Welcome to Orlando!
Our annual look at Orlando from the viewpoint of a Central Florida neophyte
Other Orlando Weekly Special Issues
Read Orlando Weekly to stay informed on news, opinion and happenings around the city.
Fantastic Orlando events that happen every year
There are fun events happening in the Orlando area year round. To help you find your faves, we’ve put together a quick guide to some of the ones that happen around the same time every year. Note that this guide gets published at the end of July 2019, so the dates you’ll see from January…
Old favorites and new classics in the Orlando-area neighborhoods
Bored? Wanna explore a new neighborhood? Doing move-in research? Dating someone in a different part of town? Here’s our speed-round version of Orlando’s main neighborhoods, a one-two punch of old and new that will show you the true nature of every nabe. DOWNTOWN Culture, “culture” and cocktails. Lots of cocktails. For all its foibles –…
My day in coffee, a caffeinated confession
Confession time: I drink a lot of caffeinated beverages – I always have, since my freshman year of college – and I don’t apologize for it. (There are worse extreme behaviors out there, y’know?) Whatever that liver enzyme is that metabolizes coffee, I must have double. It’s probably genetic, because my mom drinks even more…
Art-opening dates are a much better hang than Netflix
ART DATE! Whether it’s a friend date or a romantic one, art openings are a much better hang than Netflix. Keep an eye on Orlando Weekly’s calendar (both in print and online) for openings, especially the big Orlando Museum of Art exhibitions (always very swanky) and Snap (always full of interesting people). If you’ve got…
Let’s get a drink! A quick primer on some of Orlando’s best purveyors of potent potables
From dive bars to speakeasies, craft cocktails to microbrews, Orlando loves its drinks. Don’t call it a drinking problem; we’re just enthusiasts. But with our level of sprawl (that’s the real problem), you might be wondering where to even start to get a feel for Orlando’s nightlife – and, let’s be honest, daylife – culture,…
12 Orlando vegan restaurants where you can nosh without eating animals
You don’t need to eat animals (meat) or even animal products (cheese, eggs, etc.) to have a good meal. Orlando is filled with tons of vegan-friendly restaurants, whether they’re completely vegan or a little more flexitarian. From bowls and wraps to classic American comfort food, pizza, burgers, Asian food, smoothies and baked goods, these restaurants…
Five can’t-miss Orlando date spots to light your fire
Sorry, these aren’t tips on how to meet someone. If they were, I wouldn’t be a perpetually single millennial refusing to use dating apps. These are, however, suggestions on where to go for a nice date. Get a drink at Mathers Social Gathering. It’s a 1920s-themed bar so if you are both history nerds fascinated…
Slow fashion: The best vintage clothing shops in Orlando
The vintage clothing market grows as each day passes. More and more people are beginning to open their eyes to the environmental benefits of slow fashion, the pleasure of having a truly unique piece and the superior construction of the garments. It’s worth mentioning that these items have all stood the test of time. How…
Dank days in Orlando: a weedy journey through the City Beautiful
If you partake, our anonymous stoner friend has some suggestions on how to make the most of it in the City Beautiful. Editor’s note: Medical marijuana is legal in the state of Florida, but recreational marijuana is not. The city of Orlando passed an ordinance in 2016 effectively decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana – police…
The Orlando dish on the best brunches in town
If there’s something we millennials love more than ruining already defunct industries and drowning in student loan debt, it’s treating ourselves to a nice brunch to forget we probably won’t have Social Security when we’re older. The Stubborn Mule Brunch runs Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. serving the perfect mix of…
Good rooms: the essential venues every Orlando newcomer should check out
Though maybe hard at first to navigate for the newcomer, the live music scene in Orlando offers a crazy array of unique experiences, especially once you dig a little deeper than the arenas and bigger halls. Now, larger venues may have actual tolerable sound and serve my touring band needs, but my favorite venues generally…
Where to find lots of food choices all under one roof in Orlando
Orlando doesn’t have giant food halls on the lines of L.A.’s Grand Central Market or the James Beard Public Market in Portland, but we do have a few places that offer plenty of choices under one roof. Plans are brewing for at least five more that we know of – check back next year and…
All the best spots for Orlando bookworms to flip pages
Dedicated bookworm Annabelle Sikes reveals all the secret spots best for turning pages – and some of the local writers whose work you should be enjoying As Plato said, “Books give a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.” Whether it’s cozying up with a book…
Raising houseplants in Orlando isn’t always easy, but our little green friends are worth it
Hi, I’m Jenny, and I kill houseplants. Ferns, ficus, succulents and cacti have all sacrificed themselves and gone to their deaths to avoid my plant-motherhood. I actually gave up on an orchid one time and flung it into someone’s side yard, only to see it over there gorgeous and blooming just a few months later.…
Litlando: 10 Orlando authors you should know
Orlando is home to some amazing authors, in genres like true-crime, historical fiction, young adult and many more. Some even set their stories around Central Florida. Here are ten favorites to check out. Kristen Arnett perfectly captures the heart-wrenching feelings of loss and love in her novel Mostly Dead Things. The book focuses on a…
Six unbelievably luxurious hotel pools you should definitely not sneak into
Orlando is the top vacation spot for visitors from out of state and overseas, but a lot of those visitors flowing in become permanent residents. So sure, the hotels and theme parks have stepped up their game by creating incredible pool areas with cabanas, lazy rivers, swim-up bars and more to attract the tourist dollar…
Maisie Haney shares ten favorite Orlando bands to catch live
Keep your ears open to these crucial local groups: Spoon Dogs Seemingly out of nowhere, this young group of garage rock freaks have elbowed their way to the front of the local pack. Their recent tour kick-off show at Will’s was pure hysteria from start to finish. The Nightmare The Nightmare serve as a sort…
Our picks for the best comic shops and conventions in Orlando
SHOPPING A Comic Shop This Winter Park comics haven has been pushing the notion of what a comic book store can be for years now, with a wide selection of indie titles, interesting events and even their Geek Easy bar and venue (which spun off onto its own recently). Acme Superstore A hidden gem of Orlando fandom,…
A guide to the best of Orlando’s theater scene
There’s something for everyone in Orlando’s theaters – Clarissa Moon breaks it down Orlando attracts talent from around the nation to perform at its theme parks, and these performers use local theaters as an artistic outlet, making Central Florida a lucky hub of high-caliber performance. Orlando’s theater offerings include national tours, blockbuster musicals, classic Shakespeare,…
Orlando obsessions: About the Newcomers Guide cover
Lake Eola Park If Orlando were a wheel, Lake Eola Park would be the hub. It also wouldn’t be a very good wheel, because it would be bumpy as hell, but we don’t have to think that hard about the metaphor. The downtown park, centered on the iconic fountain in the lake, hosts dozens of…
Be the change you wish to see: pointers for a better civic life in Orlando
Welcome to Orlando, the center of the political universe. Narrowly won and lost statewide elections are decided right here in the City Beautiful, our surrounding suburban enclaves, and our massive colleges and universities. Beautiful as our town may be, Orlando sits at the juncture of countless struggles. We run on a low-wage economy, we lack…
The best of Orlando’s world-famous parks and attractions
We’ve all heard the conventional wisdom about our city’s world-famous theme parks: nobody goes there because it’s too crowded. Certainly, there are longtime Orlando residents who only venture into the parks in search of a paycheck, or when family visits from out of state. But ignoring them would be as senseless as a New Yorker…
A mostly accurate map of Orlando’s neighborhoods and districts
–This story is from the Aug. 8, 2019, print issue of Orlando Weekly’s Newcomers Guide 2019. Stay on top of Central Florida news and views with our weekly Headlines newsletter.
The best places in Orlando to enjoy the outdoors
We have sunshine all year round here, and Jenna Lyons lists seven outdoor places every Orlando newcomer should check out. Lake Eola Park 512 E. Washington St. It always tops the list. C’mon, the lake’s fountain is on Orlando’s city flag. There’s always something going on there, from activist demonstrations to concerts to a farmers market…
Sheer art attack: Orlando’s can’t-miss gallery spaces
Orlando is not rich in famed art pieces like New York City, Chicago or Washington, D.C. – though a Kara Walker lives in the permanent collection of the Cornell Fine Arts Museum. And while the Orlando Museum of Art may hold the attention of most Orlandoans as perhaps the most important museum space we have…
