Don’t Swat

Welcome to Monday Morning in Orlando

Together With:

I hope the weekend treated you well, and you didn’t melt. Summer is definitely in full swing. We spent Sunday morning sitting on the patio of our favorite bakery, smashing a box of yummies!

In today’s issue: 👇

• Dinky Line
• Don't Swat
• Popo’s Local Bistro
• ….and much more

Did someone forward this email to you? Join over 20K insatiably curious Orlandoans, right 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 ⏪
Orlando's Most Beloved Disaster on Rails

You've probably never heard of the Dinky Line. But there's a good chance you've been on it.

That weirdly angled pool in Cady Way Park? The waterfront park where Rollins students launch paddleboards? The trail that bends toward a lake for no reason?

All of it traces back to a rickety narrow-gauge railroad that ran between downtown Orlando and Winter Park for nearly 80 years. It hauled tourists, citrus, and college kids at jogging speed. It was always late. Everyone loved it anyway.

Formally the Orlando and Winter Park Railroad, the Dinky Line ran its first trip in 1889 and its last in 1967. It had a "remarkable ability to leave the tracks." 

Students named the engines “Tea Pot” and “Coffee Pot,” greased the rails with soap for sport, and nicknamed the train the “Little Wiggle,” possibly the most affectionate name ever given to a piece of freight equipment.

The tracks came up in 1969. The corridor didn't get the memo as it became the Cady Way Trail, now logging half a million users a year. The grand Victorian depot at Ollie Avenue is now Dinky Dock Park. Same ground, different century, zero rails.

The Little Wiggle is gone, but it's still telling this city where to go.

🔥 Want to deep dive into the Dinky Line’s history? Check out my expanded version, right here.

TOGETHER WITH:
CFCARTS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
The Music You Never Forgot Is Coming to Orlando.
This is American Maestro.

Some composers write music. John Williams wrote your entire childhood (many of us, anyway!).

The opening fanfare of Star Wars. The theme from Jaws. The melody that made you believe a man could fly (Superman). You didn't just hear these melodies, you never forgot them.

The CFCArts Symphony Orchestra is bringing American Maestro: The Music of John Williams to Calvary Orlando for one unforgettable weekend. Three shows, 350+ musicians, and enough cinematic chills to make you blush in public!

Star Wars. Jurassic Park. Indiana Jones. Harry Potter. Jaws. Live and loud.

📅 Pick Your Night:

• Friday, May 22nd @ 7:30 pm
• Saturday, May 23rd @ 2:00 pm
• Saturday, May 23rd @ 7:30 pm

Your move, Orlando.

🖱️ Tap/Click Here to Get More Info & Grab Tix →

THE SQUEEZE 🍊
Don't Swat, They've Got It

On any warm Florida evening, when neighbors drift into backyards with cold drinks and folding chairs, almost nobody is thinking about mosquitoes. Good, that's exactly how Orange County's Mosquito Control Division likes it.

The division recently upgraded to a new facility, ditching its outgrown digs to make room for a modernized Animal Services shelter next door.

The new digs come loaded: expanded labs, a climate-controlled insectary where they actually raise mosquitoes, better maintenance bays, and a more central location that cuts response times and fuel costs.

Division manager Steve Harrison puts it simply, stopping outbreaks beats scrambling to contain them.

So they trap. They test. They protect. You just enjoy the barbecue.

Old Homes, Bad Year: Winter Park's Preservation Problem

Three homes designed by James Gamble Rogers II, the architect who arguably gave Winter Park its whole personality, are staring down the wrecking ball, and preservationists are done being polite about it.

The culprit is a voluntary historic register that plenty of savvy owners have quietly ignored for years, knowing that demolition restrictions are terrible for resale value. All three homes are over 85 years old and have zero formal protection.

Advocates want the city to get creative, tax breaks, rehab funding, even a dedicated fund to buy and flip historic homes to buyers who actually care.

The City Commission agreed to talk about it May 27th. Better late than never.

(Learn a ton more about the Gamble Rogers homes under threat with Beth Kassab, right here)

The Numbers Stayed Still. The Crisis Didn't.

For the second straight year, Central Florida's homeless count held nearly flat, 2,724 people across Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties, down just two from 2025. Two. Progress, however modest, is still progress.

But don't pop the champagne yet. Demographics are shifting, seniors 55 and older now exceed 700 counted, nearly 43% of the unsheltered had never been homeless before, and suburban corridors far outside downtown Orlando are seeing concentrations that weren't there in prior years.

Homeless Services Network officials credits expanded housing placements for keeping numbers from spiking, but with only 13 affordable units per 100 extremely low-income households, the work is far from done.

Learn a ton more about the fight to house Central Florida with Jaclyn Harold, right here)

🚶 The Best Way to See a Neighborhood Is on Foot.
With Food.

Ready to eat and stroll?

Not on a bus. Not through a car window. On foot, at a relaxed pace, with a local guide and a lineup of hand-picked stops that give you a real taste of what Ivanhoe Village is actually about.

The Orlando Signal Ivanhoe Village Foodie Tour: Brunch Edition covers about a mile of one of Orlando's most beloved districts, hitting 5 locally owned spots for brunch bites, craft sips, and sweet treats along the way. Plus lake views and murals that make the walk worth it on their own.

THIS Saturday, May 23rd. 10:30am–1:30pm. Three hours well spent.

Your guide knows the neighborhood. You bring the appetite. We'll handle the rest.

👉 Get the details and grab your spot before it's gone.

👉 Partner With Us 👈

💼 This Week’s Curated Jobs
Sourced from the Orlando Signal Job Board!

🥗 Provider Partnerships Manager (Territory Sales Manager) Nourish | Orlando
Hit the field building doctor relationships that unlock nutrition care for thousands. Convince physicians to refer patients, grow your territory, and help make food-as-medicine mainstream.
💰 Competitive base + uncapped commissions | 👉 Learn More & Apply

🥯 Shift Leader Einstein Bros. Bagels | Orlando
Lead the breakfast crew at a bagel shop that closes at 2pm—yes, really. You'll never miss dinner with your family or evening plans while climbing the ladder to management.
💰 Competitive pay + tips | 👉 Learn More & Apply

🚗 Business Office Associate CarMax | Sanford
Keep car deals rolling at America's #1 used car retaile. Process paperwork, manage cash, answer phones, and make buying a car actually pleasant for customers.
💰 Competitive hourly | 👉 Learn More & Apply

🏢 Assistant Property Manager Lincoln Property Company | Orlando
Be the right-hand running commercial properties. Manage leases, wrangle vendors, keep tenants happy, and learn the business from pros at a top-tier property firm.
💰 Competitive salary | 👉 Learn More & Apply

Tap/click here for lots more opportunities. Over 100 added last week!

✈️ Orlando’s best flight deal - Mountain trails and craft everything edition

Mid-June Asheville is peak weird mountain town energy. The Blue Ridge is lush and green, most restaurant's are farm-to-table, and you're hiking waterfalls in the morning and hitting art galleries by afternoon. This place has no business being this cool. It's tucked in the mountains, somehow has an incredible food scene, and the whole vibe is equal parts crunchy hippie and upscale foodie. The weather's perfect, and the scenery's ridiculous!

Orlando (Sanford-SFB) → Asheville (AVL) for 108 bucks*, round-trip Thursday through Sunday in mid-June. See the deal.

*Price shown above is accurate as of the time this newsletter was sent.

👉 Partner With Us 👈

TASTY NEWS 🧑‍🍳
Orlando Area Eateries Coming & Going

1️⃣ ON THE WAY: Hula Mula - Downtown's Most Traveled Café

A café without borders is heading to Downtown Orlando this late summer. Hula Mula (Insta), a European all-day café concept with two locations in Germany, blends Italian espresso, French pastries, Japanese-influenced sushi, and American bagels under one roof. It's not Hawaiian. It's not European. It's something better.

2️⃣ JUST OPENED: Bánh Mì Go - SoDo's Newest Spot Slaps

Bánh Mì Go (Insta) is done flying under the radar. The family-owned Vietnamese kitchen and café celebrated its grand opening this past weekend in SoDo. Bánh mì, phở, bún bowls, Vietnamese coffee and milk teas.

#ORLANDOSIGNAL 📸

Albin Polasek Scuplture Gardens

📷 via @orlandosignal |📍Winter Park

Tag @orlandosignal to get your photo featured in the newsletter!

FOODIE FIND, FORK YEAH! 🤩

Popo’s Local Bistro

📍5880 Precision Dr, Orlando, FL 32819. Map to this location.

Good food has a way of bringing people together, and at Popo's Local Bistro (Insta), it does exactly that before noon.

This cozy, art-filled neighborhood gem serves up American breakfast and brunch with a gourmet twist, Monday through Saturday, 6:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The Executive Chef from ChampionsGate brings serious flavor to every plate, from a loaded Huevos Rancheros Bowl to stacked Biscuits & Gravy.

Best part? Not a single item tops $15. See you at the table.

👉 Check out the menu, right here 👈

Source: Popo’s Local Bistro

MORE PULP! 😎
Weekday things to check out

🎨 Orlando Sings: Celebrate 250 Years of The United States
📅 Tuesday, May 19th | 7:30pm
📍 Steinmetz Hall

300+ singers from Central Florida perform Brandon Boyd's "Redeem the Dream" and patriotic tributes honoring veterans across generations for America's 250th.
👉 American Dream

🪡 Craft a Felt Photocard Holder Workshop
📅 Tuesday, May 19th | 6-8:30pm
📍 GB's Bottle Shop, 531 Virginia Dr

Learn hand sewing to create felt keychain for Instax photos or photocards; all materials included, 21+ with valid ID.
👉 Stitch & Sip

🎨 Artists' Circle
📅 Wednesday, May 20th
📍 Timucua Arts Foundation

Gathering for artists of all levels with 40-minute panel on "The Art of Improvisation," then artist exhibitions; overcome imposter syndrome together.
👉 Create Community

🎵 Solomon Jaye Duo
📅 Thursday, May 21st | 6:30-8:30pm
📍 Casa Feliz

Singer, songwriter, and tap dancer with pianist John Olearchick blend pop, jazz, and R&B; wine, beer, and light snacks available.
👉 Soulful Rhythm

🎨 3rd Thursday Opening Night Reception
📅 Thursday, May 21st | 6-9pm
📍 CityArts, 39 South Magnolia Avenue

Seven new exhibitions including Orlando Health Arts in Medicine, Osceola County School for the Arts students, and solo shows by Brian Strigel and Stemberger.
👉 Arts District

💬 Women's Circle: Letting Go of Comparison
📅 Thursday, May 21st | 6-8pm
📍 City Food Hall - Orlando, Alden Road

Intentional space for honest conversation about comparison, confidence, and trusting your own timing; arrive 6-6:15pm, conversation starts 6:30pm.
👉 Real Talk

🍷 Taste of Altamonte Food & Wine
📅 Thursday, May 21st | 6:30-9:30pm
📍 Cranes Roost Park, Altamonte Springs

Unlimited food and drinks from 30+ restaurants and beverage brands with live music lakeside; VIP early admission at 5:30pm.
👉 Lakeside Feast

🎭 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