Every major city has a "ChinaTown". This is the West sides'…read moreanswer to "little Nom". There are plenty of spots in the shopping center to eat and explore. I usually go to the boba spot here, and one of the restaurants. I miss Sapporo ramen, but they were replaced by a nice Dim Sum spot. I also want to eventually check out Tofu House and Walala Noodles. When I was in college, I would make coming here a whole day trip! Plenty to do! There's an Asian grocery store in the plaza too!

I have seen this sign since moving to Orlando back in 2001. It sits within the Westside Crossing…read moreshopping plaza and I always felt pointed to what was a big part of the Asian community. The shopping plaza is filled almost exclusively Asian markets and restaurants and this is a good place to check out.

Thanks Rachel M for telling me about this unique work of art in downtown Orlando! I think all…read morecrosswalks should be opportunities for artists! This brightly colored Florida crosswalk is awesome! Life is good with public art!

Thanks to Skip from A Pivotal Character Artworks Design for Painting this crosswalk…read more I read this is part of a traffic safety initiative for people to slow down and pay attention to the road. I surely paid attention to this cross walk, & joyfully saw it during a Puerto Rican Street Parade. It's very close to Stemma Coffee Shop. You can follow his artwork on Ig at @seeskipfranchise and @apivotalcharacter I also read there are many crosswalks and art by him on Orange Ave.

We decided to go here for lunch and it was a good decision! They were not too busy and I ate so…read moremuch that I didn't need dinner! Our server was wonderful! She was friendly and inviting. She patiently answered questions and gave us plenty of time to decide without leaving us to feel like we were forgotten. The restaurant has a steam punk decor which is so fun! There are three options when you walk in. You can stay and eat, pick out a delicious chocolate or sweet treat from their candy counter or you can order an ice cream/desert from the other counter. We made a reservation, which I recommend. We started with the chocolate almond bread with caramel butter. I will be dreaming about this bread for a long time! It was the prefect texture and balance of flavors! For meals we got the Monte Cristo sandwich, the Mushroom risotto and the bacon cheeseburger. The Monte Cristo was huge and very filling. Easily shareable. It came with a berry sauce and fresh berries along the side, as well as a choice of French fries or kettle chips. The risotto was creamy and delicious. There were good sized pieces of mushrooms through out. The bacon on the cheeseburger was cooked perfectly and they were long strips too. For dessert we got the Strawberry Cheesecake shake and the Brookies and cream sundae. I heard that the shake was delicious. The Brookie was a wonderful blend of soft chocolate chip cookie and chewy brownie. The cookies and cream ice cream was loaded with Oreo pieces. The whole thing was devine! It was a pricey meal for us but worth the experience.

Truffles: Most of these were dark chocolate, and I really…read morewish they were milk chocolate. - Key lime 8/10 The key lime flavor is great! It's a little weird with the chocolate. - Chocolate pretzel 8/10 I wish the pretzel pieces were bigger. - Dulce de leche 8/10 The caramel inside was so smooth. - caramel 9/10 Salted caramel was delicious. - crème brûlée 4/10 This tastes coconutty to me. Not like crème brûlée. Kinda gross. - hazelnut 8/10 I like the little crunchies in this.

If I could give zero stars I would! The point of "dining in the dark" is to enhance your taste…read morebuds... why enhance your tastebuds if there is no flavor in the food????? It was cold and just not good. Especially for the amount of money. Let me save you the trip. Don't go.

Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous benefit! This was so much more than just a dinner benefitting a great…read morecause- The dinner itself helped highlight the plight of those without sight, and formed a perfect metaphor for society's 'blindness' to hunger in our cities. Lighthouse Central Florida and Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida came together to put on the dinner, which was at the SH of CFL headquarters. We were first led into an enormous food storage facility for a cocktail hour with a musician singing softly and passed hors d'oeuvre. The anticipation was building with everyone nervously chatting about how some people get anxious and claustrophobic in the dark. But as soon as the Orlando SWAT fellas entered the room and started posing for pictures and mingling all of the nerves left the room and were replaced by giddy ladies (myself included) and laughter. Finally, it was time to line up in our table groups to conga-line into the dark dining room. Alas, I was not lucky enough to be second in the conga-line behind our SWAT gentleman... The room was pitch black- like so black that I couldn't tell the difference between having my eyes open and closed. Eventually, my eyes adjusted a bit and I could see a dim glow of something identifying where the center of our table was. As the dishes came out I realized that utensils were futile. That's right- the SWAT guys, with their night vision, got a great view of me shoveling mashed potatoes into my face with my fingers. And you know what? I was A-OK with that! We were all in the same boat at our table and it led to some great conversations and some new friends! The woman next to me let me know that she is pretty shy and this gave her the confidence to talk to strangers and make friends. In the end, the dinner really highlighted how different life would be without our sense of vision, and it did it in an amazing experiential way. I was a total mess without my vision and I really appreciated it when the lights were turned on at the end. Lighthouse has found a really powerful tool in their awareness arsenal. I would highly recommend this event to others and am now very interested in seeing how I can help both of these fabulous orgs - so, mission accomplished!

5 stars for only THE BEST neighborhood in Orlando! I've lived in the Mills 50 District/Colonialtown…read moreNorth for almost 10 years and I never want to leave (that is if the increasing already sky-high rent prices don't push me out, haha). Not joking though. I can't get enough of this diverse, inclusive family-friendly community that I hope to one day raise my own kids in. I've watched so much growth happen here over the last decade and it's been beautiful to be a part of. So many new restaurants, bars, and businesses have popped up and I'm happy to see them thriving. Mills 50 is also one of the more walkable neighborhood streets in Orlando, and I'm so fortunate that I can easily hop over to some of my favorite local gems like The Strand, Black Rooster Taqueria, Hawkers, Qreate Coffee, Pig Floyd's, House on Lang, The Sunroom, Sampaguita Ice Cream... this list goes on and on! I was also thrilled to learn that Mills 50 was also featured on Yelp's list of the most LGBTQ-friendly neighborhoods in the U.S. this year. It's truly a magical place to live where everyone is welcome and I'm lucky to call it home!

Mills 50 is it neighborhood that is set around the corner of Mills Avenue and East Colonial drive,…read morecommonly known as 50. It is a hip, trendy neighborhood located on the edge of the downtown Orlando, Florida area. There is plenty to do in this area with there being a lot of bars, restaurants, parks and stuff like that. The restaurants are a good mix of cuisines and they also have a lot of little specialty shops where you can go do some shopping. I would definitely recommend coming to visit here or if you are looking to move in, understand that there are a lot of positives to move over here.

This is an area of Lake Eola that is located on the Rosalind Ave side of the park. It is close to…read morethe pedaling swan rentals, bathroom and a restaurant. People enjoy coming here and take pictures. Kids enjoy playing here over the muse. It is really cool to see them enjoy it. This is free of charge.

The Muse of Discovery is one of 9 sculptures that are part of See Art Orlando, a permanent…read morecontemporary collection of art that was unveiled by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and the See Art Orlando Board of Directors on November 18, 2013. The art project was launched by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and art lover Jennifer Quigley. They hoped that adding public art to downtown Orlando would bring pride, boost the economy, and strengthen the city's cultural core. The Muse of Discovery is the lovely lady of Lake Eola. Of all the public art around Lake Eola, she is my favorite. You can find her at the front of Lake Eola on Rosalind Avenue between Washington and Robinson. The Muse of Discovery is sculpture made from earthwork and limestone that portrays a reclining woman gazing at her opened hand as a blanket of grass covers her body. Created by artist Meg White you are invited to "sit in the hand of the Muse and discover your hidden potential as she whispers to you." The sculpture is meant to evoke one of the ancient Muses of Greek myth, the goddesses of creativity. This sculpture was donated to the city by Wayne M Densch Charities. I love the interactive nature of this piece. You are invited to sit in the hand but if you ever visit in person, you will most likely see her with children dangling off every part of her. Everyone want their picture taken with The Muse. When you see a photo of the Muse of Discovery, it is instantly recognizable as downtown Orlando, Florida.

This mural is located on the side of the City Centre building, which is located on the corner of…read moreEast Central Boulevard and Rosalind Avenue in downtown Orlando. It is not far from Lake Eola Park and is a vibrant piece of art that enhances and beautifies the downtown Orlando, Florida area. Public art shows the underlying personality of a city, it adds soul to the concrete and steel that define most large cities and shows us the community rather than simply the population in terms of numbers. This piece of art is a wonderful addition to the downtown Orlando area and I definitely encourage you to come check it out.

I was driving around this corner of Orlando looking for a restroom when I spotted this cool…read morepostcard mural, Greeting from Orlando. PS there is a 7-Eleven if you make a left at the light. Thanks Dave W. for adding this public art to Yelp. This mural was created in 2016 by artists Victor Ving and photographer Lisa Beggs as part of their Greetings Tour. It is on the side of Uncle Tony's Donut Shop which is a record store. Greetings from Orlando joined murals in Raymour MO, Sandusky OH, Bend OR, Union County GA, Cooperstown NY and many more. They have worked with over 65 communities across 28 states to paint their modern day postcard inspired murals. Locals were asked for suggestions on what landmarks, nature, history and culture images should be included in the mural. Images of the the Linton E. Allen Memorial Fountain in Lake Eola, Epcot and the Disney monorail, Milk District, the citrus industry, a tribute to Wet N' Wild and Bar BQ Bar, and Orlando City Soccer Club and Orlando Magic were chosen. If you look very closely the artists painted themselves in the swan boat in the Lake Eola scene in the letter O. I love a postcard mural. You can use it as a backdrop for your photos and everyone will instantly know where you are. This one really captured the soul of Orlando.

Years past, we might visit Orlando, buy a postcard, write a nice note and mail it to loved ones!…read moreNow, you can just take a selfie or picture here and send it electronically! This spot is hidden in a back alley and, at least while I was there, a car was parked in the way. Still, it's 100% free and fun! Life is good with a postcard!

Orlando was nicknamed "The City Beautiful" after Jesse Branch entered and won a slogan contest in…read more1908. It is sometimes called the theme park capital of the world for its cllose associationwith Disney World, Universal Resorts, and Seaworld which make up the backbone of the Orlando's tourism industry. It is one of the most visited American cities and one of the most popular choices for conferences and conventions. It is also home to the University of Central Florida which is the second largest college in the country. All of Orlando's shining attributes make it an attractive partner to have as a sister city. Sister Cities are a concept that started after WWII as a way to solidify links between cities in allied countries that went through similar devastating events. Today it is seen as a long-term partnership between two communities in two countries. A relationship is officially recognized after the highest elected or appointed official from both communities sign off on an agreement to become sister cities. The cities can then engage in municipal, business, trade, educational, and cultural exchanges between them. Orlando has a large number of sister cities which include Anaheim, California, Bethlehem, Curitiba in Brazil, Guilin in China, Monterrey in Mexico, Orenburg in Russia , Seine-et-Marne in France, Tainan in Taiwan, Urayasu in Japan, Keflavik in Iceland, and Valladolid in Spain. Located in Lake Eola Park next to the boardwalk is a sign listing some of Orlando's sister cities and how far away they are from Orlando. I loved discovering this very cool sign. It reminds us that although we are all living on what feels like a big planet we are all interconnected.

I have always liked these little signs that put in relation how far certain other major cities are…read morein the world. This particular sign is located on the edge of Lake Eola Park and is by the World of Beer. It is an interesting little gem and a great park here in Orlando, Florida. If you find yourself in Lake Eola Park, go check this out. First off, it is interesting to see what other cities Orlando claims to have an affiliation with and the other one is to see exactly how many miles away from Orlando they are. It kind of shows how big the world is and yet how small It ultimately is.

5 stars because Orlando Soup is a great way help different community projects in Orlando. For a…read moredonation of $10 you receive bread, salad and a bowl of soup. How it works, you listen to 4 different presentations about things happening in and around the Orlando area and how hey will use the funds for their projects if the win the final vote. That evening we had the pleasure of listening to 4 great projects: - Game changer: helping kids break out of their shells through gaming and educational curriculum - the dinner party project:bringing people from Orlando from different backgrounds around the dinner table for great conversations - source codeb46 foundation: building children self confidence through software coding and story telling - explore theater and dance company: allowing community members to participate in the creative production process. The presentations were not very long giving us the audience a chance to ask questions on what they will do with the donation. It was very moving to see how every presenter was passionate about their project. After listening to the presentation we cast a vote on the project we think can benefit from the donation. Basically, a percentage of your $10.00 will go to the project that gets the most votes. This was an overall very inspiring evening and would urge people of Orlando to attend Orlando Soup so they can find out what is going on in our community.

This is what community is about and why I adore Orlando so much…read more Ask yourself: What project could you do with $500-800 to make your community better? That is what these presenters answer while you sit back and decide where your donation for the evening should go! How cool? That's right. For a donation of $10, attendees receive soup, salad and bread and then choose where most of their donation goes! So this is not a profit maker for Orlando SOUP, the profits go to feeding everyone during the event and then to the ideas! Even the planning team for the event is donating their time. How cool? What a beautiful concept. I am so happy I got to attend an Orlando SOUP night last evening. It was the 3rd installment of the fabulous series that is based off the successful Detroit SOUP: a micro-granting dinner celebrating and supporting creative community improvement projects for the city. Before dinner is served, attendees will listen to four short community project proposals covering a range of topics such as art, urban agriculture, social justice, social entrepreneurship, education, technology, and more. What is a city improvement project? We last night it consisted of: - Buy Local Orlando: Food Edition - guide that promotes local farmers, local markets, etc. I like the idea of having a highly concentrated guide but in reality, I use Yelp for this - but love the idea and that people want to push local love. - Portable urban food forest (P.U.F.F.) - to assist with the fast traffic along Corrine Dr. in Audubon Park, it's proven that visual distractions automatically make people drive slower. The idea was to fill the back of a trailer bed with a green sanctuary, compost bin, bird feeder, etc. Then, park it in a spot that would be visually appealing and a smart spot to help with a blind spot when exiting one of the shopping centers. ACE Day (achieve a college education day) - To help assist with getting 500 5th graders a chance to tour UCF as their field trip for an interactive day of fun with students, faculty, and campus life. Currently, the higher education trips are non-existent and they go to the local prison during their "field trip" to see where they shouldn't end up. So sad. Ride around the town: Fixit Orlando - With the new bike share program, this group would like to add a self-repair bike station at lake eola. It was so cool to see how everyone presented as they only had 4 minutes and were not allowed to use technology. Some had passionate stories, some had amazing creative visuals. Really inspiring overall. During dinner, attendees cast a vote for their favorite project and, at the end of the night, the project that receives the most votes is funded by a % from each attendees' donation. Winners will appear at future SOUP dinners to report their project's progress. I did appreciate hearing updates from the two previous Orlando SOUP winners. So happy to see so much positive, local, movements happening. Props to everyone who organizes this, presents their ideas, and attends. Such a fabulous cause! Props.