s citrus history is large and in charge in Clermont – visit the county next door to find a quaint downtown and some OG roadside attractions. PLAY Orlando Cat Café 532 Cagan Park Ave., Clermont, orlandocatcafe.com If it’s floofy cuddles you seek, you have to wait…
Orlando’s Milk District has new gems that won’t be hidden for long
With all the new additions – the ones already open and the ones poised on the edge that didn’t make it by press time – to one of Orlando’s hippest neighborhoods, the Milk District, chances are we only have a few more months left before we have to stop calling it one of the city’s…
5 reasons Maitland is the best place to spend Sunday Funday
Is it just us or is Maitland elbowing other neighborhoods aside this year as one hell of a place to while away an evening or a Sunday Funday? The area is a nonstop cloud of construction, notably the recently completed Maitland City Centre, along with condos aplenty. But there’s room enough for everyone, so grab…
12 off-beat ways to experience Winter Park
Winter Park has a reputation as the hoitiest, toitiest neighborhood this side of Windermere. But that doesn’t mean you can’t visit. The mix of Rollins College students and the well-to-do results in a nice variety of things to do, especially if dining is the main reason you leave your house. There are plenty of new…
