618 Whitehead Street, Key West - Just Listed!

Just Listed 618 Whitehead Street, Key West, Florida. This 2354 square foot home sits close to the street.  Half the house is obscured by a giant Royal Poinciana tree. If you look carefully you will see pediments over the windows and doors.  These pediments often are clarions of gracious interiors - often, but not always. I searched thru my old shoebox and found a photo of this property and the house at 620 Whitehead Street taken half a century ago. The picture of 618 Whitehead shows the architectural features in greater detail including the pediments over the windows and doors and the ornate railing on the first and second floor porches.  A small fence existed then but the tree had not been planted. The two story home located at 620 Whitehead Street was razed in 1972. Today that space is a parking lot.

618 Whitehead Street in the mid 1960s

618 Whitehead Street first appeared in the 1889 Sanborn Fire Map as 328 Whitehead Street. The street number was changed to 618 Whitehead Street on the 1892 Sanborn map. This property is located one-half block to the south of the Monroe County Courthouse. I found an aerial photo taken in the 1920s. I marked the location of 618 Whitehead with an arrow. You can click the photo to enlarge it. If you look at the image you will see that this house appears to be an amalgamation of three buildings combined into one larger building.  Moreover, today there is a fourth addition at the rear.  Most of the buildings in this block, whether originally built as houses or commercial, are now commercial enterprises. The Green Parrot Bar is at the corner of Southard Street.  There are a couple of small guest houses, a few law firms, a legitimate massage studio, and a snack shop. This building was previously the "home" to a title company, a real estate office, and an apartment. Today 618 Whitehead Street is a a gracious single family home which was renovated to be used as a monthly vacation rental. 

No matter how many additions and uses this property had in the past, the present home is gracious and inviting. The home has been updated to meet the demands for modern day living with style and panache.

Like many recent renovations, this home has been re-oriented by moving the prime living and social areas to the rear. Bedrooms are located at the first floor front and on the second floor. This gives the homeowner the opportunity to incorporate the large pool and deck into everyday life.

The house sits on a 32.76' X 100' lot which is fairly large for Old Town. The lot looks and feels much larger because the front of the house at the property line. The result is the backyard seems immense. Swimming and tanning enthusiasts will love this place. There is a nice covered space just off the living room and kitchen which the current owners use for outdoor grilling and dining.

There are two bedrooms located at the first floor front both of which have en-suite baths. You will notice an abundance of original Dade County Pine walls and ceilings in this home. Each bedroom has been designed with large closets as well. Central air was added to the property. Each bedroom has a ceiling fan as well.

The stairway leads to the second floor landing which provides support to my proposition that three buildings were combined into one house The two photos above show the entry door into the master bedroom located on the rear side of the second floor. This is a large and spacious room with a huge walk-in closet, large en-suite bath, and a door that exits the rear sundeck which overlooks the pool below.

The second floor rear deck provides a nice place to read a book, take a nap, or plan what you or your guests will do to complete the day.

Both second floor front bedrooms have private en-suite baths and ample closets. They share immediate access to the covered front porch which spans the breadth of the house. This is a perfect perch for watching tourists and locals making their way each day as they walk to or from the end of Whitehead Street to take photos of the Southernmost Point and Hemingway House or to walk west on Southard Street toward  Fort Zachary Taylor State Park and Beach. Duval Street is just one block to the east. This is the perfect location for an active owner or vacation guest to be located to take advantage of all that Key West has to offer. CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of this home.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on 618 Whitehead Street which is offered for sale at $2,200,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to arrange a private showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. 

3 Aronovitz Lane, Key West - Price Reduced

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.