On my third trip to Key West in 1986 I spent much of the time looking
for a place to buy. When my trip was over my Realtor picked me up at
my guesthouse and took me to the airport to return to Colorado. As we
drove east on Fleming Street she had to stop her car for a dog to wake up. You see he was taking a nap and refused to get up and move. Serious! Today there's
too much traffic for any dog to even lay down in a street let alone take
a nap - except, maybe, on a slow lane.
Longtime readers of my little blog know my fondness of the slow lanes in
Key West.
A "slow lane" is not a phrase: it is a lifestyle. Some people love to
sit on their porch and watch tourists and locals go past their homes.
It's almost like a sport. Others prefer not to see or be bothered by
anybody. Since so much of
Old Town is so tightly packed most of the streets here are by definition well traveled. I will bet that if you buy
3 Aronovitz Lane that
your dog can lay in the little lane and will not get bothered by
tourists or locals passing by. Most locals and few tourists have never
heard of this lane nor do they know where it is.
I
looked in my old shoe box and found a photo taken more than fifty years
ago that shows the house as it then existed. I looked through my
Historic Sanborn Fire Maps to see if I could determine when it was
built. I searched each map starting with 1889 through 1912 but the
entire lane was omitted from each map yet the surrounding buildings and
houses on Duval, Southard, Angela, and Whitehead Streets were shown.
My suspicion is that this large area may have been stables. Even today there is an expansive
paved parking area located on the backside of today's featured home.
The listing Realtor describes 3 Aronovitz Lane in Key West this way:
"Stunning Renovation of this classic Historic Cottage located just steps from
Duval on a quiet one way street. Beautifully Reclaimed Dade County Pine coupled
with gorgeous pine floors, coffered ceilings and elegant finishes throughout.
Open Kitchen and Living room appointed with Custom Cabinetry and granite
countertops. Living space opens via French doors to private pool and sunny
filled patio. Property is being offered turnkey with stylish furniture package.
Located in x-zone."
If you have looked at some of the recently renovated cigar maker cottage homes, you'll appreciate the simplicity in design and excellence in execution as to how this one was done. The two bedrooms are located at the front part of the home. The entry hall is on the left and leads to the open concept living area at the rear.
The Dade County Pine walls and ceiling were left exposed to provide a clean slate for the owner to embellish with art or left natural to appreciate the wonders of nature. Fresh crown molding white trim were added to accentuate the spaces. The front bedroom has an en-suite bath shown above.
The guest bedroom and bath follow. The open living area then emerges.
The new pool is in the rear. On street parking is in front of this house. This is a tight one-way street entered off of Whitehead and then veers right to turn south and exit on Angela Street. While there is a lot of commercial on Duval, there is no competition for parking. A couple of the permanent residents are long time Conchs. Some recent homeowners rent their properties as monthly vacation rentals. Vacationers will like this relatively quiet location for its nearness to everything including Zach Taylor beach, the Key West Lighthouse, and the Hemingway House. The Green Parrot is a three minute walk.
CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and the listing photos. The house is offered with the
stylish furniture package shown at the offer price of
$849,000. Please call me,
Gary Thomas,
305-766-2642,
to schedule a private showing of this really cute renovation located
just one-half block from Duval Street. This house would make an
excellent vacation rental. It is near everything. I am a buyers agent
and a full time Realtor at
Preferred Properties Key West.
