Darryl was born and raised in Central Florida and spent seven years in upstate New York. But after those brutal winters, he came back to his warm and sunny roots.

Darryl has worked at the downtown Thornton Park parking garage for nearly five years. His favorite part of the gig? He says it’s 100% the people he meets on a daily basis.

And the feeling is mutual. He laughs as I (Katie, Pulptown’s director) tell him that people know who he is before I even finish describing him. I’ll start with, “You know that parking garage guy on Thornton…” and people immediately jump in to share a wonderful exchange they’ve had with him. “Here I am, grumpily on my way into work, not having my coffee yet and this guy just forces a good day on me,” someone told me last week.

Darryl said that his job reminds him of the good people in the world, and that we need more good people. Sure, his work  has its downsides, but for him, it’s a glimpse into a humanity that he still believes in.

This profile is part of our Orlando’s Own series. Do you know a special someone in the community who makes you feel like a million bucks? Someone who you’ve come to associate with a certain place or thing and without their presence, you would feel the void? Send us an email to hello@pulp.town and tell us all about them.  

Sweet dreams are made of this, who are we to dis Ikea? Orlando’s IKEA is helping newly arrived refugees get a good night’s sleep on donated beds and bedding. On Monday, our local IKEA manager met some of the refugees living in our community who benefit from the chain’s 5000 Dreams program. (Fox 35)

Orlando regains its Pulse. The interim memorial for Pulse nightclub debuted yesterday morning and is now open to the public. Barbara Poma, owner and onePULSE Foundation founder, said she hopes the memorial will “give families, survivors, first responders and the thousands of people who come each year a space to pay their respects and reflect.” Planning and designing for a permanent memorial and museum is underway. (Orlando Sentinel)

Search no “Further.” When National Geographic makes a list of things to check out, you can be sure their recs are top notch. The magazine just released this list of things to explore in Orlando, and while we might make a few minor adjustments and add-ons, this list would be great for visitors and locals alike. It’s nice to see a global publication doting on attributes of our fair city beyond Disney (even though we love us some Animal Kingdom) and allowing out-of-towners to look beyond the magic (kingdom). (National Geographic)

I’m not crying, you’re crying. Grey, an Orlando native, has been running Purple Lemonade: A Stand for Courage since she was six years old. The lemonade stand’s proceeds go toward funding a cure for Sanfilippo Syndrome, a rare and terminal disease that her older sister died from. Grey’s lemonade stands have now spread worldwide but you can still sample the purple goodness right here where it all started in Central Florida or donate anytime to Grey’s CrowdRise page. To quote our favorite tear-jerker of a show: “There’s no lemon so sour that you can’t make something resembling lemonade.” #ThisisUs (WESH)

We should all be stanning Van Gundy. Van Gundy as in, Stan Van Gundy? Yes, the former Orlando Magic coach and now former Detroit Pistons coach is back on the market and we are here for it! The Magic haven’t had a winning season since he left (read: was pushed out). Stan has two kids who go to school here, and still has a house in Seminole County. Who besides Thomas Wolfe says you can’t go home again? Even Orlando Sentinel columnist Scott Maxwell is jumping on the #BringBackStan bandwagon. What are your thoughts, Orlando? (Orlando Sentinel)

ONE LAST THING

BTW, *|FNAME|*. It’s Wednesday and you’re halfway through the week. Maybe check out this list of places to relax and unwind.

See you tomorrow!

Anyone doing something cool in Orlando, Lake Nona, Sanford, Winter Garden, Winter Springs, Altamonte, Longwood, Kissimmee that we should know about? Tag us #pulptown or @pulptown or hit reply.