Central Florida’s 2024 Best Main Streets – Spotlight On Ivanhoe Village
An indie Darling
Lake Ivanhoe is an anchor to Ivanhoe Village. Here. kayakers enjoy a day on the lake, with Orlando’s skyline providing a perfect backdrop.
Ivanhoe Village
As part of the Main Street America initiative, Ivanhoe Village is part of an inclusive, grassroots movement dedicated to revitalizing the economies of historic districts. It’s also part of Orlando’s Main Streets, a program that strengthens and defines commercial districts in The City Beautiful.
Anchored by Lake Ivanhoe, Ivanhoe Village was built in the 1920s and is home to some of Orlando’s most treasured cultural institutions: the Orlando Ballet, the Orlando Museum of Art, the Mennello Museum of American Art, the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre and the Orlando Science Center.
The buildings are oriented in a traditional pattern of one-to-two-story storefronts that face the street, key to a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood. The Art Deco style is prevalent here.
A neighborhood that’s “a little more unapologetic than most,” Ivanhoe VIllage is an indie darling, and home to many of Orlando’s largest cultural institutions.
The district embraces an offbeat, indie feel, calling itself “a little more unapologetic than most” of Orlando’s neighborhoods. One of the best representatives of this is the Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival, which takes place every May and is the longest running fringe festival in the United States (since 1992). The festival takes place in and around Loch Haven Cultural Park, a 45-acre area that’s the region’s premier cultural park.
Loch Haven has an outdoor performance plaza, biking and jogging trails, a paved waking path and opportunities for bird watching.
Also important to Ivanhoe Village’s identity is its street art, which offers colorful and abstract interpretations of Central Florida and its history, from citrus fruit and palm fronds to coral colonies and more.
Ivanhoe Village’s artsy side is visible once you first enter the neighborhood—you’re greeted by a replica of the Statue of Liberty, who is set into an island of tropical plants and flowers. Artwork is prevalent at seemingly every turn.
A neighborhood that’s “a little more unapologetic than most,” Ivanhoe VIllage is an indie darling, and home to many of Orlando’s largest cultural institutions.
The shopping in Ivanhoe Village is among the most eclectic you’ll find in Florida. Maffrey’s offers exquisite home goods from local artisans, socially responsible companies and female-owned businesses. Oxford Eyes is not your ordinary eyewear purveyor, with distinctive selections, quality craftmanship, second-to-none customer service and advanced lens technology. Don’t know what you’re looking for? Miscellaneous has a little bit of everything.
Old Florida is in the air at The Pinery, which sits on the land that once produced Florida’s top export crop—pineapples. Its contemporary Southern fare is full of fresh seafood and produce choices. The restaurant sits on the bank of Lake Ivanhoe. Also on the lake is Russell’s, an upscale-casual dining experience with panoramic views.
Once the sun goes down, Ivanhoe Village is in full swing as a nightlife destination. Don’t miss BANDBOX, Orlando’s first spirit-free tasting lounge and bottle shop, celebrating Orlando’s love for the mocktail. The 1920s-style speakeasy also embraces the village’s Art Deco flair, serving up alternative cocktails, aperitifs, bitter, shrub and tonic flights, CBD beverages and non-alcoholic craft beer to those 21 and older.
