720 Simonton Street (Rear), Key West, Florida

A few years ago I started to use the term "slow lanes of Key West" as a counterpoint to places up north in America where people live their lives in the fast lane. You know what I mean.  People who live lives driven by ambition and accumulation. People who buy things for show and blow. Down here hardly anything ever happens on a slow lane. Hardly anybody ever sees what's going on because most people here don't care what you "have" or what you "do" or how "rich" you are. And most people won't be driving their cars or riding their bikes or even walking their dogs past your house unless it is on a regular path.  That is why many owners prefer to own a home on a slow lane - they can live their lives pretty much uninterrupted.

The little house at the far end of 720 Simonton Street is just such a place. I dug into the old shoebox and found a photo taken half a century ago of this same small cottage. The cottage sits at the rear of a private drive (deeded) that enters off Simonton Street between the Gardens Hotel to the north and Petronia Street to the south. You'll probably recognize the contemporary house located next to the driveway. I found a photo of the old commercial building that occupied the same location years ago.

I found more photos of other surrounding houses that all appear to have been built around the same time. They all share that tree lined drive from Simonton Street to where it ends in a large gravel parking area for the homes located there. I recently showed 720 Simonton Street Rear and remembered that I had been back in this hidden area years ago but did not return because I had no need to go there. I get amazed at how hidden some places are. This is one of them.

 The listing Realtor describes 720 Simonton Street Rear this way:

"Live In The Heart Of Key West Just Steps From All The Attractions On Duval Street! Cozy Cottage Located Off A Quiet Lane In Old Town With Deeded Off-street Parking. One Bedroom, One Bathroom, Living-dining Area, And Galley Kitchen. Sliders Open On Front And Back Of Home To Two Separate Privacy Fenced Decks."

As soon as you pass the gated entry you realize this cottage is no cigar maker cottage. Instead, it is slice of life of mid-century American architecture complete with glass slider doors that provide ample daytime illumination of the living area located on the other side of the wide deck.

 The four room house is easy to understand. The living room and dining area are located in front. The galley kitchen and bathroom are located in the middle of the house. And the spacious bedroom is located at the rear where there is another set of sliders that open out to a rear deck.  Notice all the closet space in the bedroom. This place just seems to offer so much living space as compared to some cigar maker cottages where sometimes rooms are cramped. If you are reaching your 'golden years' you'll appreciate that all rooms are located on one level. There are no stairs, no spiral staircase, and no ship's ladder or other contraption to complicate your life or mobility. And your off street parking spot it located right outside your front door. CLICK HERE to see more photos.

720 Simonton Street rear is zoned  HNC (1-3) which may allow for future transient rental which would require the purchase of a transient rental license at additional expense. This property does not have a transient license and may not be rented transiently at this time. Some abutting properties do have transient rental licenses. 720 Simonton Street rear could rented as a monthly vacation rental. I think this would make an excellent vacation rental property even without a pool. There is room for a hot tub. That could add some wow power to the property. This property is located one block off Duval Street but far from the noise and hullabaloo.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on 720 Simonton Street rear which is offered for sale at $519,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to arrange a showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

400 Simonton Street - Key West Investment Property

400 Simonton Street as it appeared in 1965

400 Simonton Street as it appears in August 2011

Just listed, but not be me, 400 Simonton Street in Old Town Key West. According to the Monroe County Appraiser this landmark building was built circa 1889. See the black and white photo which shows how this property looked back in 1965. That's nearly half a century ago. My God, I graduated from high school that year. Compare it to the color photo below. The property has had various uses over the years. And now it is offered for sale. The listing broker describes this property like this:

"High curb appeal, landmark architecture located on the prominent and convenient corner of Simonton and Eaton Streets in downtown Key West, FL (only 1 block from Duval St.) 1920's design, 3 stories with commanding porches, Dade County Pine, 12 ft ceilings, grand interior staircase, fire monitoring system, balconies, lovely bricked courtyard, iron entry gate, fountain & tropical landscaping. 6 residential, non-transient units, 6 electric meters with onsite manager. Zoned Mixed Use. Formerly Meyer's Place of Key West and also a restaurant. See MLS supplement for unit configurations, rental amounts, and other pertinent information. This historic Old Town Key West investment property has much to offer and has been well maintained."

I considered buying this property and The Artist House (located next door at 534 Eaton Street) when the owner at that time was tinkering with the idea of selling both. That owner had been renting rooms at 400 Simonton Street as part of the guest house. I don't know if he ever got caught because that is not permitted. That owner sold both properties to different people and The Artist House has sold at least twice since then. Today the property at 400 Simonton Street is licensed to rent six non-transient long term rentals.

I took a couple of not-so-good photos of the bricked courtyard and was reminded that the area was previously used as a small cafe. I think that space is quite lovely but very under utilized today.

The bricked courtyard

I did a Google search which resulted in an ad in The New Yorker in 1982. A real estate company had its office at that location back then.

Commanding presence at a key location

The building itself looks to be in very good shape. Compare the way the building looked in 1965 to its appearance in 2011. It is virtually the same. Even the exterior stairs between the floors is visible. According to the mls listing this building has 4078 sq ft of living space located on a 4200 sq ft lot (42'x100') at the corner of Eaton Street and Simonton Street


400 Simonton Street is offered at $1,699,000 or $417 per sq ft. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and to view listing photos. This property is zoned HNC-1 which is short for Historic Neighborhood Commercial-1. Uses for this zoning include include residential (including single family, duplex, and multi-family) and limited commercial including professional offices, banking and financial services, personal service shops, specialty shops, limited retail, transient accommodations and guest cottages. Rather than rely on what I write, do your own investigation to determine suitability for the use you intend. CLICK HERE to read the City of Key West zoning ordinances and consult with your own attorney. Just because some use may be permissible does not mean you will necessarily be able to do what you want.

If you would like to see 400 Simonton Street or any other property in Key West, please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West.