Today we’re wrapping up our City Curious question on SunRail and what there is to do at each stop. It’s a question that Ashley Zehel submitted and you chose for us to answer. In Friday’s newsletter, we gave you the low down on the Kissimmee, Sand Lake, Orlando Health/Amtrak and Downtown Church Street stops. Now we’re continuing our journey north from Downtown to Sanford.

STOP 5: The Florida Health station is not only convenient for Florida Health employees but also to anyone wanting to explore the Loch Haven area. Loch Haven Park is a jewel and home to Orlando Museum of Art, Orlando Shakes, Orlando Science Center, Orlando Repertory Theater, the Mennello Museum and more. We recommend strolling down Rollins Street to get there — it’s a pleasant walk. This station is also a quick jaunt to Antique Row in Ivanhoe Park and easily accessible to College Park.

STOP 6:  Winter Park drops you in the heart of the city on Park Avenue. There’s so much to do and see between the restaurants, shops, and our personal favorite: the Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour. For food, we recommend Prato, Garp and Fuss, and Umi Sushi. For drinks, The Parkview, Boca and Luma. For arts and culture and good views, we suggest stopping by the Morse Museum, Hannibal Square Heritage Museum, Albin Polasek Museum, and Rollins College.

STOP 7: Maitland. This is the station everyone loves to hate but there are so many places to visit. Use the boardwalk access to the neighborhood just west of the tracks and avoid Highway 17-92. If you walk over to Maitland Avenue, cross the street to the Roth Jewish Community Center for a history lesson or one of their art programs, or hang a left to head to the library, the Art & History Museum, or Lake Lily Park. BONUS: there’s a Jeremiah’s Frozen Yogurt near there too. (If you’re willing to brave walking down 17-92, Kappy’s is on the corner about 1/4 mile from the station, and their philly is worth an unpleasant walk.) Also nearby by rideshare: the Enzian theater, First Watch and Buca di Beppo.

STOP 8: The Longwood station is in an up-and-coming part of town. Reiter Park should be finished later this year, which means basketball, fishing, and tennis within walking distance of the station. What’s open now? Zanzibar Coffee Shop offers great coffee and a cool space. Also, the Wild Hare Kitchen & Garden Emporium is pretty great — small, but they have amazing kombucha on tap.

STOP 9: The Lake Mary station stops in Downtown Lake Mary and is walking distance to several cool shops and great restaurants. We recommend stopping in the 4th Street Bar & Grill and Dalli’s Pizzeria if you don’t want to bother crossing the street. Other recommendations in Lake Mary include F&D Kitchen and Bar and longtime favorite Keller’s BBQ.

STOP 10: Sanford. The Sanford station has a free shuttle that runs to Downtown Sanford and the waterfront on Lake Monroe. For anyone that hasn’t been, you must check out Hollerbachs, an old German restaurant with giant steins of beer and authentic food. Also, we recommend a tour of the Wondermade facilities, dinner at The Tennessee Truffle or The Smiling Bison and beer at Celery City or cocktails at Bitters and Brass. If you’re there on a Friday, the city puts on a cool “alive after 5” festival. Keep in mind that the SunRail currently only runs Monday through Friday and does not run late night hours. Also, the trolley runs on a limited schedule, while the LYNX Link 46E runs more frequently between the SunRail station and downtown Sanford. If you’re planning to stick around, you might want to take a rideshare back.

Both Altamonte and Debary stops are more park-and-ride stops. Sure, there’s Kobe, a new Foxtail Coffee Co., Santiago’s Bodega and Tibby’s nearby in Altamonte, but aside from that, its mostly used by commuters to Downtown. The Debary station stop is also set up the same; but, it’s an attraction for cyclists. We’ve talked to several who say they love to take the SunRail to Debary and then get off to bike along the St. Johns River, up to Blue Springs and beyond.

Pro tips:

Free Parking is available at DeBary, Sanford, Lake Mary, Longwood, Altamonte Springs, Maitland, Sand Lake Road, Meadow Woods, Tupperware, Kissimmee/Amtrak, and Poinciana.  All of these stations also have bus loops.

If you’re looking for housing convenient to the SunRail, residential high-rises are adjacent to Lake Mary, Maitland, LYNX Central, Church Street, Kissimmee, and the Orlando Health/Amtrak station, and more are on the way.

If we missed your go-to places when heading north from Downtown, let us know by replying here or send us an email to hello@pulp.town.

The next Lake Eola Park? The City Council will be voting today on funding renovations to Lake Lorna Doone park in Parramore. Before the Citrus Bowl was built beside the park, it was where the community gathered for picnics, sports, and swimming. Research from Polis Institute in 2014 found that renovating the park was a top priority for residents. The city of Orlando has pledged $5 million and Florida Citrus pledged $3 million. The results? A fountain, basketball courts, a new playground, community garden, and city’s first splash pad could be in its future. (Orlando Sentinel)

When life hands you… What started as an outlet for one artist’s anger while he was out of work has become a trail of positivity and encouragement. Six years ago, artist and photographer Jeff Sonksen started painting portraits, mostly of celebrities, pop culture icons, first responders, and service providers, on fences along the Seminole Wekiva Trail in Longwood. Many of the portraits have positive quotes on them, and he now sees the project that stemmed from frustration as something that brings joy. (Click Orlando)

We <3 our military. Have you served in our military? If so, Universal Studios wants to thank you and your family with discounted tickets. You can purchase a 4-day ticket for the price of one, and 2- and 3-day tickets are also available. Tickets can be purchased at ITT, Leisure Travel Services Offices, and the Shades of Green Resort. (Military News)

Florida man’s latest shenanigans. A 47-year-old man in southeast Florida was arrested for giving his girlfriend a “wet willy.” She called the St. Lucie County sheriff’s office, reporting him for being belligerent while drunk. The report also stated that she claimed he “grabbed her hand, pulled her arm and stuck his finger in her ear.” Just a reminder to all you frisky lovers that communication is sexy — and consent is mandatory. (Orlando Sentinel)

Every penny counts. A new program launched by the City of Orlando offers sixteen grants, ranging between $2,000 and $10,000, to support local tech companies. While these small grants might not make a dent in expenses for larger tech companies, for smaller local groups, these extra dollars give them time to grow. Orlando leaders hope that these efforts from the city will jump-start more support from the broader community. (Orlando Sentinel)

ONE MORE THING FOLKS

Just kidding, that’s all for today. Get back to work.

See you bright and early,

-Pulptown