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BEST OF ORLANDO 2009

 

By Jeffrey C. Billman, Trevor Fraser, Faiyaz Kara, Bao Le-Huu, Billy Manes, Lindy T. Shepherd, Justin Strout, Bob Whitby and Jessica Bryce Young

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Holy crap!

We asked you to vote for Orlando’s best people, places and things, and did you ever respond. This year we got 2,678 votes in our readers poll, almost 1,000 more than last year and the highest number in the 14 years we’ve been doing this. Good job, people!

Now that we’ve got you all voting, we’d like you to keep a couple of things in mind for next year’s poll:

“Your mom’s house” isn’t the best adult entertainment store in Orlando; we’ve been there. And while “Sylvia’s bedroom” may be Orlando’s best place to work out for one – hell, maybe dozens – of you, it isn’t open to the public. For future reference, “Yip-Yip” is a band, not a dog park, miniature golf course, veterinarian or a place to buy seafood. The “Family Christian Bookstore” may be the best place to buy comics, but that’s not really what we had in mind. And “the United States” could in fact be the “best country act,” in an existential sort of way, but we were going for names of local country musicians, see. “Iraq” isn’t a water park. The “Springfield Isotopes” aren’t a real sports team. And “your mom’s house” isn’t the best strip club, either; we’ve been there, remember?

Also, we’d like to congratulate Aaron Haaland from A Comic Shop on his apparently irresistible powers of persuasion. Haaland managed to convince enough people to vote for him for “best local big shot” to beat out Tiger Woods. Either that or there are just more geeks in Orlando than anyone realized.

Finally, a word on the art in this issue. We’ve featured the work of five stellar local artists: Doug Rhodehamel, Dolla Bill, Johannah O’Donnell, Andrew Spear and Charles Marklin. The crew was hand-picked by our art director because they represent the diversity of Orlando’s rich, burgeoning visual-arts direction, and they agreed to work for what we pay. Times are tough.

Combine it all with our dedicated staff’s musings on what to see, do, eat and avoid, and you hold in your hands the ultimate guide to the City Beautiful. It’s still the original Best of Orlando, and it’s still the best.

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Comments on this story:

Report this comment On 7/15/2009 10:16:16 PM, Anonymous said:

Ascension Custom Dermagraphics Wins #1 best tattoo Studio in Orlando 4 years in a row!!! check um out online @ www.ascensiontattoo.com

Report this comment On 7/15/2009 10:37:14 PM, Anonymous said:

Redefine on Magnolia Ave should have pulled for votes, they by far had the most authentic Urban Art Culture and should have won some art category. Too bad they didn't bother trying to gain votes. Good stuff overall though.

Report this comment On 7/17/2009 11:43:08 AM, Anonymous said:

Anyway to list the vote tally here for the top 5 or 10, so we can see who won by how many? I and I am sure many readers would like to see if "wins" might have been a couple of votes and many second place or third might are just a few votes behind. I wish it was in your power to do a real poll, having people email means you generally get a result highly skewed by employees and friends and family voting for businesses. Even random sampling at events through out the year would be better than a my cousin and made us the number one blah-blah-blah in Orlando. I would also suggest that you limit your made up writer category "wins" to one per business or it really looks like overt favoritism when you read it.

Report this comment On 7/18/2009 4:38:45 PM, Anonymous said:

Thanks Orlando! I love being number two big shot! I got the feeling we (A Comic Shop) got a writer's pick as "Best Geek Party" to explain why we win best comic shop and place in other catagories. It has a lot to do with the community we build with our events and parties. -Aaron Haaland

Report this comment On 7/20/2009 6:34:49 PM, Anonymous said:

You have got to be kidding! The number one Farmers Market is in Maitland. I want a recount!

Report this comment On 7/28/2009 10:40:28 AM, Anonymous said:

well i dont know who won best Kraoke, but Korndogg's Rock Band Karaoke is the only spot to also play Rock Band on stage. www.RockBandKaraoke.com

Report this comment On 8/17/2009 8:11:55 PM, Anonymous said:

Fuck my mouth. This shit rag makes me want to fist myself with glass. Thanks for night hiring me. I am glad

Report this comment On 8/18/2009 2:23:28 PM, Anonymous said:

The amazing thing about anonymous at 8:11, besides his/her/its other vulgar and obscene posts on this site, is that he/her/it themselves thinks it is funny. Average estimate on their emotional age? 9 and a half and all excited that he/she/it gets to use potty words.

Report this comment On 9/22/2009 11:34:29 AM, Anonymous said:

Well Ive been gone for almost two years, Im back, and nothing has changed!!! Same deutschebagery clicks attending the same "ultra" lounges, same hiphopers throwing the so called "hottest party" of the year, lol, on a Tuesday right? yelling on the radio why I NEED to come to their hottest party, lol... Same wanna be artists swearing they are original and claiming to be from the village in NYC, lol. Same 35+ shiney shirt rich guys holding on to 19yr old freshmen plastics in vip sections thinkn no one notices, or they have friends because of who they are, not what they are. Same flipflops x frat boys downing beer like they are still 25. Same "sororistutes" spreading themselves open after 2am after tanking their brain with pills and coke. Same hipsters spinning music they swear is cutting edge and it just sucks, same people thinkn they are in LA when its really Mickey's world. I swear downtown is like flipping threw tv channels, all girls copying what they see on fashion tv, guys have looked the same for years, ripped jeans, a collard shirt with the sleaves rolled up, enough with the product spikes!! ladies wear some fucking clothes would ya? you might actually get a phone call the next day after your walk of shame! Guys, try talking to her without seven shots, dim lightning and loud music, you might actually remember her name! Same people acting like they have money, but they have nothing but credit cards and debt, just cause you drive a benz dosent make you a rap star! just cause you dyed it blonde doesnt make you a model, neither does plastic tits, lol! Everyone identifies with some kinda click and makes fun of the other clicks, its like highschool but we are aloud to buy beer, but at least the condoms are still free!

Report this comment On 9/22/2009 11:45:39 AM, Anonymous said:

I could go on like my above statements. I mean really, if it was so much fun, how come we have to get wasted to notice? Why do we kid ourselves? lie to ourselves? We all claim to be different but all look the same, go to the same places. Even if you think you go against popular demand, bc you think like that you're popular demand, that is your click, the ones that dont follow society. I mean, ud think after two years something would change but it hasnt, nada! Same door guys thinking they are the gate keepers to something important, when really they make maybe $50 a night, lol. Same dancers calling it professional but they are basically strip dancing with clothes on. Same suits swearing they are the next Trump. Same girls trying to be an episode of the Hills, same rappers lying in their lines about how much money they have, lol think they are the next JayZ or Tupac. Downtown is like a really bad episode of American Idol meets a vh1/mtv reality show series with a splash of BET. ITS RIDICULOUS! PS stay tuned for event dates and times, lol just kidding

Report this comment On 9/22/2009 3:30:59 PM, Anonymous said:

No Anonymous at 11:45 - YOU get wasted YOU lie to yourself YOU claim to be different but look the same YOU got to the same places. I have never been to one of them because I use my brain. Obviously you A) Do not use yours B) Go to these places and then C) Bitch about it. How sad for you. You went aweay, failed at whatever you did, and then come back and fall back into the same lameness you despise. You really need to look at that - take a good look in the mirror THAT is what you are actually railing against.

Report this comment On 9/30/2009 4:16:24 PM, Anonymous said:

http://www.catonthecouchproductions.com/new - Best Web Design in Orlando gives you a sneak peek at the new site!

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