WHAT A GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD WE LIVE IN!
Summertime, and the living’s (almost) easy! WILL CAMPBELL PRESIDENT BALDWIN PARK JOINT COMMITTEE
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H
ey neighbors! Not sure how we got here, but it’s already July. We’re officially in the second half of 2021 and that hot Florida summer. The past six months have flown by, and quite a bit has happened in our little neighborhood. We’ve seen some businesses leave the bubble and new ones take their place. We’ve seen some of our neighbors do the same and take advantage of the crazy market to move on to their next adventures, while new ones came to be part of our Baldwin family. We’ve honored and remembered the 49 angels we lost five years ago at the senseless massacre at Pulse. Baldwin Park itself celebrated a milestone with its 20th birthday, and the city of Orlando officially declared June 5 as Baldwin Park Day! And just as we turn the page on the calendar — or flip to the next month on our phones — we’re seeing even more changes, many for the positive. With events on hold since March 2020, things are starting to fill the calendar again. While the Baldwin Park Joint Committee made the difficult decision to cancel our Independence Day Bash in downtown Baldwin Park, we’re excited the city of Orlando will be hosting its annual Fourth of July celebration at Lake Eola again this year. As the months progress, more events will come back to our neighborhood, and we can’t wait to share details with you soon. Admittedly, sports are not
BALDWIN PARK LIVING | JULY 2021
normally my strong point, but it’s great to see our local teams’ games come alive again. Through COVID, our very own Orlando City has only had limited in-person audiences, but the team is ready to get back into the full swing of things. It was announced recently that Exploria Stadium will open up to full capacity, which is great news — not only for the team but also the businesses around the stadium that thrive on the guest attendance. The summer also means travel for many of us, especially with school out. As someone who was used to traveling for both work and pleasure heavily throughout the year, these past 15 months have been eye-opening … as in, I opened my eyes and walked from the bedroom to my home office. Things aren’t back to where they were, but it’s been great to get back on a plane over the last month or two and fly across the country to see friends and clients. We’ve even got a weekend planned in Mexico for a friend’s birthday this month. As much as I love Baldwin Park and The City Beautiful, it’s great to get back out there and see other places. Hopefully, you’ll be able to do the same. Our little city within a city is starting to come alive again — not quite as it was before COVID became a five-letter word in our everyday vocabulary — but there is progress. The businesses along New Broad Street are buzzing with activity almost every day and night, which is great, but it also makes it harder
to get a table at our amazing restaurants! As vaccinations become more accessible, we will see things returning to pre-pandemic norms even more, but don’t let that stop you from being courteous, kind and respectful. If someone is wearing a mask, don’t judge them for it: You may not know their story. It’s easy to keep a mask on your person in case a store or restaurant requires it — lord knows we all have plenty of them to go around. If it is required, let’s just put it on while we shop or until we get to our table. The few minutes is nothing compared to how long we’ve been wearing them already. All this talk about Fourth of July and summer has made me crave a good old-fashioned summer barbecue at the pool, so I guess I better go figure out how to make that happen! Until we see each other again, be safe, be well and be kind. #WeAreBaldwinPark
