Havana is an excellent place to spend the day shopping or just browsing. The town contains an eclectic assortment of shops and restaurants. Come and enjoy our down-home charm and southern hospitality. Feel free to bring the entire family to the very laid-back atmosphere. If you are looking for that one-of-a-kind gift that you can't find in the malls, then Havana is the place for you.

The streets were dirt in the early 1900's. Parking was unorganized. Large power poles ran through the middle of town. And there were no traffic lights.

Having suffered devastating economic hardship when the cigar industry moved to Central America several decades ago, Havana - named for Havana, Cuba, because of the cigar tobacco produced there, practically dried up. After enjoying the rewards of the shade tobacco industry in Havana in the '40s - '60s, people moved away to find jobs when the industry shriveled. Those who stayed shopped in nearby cities, such as Tallahassee, just 15 minutes away.

But in 1983, Tallahassee antique shop owners Henderson and Lee Hotchkiss were looking to relocate. The pair were interested in a small corner of a building on the main street in Havana. "We'd always loved this building," Henderson said of the two-story, red-brick warehouse that formerly housed a hardware store and drug store. Now it's occupied by H&H Antiques, Mirror Image Antiques and Little River General Store. "We were negotiating, and they said, "For twice as much money, we'll sell you the whole block," Henderson recalled.

So they took a leap of faith and - before the deal even closed - they'd sold two of the store spaces and leased another. Soon, Havana was back on its feet and headed toward becoming the antique and art Mecca it is today.

Website: www.havanaflorida.com

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