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Detroit Building
When Paradise Was Almost Detroit
St. Pete’s founding fathers, Peter Demens and John Williams, once stood on the corner of Central and Second to flip a coin. The winner would get to name the city, the loser his new hotel. Peter won and named our sunny paradise after his hometown in Russia, while John named the Hotel Detroit after...you guessed it. Standing since 1886, the building is one of the city’s oldest remaining structures and today overlooks the heart of downtown St. Pete’s nightlife, the 200 block.

“A living memory, one look inside the original Detroit Building reveals a style from an earlier era.” - Amber Racer, St. Pete Local

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Haslam's Bookstore
Pages of the Past and Present
Once upon a time, John and Mary Haslam started selling books to the community to make ends meet during the Great Depression. Today, the family business has expanded to be the oldest & largest new and used bookstore in Florida! Their collection includes more than 300,000 books across an impressive 30,000 square feet. There’s no need to rush while searching for your next great read, so slow the pace for an hour or two at this unique shop and be sure to give Teacup, the store feline, a pat on the head before you go.
“A rainy Saturday morning in St. Petersburg without Haslam’s would be hard to imagine.” - The St. Petersburg Times


That’s the History for Now!
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