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Ba Le is a unique shop. They offer a wide range of French pastries and Vietnamese deli foods: sausage, pre-cooked dumplings and buns, and fresh French baguettes.
This melding of French and...
Ba Le is a unique shop. They offer a wide range of French pastries and Vietnamese deli foods: sausage, pre-cooked dumplings and buns, and fresh French baguettes.
This melding of French and Vietnamese cuisine works well, and they offer sandwiches that you can eat there or carry out as well. These are cheap: three or four bucks.
The pastries are a little more expensive, but exquisitely presented. If you want to impress your friends at a dinner party, pick up an apple galette or a few slices of opera cake from Ba Le.
They also have a whole cooler full of more traditional Vietnamese desserts and groceries: tapioca and coconut milk pudding with banana, red bean custard, lots of cans of Asian brands of sodas, and other prepared foods that would spice up homecooked meals.
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Ruby's
Category:
Gift Shops
1902 N High St
Columbus, Ohio 43201
(614) 291-2999
Ruby's was a favorite haunt for my girlfriends and I when I was in college at Ohio State. Every time I go home to visit my family I drop in there again and check out the new jewelry.
They carry...
Ruby's was a favorite haunt for my girlfriends and I when I was in college at Ohio State. Every time I go home to visit my family I drop in there again and check out the new jewelry.
They carry loads of unique cards, jewelry, fun gifts, candles, gag gifts, handbags, umbrellas, etc. All the things you don't really need but like to shop for. It's a small place right on High Street with a pleasant amount of clutter, and two cats that like to sleep on the steps.
Some of the jewelry is a little pricy, but I have bought some of my favorite earrings there - simple, tasteful and feminine pieces of sterling silver jewelry.
I believe they recently opened a Grandview location across from Caribou Coffee as well.
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Tired of the theme park rat race? Ready for something a little more refreshing? Check out the Disney Wilderness Preserve down in Kissimmee.
This place, managed by the Nature Conservancy, really...
Tired of the theme park rat race? Ready for something a little more refreshing? Check out the Disney Wilderness Preserve down in Kissimmee.
This place, managed by the Nature Conservancy, really doesn't have anything to do with Disney. You won't find the Mouse branded on anything in the park. It's a wide open swathe of preserved wetlands, plain, and forest with primitive trails and an environmentally friendly nature center.
There's a variety of trails - varying in length from one to three miles. My friends and I hiked a couple of the trails with a 7-year-old and a baby in a stroller and had a great time. It's quiet; you can hardly hear a sound except for the birds.
If you go, be sure to take the trail across the boardwalk in the wetlands to the lake. Perfect Florida blue and utter peace. There's a lot of beauty in Florida, if you know where to look.
A lot of the trails are out in the open, with no shade, so the park is best in the spring or winter when it's cooler.
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I am conflicted about the Orlando Museum of Art. From the standpoint of a small, regional museum, they're doing great - lots of programs to attract the community, creative kids-oriented exhibits....
I am conflicted about the Orlando Museum of Art. From the standpoint of a small, regional museum, they're doing great - lots of programs to attract the community, creative kids-oriented exhibits. The Good Night Moon exhibit was sweet, and the current Curious George installation sounds like a lot of fun.
But is it a museum to attract visitors from far away, or even from neighboring states? No, not yet. The art collection is very small, and can be seen in about an hour or two.
If you are a local resident, take advantage of the free admission on Thursday afternoons, or attend a 1st Thursday event with what seems like half of trendy Orlando society meeting and greeting over drinks and themed art exhibits.
Overall, the Orlando Museum of Art has a great staff, a smart direction, and good community outreach programs, but is a long way and a large amount of cash short of being a significant regional art collection. Hopefully the swiftly growing city will support this institution and help it become a museum to rival other respected regional museums in the north and east.
http://www.omart.org
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Cosi
Category:
Museums & Galleries
333 W Broad St
Columbus, Ohio 43215
(614) 228-2674
The Center of Science and Industry in Columbus, Ohio, was one of my favorite places to visit when I was a kid. With fun science exhibitions, historical recreations, and a lot of hands-on activities,...
The Center of Science and Industry in Columbus, Ohio, was one of my favorite places to visit when I was a kid. With fun science exhibitions, historical recreations, and a lot of hands-on activities, it was always full of surprises and fun. They did a good job at making it accessible and non-intimidating, even for shy kids. I especially enjoyed the space exhibits, and the theatre showing old Little Rascals shorts.
The new location on the river is beautiful and more contemporary in design. The parking is more convenient, too.
Their event services department is very helpful in setting up corporate events, too. I have had pleasant experiences with both event services and the catering team.
www.cosi.org
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I got my hair cut by Lori at Studio Posh pretty much throughout my entire Ohio State college career. On the corner of Lane and High, Studio Posh is a solid little studio with talented stylists and a...
I got my hair cut by Lori at Studio Posh pretty much throughout my entire Ohio State college career. On the corner of Lane and High, Studio Posh is a solid little studio with talented stylists and a fun and contemporary atmosphere.
I went from long hair, to boy-short, to shaggy layers, back to long hair again - all with Studio Posh.
Their prices were pretty good; I remember paying about twenty-five for a haircut, but that was about four years ago.
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Imagine thirty kids on stage playing loud rock music, with ten guitars, four keyboards, six drum sets, eight backup singers, a kid singing scat, a few bass players and handclapping for good measure...
Imagine thirty kids on stage playing loud rock music, with ten guitars, four keyboards, six drum sets, eight backup singers, a kid singing scat, a few bass players and handclapping for good measure - and actually sounding fantastic. You've got central Florida's answer to School of Rock.
UCF's summer week-long rock and roll day camps for middle and high schoolers are a great experience for both kids and parents.
They are about the length of a normal school day, and the kids get to hear local bands, have instruction in their personal field of study, and learn how to cooperate in a band setting.
At the end of the week, they put on a concert for parents and friends, and this year it was amazing to see such a large group of kids - including some still in elementary school - pulled together in great renditions of hits by Green Day, Queen, and ACDC.
If your kid is itching to be a rock star, send her to rock camp. At least she'll have fun.
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Static
Category:
Women's Clothing
240 N Orlando Ave
Winter Park, Florida 32789
(407) 478-1083
Static is a funky shop just south of the more mainstream Winter Park Village shopping area. Static offers gifts and toys in the line of things you might find at Urban Outfitters - a little trendy, a...
Static is a funky shop just south of the more mainstream Winter Park Village shopping area. Static offers gifts and toys in the line of things you might find at Urban Outfitters - a little trendy, a little rebellious, a little tongue-in-cheek.
They also have some nice printed cotton tapestries and imported bags - hippie stuff. They have a selection of unique clothing and t-shirts that range from Gothic to indie to just edgy.
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American Modern Jewelry is a unique shop on the corner of Corrine and Winter Park - caddy corner to Stardust and in the same strip of shops as the new Park Ave CDs location.
They offer a range...
American Modern Jewelry is a unique shop on the corner of Corrine and Winter Park - caddy corner to Stardust and in the same strip of shops as the new Park Ave CDs location.
They offer a range of fun gifts and jewelry. Their main attraction, though, is their massive stock of beads and jewelry making supplies. You can schedule beading parties there - great for girls nights out, or birthday parties. They have some truly unique glasswork and beads, and it's a fun place to browse. Very reasonable prices.
http://www.thebeadlounge.net/
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City Haven is a small realty specializing in downtown Orlando rentals. Most of their properties are in the Colonialtown and College Park areas.
City Haven is a great company to rent from. They...
City Haven is a small realty specializing in downtown Orlando rentals. Most of their properties are in the Colonialtown and College Park areas.
City Haven is a great company to rent from. They offer the benefits of a small-time landlord: quick response and friendly service, with the standardized practices of a larger organization. You're doing business with an established company, not one person and their whims.
Their prices are reasonable, especially in the escalating Orlando real estate market, and many of their properties offer the charm of older properties - rare in a town made up mostly of brand new suburbs.
cityhaven.com
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