Lake Eola Neighbourhood.

[Jolly Roger's Crackers]

I biked from the Orlando Urban Trail east on Livingston today (back to the Lake Underhill Trail). The intersection of Livingston and Rosalind is becoming quite the concrete canyon. Hard to recognize it as I'd lived only a few blocks from there for so many years. Also...Trinity Lutheran Church AND School where being "tented" today in what is definitely the most gigantic termite fumigation operation I have ever seen. The whole compound is covered in fabric. Head by there in the next day (or so) if you get the chance....everything is draped in RED.  I have seen temite tenting before (and even been involved) but have never seen one of this scale. Oh well...just another Sunday in Orlando. Cheers.

Edited August 23, 2020 by Jolly Roger's Crackers

[spenser1058]

Our oldest downtown church buildings only go back to the 1920’s but Orlando is fortunate the community of faith recognizes their current sanctuaries and look to preserve them. Trinity Lutheran has a beautiful sanctuary; because the congregation is quite conservative, I’ve only visited once but it’s splendid. Significantly, they’ve expanded over the years with the school but have remained downtown and value their property.

Perhaps unusually, even the downtown churches that replaced facilities in the ‘50’s and ‘60’s managed to get it right, as in the case of FUMCO (one of the most amazing fusions of traditional American church architecture with a distinct understanding of the subtropical setting in which it was placed I’ve ever seen) and St. James Cathedral (which was butchered in the ‘70’s with terminal blandness; fortunately the parishioners came to their senses and restored its original look). St James also has maintained the former convent and school buildings, as well as converting the post office/federal courthouse building into its diocesan headquarters without losing the integrity of the late ‘30’s- early ‘40’s design.

St. George’s Greek Orthodox (originally a Christian Science church) is amazing, although they struggle to keep up the huge facility; the Cathedral Church of St. Luke (Episcopal), was actually completed decades after it was built just before the Florida land boom crash when they ran out of money to finish it (fun fact: it was founded by Thomas Jefferson’s grandson).

We did lose one of the first downtown synagogues (I think at Church St and Eola) with the South Eola condo boom and the more liberal downtown Lutheran congregation when OLT was built (St. Paul’s, maybe? anyway, they were the church at the top of the tower but as they lost members it is now just a chapel for residents). There were others, but those were the major ones that come to mind.

Edited August 24, 2020 by spenser1058

[spenser1058]

Senior tower Baptist Terrace is being sold to non-profit ONIC. Renovations to come to make the 1970 building more energy-efficient:

https://bungalower.com/2020/08/25/baptist-terrace-senior-housing-tower-sold-to-new-owner/

From Bungalower 

[dcluley98]

Interesting things going on at Lake Eola Park. The city was out recently painting lines around the trail and it looks like they are removing grass  in areas immediately adjacent to the trail to replace it. They also trucked in a  bunch of fresh pine duff on the NE corner near the ponds. Not sure what they are planning to do with those grassy areas, but maybe replacing them with more pine duff/mulch areas or something else so that it is easier to maintain and more area to walk on.  @spenser1058 You been around the park lately or know what's up? 

         

[spenser1058]

Mulch would make more sense in the heavily treed and canopy areas. They periodically replace the grass along the paths so that might not be new. When I go to Publix tomorrow, I’ll take a look.

Edited August 29, 2020 by spenser1058

[Jolly Roger's Crackers]

"Pine Duff" was my DJ name (back in the day)..but I digress. Hey dcluley98 where was photo #1 (with the truck) taken?  Been awhile since I circled the Lake of Eola but I don't recognize that view. Just wondering. Cheers.

[dcluley98]

Directly north of Post Parkside on the south shore of the lake, looking southwest between World of Beer and whatever the heck they are calling that other restaurant now. 

Edited August 29, 2020 by dcluley98

[Jolly Roger's Crackers]

Okay. Got it. Cheers.

[dcluley98]

Was that too descriptive? 

[orlandouprise]

2 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Mulch would make more sense in the heavily treed and canopy areas. They periodically replace the grass along the paths so that might not be new. When I go to Publix tomorrow, I’ll take a look.

Actually, I think the pine straw is better at weed prevention and it doesn't spill all over the pathway when someone walks through or when it rains. It tends to stay in its place very neatly. Its used extensively in northern areas AND its less expensive than mulch.  Win-Win

[dcluley98]

I'm not actually sure what they intend to do, but they spray painted lines all over the place, so it seems they intend to do something. 

Wouldn't be just sod replacement. 

 

Duff or Straw? 

I always called it duff. Probably from boy scouts when we made natural duff ground-beds in Florida. pine needles were a big component as well as ferns and other natural forest floor regular materials.  Pine duff and pine boughs were the best. 

Couldn't use Spanish Moss because of the chiggers and ticks, and couldn't use dried palm fronds because they are pokey and crunchy.   Deciduous leaves have bugs in them. 

Green palm leaves, cut off as the floor, and pine duff, pine needles, and pine boughs with the sticks cut off    were the best. . 

Pine trees are awesome. You can make your bed with the dead needles, and  light a fire with the pine sap fatwood and dead needles, and keep out bugs with the turpentine, and  other things. 

Trees are awesome. 

Edited August 29, 2020 by dcluley98

[dcluley98]

 

 

Edited August 29, 2020 by dcluley98

[dcluley98]

They just re-sodded everything around the path.  

[spenser1058]

The Persimmon Hollow Brewing Company at Lake Eola has opened in the former Panera space at Eo Inn:

https://www.scottjosephorlando.com/news/5350-newsy-nuggets-and-tipsy-tidbits
 

Food to come...

From Scott J

Given their start in (DeLightful!) DeLand in the SoNY District, it’s clear these guys know something about community. I think we’re gonna be really glad they’re part of the ‘hood.

https://www.persimmonhollowbrewing.com/

Edited September 15, 2020 by spenser1058

[spenser1058]

Scott J tries out Osphere. They really need to do a better paint job over the former Spice sign - the sooner we forget Spice ever existed, the better off we’ll be.

Anyway, here’s hoping it has a longer run than its immediate predecessor. The food certainly looks appealing:

https://www.scottjosephorlando.com/reviews/51-american/5351-osphere

[spenser1058]

The Eola Park flags over by the playground have often gotten kind of tattered but I noticed today walking back from Publix that all three, at half mast to mourn Justice RBG’s passing, appear to be almost new. Great to see.

I’m also really getting to like the City flag. Like @HankStrong, I’m a big fan of the maize and blue colors- Go Blue! *runs*

 

[HankStrong]

On 9/19/2020 at 7:54 PM, spenser1058 said:

The Eola Park flags over by the playground have often gotten kind of tattered but I noticed today walking back from Publix that all three, at half mast to mourn Justice RBG’s passing, appear to be almost new. Great to see.

I’m also really getting to like the City flag. Like @HankStrong, I’m a big fan of the maize and blue colors- Go Blue! *runs*

 

That's just wrong, man.

[spenser1058]

What’s up with Orlando Land Trust? Only $366,000 from the goal of preserving the western gateway to Eola Park:

From the City of Orlando 

Fun fact: did you know Eola Park has 2.2 million visitors per year and on a per acre basis is one of America’s favorite parks? It even outdoes parks like DC’s National Mall.

Let’s expand Eola Park!

[ChiDev]

If they ever really wanted to raise funds for stuff like this, one thing they could do is sell additional FAR above max zone to developers elsewhere.  Chicago does it as a means of historic or park "adoption" where additional air rights are given for up front cash.  Win-win.

It does get the Alderman in a pinch later on when the Developer collects and builds slightly larger than the NIMBYs would like, but I am all for making politicians uncomfortable.

[spenser1058]

The Eola Farmers’ Market is back today. Head on down before we all blow away!

[nite owℓ]

On 2/8/2020 at 7:04 PM, nite owℓ said:

This was mentioned here a while ago, but fell through the cracks. Eola Park Center aka the Fifth Third Bank building is redeveloping their parking lot and surrounding areas around the building. It will also include R&R areas for building tenants to enjoy. The parking lot was always well maintained and landscaped nicely - one of the nicest ones downtown IMO. So far, they've removed the Big Beautiful Wall, ripped up all the vegetation & asphalt, installed new underground drainage and have now covered everything up w/dirt again. Very noisy, so I can sympathize w/those near Radius' construction site. See ARB report: here

 

Found a construction update photo:

Before/After:

 

I wasn't expecting the accent lighting, but the soft glow shows off the building's architecture nicely. I'm still waiting for those oak trees to be replanted though!!

 

[spenser1058]

SAVE THE TREES 

[dcluley98]

 

[spenser1058]

Something that’s way past due but kudos to all for coming to their senses. Orlando Shakes will be returning to Eola Park for performances:

https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/news/2020/11/11/orlando-shakes-to-perform-at-lake-eola-this-spring

From News13

 

Huzzah!

[spenser1058]

These days, my walking at Eola Park tends to be on the east side and the south side over to Publix and along Central to OPL to return books.

It seems that I have been missing some things I saw when I did the full circle today:

• Relax Grill has been refurbished in a dark green color - it’s definitely an improvement;

• The Cambria Suites site (an empty lot for some time now) is For Lease. Is that to just allow temporary pop-ups or something on the lot - what does that mean?

• St George’s Greek Orthodox is now enclosed in a fence. That took me back several decades to when George Will wrote a column noting FUMCO allowed the homeless into their facility while a Texas Baptist church put up a fence to keep them out. He thought we looked much more Christian than they did. I know St. George’s was allowing folks to congregate in an old building behind the church - I wonder if it got to be too much for them.