March 31, 1997

To survive as a vampire it is necessary to drink blood. To stay awake all night to find victims (oops...I mean friends) it is necessary to drink coffee. It is now possible to do both in Suburbia. Instead of getting arrested for trespassing and stalking, you can go to the coffee house, Suburbia, and your newfound friends will come to you. Deceivingly enough, the name outside says Angst A-Go Go, the name of the clothing store inside. Suburbia is conveniently located in a strip mall at 7124 Aloma Ave. in Winter Park.

Decorated in basic silver and black, with H.R. Giger on the tables and Propaganda pictures on the walls, the gothic mood is adequately evoked. One Toni Foster says that it has the "London Retro" look (Billy Idol where have you gone?). A jukebox and a few video games help to kill time. The jukebox selection is soon to be changed, so don't be surprised to find Aerosmith and Madonna in it. The clothes from Anti-Babe are in the back. Great Gothic/Graver clothes are offered for all your vampire-look needs.

The week nights are real slack - it's nice and quiet. The weekends, though, pick up a lot. The Gothic crowd is in full force on Friday and Sunday nights. Club Z (formerly Club Zen) is at the other end of the mall, and all of the beautiful people are there. The best thing about goth kids is their fashion sense: it's impeccable. Suburbia is great for people watching, hanging out, or meeting people. The employees and most of the customers are not complete snobs, only a little bitchy if estrogen is their primary hormone.

The coffee selection leaves a little to be desired, but the chocolate cake is to die for. If you're already dead, they have sandwiches, salads, and pizzas. All in all, Suburbia is quiet and reserved, a nice contradiction to the lunacy of downtown.

phone: (407)678-4400
hours: Mon.-Wed. 9 p.m.-3 a.m.
Thurs.-Sun. 9 p.m.-5 a.m.