1207 United Street, Key West

The lowest temperature ever recorded in Key West was 41 degrees and that occurred twice. I can avow with certainty the only place in Key West where you can get a BLIZZARD is the Dairy Queen. This little building is not stuck in time. It is stuck in Paradise.
 

The listing Realtor describes 1207 United Street, Key West this way:

"Established in 1950, the Key West Dairy Queen has become a staple ice cream and treats destination on the island for decades. Price includes the business and real estate strategically located near the new Key West City Hall and right around the corner from the busy White Street corridor. Property is located in a residential zoning and is being operated as a legal non-conforming use. A prospective Buyer has the option to purchase the entire package as a business with real estate or redevelop the property. Do not disturb the business or employees of the ongoing operation."

I'll bet a lot of locals think that the only Dairy Queen in Key West is the one above which was just listed for sale. Andy they would be wrong. There were two in the 1960s. The other DQ was located at 2120 North Roosevelt Boulevard. It later became Burger King and is now Popeye's. I wrote about that location in a recent blog. North Roosevelt is a tough street for fast food stores. Half the traffic is speeding by and can't stop in time to turn. Think about that. Maybe that is why three notable fast food franchises have not been successful there.

The one and only Key West DQ is located on United Street one of the slowest thru streets in Mid Town. That is because of the two schools located two blocks to the east.  Speeders in school zones get hammered in Key West (in court not bars). Moms can take the kids for an after school treat. Beach goers can grab a before or after beach Blizzard or burger. Employees at the National Weather Service or city hall can buy an inexpensive lunch.by walking less than a block from work. On any given night you will see generations of Conchs standing in line to a banana split, a sundae, chocolate curly cone. It is not the same at a McDonalds or Burger King. It never has been. There is something magic about a Dairy Queen. In a town with a hundred or more bars for adults, this and the baseball fields where kids come first. 

The above photo also from the early 1960s shows the Dairy Queen facing opposite the old Navy trailer park. I have lived in Key West now for over a quarter century and have watched so much of this area change. I remember when-the trailers were moved out and replaced by the National Weather Service building. The old Key West High School across White Street underwent a multi-million dollar renovation-is now our city hall. The former pizza joint on the corner is now an office building. Dozens of homes in the immediate area have undergone their own renovations. What was once stagnant neighborhood is now a vibrant of the community.

Key West City Hall

National Weather Service Key West, Florida

1207 United Street is 8,110 Sq Ft (92' Wide X 88' Deep) and zoned HMDR. CLICK HERE to view the zoning regulations. 

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet for 1207 United Street, Key West, offered for sale at $1,300,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to help start the process to evaluate this property for you create blizzards in paradise. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West

 

Key West Real Estate Throwback Thursday No. 42

from April 7, 2016

1521 Seminary Street, Key West - Affordable Home in Paradise

The newly listed home at 1521 Seminary Street in the Midtown neighborhood of Key West just may be the answer to the impossible dream that so many would be buyers have. What's that - you ask.  It's a cute little place with character with a large yard that you could add to over the coming years to create your version of the perfect place in paradise and to do so at an affordable price. The listing Realtor at Preferred Properties describes this unconventional delight this way:

"Lovely Mid Town Artist Home with an Old Town feel, centrally located for an easy bike ride to Downtown or the Beach. Open floor plan with Dade County Pine throughout and 10 foot ceilings. Large French Doors off of the Kitchen and one of the Bedrooms open up to the back deck and screened bungalow. The tropical foliage of mature palms surround the outdoor shower and bath."

This sweet little home is located away from Old Town which means a lot of would-be out of town buyers won't have the foggiest idea where it is located. GOOGLE solves that problem by providing aerial and street maps. CLICK HERE for an aerial view of the location and then click the toggle switch for a street view.  The street view, however, doesn't provide much help in that the house is located behind a six foot privacy fence.

You enter the home directly from the large wood deck in the front yard. As soon as you walk through the front door you know this is not suburbia. While the living room may look pedestrian, the kitchen and dining area are anything but. The kitchen has all the look and feel of a saw tooth addition you'd see in Old Town. The exposed vaulted ceiling adds volumes of character to this space. An arched opening between the kitchen and dining area is repeated on the rear kitchen wall. Another window provides a view of the perfectly picturesque artist studio to the rear. (More about that later.)

The Property Appraiser website recognizes two bedrooms and one bath. The red bedroom is located just off the kitchen. French doors open out to the rear deck which will be discussed shortly. The yellow bedroom is located at the opposite side of the house.

The rear deck provides access to the artist studio which is charming beyond belief. When I saw this place my mind immediately raced back to the hippie days in Boulder Canyon and Aspen and later to Old Town Key West before all the money and HARC changed things. This place was put together by love and creativity that a committee of architects, lawyers, and social do-gooders could never imagine. Nor create! 

There is a small "shed" located next to the artist studio. The washer and dryer are housed in this space which also has "facilities".  Please CLICK HERE to view more photos which will reveal more than I can write. They also show the huge rear yard which has room for a large pool. When you walk the end of the deck and  take a quick left you see the outdoor shower which is an earthly delight.

The Monroe County Property Appraiser website shows the 912 sq ft house as having been constructed in 1933 which would have been the Great Depression. We know that date is not correct but was selected by members of the WPA who recreated county records destroyed  by the great fire much of Old Town including the old court house. I checked the historic Sanborn Fire Maps none of which showed any homes in this area. I also looked at old aerial photos but was not able to find one that showed a house in this area. Still I am of the belief this house existed before 1933 either at this location or that it was moved to this location later. 

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and to view more listing photos of this wonderful home which is offered at $545,000. A new owner could move in here and not do anything. This is the personification of Key West casual before so much of town got renovated. True, a new owner could renovate and if that is your preference, you could update this place. But the point is you don't need to. That is why the asking price makes this place affordable. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

Update. A couple days ago I was looking thru Instagram posts and saw an image that reminded me of how much the hippies and gays influence Key West four decades ago. They came to a town time and distance forgot and created their own little nirvana. I miss it.

True Tales of Key West Real Estate in the Times of Covid 19 No. 16

Sine there isn't much real estate being offered for sale or being sold these days, I decided to look through my old shoebox photos of buildings or events that readers might find of interest. This story really happened several years ago at the Bank of America branch located about fifty feet or so west of my office. 

 The building at 510 Southard Street, Key West has long been a bank building. The black and white photos were taken in the 1960s when the building housed First Federal Savings. I don't know when the ownership or signage of the building changed to Bank of America.  In fact Bank of America vacated that space about three years ago.  It is up for lease now and I am not a part of that.

I took the above photo this afternoon. I added a graphic to show where two ATM machines used to be located. The bank entrance was twenty feet or so to the west where the bikes are located in the photo. The wrought iron gate has been in that location for years. It is a passageway to the paring lot in the rear. The gates has been locked ince the bank vacated the building.

Several years ago I was headed two blocks west to the Bobby Shop to get my haircut. Just as I approached the Bank of America ATM machines I noticed a set of keys was inside the lock to one of the machines  Thinking that was odd even for Key West I went inside the bank and saw there were several people standing in line waiting to transact business. 

I passed everybody and went ot the head of the line. A young male bank teller looked at me with a sneer ready to tell me to go to the rear. But I stopped him before his rebuke and told him the keys to the money machine were ready to be swooped. He threw up his hands and raced for the door. I left and got my haircut. I assume all the money was still in the machine. I wonder if the bank manager ever heard about that day. 

533 Petronia Street, Key West - JUST LISTED

I just listed 533 Petronia Street, Key West. I held a Broker's Open House yesterday and everybody was delighted to see the home.The remembered back a couple of years ago when an older version of the house was sitting atop wood blocks waiting to be relocated forward on the lot.The relocation of the house allowed room to expand the residence to the rear and a guest cottage and a cool pool. Oh, it's cool. Let's look at a couple of the original house and during renovation. 

CLICK HERE to see an album of photos showing the progress photos.

The house was designed by architect Matthew Stratton. His name appears here quite often. He's good. Really good. The pool and gardens were designed by Craig Reynolds Landscape Architects.  He is really good, too! The front door stayed in place and two guest bedrooms with en-suite baths are located up front. Almost every agent who entered the house walked quickly past he bedrooms to see the pool. They stood in the living area looking and then out to the pool. They all said about the same thing: This is what buyers want.

The poolside guest cottage has killer view of the pool which is both heated and chilled depending on the time of the year. There is an outdoor shower on the backside of the cottage. 

Each of the four bedrooms has an elegant marble bath. Dade County Pine was salvaged from the original house, planed, stained, and placed on teach bathroom ceiling. All of the cainets were made by Hansen & Bringel in Key West. The counter tops are quartz. Kohler top of the line fixtures used throughout. 

The counter top on the kitchen island is Leather Granite. Marble frames the area behind the induction cooking top. The floors are reclaimed heart pine meticulously re-planed by NIPPERS PAINTING. Wolfe and SubZero  appliances (including wine cooler and ice maker) complete the kitchen.

533 Petronia Street Key West is offered at $3,495,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and more photos. Please call or text me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to arrange a private showing. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. You better act quick. I don't think this will last on the market for very long.