Church Street Orlando

Church Street in downtown Orlando is the nightclub district favored by young locals as well as out-of-town visitors who prefer their nightlife to be stroller free. Some of the most popular nightclubs in downtown Orlando are situated here, including Chillers (shown at left), Big Belly, Latitudes, and Antigua. Other dance bars, like Tabu Nightclub and Club Firestone, are located just off of Church Street on Orange Avenue.

The Church Street Station is clearly visible from the eastbound side of I-4 and spans both sides of Church Street and both sides of CSX’s A Line tracks. In the early 1970s the station was developed as an entertainment complex with bars and restaurants, and by the mid-1980s it was one of the top tourist attractions in the state of Florida. After Walt Disney World added Downtown Disney and Universal Orlando created CityWalk, tourists tended to gravitate to the nightlife offerings that were closest to the attractions, and many stores and restaurants at Church Street Station began to close down.

Today, Church Street Orlando maintains a smaller, but lively local crowd, with the added benefit of inexpensive, easy to find parking, plus a pub crawling atmosphere that is distinctly different from the larger, touristy crowds.