The Owl’s Attic
4031 Forsyth Road, Winter Park, 321-300-6957, theowlzattic.com
If you don’t know to look for it, it’s easy to miss the Owl’s Attic, situated in front of a car repair shop and sharing the same lot. But keep an eye out for the darling owl insignia as your hoot signal that you’re headed in the right direction. Turn to face Forsyth, then wing it left and walk along the street to find the entrance. Inside the shop, discover a rotation of vintage clothing (for women and men), jewelry, shoes, bags, sunglasses and other oddities to keep your look decidedly your own.
Red Hill Groves
3725 S. Conway Road, 800-654-5562, redhillgroves.com
There was a time when Conway wasn’t known primarily as a suburban community near the airport, but more as the area south of the city that was full of open space and orange groves. Red Hill Groves is one of the last visible references to Conway’s citrusy past. Part fruit stand, part tourist shack, part citrus packing house, this little shop operates from October through May, selling honeybells, grapefruits, navels and other grove-fresh fruits, as well as random novelties (citrus sippers, coconut patties) and fresh-squeezed juices. Oh, and ice cream – just like any farm store worth its salt, Red Hill Groves has soft-serve. But you can’t just settle for a vanilla cone – get your scoop floated in a cup of fresh-squeezed juice. Divine.
Trader Joe’s
131 N. Orlando Ave., Winter Park, 407-622-0874, traderjoes.com
People gave us a lot of static for our enthusiasm about the entry of Trader Joe’s into our market. For years, we found ourselves making monthly treks to Gainesville or Sarasota to get our fix of habañero-lime tortillas, simmer sauces and roasted seaweed snacks. Now we have but to fight a little traffic battle on Orlando Avenue (and brave the insane competition for spots in the way-too-small parking lot) to get to our cookie butter and inexpensive dry goods. And lest you think Trader Joe’s is just another overpriced gourmet grocery store, you’d do well to stop in one day when you have some free time (we recommend Tuesday mornings before 11 a.m.). You’ll discover, just as we have, that the place is stocked with reasonably priced frozen foods, dairy products, organic goods and wine – lots and lots of wine. Seriously – Trader Joe’s is not the place to go if you’re looking for a bottle of Clorox, a six-pack of Coke or a package of Charmin, but it gives Publix a run for its money when it comes to produce, organic goods and the yummy treats that make our lives complete.
Hinge
1506 N. Orange Blossom Trail, 407-401-9112, hingevintagehardware.com
When obsessed hardware man George Baker sold his antique inventory to Rick Bosserman, Bosserman promptly saw precious metal. One man’s OCD is another man’s treasure, right? And Hinge, sited in College Park near the Fairvilla Megastore, has aisle after aisle of gleaming brass, copper and iron stuff. Pre-Revolutionary door locksets, wooden ice skates, rooster weathervanes … it just goes on and on. Complimentary vintage candy (anyone remember Mary Janes?) fits the vintage theme. Look for the eerie rows of colorful Depression-era glass Southern Belles on a shelf in the back, lined up like so many Stepford wives.
Dolly’s Foundation
dollysfoundation.org
OK, so technically most people hopefully won’t need to take advantage of the services of this organization. But residents in low-income communities and pet owners who need assistance finding affordable health care for their animals have found an invaluable service in Dolly’s Foundation, a little nonprofit with a big mission to help people connect with the resources they need to take better care of their pets. With the help of grants from partner organizations, Dolly’s Foundation has provided health care, food donations and spay and neuter services – in just this past year alone, they’ve managed to spay and neuter hundreds of dogs and cats in Central Florida – all at no cost to their owners.
Grace + Murk Custom Conceptual Garments
805 Virginia Drive, 407-203-0959, graceandmurk.com
Fashion design company Grace + Murk can make anything. Custom-designed bathing suits for Gay Days, stilt-walking lion men for a street party, a sweater with that fabric you’ve had in your closet for years – if you have an idea, they can sew it into life. Their cute studio in Ivanhoe Village, across from Santiago’s Bodega, is chock-full of crazy garments that would be totally at home in a Gaga video, and the owners, Wayne Fowks and Desi Hilgers, are both gorgeous and super-cool kids that love Orlando and want to be a part of making it a more fashionable place to live.
East End Market
3201 Corrine Drive, 321-236-3316, eastendmkt.com
It would’ve been easy to get a dead mall somewhere, throw a bunch of booths into it, and call it a “market.” Cheaper, too. Instead, the East End team – John and Kamrin Rife, Gabby Othon Lothrop and Heather Grove – did it the hard way: They converted an old two-story structure in the walkable heart of Audubon Park into a local food hub, and now we have a vibrant niche for entrepreneurs that is exquisite, unique and fun. It may not be the cheapest place in town to get excellent smoothies, locally grown vegetables and meats, and interesting cheeses, but you know your money is going to the actual producers, not some schmuck on Wall Street. Enjoy!
Big Box of Orlando Holiday Pop-up Shop
thedailycity.com
It’s about time somebody made holiday shopping fun again. The Daily City’s Big Box of Orlando transformed the Orange Studio in Mills 50 into a cross between a party, an artisan’s market and an indoor mall full of local goods. With festive tunes spun by DJ Nigel, a beer and wine cash bar, the Tamale Co. food truck parked outside and more cool giftable goods (from, among others, Lure Design, Lineage Roasting, Cloak and Dapper and West Elm) than you possibly have people on your gift-giving list, the experience made shopping awesome rather than awful. Thanks, The Daily City. We won’t dread the holiday season half as much this year knowing that we have your event to look forward to.
