A colleague of mine recently shared her experience at Addy Gallery Night, held at CityArts Factory downtown. Last Thursday evening’s event showcased work submitted for the 2008 Addy Competition, but there was much more to offer.

CityArts Factory is a multi-use facility located on Orange Avenue in the heart of Downtown Orlando. Originally the Phillips Theatre in the early 1920s, CityArts Factory opened in June 2006. The Factory boasts five separate galleries, an artists’ studio, a classroom, and a gigantic performance and event space.

The recipients of a recent half a million dollar gift by Eola Capital Partners, the Factory dedicated its second floor space as the Eola Capital Loft at CityArts Factory.

This breathtaking space can’t help but be a success … I hope it’s only the beginning of a world of culture to come to The City Beautiful.

CityArts Factory
29 South Orange Avenue
Orlando, FL 32801
407/648-7060

Yup, I said Room 3 Nine…for lunch! I know — the first time I learned about this I was a little bit shocked as well. I had no idea this downtown weekend hotspot is also a downtown lunch spot. And surprisingly enough it’s pretty dang good.

Let me back up first and say it’s the quite the opposite of my intention to only write about, support, and patron downtown Orlando restaurants and venues. However, I live, work and play downtown so it’s very convenient for me to hit-up the surrounding commerce. That being said, there is a limited “supply” of downtown commerce, so you’ll definitely see more from the outlying areas.

So back to “3 Nine.” While many of my work colleagues go there a little more frequently than I prefer to (it’s conveniently located one block from our office), I must admit the food is good, affordable, and [typically] served-up quickly. It really is one of the more perfect spots for a downtown lunch, especially considering most of the other nearby places take a substantially longer time to serve their food. At Room 3 Nine you’ll find healthy sandwiches, unique salads, various soups, and some of the best friggin’ sweet tea (I’m somewhat of an expert, being a Southern boy and all) in the Central Florida area.

If you’re considering checking-out Room 3 Nine I advise you to visit their website. It hosts a wealth of information; I was actually a little shocked at how well-put together this little business’s website. You’ll find standard information like upcoming events, photos, and venue contact information. The thing I really like about their site is they post their menu (as far as I can tell it’s current; I recommend the El Paso salad).

Here’s a screenshot of their site homepage:

All-in-all I am a fan of lunch at Room 3 Nine. There is one thing I have to mention, that is a drawback for me personally: the music. During the lunch hour there is blaring, often monotonous jazz music playing overhead. Now, I don’t mind jazz music but this specific style is more-often-than-not quite a turnoff. Just be warned!

** Stay-tuned for a future post from klynn75 on Room 3 Nine as seen in the evening. **

If you have a bike, now’s the perfect time of year in Central Florida to explore some of the area’s trails.

If you live Downtown, in Winter Park or Baldwin Park, join me for a ride along Cady Way Trail.

Traveling through Winter Park – from Fashion Square Mall to Oviedo – the new trail bridge stretches the trail across Semoran Blvd. and runs 6.5 paved miles ending at Hall Road where it crosses Aloma Avenue and meets up with the Cross Seminole Trail. Arguably, not my favorite trail in Orlando, it’s still scenic and with few intersections it’s a nice ride.

One the best and longest paved trails in Central Florida is the West Orange Trail. There are five trailheads and outposts throughout the county making this one of the most accessible trails around.

Another great one, the Seminole Wekiva Trail is a peaceful 14-mile ride with trailheads at San Sebastian, Markham and Sanlando.

After you’ve had a chance to explore some of these sites, check out my friends at Orange Cycle for more trail tips and maps.

I’ll see you out there!

Nearly a year ago I discovered my hidden love for bicycling.  I’d been looking for ways to get exercise outdoors and cycling seemed like a no-brainer. What wasn’t a no-brainer, however, was what bike to buy, where to buy it and even where to ride.  I had A LOT of research to do!!

A friend of mine, who also happened to be a cycling enthusiast, volunteered his Saturday to accompany me around town in search of a bike. 

We visited a few local bike shops before stumbling upon Orange Cycle. Somehow the folks at Orange Cycle manage to take what could be a rather overwhelming process and make it as simple as deciding, “paper or plastic”?

They asked how and where I wanted to ride to determine which bike would best suit my needs. Of course, I didn’t know, but I said, around town on trails?

That’s when they pointed me in the direction of what would soon become my prized possession …

The Globe by Specialized, is what is referred to as a “Hybrid.” Not quite a mountain bike, but not a road bike either.  It’s the perfect in-between for the casual rider.  The frame is constructed of aluminum, so it’s sturdy, but lightweight.  Newer versions of the Globe run in the $500 range, but trust me … it’s worth every penny. 

I’ve logged close to a thousand miles on mine in the past year and am looking forward to Daylight Saving Time, so I can jump on the trails after work.

Speaking of trails … stay tuned for Part 2 of this post where I’ll share my favorite trails around Central Florida!

In the meantime, don’t forget to visit the team at Orange Cycle. They are simply the best in town at what they do.

Conveniently located on Edgewater Drive in College Park, they’re open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

I just returned from a quick trip to the grocery (one of my least favorite “chores” ever), and passed a sign that caused a tinge of amusement:

Granted, I know this is for “employee” of the month, but I still think the abbreviated “emp” is funny.

Congratulations to “Employee of the Month Jason Goldbach” at Southeast Electric (2102 Curry Ford Road) in the Conway neighborhood.

Looking for things to do in Orlando can often be challenging. Particularly when you live in a city that’s so centered around the tourism industry. One of the great things about starting this blog is it’s afforded an opportunity to “step out” and look for new things. And quite honestly I didn’t realize what a gem we have right under our noses, in the Orlando Science Center, until I went to see Bodies…The Exhibition last year. Now don’t roll your eyes or turn up your noses just yet. Orlando Science Center truly is an educational and entertaining place to visit.

Right now there are several exhibits that are interesting and worthy of a visit:

Titanic -The Experience:
Yes, you guessed it. This is a live-action, complete-with-actors recreation of the world’s most famous disaster ship. It’s currently in a limited engagement. Aside from the obvious focus on the disaster itself, the exhibit explores the depths of the ocean as well. Now I’m willing to give this a try but for some reason I just can’t shake the image of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet surrounded by a supporting choir.

Robots:
Currently scheduled to appear through May 11th, this exhibit sounds awesome! If you’ve ever seen the movie Robots, its stars host this exhibit about how robots have influenced our history, and how they are going to impact our future. I think this feature should be quite interesting, especially since technology is growing at such a rapid rate.

High School Musical:
Now, I’m pretty much out-of-the-loop on the High School Musical craze. Granted, I’m aware of it, but I just don’t understand what all the rage is. But I can recognize when someone is smart enough to capitalize on something that’s “hot,” and that’s exactly what the science center–and nearby Grammercy Theatre–is doing. This full production is actually cast with talent from the Central Florida pool but if you haven’t caught the show yet, you’re pretty much outta luck. The final show is a 2:00pm today.

There are other exhibits featured but I won’t bore you by listing them all. You’ll have to visit their official website to find out more. As you would expect it’s filled with lots of great information including upcoming exhibits, membership information, camps for kids during school breaks, hours and admission prices, and more.

So what do you think? Are you going to give it a shot? Go ahead…expand your mind and have fun while doing it!

Have you ever wanted to find fellow Orlando-ans with similar interests to yours, but you don’t really know where to look? About the only place I could think of until now is Orlando Weekly, but in doing that you run the risk of getting caught-up in the raunchy ads in the back. Don’t act like you don’t know which ones I’m referring to! But Meetup.com has made things much, much easier…and without the smut-brush.

Quite simply put in their tagline:

Whatever your interest.
Wherever you are.

It doesn’t get any simpler than that. Well, until you’re looking for groups to join. And in this day-and-age when we’re moving at warp speed, and living most of our lives online, why not look for folks to meetup with online? Now I have to be honest and say I haven’t personally utilized Meetup.com to join any groups, but in looking over their site it should be a breeze. You’ll have to peruse the site to search for your own personal interests, where you’ll find the site segmented by (to name a few):

• Arts
• Cultures & Community
• Groups & Associations
• Hobbies
• Parenting
• Religion
• Work & Career

Aside from also listing the newest meetup groups that’ve been created, the largest groups are also highlighted. Surely there’s something that appeals to everyone in the top 100! Here are some of the current largest groups: Orlando Mix & Mingle Club, The Orlando Wine Meetup Group, The Orlando Night Life Meetup Group, and The Orlando Meditation Meetup Group.

Several things I really dig about the Meetup.com site:
1. Groups are broken down by cities so if you’re not technically in the Orlando city limits you can find meet-ups where you live.
2. If you’re part of a Meetup group and you run a website or blog, you can proudly tell your readers by posting a customized badge on your site.
3. You can meet the Meetup team. Well, sort of. Profiles for “Team Meetup” are featured on the site, along with those of the Board of Directors (if that’s something you’re interested in).

One thing I’m not so fond of: the site is not aesthetically inviting. In other words: BORING! But if this is their biggest problem then I think they’re doing pretty good.

Wow! In just reviewing all of this information I’m realizing what a robust resource this site is. I wonder if they have an “Orlando Blog” group? If not, perhaps we’ll start one…and rest assured we’ll let you know.

One of my longtime favorite spaces to hang out with friends on a Friday or Saturday evening has been Sky 60. In fact, I was just there last night helping a friend of mine celebrate her recent birthday.

On the roof of The Social in the heart of downtown Orlando, “sky bar” is a laid back, open-air lounge. I mostly enjoy going there because I forget I’m in Orlando — the view of downtown is stimulating and the crowd is [typically] non-Orlando (if you’re an Orlando resident you know what I’m referring to).

Relatively affordable drinks, four private cabanas, rooftop lounging and a cheap cover (it’s free for women all the time, I believe, and $5 for guys after 10pm) make for an inviting nightlife package. If you’ve never been to Sky 60 here are a few reasons to give it a chance:

• rooftop view of downtown (which is growing daily)
• happy hour Wednesday through Saturday from 8-10pm
• private party rental for a $500 fee
• good music (primarily house and chill)

The only drawback, I would have to say, is the venue doesn’t serve any food; however, they are a bar so that’s not unexpected. Providing the weather is clear and not too humid, catching-up with friends and meeting new people can be an enjoyable memory at Sky 60.

Change is good, right? Or so the saying goes. Normally I agree but when it comes to restaurants–particularly if they are neighborhood favorites–change can often negate that statement.

I’ve already admitted to my love of food. I have no shame. So I’m always willing to try new places, and experience new atmospheres. So when I made plans to have dinner with a friend of mine who’s in from out-of-town she’d mentioned Sam’s Music Bar and Bistro in the well-known MetroWest community. If you’re familiar with MetroWest you probably know Sam’s is formerly Sam Snead’s.

My friend and I arrived at the venue around 7pm, and met-up with her friend at the bar. First things first: the place was dead. I’m talking yawn, yawn, yawn! Not typical of most restaurants during dinner time on a Thursday night, particularly in MetroWest. In fact, when we drove past Taquitos Jalisco a few doors down, it was jammin’! Should’ve been a sign.

The lack of patronage continued throughout the night, but fortunately that was fitting for our situation — we wanted to visit and chat with each other, and we got to do just that. We got to be our loud, obnoxious selves without worrying about disturbing other guests (there were none!). The food was great, so that’s a plus; the live music was not.

One of the truly unique things about Sam’s, though, is they rent Huka pipes to willing patrons. Apparently you can rent a pipe for $15 (according to one of the waitresses), along with the flavored tobacco of your choice. Not something that’s common around the Orlando/Central Florida area.

If you’d like to check-out Sam’s for yourself, they are located at:

2461 S. Hiawassee Road
Orlando, FL 32835

For more information:

Phone: 407.295.9999
Site: Website
E-mail: E-mail

Overall, I wasn’t the biggest fan of this “new” Sam’s, and I’ve come to the conclusion change is not always good. That being said, I am willing to give it one more shot…probably on a Friday or Saturday night.

It’s hard to believe my first post about shopping is to brag about a hardware store and not my latest trip to Bloomies, but what can I say … trips to the mall have been few and far between lately.

If you’re not familiar with Ace Hardware, maybe this’ll help:

Since stores like Home Depot have become the Kleenex of the ‘home improvement’ world, it’s somewhat amazing that Ace has continued to flourish, but I’m still a fan.

At 8 a.m. Tuesday morning, I needed to have a few keys made so I took a short drive over to the College Park Ace Hardware store. And, not only did I park directly in front of the quaint Edgewater Drive location (sue me, I’m lazy), but I was greeted with a smile and a “good morning” … two things missing from most of today’s retail experiences.

So, next time you find yourself in need of Paint and Sundries (sundries?), Lawn and Garden, Hand and Power Tools (I’m not even touching that one!), Electrical, Plumbing or Hardware supplies, Ace is the Place!