Founded in 1821 and named after the Seminole Chief Micanopy, this inland Florida town comprises all of 1.03 square miles (is it the .03 that makes “mile” plural?) and it’s about as quaint as quaint can be. I loved it.
I grew up in a small town in Texas where I routinely “rescued” turtles from the nearby creek, rode my bike all over town with zero supervision, knew the name of every family member in every house on my street, and considered it a rare occasion when we drove to the outskirts of town and had Chinese food at the Moon Palace. Micanopy transported me right back to small town Texas. I loved the buildings from the 1800s, the small town feel, and its welcoming, friendly people. Those “come in and set a spell” conversations with total strangers are where you pick up all the interesting tidbits.
The owner of a gorgeous two-story house that now serves as an antique store told me the town has remained at a population of about 800 for decades. I asked if someone had to die before someone could move there. He said it certainly seemed that way. On the other hand, in a town that covers less than 2 miles, how many more houses would fit?
Micanopy is the self-proclaimed antique capital of Florida. That’s what I went there to see.
Judging by this sign, they knew I was coming.
That said, I’m a terrible judge of what is or isn’t an antique. Although I’d love to walk into a store and see something I simply can’t live without, that never happens. I tend to see rows of dusty junk that’s there because someone was cleaning house and said, “How do we get rid of this?”
Sauntering up the main street, one of the first shops I approached had a sign on the door telling its customers not to let Jimmy in the door. In between the buildings was a sign announcing a “cat crossing.” Curious.
The next shop had a sign in the window asking us to keep the door closed so Jimmy wouldn’t get in. Little did I know, until I asked, that Jimmy was the cat I saw lounging on a lovely antique couch in the back of that same first store.
I assured the proprietress of the third store I entered with a “Jimmy” sign on the door that he was comfortably napping several shops down. Since it was now lunchtime, I asked her where she thought I should eat. Trust me, the locals always know the best places. She said Coffee N Cream was highly recommended and that she’d just dispatched her husband to bring her a bowl of potato soup because it was fabulous. I know we’re told not to judge a book by its cover, but glancing up and down the small main street – no ultra modern restaurants with trendy signs – it was hard to imagine not being able to pass up the soup.
Nevertheless, I ventured over and ordered the sandwich/soup combination. I swear that’s the best chicken salad I’ve ever eaten and even though the potato soup at Outback used to be my favorite, this was spectacular and moves Outback down a notch.
This little town near Gainesville would make a great day trip, especially if you like shopping. And no, it’s not all antiques. The buildings may be old and have tons of charm and character, but not all the goods in the shops are antiques. Who knows what you’ll find that you can’t live without? Even the HGTV people would love some of the shop doors. Of course, they won’t be able to convince the owner to sell them because then how would they keep Jimmy out?
I suggest you be the first hippie in the door, buy the perfect tie-dye peace sign and maybe a nifty macrame plant hanger (which you could probably get at Target but it wouldn’t have half the charm) and head over to Coffee N Cream for a delicious lunch. I don’t know this for a fact, but I’ll bet they would exhort you not to feed the cat.
- Micanopy, Florida
- 10 miles south of Gainseville
- Head over to Cholokka Blvd.
Lisa Browder 
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