When I started envisioning Dandelion last fall, I dreamed of a place that felt like home - a bungalow house with plenty of room for dining & entertainment, a "communitea" room for classes, outdoor eating & perhaps a space for a modest herb garden. And, of course, room enough to display the creative talents of local artists & indie business with eco-friendly products. If I streched my dream to the limits, I also wanted the location to be close to our house downtown, near major roads, but a little off the main grid so that it would feel a bit more neighbourly.

Ladies & Gentlemen, we have just signed a lease on the location of our dreams - it encompasses all that I just described and more.

Near the intersection of Colonial & Mills, we are behind Colonial Photo & Hobby at 618 N Thornton Ave in a roomy bungalow house with hardwood floors and gorgeous polished wood built-in cabinets & shelves. There's a huge bay window in the main room & lots of windows throughout the house. I can already feel the energy of vibrant nights filled with poetry in motion, afternoon's humming with enlightened chatter, and mornings flowing with quiet reflection over a cup of infusing, fragrant tea.

What's even better is the fact that the good folks currently occupying the space won't be moving out until October 1st, giving us a month and a half of (rent free!) planning & fundraising so that we can hopefully get up and running very quickly after that. We're thinking a soft opening sometime in November/December.

Aside from the fact that this place is an exact replica of the one in my dreams, what else is good about this location?

• Centrally located in Orlando, just one mile from I-4 & the East-West Expressway (408) and just off the mother of all major roads - Colonial Drive (Hwy 50)
  
• Surrounded by sought-after neighborhoods including Lake Eola Heights, Colonialtown, Park Lake/Lake Highland, and Thornton Park.
  
• Located in an Activity Center zone, and experiencing redevelopment by the City of Orlando in the near future.
  
• Excellent on-site parking as well as additional street parking available. Great pedestrian access from immediate neighborhoods as well as those of you on bicycles (of course, we'll have a bike rack available). Lynx bus routes 28,29,30 & 39 all go right by us.
  
• Part of our District 4, home of the totally righteous Commissioner Patty Sheehan. We like anyone with the moxie to include "tooling around Orlando on her Vespa" as a hobby in their official bio.

Now is the time to show your SUPPORT!! Please click here for more ways that you can help turn this dream into a reality!

Posted in Dandelion's blog | 1965 reads