This is a very competitive category, with so much abandoned retail space in Central Florida, but Fashion Square is easily the most photogenic of them all with its weedy parking lots, chain-link-fenced demolition site, leak-stained cavernous interior emptiness and general air of vanished grandeur. (Plus a creepy clown ride, because you gotta have a creepy clown ride.) A few non-retail businesses seem to be clinging to life, but between the lone jewelry kiosk and Macy's there's an eerie post-apocalyptic calm. While Italian artists and architects had the magnificent Roman ruins to jumpstart the Renaissance, we get dead malls — so let's make the most of them before an overpriced Baldwin Park expansion district kicks in. We're taking alternative conversion proposals. Anyone for a grow house collective? (Corner of Colonial and Maguire, orlandofashionsquare.com)
Best of Orlando 2023: Shopping and Retail
1st: Orange Tree Antiques Mall, orangetreeantiques.com
2nd: The Owl's Attic, theowlsattic.com
3rd: The Lovely, thelovelyboutiquemarket.com
1st: Orange Cycle, orangecycleorlando.com
2nd: Kyle's Bike Shop, kylesbikeshop.net
3rd: Bicikleta Bike Shop, bicikletabikeshop.com
1st: Lily's Bridal Outlet, lilysbridal.com
2nd: The Collection Bridal, thecollectionbridal.com
3rd: Calvet Couture Bridal, calvetcouture.com
1st: FLUENT Cannabis Dispensary, getfluent.com
2nd: Smoke Pharmacy, smokepharmacy.com
3rd: Blue Lotus Wellness and CBD Boutique, bluelotuswellnessandcbd.com
1st: Corona Cigar Company Diamond Crown Lounge, coronacigar.com
2nd: Nora's Sugar Shack Beer Wine and Cigars, norassugarshack.com
3rd: Corona Cigar Company Drew Estate Lounge, coronacigar.com
1st: Gods and Monsters, godmonsters.com
2nd: Blackbird Comics and Coffeehouse, theblackbirdroost.com
3rd: Coliseum of Comics, coliseumofcomics.com
1st: Orlando Vintage Clothing and Costume, orlandovintage.com
2nd: Embellish FX, embellishfx.com
3rd: Paper Goat Post, papergoatpost.com
1st: Sam Flax, samflaxorlando.com
2nd: Colonial Photo and Hobby, Inc. cphfun.com
3rd: Let Us Frame It, letusframeit.com