Picazzo’s, on the corner of Las Olas Blvd. and 9th Ave., has great coffee, but if you planned on being seen in a sidewalk café, start walking west. There’s Brio’s, Café Indigo, Café La Bonne Crepe, or The Cheesecake Factory are all in the same block. There’s more across the street or east of 9th Ave. They have their menus posted outside and looking them over is fun, too. Yes, they have frog legs.

Those artsy shirts that cost a fortune because they have beautiful things appliqued and embroidered on the front come in children’s sizes at Flora Ottimer’s. You can find a full size realistic statue of a giraffe at the Regency Gallery. For teens who can’t find the ultimate outfit that’s really far out, try Deco Beach. You’ll probably find matching shoes in their boot store across the street.

The blown glass balloons at Seldom Seen Gallery looked real. They even float in the air somehow. If you’ve been looking for a full size brass statue of a nude girl reclining in a lounge chair they have one at Paradise Art for only $14,500. They also have a water fountain made from hand blown blue glass in the shape of lily pads in graduated sizes and that was a mere $3400.

I was thrilled to see what Chico’s have. Most of their clothes are made with spandex. I’ve been experimenting with that fabric and I love it. The fabric stretches like elastic but it looks like silky velvet and hangs beautifully when you move. I have a few pieces and feel great in it. At Chico’s a tank tops cost $38 and matching pants cost $68. Not bad. Most of the collection was in black but they did have colors and even prints. For accessaries they were doing fantastic things with red Chinese print shirts and jewelry.

We only spent two hours there so we saw very little. They have wonderful art galleries with excellent paintings and sculpture, unbelievably gorgeous jewelry, and clothes that you wouldn’t believe and its all within four or five blocks.