Welcome to Monday Morning in Orlando
Another weekend, another coffee discovery. We hit Dr. Drips Coffee Lounge on Sunday morning in Ivanhoe Village, finally. Tasty Mocha and a lovely Blue Honey Matcha. Both were solid!
Also, today’s the start of our new curated jobs section! Check further down. Have a great week, y’all!
In today’s issue: 👇
- Bridge Through Time
- This Week's Curated Jobs (NEW SECTION)
- Infusion Tea
- ….and much more
Did someone forward this email to you? If so, subscribe here.
Let’s dive in!
- Philip
P.S. Want some hawt community sourced foodie recommendations? Check out the Orlando Signal Restaurant Guide, right here.
ORLANDO REWIND ⏪
A Bridge Through Time: Orlando's 1926 Masterpiece
In Northeast Orlando, the nearly century-old Washington Street Bridge has been strutting its stuff since 1926, back when Orlando's biggest attraction was, well, not being a swamp.
State Senator Walter Rose bought the land in 1916, then did something in 1924 unusual for a developer: he donated five acres for what became Dickson Azalea Park.
By mid-1926, Orlando's wooden bridge was crumbling under traffic, so the city splurged $10,400 on something better. Orlando engineer Morton Hagartney designed three graceful concrete arches topped with a brick roadway that still makes that satisfying click-click-click under your tires.
The kicker: it's the only bridge of its type left in Orlando. The city finally noticed in 1991, declaring it a Historic Landmark. A Florida Historic Marker followed in 2014.
You won't find tour buses here. The Washington Street Bridge just keeps doing its thing, spanning Fern Creek with weathered brick and stubborn arches, serving up authentic Florida history without a mascot in sight.
📸 Check out this lovely Washington Street Bridge photo slideshow, right here.
👋 Start the year off making new, awesome friends!
You voted, and we listened. Our 3rd Orlando Signal Dinner Club is heading to Winter Park on Wednesday, January 28th, at 6:30pm.
Experience from previous dinner club goers? “It’s fun as hell!”
Take a quick quiz, get matched with five people based on your vibe, and meet at a mystery restaurant (revealed that morning).
Note: if you’ve attended a previous Dinner Club, you won’t have to re-take the quiz. Just click on “My Dashboard” in the upper right corner of our Dinner Club page to quick-register.
During the meal, all groups are invited to a casual meet-up after dinner to continue the conversation at a nearby spot.
👉 Whether you're new to Orlando or just tired of the same scene, this is how you find your people.
➡️ Get more info, and grab your seat, right here!
THE SQUEEZE 🍊
Parking Lot Farms and Rooftop Lettuce: Our Food Gets Closer
Forget farm country. Central Florida's freshest produce is popping up in shipping containers, hotel courtyards, and parking lots.
At a luxury Orlando resort, salads travel mere steps from garden to plate, with one restaurant alone serving 200 meals daily using 90% homegrown ingredients.
Not to be outdone, a local hospital system has crammed the equivalent of a 9-acre farm into nine parking spaces using high-tech containers that pump out 600 pounds of food weekly.
And for those wanting ultra-local greens? Entrepreneurs are delivering nutrient-packed microgreens straight to doorsteps while teaching families to grow their own "veggie sprinkles" at home.
Who knew agriculture could be this convenient?
(Learn lots more about growing food in unexpected places with Randy Rauch, right here)
Lake Eola's Swans Face Unwelcome Visitor: Bird Flu
Orlando's Lake Eola swans are dealing with an uninvited guest, avian influenza, has claimed twenty of the beloved birds, nearly 30% of the downtown flock that locals adore.
The longtime swan vet calls it the worst outbreak he's seen in years, though these feathered residents weathered a similar episode last February. Officials confirmed the culprit through necropsies this week, with another under-the-weather swan checking into bird urgent care Tuesday.
The remaining swans will need to ride this out and build up their immunity the old-fashioned way. Caretakers are stepping up with baking soda treatments, (yes, really) and giving symptomatic birds some TLC in isolation.
Despite signs everywhere asking people not to feed the swans, some visitors just can't resist.
(Learn lots more about the avian flu outbreak at Lake Eola with Jayna Manohalal, right here)
Miles of Asphalt and Ambition: Florida's Push to Connect Its Trail Network
The Sunshine State is tackling gaps in its sprawling bike trail network this year, with 13 construction projects planned statewide, nine in Central Florida alone.
The Florida Coast-to-Coast Trail, destined to stretch from Pinellas County to Brevard, is tantalizingly close to completion. Eager cyclists already navigate around the missing sections while transportation officials race to fill them in.
Bicycle advocates see these connected trail systems as more than weekend warrior territory, they're betting on viable car-free commuting options. Sure, coordinating multiple counties and cities while installing water stops and rest areas along the way is no small feat.
But between Florida's year-round sunshine and growing appetite for outdoor fitness, the payoff could be huge for residents craving healthier, two-wheeled alternatives locally to sitting in traffic.
👂 Ever hear of the Florida Coast-to-Coast Trail? Check it out, right here.
(Learn more about Central Florida's bike infrastructure plans with Molly Duerig, right here)
Quick note about this new section. I’ll rotate through different job types each week: internships, sales roles, entry-level, director positions, part-time gigs, you name it. OS readers (and their family/friends) span all career stages, so if this week's picks aren't your fit, next week's might be.
💼 This Week's Curated Jobs (with compensation)
Sourced from the Orlando Signal Job Board!
🔥 Together with Job Owl. Helping job seekers break through Applicant Tracking Systems and land more interviews by effortlessly tailoring their resume to each job description. Check out Job Owl, right here.
📝 Part-Time Marketing Coordinator
SunDance Marketing Solutions | Orlando
Help a Florida's Best Printer award-winner with content creation, social media, and marketing materials in this flexible 20 hr/week role.
💰 $15-$25/hour | 👉 Learn More & Apply
🧮 Accountant Supervisor
Orange County Government | Orlando
Lead accounting staff and oversee complex financial operations as a CPA for one of Central Florida's largest public employers.
💰 $87,500-$107,600 | 👉 Learn More & Apply
✈️ Simulator Maintenance Intern
Avenger Flight Group | MCO
Get hands-on aviation tech experience maintaining flight simulators, perfect for students pursuing careers in aviation or engineering.
💰 $15-$18/hour | 👉 Learn More & Apply
🏠 Field Appointment Scheduler
Florida Window Company | Orlando
Launch your sales career with full training, no experience needed! Canvass neighborhoods and schedule home improvement consultations.
💰 $50K-$75K (salary + commission) | 👉 Learn More & Apply
Want to see your job posting here? Visit https://jobs.orlandosignal.com to post opportunities.
✈️ Orlando’s best flight deal - Mountains and river bends edition
Early February in Chattanooga is criminally underrated. The Tennessee River cuts through winter fog like something out of a movie, Lookout Mountain trails are empty and dramatic, and this little city's got excellent food, zero pretension, and that perfect mix of outdoorsy and urban. Cold? Sure. Worth it? Absolutely.
Orlando (MCO) → Chattanooga (CHA) for 81 bucks*, round-trip Friday through Monday in early-February. See the deal.
*Price shown above is accurate as of the time this newsletter was sent.
TASTY NEWS 🧑🍳
Orlando Area Eateries Coming & Going
1️⃣ SOFT OPENED: Agave Azul Cocina Mexicana - Tradition Meets Modern Mexican Dining
Since 1998, Agave Azul Cocina Mexicana (Insta) has been a family-owned staple in Central Florida, balancing grandmother's recipes with contemporary creativity. Their Dr. Phillips location is now soft-opened, offering the same thoughtful approach that's defined them for over two decades, vibrant energy, genuine hospitality, and a menu that honors tradition while embracing innovation.
2️⃣ OPENING MID-MARCH: Flying Biscuit Café - Southern Comfort Finds A Home
Flying Biscuit Café (Insta) lands in Kissimmee mid-March, and slow mornings just got a whole lot better. Opening daily for breakfast, brunch, and lunch, expect freshly baked biscuits slathered with their famous apple cinnamon cranberry spread, plus indulgent Southern dishes that practically beg you to order another coffee and stay awhile.
#ORLANDOSIGNAL 📸
Stonework at A&H Museum of Maitland
📷 via @orlandosignal |📍Maitland
Tag @orlandosignal to get your photo featured in the newsletter!
FOODIE FIND, FORK YEAH! 🤩
Infusion Tea
📍1600 Edgewater Dr, Orlando, FL 32804. Map to this location.
Since 2004, Infusion Tea (Insta) has been Orlando's favorite "third place," where organic tea meets vegan eats and nobody's in a hurry.
Doors open at 9am for Rainbow Açaí Bowls that taste like edible sunshine, the legendary Milton Special salad, and the Blue Dragon (a stunning caffeine-free blend with butterfly pea flower and lychee).
After twenty years of "I've been meaning to go there," here's your sign: actually go. Your taste buds will thank you.
👉 Check out the goodies right here 👈
Source: Infusion Tea
MORE PULP! 😎
Weekday things to check out
🍔 Tasty Takeover in The Milk District
📅 Tuesdays | 6:30-10pm
📍 The Milk District – 2424 E Robinson St
Orlando's premier weekly food truck block party featuring diverse culinary offerings behind the shops and bars.
👉 Dine Alfresco
🎹 Kaleidoscope of Expressions — Duo Beaux Arts
📅 Wednesday, January 14th | 7-8:30pm
📍 The Howey Mansion, Howey in the Hills
Husband-and-wife pianists Dr. Catherine Lan and Tao Lin perform four-hand concert featuring Schubert, Debussy, and Strauss transcriptions.
👉 Piano Mastery
🏛️ Access for All at OMA
📅 Thursday, January 15th | 10am-8pm
📍 Orlando Museum of Art
Monthly community day with extended hours, live performances, sketching materials (5-7pm), and docent-led tours at 7pm.
👉 Art Access
✂️ À La Craft
📅 Thursday, January 15th | 6-8pm
📍 À La Cart – Milk District
January craft featuring 2026 vision boards and bingo cards; bring your own craft or borrow supplies including cardstock, markers, and magazines.
👉 Get Creative
🩰 Uncorked
📅 Thursday, January 15th | 7pm
📍 Harriett's Orlando Ballet Centre
Intimate behind-the-scenes performance watching dancers and choreographer shape new work in real time with guided insights.
👉 Creative Process
🎭 Alice By Heart
📅 Thursday, January 15th | 7-9pm
📍 Theatre South Playhouse
Musical set in London Blitz exploring first love and loss as Alice and Alfred escape into Wonderland during WWII.
👉 Down the Hole
🐕 BarkHaven's Singles Night
📅 Thursday, January 15th | 7-9pm
📍 BarkHaven, 724 Brookhaven Dr
Relaxed mingling event with self-guided activities; humans attend free, complimentary first drink, dogs welcome with day pass.
👉 Meet & Mingle
🎨 "Creating Stories thru Art"
📅 Friday, January 3rd - Friday, January 31st | 9am-5pm
📍 Maitland Library
Exhibition featuring 48 pieces from 25+ Central Florida artists available for viewing and purchase throughout the library.
👉 Art Discovery
🎭 Want to share an event? Use this link.
THANKS!
✅ Want to connect with 20K+ curious Orlandoans for your business?, start a conversation here.
🌟 Know a community superstar? Tell me about them, right here.
Thanks for reading! I’ll see you again on Thursday’s weekend fun issue.
My Best,
Philip - Publisher, Orlando Signal
