Orlando

There’s little shopping in downtown Orlando proper, but Etoile Boutique (2424 E. Robinson St., 407/895-6363, www.etoileboutique.net, noon–8 p.m. Mon.–Sat., noon–5 p.m. Sun.)—located in the nascent Milk District, a mile or so from downtown—is an essential stop for shoppers interested in locally-designed clothes and crafts. Hip, modern, and defiantly pro-Orlando, Etoile features everything from unique soaps and candles to handmade bags, clothes, and vintage gear.

A mile or so on the other side of downtown, situated along Lake Ivanhoe, is Orlando’s Antique District. While there is only about a block of actual antiques stores, the district extends another block or so to include unique shops like the vintage vinyl of Rock & Roll Heaven (1814 N. Orange Ave., 407/896-1952, www.rock-n-roll-heaven.com, 10 a.m.–7:30 p.m. Mon.–Sat., 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Sun.) and the vintage clothing of Sequel Fine Clothing Traders (1616 N. Orange Ave., 407/895-7447, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Mon.–Sat.).

Tim’s Wine Market (1223 N. Orange Ave., 407/895-9463, www.timswine.blogspot.com, 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Mon.–Fri., 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Sat.) is a friendly and knowledgeable spot to pick up a singular bottle of wine, while Kismet (1808 N. Orange Ave., 407/894-8905, 11 a.m.–8 p.m. Mon.–Thurs., 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Fri.–Sat., noon–4 p.m. Sun.) is part local-centric art gallery, part jewelry shop.

Winter Park

Shopping is the activity of choice along Winter Park’s Park Avenue, and it’s hard to deny the appeal of spending an afternoon browsing the windows along this tree-lined street. Though populated with a few well-known stores like Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, and the Gap, the real draws on Park Avenue are the local boutiques like Bullfish (102 N. Park Ave., 407/644-2969, www.bullfishparkavenue.com, 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Mon.–Sat., noon–5 p.m. Sun.), which is—honest to God—a combination wine shop and hand-baked pet-treat store.

Tuni’s (301 S. Park Ave., 407/628-1609, 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Mon.–Sat., noon–6 p.m. Sun.) specializes in trendy, exclusive, and expensive women’s clothing; they also have a selection of accessories and local jewelry.

Kathmandu (352 N. Park Ave., 407/647-7071, www.tribalasia.com, 11 a.m.–8 p.m. Mon.–Sat., noon–6 p.m. Sun.), on the other hand, specializes in hippy-infused threads and knickknacks.

A few blocks away from Park Avenue in the Hannibal Square area there is a handful of clothing and jewelry boutiques; the most unique is The Baraka Collection (444 W. New England Ave., 407/260-1400, www.barakacollection.com), a gallery-cum-shop focused on contemporary Middle Eastern and Arabic art and furnishings.

Nearby Winter Park Village (510 N. Orlando Ave.) is an open-air shopping mall, with the usual suspects like Pier 1 and Barnes & Noble nestled alongside a few nice local boutiques; there’s also a movie theater and several restaurants.

Mall at Millenia

With outlets for Tiffany, Coach, Nordstrom, Burberry, Chanel, and more, the annoyingly misspelled Mall at Millenia (4200 Conroy Rd., 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Mon.–Sat., noon–7 p.m. Sun.) considers itself “Orlando’s destination for luxury brand shopping.” And while it certainly is that, it also draws a number of tourists from the nearby theme parks who may just want to get a good deal on some American sneakers at the Vans Store or pick up a new iPod at the gleaming Apple Store.

© Jason Ferguson from Moon Florida, 1st Edition