On Wednesday, July 31, Orlando Weekly announced the results of their annual Best Of Orlando poll. Ivanhoe Village made a strong showing with many businesses placing and several taking top honors:

• Enemy Ink – Best T-Shirts (3rd Place)
• Halo Salon & Spa – Best Hair Salon (2nd Place)
• Parisian Cleaner – Best Dry Cleaner (Tied 3rd Place)
• 1618 Something Different – Best Place to Buy Furniture (2nd Place)
• Washburn Imports – Best Place to Buy Furniture (3rd Place)
• Tim’s Wine Market – Best Wine Shop (2nd Place)
• Rock -n- Roll Heaven – Best Record Store (2nd Place)
• Lake Ivanhoe – Best Lake for Watersports (3rd Place)
• Lake Ivanhoe – Best Place to Canoe/Kayak/Paddleboard (3rd Place)
• The Hammered Lamb – Best Open Mic (3rd Place)
• Hideaway Bar/Andrew Spear – Best Mural (3rd Place)
• Orlando Shakespeare Theater – Best Theatre Company (Tied 2nd Place)
• Orlando Ballet – Best Dance Company (1st Place)
• Orlando Shakespeare Theater – Best Theatre Venue (2nd Place)
• Theatre Downtown – Best Theatre Venue (3rd Place)
• Orlando Museum of Art – Best Museum (1st Place)
• Orlando Science Center – Best Museum (2nd Place)
• 1st Thursday at OMA – Best Art Night (3rd Place)
• Orlando Fringe – Best Art Event/Festival (1st Place)
• Central Florida Community Arts – Best New Thing (3rd Place)
• Hideaway Bar – Best Dive Bar (1st Place)
• The Greek Corner – Best Greek (2nd Place)
• Savoy – Best Gay Bar (2nd Place)
• Savoy – Best Happy Hour (3rd Place)
• Hideaway Bar – Best Sports Bar (2nd Place)
• The Imperial – Best Wine Bar (3rd Place)

In addition to categories such as those listed above which are voted on by the general public, the staff of Orlando Weekly gives recognition to people and places they feel represented this best over the past year. Here, again, our neighborhood was well represented:

• The Matador – Best Bar Rebirth
• Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival – Best Expansion
• The Venue – Best Place That’s Impossible to Google
• Glen Gentele (Orlando Museum of Art) – Best Sign of Life
• Baby BlueStar (The Venue) – Best Renegade Artist Respectable Entrepreneur
• Chris Martin (Copperhead Salon) – Best Pageant-Ready Wig Pick Even When You’re Not a Queen
• Snap! Orlando – Best Extended Programming

Copperhead Salon’s Chris Martin and Adrienna Hsai were also responsible for hair and make-up, respectively, for the “beauty queens” feature on the cover and throughout the Best Of Orlando issue. At the publication’s now legendary Best Of Orlando party, held that Wednesday evening downtown, Central Florida Community Arts gave a memorable performance with a flashmob. Happily, that moment was captured on video.