Key West has Fake Grass

During the height (or depth) of the 2008 Recession (which lasted into 2012 or so), I was taking photos of a bank owned home located in the South of Truman Area of Old Town Key West. A neighbor came outside to talk to me and told me a family member of his used to own the bank owned property. And then he related the tales of woe as to what lead to the demise of the once prized property.

As we stood in front of his personal abode he told me worked for the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority, our local water company. I noticed the entire front yard and visible side yard of his house was covered in cement. He told me the back yard was cement as well. He said he did not want to have to deal with trees or shrubs or anything that required care. This man looked to be in his mid-twenties, too young to be so lazy, I thought. But after that chance meeting I learned many locals have long favored concrete to anything requiring human maintenance.

The house shown above was located on a sweet lane in the North of Truman area of Old Town. As you can see that house had cement painted green to give a fake grass effect. After that home was sold and renovated, the new owner added a pool which requires electricity, a pool boy, chemicals, and an occasional dip and or dunk. Fake grass is cheaper to maintain, but a dip in a pool is preferred to a dunk in cement.