7 minute read
WHAT A GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD WE LIVE IN
WILL CAMPBELL PRESIDENT BALDWIN PARK JOINT COMMITTEE
People: The heart of Baldwin Park
It takes so many things to make a community such as Baldwin Park what it is. From big businesses such as Publix, CVS and SunTrust; to the local businesses along New Broad Street like Bigote, Baldwin Park Eye Care and Verte Chiropractic; to the entrepreneurs who found their niche in the live/works like Skin Studio, Golden Hour Wine and Shop Moda; from the Joint Committee, ROA and COA to the Downtown Baldwin Park Merchant Committee to Sentry Management, each plays an integral role in our community.
At the heart of it all, though, are the people. Looking at the demographics of Baldwin Park may surprise you. I’ve said it once and I will say it again: Baldwin Park is so much more than the big houses you see as you enter along New Broad Street. We are a true melting pot of everything that’s great about the world. Our residents and business owners come from so many walks of life that you’d need some kind of crazy Venn diagram to map it all out and see how we connect. But the answer is easy: this little city within a city called Baldwin Park.
In many planned communities such as ours, you often can see the footprints of bigger businesses along the Main Street. But ours, while still having the likes of Publix and CVS, is predominantly independently owned local businesses, each with its own story. Bigote Men’s Grooming, for example, was previously a location of a chain called Kennedy’s Barber Shop. After the unexpected death of one of the owners, one of their master barbers, Harvey Sencion, approached the owner’s wife to purchase the place. Harvey didn’t want to be a part of the Kennedy’s chain any longer, though; he wanted to build his own brand, and Bigote Men’s Grooming was born. Fast-forward about four years to today, Harvey’s business has been embraced by the neighborhood. He has been able to grow to a second location in Winter Park despite the pandemic and has hope for other locations in the future.
Baldwin Park Eye Care shares a similar story. Owner and optometrist Dr. Ali Jagani came to Central Florida from London and attended UCF before getting his doctoral degree from the Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago. After college, as graduates do, Ali was working in other people’s practices. When he nally was able to do so, he opened his own practice, Baldwin Park Eye Care, but having his own place didn’t stop his endless work ethic. Even after opening, he continued to work at the practice he had been at before opening — all while building his own dream.
Let’s not forget the women of Baldwin Park, who not only are building amazing things in business but also in the community. From the likes of Dr. Taylor Wheaton, at Verte Chiropractic, to Kristen Painter, at Lafayette & Rushford, to Sue Chin, of The Osprey and Seito, each has put her own stamp on the neighborhood. In 2019, Dr. Wheaton helped form the Downtown Baldwin Park Committee, representing the merchants along New Broad Street in the hopes of bringing more attention to our neighborhood’s local businesses. Lafayette & Rushford’s owner, Kristen Painter, who has close ties to the LGBTQ+ community, engaged residents and businesses alike to help raise money for the onePULSE Foundation through various events and fundraisers. Sue Chin and her husband, Jason, spearhead Beard In Baldwin, an annual event bene ting the James Beard Foundation National Scholars Program — which has given more than $3 billion in scholarships to young chefs. If you ever have the chance to have a conversation with any of them, you are in for an awesome time.
On several nights of the week, you can nd a guy named Kevin sitting at the bar at Tactical Brewing. Kevin lives above the brewery in the apartments, and his history with Baldwin Park goes all the way back to the U.S. Navy base that once occupied the area. Kevin quickly became friends with the owners and sta and, for his 70th birthday, the Tactical team took Kevin skydiving! They’re planning tattoos for his 75th birthday. Friendships know no boundaries.
My own story about nding a place in Baldwin Park is unique, as well. If you haven’t read my previous articles where I introduced myself, I’ll give you the Reader’s Digest version. I was born in South Florida; went to UCF, where I got my bachelor’s degree in advertising and PR; moved home in 2004 after school to help take care of my mom; met my (now) husband in 2006; moved back to Orlando in 2011; bought our rst home together in 2015; and got married in 2017. When we rst moved back, we found Ender’s
Place and thought that would be a good starting point in this next chapter — and we weren’t disappointed. We did a brief stint living in downtown Orlando, and when that lease was up, we decided it was time to buy. We exhausted our friend and Realtor looking at countless homes in our target area but kept ending up in Baldwin Park. After about 80 properties (told you we exhausted him!), we nally landed in one of the townhomes next to Grace Hopper Hall. After six years in the townhouse, we sold our home but couldn’t quit Baldwin Park, so we moved into Baldwin Harbor, where we’re currently living for the short term. Fortunately, we were able to nd a home in the neighborhood and will have closed on that by the time you read this.
I wanted to get involved in this neighborhood I had grown to love, but as an openly gay man with something of an opinion about a lot of things, I wasn’t sure how some members of the community would react. Mind you, this was based solely on some unconscious bias in my own head about not being accepted by certain groups of people. I was completely wrong. First nding a seat on the Joint Committee, then eventually the ROA, I was welcomed by the groups with proverbial open arms. Talk about an interesting grouping of people who “shouldn’t” work but work together awlessly. Writing my rst article for Baldwin Park Living had my nerves going a little crazy for the same reasons, but I’ve been so pleasantly surprised by the responses I’ve received from throughout the neighborhood.
The same can be said for the rest of the community — it all just makes sense. Since moving into Baldwin Park, Andrew (my better half) and I have made countless new friends from sitting across from them for the rst time at a bar and striking up a conversation or through the various groups and meetups in the neighborhood. We always would look forward to Halloween night, when all of our neighbors — each incredibly di erent and with their own stories — would line the mews for the trick-ortreaters. We’d share drinks and food together (pre-COVID, y’all!) and make a night of it.
When we started the Downtown Baldwin Park merchant committee, we created a hashtag we felt represented the inclusiveness of Baldwin Park: #WeAreBaldwinPark. No matter who you are, where you come from or what you do; no matter your age, your race or ethnicity, who you love or your gender, everyone has a place in Baldwin Park. As I said earlier, despite all the parts and pieces of what makes Baldwin tick, it’s truly the people who make up the heart of it. Next time you’re out, I encourage you to start a conversation with the people at the table or seat next to you, You never know who you may meet.
Until next time, stay safe, stay well and remember, we are Baldwin Park!
… despite all the parts and pieces of what makes Baldwin tick, it’s truly the people who make up the heart of it. shop, dine, unwind & live in style! shop, dine, unwind & live in style!shop, dine, unwind & live in style!
Shop safely and enjoy specialty stores, Shop safely and enjoy specialty stores, delicious restaurants, luxurious salons, a delicious restaurants, luxurious salons, a
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