After reading a few blogs and news reports, it looks like the rumors are in deed true. In fact, after hearing about this, I checked the Improv’s site and there was proof on the homepage.

The Orlando Improv located in Church Street Station is now closed. It will make way for a new up-scale Italian restaurant called Rustic Steak. The 7,000 square foot facility has been host to many large name acts like Andrew Dice Clay, Bill Bellamy, and Tracy Morgan in the 5 years of existence. The website says they are Temporarily closed so I assume that there are plans to bring the Improv back to life in a different location in town.

The facility had to be closed due to losing it’s liqueur license.

The city of Orlando has taken new measures to cut down on panhandling problems that have been prevalent in the streets of downtown in the past. On Monday, the city passed an ordinance which prohibits begging or panhandling in between the hours of sunset and sunrise.

The city actually has designated “panhandling zones” denoted by blue painted boxes on certain sidewalks(I had no idea). Out of the 36 original areas, only 5 are visible today. A lot of the visibility or lack of is due to the condo construction boom in downtown Orlando areas. Many of the painted surfaces have been eroded away or simply demolished during such construction.

Anyone caught violating this ordinance may be fined as much as $500 or serve up to 60 days in jail.

Dancing all night in uncomfortable shoes may prove to be even more uncomfortable afterwards.

According to Orlando city reports, pedicabs are being regulated due to some safety and traffic related issues.

The carriages traditionally pulled by a single bike have helped many of Orlando’s night-lifers get off their feet and cruise back to their places of origin the past 7 years.

The new rules set in place could force of pedicab companies, owners, and drivers walking away. The regulations include safety enhancements like mirrors, reflectors, turn signals, and horns. Owners will also need to have liability insurance along with city permits for operating. Read the rest of this entry »

An updated map of the downtown area is now available through the city of Orlando’s website. This map shows current developments as well as new construction of retail space, condominiums, and corporate offices. There were some considerable changes from the last map so look closely.

Take a look at what the city of Orlando has in store for the future developments…

According to officials, Orlando should see full coverage of wireless internet in the downtown area by October of 2007. The original time frame of early 2007 was set back by a few unforeseen technical issues. Some of the obstacles to note were debates over coverage areas, logistical/functionality concerns of the equipment, and current landscaping in selected areas. There are currently several spots of downtown who are up and running on the network(Wall St., the Courthouse, and Library areas) but most will have to wait until October as the equipment is phased in periodically.

The wi-fi coverage ranges a 9-square-mile area that will run to Brookhaven Drive to the north, Gore Street to the south, Summerlin Avenue to the east and Westmoreland Drive on the west.

Smart City Telecom, a Lake Buena Vista company is leading up the project that will provide free internet to the core of downtown Orlando.

Downtown Darryl can be your best resource(along with this website of course!) in getting information on any of the pre-existing or new condo developments in the downtown area. I had the pleasure in meeting him a few weekends ago and took a look at some Solaire units. He is very knowledgeable, down to earth, and he will work hard to get you where you want to be. If you’re looking to buy or sell in the downtown area, this is the guy to go to…the name says it all!

You can view his website here: www.downtowndarryl.com

Depending on who you talk to and also where those people live(if they are a tax payer and area intrusion) the approved Downtown Orlando Venues may or may not be a refreshing look into the future of the urban cityscape. With all of the people I have spoken to around the city(which have been several dozen in the past 3 or 4 months) the overall consensus is that they like the idea that the City of Orlando is making progress in efforts to establish it’s place in Metropolitan America and a much more diverse scene than just visit to Mickey. The common denominator seems to be… Read the rest of this entry »

Ever been downtown after a performance at the Bob Carr or after a Magic game and wondered where some of best places to eat are? Maybe you live downtown and want to explore some new spots… here are a few sites that can help you out.

I would recommend these as I have used them and have good information including customer reviews:

Orlando Dining Guide

Orlando City Search

Orlando Resturant on Cityguide

I just read that the Solaire movie theater will not be open until the mid-November timeframe. It explicitly says it’s opening Labor Day weekend on it’s site(http://www.plazaorlando.com) but according to the developer who is negotiating the deal with the movie company, they are 90 days out from opening. The current worry is the demographic that the urban downtown Orlando scene is portraying does not match what people are most frequenting movie theaters these days. The area is generally being built up to accommodate young business professionals ages 25-45 but those who tend to drive the movie market are younger age males. The opening has been delayed but I think it’s time they select a date and drive it home!