Mike Shows You His Orlando....

My name: Mike
My age: 28
My profession: writer and journalist
City/town: Gainesville and Orlando, Florida
Relationship status: in a relationship
Sexuality: gay male

Do you have a hometown crush? If so, describe (but don't name names).

I have a friend here who is a psychology major at UCF and I consider very very hot, yes. I would call him, at least at times, something of a crush.

What was the last vacation you took? Where did you go? Where do you most want to go?

My last short vacation was to Daytona Beach, which is not far from here yet a lot of fun. I love the beach and I surf so it was a natural choice. I would like to go back to Russia again though.

Are any famous people from your town?

Hmmm . . . Aaron Carter came of age here, would that count?

What are some of the things you love most about your town?

Most people associate Orlando mainly with Disney, but the theme parks are really only one side of our community and the Disney parks are in fact to our south and in another county, anyways. We have two
world-class malls, a great downtown and a lot of gay-friendly entertainment. It's also a great city to live and work in.

If someone came to your town for just four hours, what is the one thing he should do?

Unless he was from a large city with great shopping like Chicago, I would highly suggest the Mall at Millenia which is an impressive and varied shopping experience. The Mall at Millenia also has won numerous awards for its architecture. It's worth seeing.

What are some great restaurants for a night out with gay friends?

On East Colonial Drive, we have a variety of very good Vietnamese places because this is our "Little Siagon": Orlando has one of the largest Vietnamese populations on the East Coast and therefore some
very good restaurants. They tend to be high-quality, reasonably-priced places and as someone who lived in San Francisco and has had my share of Asian food, I can attest to their quality and value.

What are some great restaurants for a romantic gay date? What about these restaurants appeals to you?

Victoria and Albert's in Disney's Grand Floridian is very fine dining and despite being in a Disney hotel, it's a very posh and romantic atmosphere . . . not what one thinks of with "Disney" at all. It's a
classy, beautiful, place with food to match.

What are your favorite gay bars and/or dance clubs?

Pulse is a trendy, fun, dance club that is gay-themed and currently the hot spot with the twentysomething crowd: that's where I like to dance. I also like the gay-oriented nights at Firestone.

What are your favorite gay parties or events in your town, if any? What is the crowd or scene like at those places?

There are always throughout the school year (the University of Central Florida is in Orlando) house parties which beat, in my opinion, large-scale things in terms of fun. The scene here tends towards young, beautiful, and tropical with more and more of a latin beat.

Where is the best public place for a gay person to make out there (or isn't there one)?

Most anywhere within reason: it's a rather gay-friendly city.

What is the gay community like there? Do you consider yourself to be part of any particular "scene?"

I dislike the term "scene" but I am a kinda emo/alternative/rocker kinda guy and fit in with that scene but have a lot of friends who are more into a stereotypical gay scene here . . . the scenes here are pretty fluid but I am mostly familar with the younger set here.

Where do you shop for clothes?

The aforementioned Mall at Millenia has a wealth of various clothing options from Hollister to Hugo Boss. People here who can afford to wear very very nice cutting-edge streetwear with a tropical slant to
it . . . think Custo Barcelona or Morphine Generation. Most anything you desire clothing-wise will be found in the Mall at Millenia or if not, at one of the various independent boutiques in Winter Park.

Where do you go for other forms of entertainment -- live theater, concerts, movies, art exhibits? Are there any local gay performance groups, bands, or artists that you're a fan of?

The live music and theatre scene here, including opera and classical music, is one of the better ones in Florida actually. We get a lot of touring bands also and there's always something of interest to do if
you look. It's simply a matter of checking things out when-ever you arrive here and seeing what's happening.

Is there a local cocktail that's popular in your town?

Variants of the martini remain very popular.

Where do the hot boys in your town tend to hang out?

Pulse, and on weekends, try the Mall at Millenia too.

If you had to describe the "average gay boy" style of your town in two words, what would they be?

Most guys I know in their twenties or so dress very smartly, but streetwear and pretty cutting-edge stuff. We're very fun and fashion-forward here, somewhat following Miami's lead.

Do you have any local celebs?

Wendy Chioji, a local TV newscaster for years, recently retired and relocated to Colorado. We love her and miss her much!

What bar has the cutest/hottest bartenders? (Don't name people's names)

Pulse, once again, or Firestone.

Do gay men and lesbians hang out together in your town or is that just unheard of?

I have lesbian friends and most guys I know do, yeah.

Has your town ever had a "gay scandal?" If so, describe it -- but don't use names!

Not really, except the local conservative groups are often vexed by just how gay-friendly the city is. It seems to get their collective goats that we're as progressive as we are.

Learn more about Mike by clicking here.

[Editor's Note: To find out how to submit a Reader's Guide about YOUR town, click here -- you'll be happy you did...].

Comments

[Lukas]

¡Hola tío! Acabo de abrirme un blog en Blogger y buscando a través de internet otros de temática me he encontrado con el tuyo. Te dejo la dirección (http://noesotrobloggay.blogspot.com/) por si te apetece echarle un vistazo, ¿ok? Felicidades por el tuyo y espero saber tu opinión del mio, ¡je! Un abrazo.

[Philip Riley]

Hello Mike - Where do I send the plane ticket! I'm a writer, living in Palm Springs and seeing your picture and reading your words made my life a little happier. Write to me at themadpen@hotmal.com

Phil

[Philip Riley]

Hello Mike - Where do I send the plane ticket! I'm a writer, living in Palm Springs and seeing your picture and reading your words made my life a little happier. Write to me at themadpen@hotmal.com

Phil

[Tim Dean]

Oh my GOD! Mike, you are like, darling. I would come to Orlando if the boys there look like you.

I am digging this feature. It's great to read about us gays who don't live in the "big gay mecca" places like NY and San Francisco.

I was interested in every word this kid said. Great feature, i'm loving this.

[soniabrockert]

Um -- as a lesbian, can I just say two things here? Mike is the prettiest boy I have seen ever. If only I could meet a girl as pretty as Mike. Trust me, Mike, you're hot, but even better -- you are interesting. I enjoyed reading about your life in Florida. Thank you for this glimpse.

To Gay.com -- can us girls get in on this too? I'm in San Diego and I like to think I lead a quasi-interesting life here. And I bet a lot of girls out there feel the same way.

[robert the twink]

hes not that attractive- its not even so much like that as he looks like any other Suburban twink

[robert the twink]

hes not that attractive- its not even so much like that as he looks like any other Suburban twink

[robert the twink]

hes not that attractive- its not even so much like that as he looks like any other Suburban twink

[Mike (coralcocowexler)]

You know, I wish people's comments here were not about whether I am amazingly hot or rather not, but instead about Orlando or travel . . . you know?

[Mike (coralcocowexler)]

Also, I have to wonder exactly what a "suburban twink" is vs. an urban or rural one? I mean really people . . .

[jd]

LOL! I knew Mike when he went to SCAD in Savannah, GA. If he's 28, I'm 30. He's closer to 40. It's amazing what lipo, Botox, and the knife can do. But hey, whatever it takes hun. You look good Mike! LOL!

[N]

This is fake guys don't believe in everything you find here.

N

[Mike (coralcocowexler)]

N, I would like to know (if you meant my info was inaccurate in some way) just what you meant: this is a subjective opinion of what I like about Orlando. I know some people like P-House over Pulse, some would not dare go to the Mall at Millenia and favor second-hand shops downtown or boutiques in Winter Park, but the info is accurate. If you feel you can contribute a different take, tell gay.com: I expect they could use another view on Orlando too.

[Jay Chague]

In all reality, any destination is subject to the love of it's own inhabitants. Any website can publish these types of stories, using men or boys they feel the general public will find attractive.
I live in Phoenix Arizona, and I feel that like any other place in this country, or the world, there are those of us who dislike very much the fact that we live where we are. I for one hate the idea of being single, however it does not seem as though that predicament will be remedied anytime soon. Phoenix in all of it's corners is much like any other place. You are happiest when you stay with your own kind. There are two kinds of gay men. The kind who marry and the kind who don't. Unfortunately If you cannot find the kind who marry you are subjected to the latter rather than the former.
I would love nothing more to be with a man who respects, loves and revels in the chase of me. I do not believe that will happen in Arizona. The one's who live to love live already for the love they have. Those who you find are broken and revel only in the fleeting pleasure of the rebound afforded them by the weaker who wish to have what their 'attackers' have thrown away or lost. That for me is Phoenix. Come visit if you want. The weather is wonderful and the clubs are fine.

[blue]

man, this guy reads pretentious and douchey combined with bad "arty" photos.

[julie_BLAIR]

Wow, I can't wait for gay.com to interview more paintings!

[corrective_unconscious]

Wow, your fake pics of yourself are much hotter than my fake pics of myself!

[BWB]

Really? Gay rights just took a major hit with four losses throughout America, setting us back perhaps decades, and Gay.com is covering this?! For the love of God, can we all be a bit serious for a day or two?!?!

[monkey96]

honestly what is wrong with you people ewe he's ugly or ewe he isn't even pretty well sorry girls and boys but everything is not about looks and if you even cared to read what he had said then maybe you would have a different view you know not everything is about being superficial unlike i guess the stuck up population of people that wrote in there little 2 cents but then again i guess that is why gays have a bad view or even better are made fun of by a stereotype that is set no wonder i am disgusted and sometimes even ashamed to be gay thanx queens for coming out and making everyone look bad mainly yourselves but everyone else in the crossfire

[Mike (coralcocowexler)]

I'm really surprised by the base level of pettiness on here: if anyone who has made a mean comment had a real issue with something I said about Orlando, so be it, but instead what we got was people who either wanted to say how hot or how not I am. That's really sad. Not everyone is going to submit snapshots to something like this, and yes, the editor whom I was in contact with in part may have chosen me because I am (to some) cute. Whatever. The larger issue was I was trying to provide a personal impression of a city I love. Being petty and mean is something anyone can do, and most of us get over it around sixth grade.

I have never set out to be everyone's idea of perfection: if someone thinks I look anorexic or generic or I am too concerned with having pretty photos, whatever. I am very good at my job, have a wonderful boyfriend, and quality friends. Beyond that, scores of nice, interesting, people have emailed me due to this article. Some are even planning to come visit Orlando, so I got what I wanted and I hope gay.com got what they wanted. In a time when our nation faces serious challenges, I am just surprised that people would spend so much energy on being mean-spiritd. You need to get over your jealousy or whatever motivates you and get a life.

[JR]

I've met Mike in Orlando and he's if anything hotter than he is in his pics here. I think its clear what's up here: people can't hate on him for his intellect because his writing is fine so they try and find other things. what is wrong with gay culture? why do we think someone can only be hot or be smart and not both? But Mike, I gotta say one thing, you come off like a label whore in this too so you're not totally above it all either.

[Bill]

Hello:

I just read the write up you posted about Orlando. I will have to visit some time and check things out. I also loved your eyes, If I am ever down that way I would love to photograph you! I am a pro photographer and I think you would love the final images. Let me know if you ever make it to Colorado.

Bill

[Bill]

Hello:

I just read the write up you posted about Orlando. I will have to visit some time and check things out. I also loved your eyes, If I am ever down that way I would love to photograph you! I am a pro photographer and I think you would love the final images. Let me know if you ever make it to Colorado.

Bill

[Me]

For the "... great restaurants for a night out with gay friends..." section, I would like to add that you should only bring your VERY CLOSE and DOWN TO EARTH friends to those Vietnamese restaurants. If your gay friends are like some of the queens posted on this thread, please don't bring them there. The reason is that while the food at those restaurants is to die for, the cleanliness of many is 3rd world at best. I should know! My relatives run one of those restaurants on Colonial Drive. Her cooking is really really really good but she refuses to spend above minimum requirements on maintenance! So take out is another good workaround. But please, don't bring these queens to those restaurants. Their smartass comments will ruin your whole night.

[Mike (coralcocowexler)]

I agree, "Me", I would take any of my gay friends to those Viet places though because my friends are not "queeny" and I hope most gay men on here have the maturity to be more concerned with experiencing different cultures than being petty over stuff. Many asian cultures do view cleanliness differently than westerners though I feel all those places on Colonial are kept up to health standards.

[Wayne]

Mike Is A Real Hot Looking Guy, I Love Being With Him Sometime...........Wayne

[franck-a]

slt ma devise a moi ,:l'âge , la distance , la couleur etc.... n’ont pas d'importance pour moi tu comprend , pour moi l'importance es la sérénité du coeur et la fidélité ainsi que la confiance dans un premier début de contact.
je me nomme FRANCK je suis un jeune homme agee de 31 ans gay actif et passif monter 25/5 a la recherche du reel avec homme serieux et sincere qui saura mle donner lamour dun dhomme.
Je suis beaucoup sentimental , affectueux , avec aussi les personnes que j aime . J’ai également beaucoup d amour a donner a lhomme que mon ceour aura choisir.
si jamais tu recherche la meme chose que moi alors ajoute moi a ton msn pour mieu en parler : franck_amour@hotmail.fr
Je te signal que je suis très sérieux dans ma démarche et que j aimerais tavoir comme le bon homme, sérieux sincère et fidèle ,car je ne veut plus fidèle d échec encoPRESENTATION DE TEXEre dans ma vie.
cordialement

[Debby]

Another great gay establishment to eat at is Hamburger Mary's. They are downtown on Church Street. They have Drag Bingo on Tuesday nights that are really fun. They except reservations, which is a good idea that night because every seat is usually taken. They also have good drink specials on the weekend with %5.95 buckets of beer.