There was a big city here at one time, but whatever's left of that place ain't suitable for livin' in mostly. And if you hadn't noticed, the forest ain't so safe, especially for setting up a lumber mill for any period of time to rip planks into boards. So people who've decided to live here have gotten into the habit of looking around for the answers to finding shelter.
It seems like at some point a lot of ships got sunk in the bay, leaving a lot of lumber laying around to be scavenged. The water seems to have kept the wood in pretty good condition and so a lot of the buildings around here have been made out of that found lumber, or out of large parts of the boats themselves. It's definitely given the town it's own style that I've seen some new buildings keep even if they've cut the wood themselves.
While most of the houses scattered around the place are makeshift and small, the buildings in the "Town" of Winter Haven seem to be a bit more bold. One of those buildings is this two-story Inn that they call The Drunken Dwarf where a lot of folks get together. It's a little ways from the buildings most folks have occupied, so if you go, don't expect everyone and their uncles to hear your calls for help if big beasties come callin' late at night.
The Town's also a long walk from the Bay, sometimes an hour or so, depending on what you come across on your way.