Florida's 5 Coolest Boutiques For Trendy Shopping In Orlando, According To Locals

Theme parks, sports, and shopping malls are three ingredients most people think to include when planning an Orlando vacation. It's true, you could easily visit the city and spend your time waiting in line for Stardust Racers Epic Universe or The Incredible Hulk Coaster, two of the 10 rides in Orlando actually worth waiting for. Or you could devote this time to shopping in one of the world's most underrated retail destinations. 

That doesn't mean following the tourist crowds to The Mall at Millenia, Old Town Entertainment District, or one of the city's congested outlet malls. While these places provide all the usual designer brands and run-of-the-mill retailers, you'll rarely find any unique items or cool boutiques. Shopping locally in Orlando often means looking beyond the giant malls and focusing your attention on the city's various neighborhoods where small, independent stores wait for intrepid shoppers. Areas like the Milk District, for instance, offer a kaleidoscope of subcultures with great food and shopping. But it's certainly not the only one. Trendy boutiques can be found scattered all around the city. You just need to know where to look.

When it comes to finding Orlando's coolest boutiques, the best guides are the ones who live and breathe this city: locals. We've tapped into this knowledge by combing through local blogs and guides and cross-referencing their recommendations with unique store listings on Yelp and locals' suggestions on the r/Orlando subreddit. We've also made sure these shops are rated highly on Google and have reviews specifically mentioning their quality products. Here are Florida's five coolest places to shop in Orlando for your next visit, according to locals.

The House on Lang is a boutique inside a little bungalow that sells a range of clothing for men, women, and little ones. LemonHearted, a blogger based in Orlando, recommends The House on Lang for its trendy clothing and gift selection. The bungalow has different themed rooms, including two rooms for male and female clothes, one for vintage goods, another for homewares and decorations, and another area for kids' clothing. Run by co-owners Julie and Christie, this family-owned business epitomizes local shopping with its welcoming atmosphere and regular events, including art classes, live music, and stand-up comedy.

Shopping here is all about finding one-off fashion pieces, whether that be flowing dresses and leather cowgirl boots, floral button-downs and pastel-colored khakis, or kids' vests and onesies with cute phrases. The Vintage Room is particularly great if you're hunting for unique clothes. They often stock pre-loved jackets, dresses, shirts, and items collected while traveling abroad. When it comes to home decor, you can often find locally made goods and art on the shelves. This includes mugs, framed prints, bowls, candles, throws, and pillows.

The store has a distinct bohemian style when it comes to its new fashion and homewares curation, with a lot of earthy tones across the racks. With a near-perfect 4.9-star rating from over 100 reviews on Google, reviewers appreciate the boutique's wide selection of curated items. People also often comment on the vending machine selling small art prints. "Such a lovely boutique! ... The whole atmosphere felt so warm and welcoming," one shopper wrote on Google.

Recommended by multiple locals on the r/Orlando subreddit, Freehand Goods is a boutique selling a range of handmade artisanal goods and apparel. It's part of the East End Market, a neighborhood shopping and dining hub with over a dozen independent restaurants, cafes, and retailers. Located on the corner of East End Avenue and Corrine Drive, the market is about 15 minutes' drive from Downtown Orlando and is one of the many incredible things to do in and around Orlando, other than visiting Disney World.

Freehand Goods holds its own among these local merchants, stocking a wide selection of clothing, leather goods, accessories, homewares, and grooming products. This is not your typical gift shop. Many of the products, such as the leather wallets and belts, colognes and soaps, and soy candles, are made in-house. The other goods are made by local artisans and artists, including the Florida-inspired printed t-shirts and original art prints.

You can often take advantage of deals and specials here, including art and gift bundles with a 15% discount. You may also see items on the shelves that have been designed in collaboration with the Florida State Parks Foundation. Money from these purchases is donated to the foundation to help it protect and preserve Florida's state parks. "As a native Floridian, this store makes me so happy ... I always stop by to see what new things they have," one person wrote on Google, where the boutique has 4.9 stars.

Etoile Boutique is located in Orlando's trendy Milk District on East Robinson Street.  Locals on r/Orlando cite its excellent vintage collection, and it's one of the top-rated unique stores on Yelp, with a 4.3-star rating from over 50 reviews. "Cute vintage shop in the Milk District. ... I like that they have a selection of items from different countries and different time periods," one person wrote on Yelp. Quality vintage is right, as owner Falon Quillen handpicks these one-of-a-kind threads from iconic fashion decades spanning the 1950s all the way to the 1990s.

Shoppers can find eye-catching vintage pieces, including vibrant halter tops, '80s muscle shirts, varsity bomber jackets, loop collar button-downs, '70s mini dresses, and flare pants. New clothing gets racked every week as well, so it's a store locals find themselves coming back to regularly. "A must do every time we're in town! The best vintage store in Florida," one repeat customer wrote on Google.

While vintage threads are Etoile Boutique's specialty, the store also sells handmade body products from local makers, such as Bet's Bars. While the selection is small, you can find quality candles, soaps, and body butter. They also stock a range of antique and vintage furniture, including side tables, bureaus, framed prints, and other decor. Visit on Thursdays for 15% discounts on furniture and art, or on Fridays to browse clothing for only $5.

Atomic Horror is another one with multiple mentions by locals on the r/Orlando subreddit. This is not your typical boutique, appealing to lovers of all things horror with its selection of merchandise and memorabilia from cult and mainstream horror movies and TV shows. The store, which has a 4.8-star rating from over 220 Google reviews, has a variety of items, from scary graphic novels and themed tiki mugs to collectible figurines of iconic horror movie characters.

You can also purchase print shirts, socks, and hats, games based on your favorite horror movies, and recreated props from movies like "Gremlins" and "Evil Dead". If you want to decorate your home for Halloween, check out their horror-themed decor, including light-up masks, throw blankets, and signs. "It's such a cool place for a fan of anything horror. It's not a huge store, but it is packed with an incredible amount of memorabilia and merchandise at really good prices," one person wrote on Google.

Atomic Horror is located on East Colonial Drive, about 15 minutes' drive from Orlando's CBD. You can also catch bus number 28 or 29 from the city center in around 30 minutes. Everyone who works there is also a fan of horror films and shows, creating a community of like-minded folks. This shared passion might be one reason why frequent shoppers can eventually get 20% off with enough Frequent Monster Club stamps.

As the name suggests, this little boutique offers a small but high-quality selection of handmade gifts. YAY! Tiny Shop is located on North Orange Avenue, only 2.5 miles north of Orlando's city center. It's actually the start of a charming row of boutiques, wine shops, and restaurants along Orange Avenue that overlook Lake Ivanhoe, known as Ivanhoe Village.

Most of the products sold here have been created by local artists. This includes home decor and cookbooks, beautifully painted prints in quality frames, scented candles, handbags, and jewelry. It's a great place to go if you're looking for personal and unique gifts but have no idea what to buy, because the shelves are stacked with so many different products.

Local blogger, LemonHearted, recommends YAY! Tiny Shop to anyone who favors small local businesses over big chains. The cute facade sets the scene well with its white brick walls, vintage green awnings, bay window, and timber door. But visitors tend to linger inside as they explore the store's variety of items. "I love going here for gifts, then end up leaving with a few treats for myself ... They've curated a variety [of] unique and beautiful items, not seen at many other gift shops," one person wrote on Google, where the boutique has a perfect 5-star rating.

To compile this list, we searched for the most unique and popular boutiques in Orlando listed by local bloggers and review sites, including LemonHearted and Yelp. We also looked at local recommendations on the r/Orlando subreddit. We avoided the more mainstream boutiques and instead focused on places that were trendy local spots rather than well-known shopping hubs. We checked all these businesses on Google and made sure we only chose the boutiques with a 4-star rating or higher from at least 30 reviews. We also prioritized boutiques in Orlando neighborhoods within a 30-minute drive of the CBD.