Seven Central Florida day drives for an afternoon away from Orlando
Lakeland Southern charm and oak trees covered in Spanish moss still dominate Lakeland, but there’s culture here. Find mind-blowing beauty among the largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture at Florida Southern College (111 Lake Hollingsworth Drive, Lakeland, flsouthern.edu) and admire the masterful white jewel that is Florida Polytechnic University (4700 Research Way, Lakeland, floridapolytechnic.org).…
Welcome to the 2017 Orlando Weekly Newcomers Guide
Here you’ll find everything from where to eat, attractions to visit, beaches to explore, and every other thing a person new to the Orlando area should take advantage of. Welcome, and happy exploring.
Where to hear live music, kick it with friends, drink and dance in Orlando
LIVE MUSIC Amway Center 400 W. Church St., amwaycenter.com Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez and Stevie Nicks have all made the Amway a tour stop – this big league arena also is home to the Magic and the Solar Bears, only a few steps from downtown. Backbooth 37 W. Pine St., backbooth.com Backbooth pulls off the…
These are the absolute best spots to snap a selfie in Orlando
Be about that #SelfieLyfe at these photogenic Orlando spots
Ten interesting places to meet new people in Orlando
The social network
Quiet those cravings at some of Orlando’s best late-night eating spots
A night of clubbing is guaranteed to give you a big appetite in the wee hours of the night. Luckily, Orlando has some restaurants in different neighborhoods with late night hours to satisfy your post-party needs. Or if you and a date just happen to be looking for someplace to go past 11 p.m., this…
Five essential Orlando spots for your brunch bucket list
The big presentation is on Monday morning, but instead of practicing your lines and refining your slides, you partied so hard last night in downtown Orlando that you had to eat a whole pizza from Gitto’s to sober up. Now your head is still spinning, but you have to perform in less than 24 hours.…
8 big-time Florida music festivals that need to be on your radar
III Points Oct. 13-15, 2017 Various locations, Miami This year’s massive III Points electronic music festival takes over large swaths of Miami and includes blockbuster performers like Gorillaz, the xx and Brian Eno. The Fest Oct. 27-29, 2017 Various locations, Gainesville Gainesville’s scrappy punk fest is now 16 years old and bigger than ever; this…
24 places to enjoy the visual and performing arts in Orlando
GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens 633 Osceola Ave., Winter Park, polasek.org Former artist residence is now a gallery, surrounded by gorgeous lakeside gardens full of bronze sculptures. Art and History Museums – Maitland 231 W. Packwood Ave., Maitland, artandhistory.org The cultural complex includes the Maitland Art Center, a gorgeous Mayan-style artists…
14 Orlando area coffee shops you should try instead of Starbucks
Ah, coffee shops: breeding grounds for WiFi-empowered creativity and the places where Tinder dates mellow and die. You could spend your time in Orlando sipping overpriced grande caramel macchiatos at a corporate chain, or you could explore the City Beautiful’s many indie coffee shops and find a new hangout spot. Take our word for it…
How to get from point A to point B without a car in Orlando
Welcome! If you’ve been in Orlando for more than five minutes, you’ve probably already discovered one of our more fatal flaws – the congested traffic horror show we call I-4. If you’re a newbie, we’re sorry you missed the crowded parking lots under the interstate, but hey, at least you also missed the first two…
Save cash, look unique and reduce your carbon footprint – Orlando thrift shopping is the way
Orlando has its fair share of malls, and they’re beautiful – concrete meccas of fluorescent lighting, perfume samples and Auntie Anne’s Pretzels abound. But if you’re tired of watching your bank account shrivel up after one pair of mall jeans, fear not! This city is also chock-full of thrift and secondhand shops primed to help…
How to take maximum advantage of your student discounts in Orlando
College shouldn’t be a financially crippling experience (during or just after graduation). Luckily, the plight of the cash-strapped young adult has not gone unheard. There are a plethora of discounts specifically for students around Orlando that should help keep a few extra bucks in your pocket to splurge on avocado toast. You can use an…
11 Orlando tourist attractions that don’t suck
Orlando might be home to the most magical place on Earth, but sometimes it’s hard to believe that when you’re backed up for hours and screaming out your window on Interstate 4 near the Disney Springs exit. As a newcomer, eventually you’ll learn the tricks to avoid tourist traps (like never driving on International Drive,…
Keep cool the natural way at these beautiful beaches and springs near Orlando
If you’ve just moved here for college or a cool internship, you may have noticed Orlando is a little landlocked. If this is your first summer here and you were imagining a beachy paradise, we apologize. That ocean breeze just doesn’t hit us in the same way (at all) as in Tampa or Miami, which…
