Alexis N’s guidebook

Neighborhoods

Thornton Park

Just east of Lake Eola Park and Orlando’s bustling downtown financial district, this quaint shopping, dining and arts village with brick-lined streets and European atmosphere is one of the city’s most stylish districts. Here you’ll find locals dining alfresco at upscale restaurants like Soco and Dexter’s, enjoying craft-beer and wine while perusing local art at The Falcon Bar & Gallery or getting stylish at one of the many hair salons and fashion boutiques. You won’t want to miss Thornton Park’s "Wine Walk + Art Stroll" happening every second Thursday of the month.

63 personas locales recomiendan

Thornton Park

63 personas locales recomiendan

Just east of Lake Eola Park and Orlando’s bustling downtown financial district, this quaint shopping, dining and arts village with brick-lined streets and European atmosphere is one of the city’s most stylish districts. Here you’ll find locals dining alfresco at upscale restaurants like Soco and Dexter’s, enjoying craft-beer and wine while perusing local art at The Falcon Bar & Gallery or getting stylish at one of the many hair salons and fashion boutiques. You won’t want to miss Thornton Park’s "Wine Walk + Art Stroll" happening every second Thursday of the month.

Audubon Park

Tucked around a retro residential neighborhood known for its gardens and wild peacocks, Audubon Park is home to award-winning, farm-to-table restaurants, boutiques, live-music venues and a thriving nightlife scene. Just a short walk from beautiful Harry P. Leu Gardens, a 50-acre botanical oasis, and anchored on its east side by expansive Blue Jacket Park, Audubon Park is registered by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and is an accredited Main Street program as well as an Orlando EcoDistrict. The area also hosts some of Orlando’s most original events including street parties, costume balls, regular happy-hour socials, book readings, wine tastings, foodie events, kid-friendly activities, guest lectures, cult TV trivia nights, bicycle rides and adventure races. You won’t want to miss the community market that takes place every Monday evening from 6-10 pm outside Stardust Coffee & Video. This weekly gathering of growers, ranchers, fishermen, chefs, artists, hand-crafters, musicians and neighbors is a hometown hangout where visitors can shop for handmade goods and fresh, local fare. Among the many reasons to visit, specific highlights include Blue Bird Bake Shop, known for some of the best cupcakes in the area; East End Market, which is full of unique local vendors and home to Central Florida’s foodie movement; Park Ave CDs with its full calendar of in-store performances by touring bands and Redlight Redlight Beer Parlour, renown for its huge selection of crafts-brews.

11 personas locales recomiendan

Audubon Park

11 personas locales recomiendan

Tucked around a retro residential neighborhood known for its gardens and wild peacocks, Audubon Park is home to award-winning, farm-to-table restaurants, boutiques, live-music venues and a thriving nightlife scene. Just a short walk from beautiful Harry P. Leu Gardens, a 50-acre botanical oasis, and anchored on its east side by expansive Blue Jacket Park, Audubon Park is registered by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and is an accredited Main Street program as well as an Orlando EcoDistrict. The area also hosts some of Orlando’s most original events including street parties, costume balls, regular happy-hour socials, book readings, wine tastings, foodie events, kid-friendly activities, guest lectures, cult TV trivia nights, bicycle rides and adventure races. You won’t want to miss the community market that takes place every Monday evening from 6-10 pm outside Stardust Coffee & Video. This weekly gathering of growers, ranchers, fishermen, chefs, artists, hand-crafters, musicians and neighbors is a hometown hangout where visitors can shop for handmade goods and fresh, local fare. Among the many reasons to visit, specific highlights include Blue Bird Bake Shop, known for some of the best cupcakes in the area; East End Market, which is full of unique local vendors and home to Central Florida’s foodie movement; Park Ave CDs with its full calendar of in-store performances by touring bands and Redlight Redlight Beer Parlour, renown for its huge selection of crafts-brews.

Winter Garden

Cobblestone streets lined with ancient oaks make the sun-dappled historic downtown of Winter Garden a picturesque destination for the whole family. Listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, the former citrus town hosts one of the top regional Farmers Markets in Central Florida and is home to the thriving new Plant Street Market, which houses a variety of local vendors and eateries as well as celebrated Crooked Can Brewery. A great location to spend a lazy weekend day or evening, here you’ll find relaxing swings around the fountain and clock-tower gazebo, a fun splash pad for the kids to cool off and the West Orange Trail, perfect for cyclists and joggers, that runs through the center of town. Concerts and productions at the historic Garden Theatre, exhibits at the SoBo Art Gallery and sunsets over nearby Lake Apopka are not to be missed.

112 personas locales recomiendan

Winter Garden

112 personas locales recomiendan

Cobblestone streets lined with ancient oaks make the sun-dappled historic downtown of Winter Garden a picturesque destination for the whole family. Listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, the former citrus town hosts one of the top regional Farmers Markets in Central Florida and is home to the thriving new Plant Street Market, which houses a variety of local vendors and eateries as well as celebrated Crooked Can Brewery. A great location to spend a lazy weekend day or evening, here you’ll find relaxing swings around the fountain and clock-tower gazebo, a fun splash pad for the kids to cool off and the West Orange Trail, perfect for cyclists and joggers, that runs through the center of town. Concerts and productions at the historic Garden Theatre, exhibits at the SoBo Art Gallery and sunsets over nearby Lake Apopka are not to be missed.

College Park

The quiet yet urban bungalow neighborhood of College Park derives its name from its many streets named for colleges like Princeton, Harvard and Yale. Ride the bike lane-laden main drag to peruse local retailers and award-winning restaurants as well as the 1950s-era Publix. Enjoy a healthy lunch at Infusion Tea before indulging in hand-made ice cream, shakes, malts and sundaes from The Soda Fountain. Nestled just outside downtown is the historic home of Jack Kerouac, whose house still stands as a literary museum and host to writers-in-residence.

28 personas locales recomiendan

College Park

28 personas locales recomiendan

The quiet yet urban bungalow neighborhood of College Park derives its name from its many streets named for colleges like Princeton, Harvard and Yale. Ride the bike lane-laden main drag to peruse local retailers and award-winning restaurants as well as the 1950s-era Publix. Enjoy a healthy lunch at Infusion Tea before indulging in hand-made ice cream, shakes, malts and sundaes from The Soda Fountain. Nestled just outside downtown is the historic home of Jack Kerouac, whose house still stands as a literary museum and host to writers-in-residence.

South Ivanhoe Boulevard

Formerly Orlando’s historic “Antique Row,” this unassuming stretch of old Orlando lakefront is a walkable and bicycle-friendly district home to eclectic dining, funky shops and swanky nightlife. If brunch is your happy-place, visit White Wolf Café and Bar or Santiago’s Bodega for some of the best bloody marys, mimosas and small plates in town. For a sophisticated evening, check out the Imperial Wine Bar at Washburn Imports; a dark-wood, global-imports store by day and intimate craft-beer and wine bar by night. On the opposite side of the nightlife spectrum is the Hammered Lamb, a casual haunt for bar bites and hefty train shots out on the garden-district-like patio. In terms of entertainment, here you’ll find Orlando’s cultural corridor where you can take your pick from high-brow burlesque at The Venue, classic and contemporary art at Mennello Museum of American Art and Orlando Museum of Art, live theater at the Orlando Shakespeare and Repertory theaters or mind-expanding, hands-on exhibits at the Orlando Science Center.

South Ivanhoe Boulevard

Formerly Orlando’s historic “Antique Row,” this unassuming stretch of old Orlando lakefront is a walkable and bicycle-friendly district home to eclectic dining, funky shops and swanky nightlife. If brunch is your happy-place, visit White Wolf Café and Bar or Santiago’s Bodega for some of the best bloody marys, mimosas and small plates in town. For a sophisticated evening, check out the Imperial Wine Bar at Washburn Imports; a dark-wood, global-imports store by day and intimate craft-beer and wine bar by night. On the opposite side of the nightlife spectrum is the Hammered Lamb, a casual haunt for bar bites and hefty train shots out on the garden-district-like patio. In terms of entertainment, here you’ll find Orlando’s cultural corridor where you can take your pick from high-brow burlesque at The Venue, classic and contemporary art at Mennello Museum of American Art and Orlando Museum of Art, live theater at the Orlando Shakespeare and Repertory theaters or mind-expanding, hands-on exhibits at the Orlando Science Center.

Church Street

With history dating back to the 1800s, Historic Church Street juxtaposes the past with the present. The downtown home of Orlando’s top entertainment venues, the Church Street District features an eclectic mix of fine dining, professional sports, live entertainment and booming nightlife. Ride the SunRail from any of the Central Florida stops to Church Street Station where you can enjoy upscale restaurants like Artisan’s Table, Ceviche, Rusty Spoon and Kres Chop House. After dinner you can take in some culture by attending a performance at Mad Cow Theatre, one of Orlando’s most respected professional theatre companies, or the new, state-of-the-art Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Sports fans can cheer on the Orlando Magic at the nearby Amway Center or Orlando City Soccer at the Citrus Bowl just down the road. Music lovers can see their favorite bands perform at The Social and the Beacham Theater, some of Orlando’s premier live venues. Grab drinks at one of the many area bars including One 80 Grey Goose Lounge, a sophisticated vertical retreat featuring unparalleled views from its perch nestled below the spire of the Amway Center, or Latitudes, downtown Orlando’s tiki-inspired rooftop bar, where the sky is the ceiling and the skyscrapers are the walls.

Church Street

With history dating back to the 1800s, Historic Church Street juxtaposes the past with the present. The downtown home of Orlando’s top entertainment venues, the Church Street District features an eclectic mix of fine dining, professional sports, live entertainment and booming nightlife. Ride the SunRail from any of the Central Florida stops to Church Street Station where you can enjoy upscale restaurants like Artisan’s Table, Ceviche, Rusty Spoon and Kres Chop House. After dinner you can take in some culture by attending a performance at Mad Cow Theatre, one of Orlando’s most respected professional theatre companies, or the new, state-of-the-art Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Sports fans can cheer on the Orlando Magic at the nearby Amway Center or Orlando City Soccer at the Citrus Bowl just down the road. Music lovers can see their favorite bands perform at The Social and the Beacham Theater, some of Orlando’s premier live venues. Grab drinks at one of the many area bars including One 80 Grey Goose Lounge, a sophisticated vertical retreat featuring unparalleled views from its perch nestled below the spire of the Amway Center, or Latitudes, downtown Orlando’s tiki-inspired rooftop bar, where the sky is the ceiling and the skyscrapers are the walls.

Alexis N’s guidebook

Amusement Parks

Walt Disney World Resort

Epcot Center Drive

SeaWorld Gate 3

Universal Studios Plaza

Island H2O Live!

Fun Spot Way

Magical Midway Thrill Park

The Holy Land Experience

WonderWorks Orlando

Discovery Cove Way

Aquatica, SeaWorld's Waterpark Orlando

I Drive Indoor Kart Racing

Orlando Watersports Complex

Crayola Experience

Gator Golf And Adventure Park

Neighborhoods

Thornton Park

Audubon Park

Winter Garden

College Park

South Ivanhoe Boulevard

Church Street