The Orlando Regional Realtor® Association (ORRA) is helping fellow Realtors attending the National Association of REALTORS Conference & Expo, November 5 - 8, 2004, to enjoy the city more by providing suggestions for fun away from the typical attractions.

"People tend to think of theme parks when they think of Orlando," says Kevin Fritz, vice president of communications and marketing for ORRA, "but I think people should see what's playing at the Hard Rock or The House of Blues, great bands play there. Cirque de Soleil is playing right now; it's an incredible show with two hours of incredible acrobatics. You can look ahead and buy your tickets for the Orlando Magic, which is great basketball. When the NAR was in Chicago, I went to a Bulls game and saw Michael Jordan in person."

In other words, there is a lot more magic to Orlando than the Magic Kingdom, says Fritz.

"Orlando has big city life without being a major city," says Fritz. "It also has a downtown area but not so large that you can't walk through it. There's a great club scene downtown, with two club types for the young and for the little older crowd. Just tell your cabdriver that you want to go do the downtown bars."

To welcome Realtors, the ORRA has prepared a survey of its 7,800 members asking their favorite restaurants in the city. The result is a 26-page Food Guide, downloadable in a PDF file.

The guide will be distributed to convention attendees with their welcome packages, but for Realty Times' readers, the early bird gets the dinner reservation. The Guide is also available on the ORRA website and the NAR website.

When the Realtors' responses were tallied, the restaurants were ranked according to the number of nominations received.

Realtors submitted their favorite choices for 57 different categories of restaurants, ranging from the expected ("Mexican") to the surprising ("After A Closing Went Bad"). Broad categories include "Ethnic," "Specific Foods," "Meals," "Price," and "Specialties." There's even a special section for recommendations made by ORRA leaders, which include some of the same favorites, Timpano Italian Chophouse and Seasons 52.

The guide includes each recommended restaurant's location, telephone number, and, when available, website address. Many restaurants favored by Realtors® offer more than one location, so their listing information is provided based on proximity to the NAR convention's host hotels.

Fritz' favorite restaurants near the Convention Center and attractions are:

California Grill (At the top of the Contemporary Resort Hotel at Walt Disney World. Pricey, but tables overlook Disney and you can see the nightly fireworks from your seat! 2. Antonio's (on Sand Lake Road; other location is in Winter Park. Excellent home-made Italian) Moderate.

His downtown picks are The Globe and The Wall Street Cantina for informal outside seating. Pricier are Kres and Hue. "The Hue in particular is in the heart of Downtown Orlando's revitalized downtown district called Thornton Park," says Fritz. "It's a must-see on a pretty day!

For the latest bands, go to The Social, and for 80's and disco, go to Cairo.

The best rooftop bar is Latitudes, says Fritz. "This is the top of three different bars on the way up the stairs. Chillers on the bottom, and Big Belly Brewery in the middle.

The best dive, he says, is Will's Downtown Pub.

But for Realtors who want to leave the convention and see some real sights, ORRA, says Fritz, is proud of the work the organization's members have done to create model affordable home communities.

"We are sponsoring a tour of affordable housing projects called 'Art In Architecture,'" says Fritz. "You can preregister for a bus tour scheduled for November 4th to the two areas where we have the project going. It is unique because affordable housing usually looks like cinderblocks, and our homes were custom designed by architects. The labor was donated by local builders, and the interior design was donated by a local, successful timeshare entrepreneur. ORRA bought the land. Everything was donated, so we sell the property to someone who qualifies and with the money we make, we buy more land and it keeps rolling from there. It's a good idea for other association leaders and Realtors who are trying to bring similar programs into their own area."

Published: October 21, 2004

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