Key West - Life in the Slow Lane

WPA photos depicting life on the lanes of Key West during the 1930s

1114 Elgin Lane circa 1965 - hanging laundry over the street would probably violate some city law today

I have written at least a couple of times recommending that readers quit their jobs and move to Key West. Some people fantasize about doing something so rash. Some people actually follow through and do the deed. Key West lures the sane and not-so-sane. People come here to find what is not possible to achieve elsewhere. Many of those who end up here adopt the manana way of looking at life and develop a system to rate things in life as to importance and then determine the speed within which tasks need to be completed. Government workers do the same thing. They just get paid a salary and receive benefits.

No matter what street a person lives on in Key West, all of us live our lives in the slow lane. For those Key Westers who actually reside on a lane, life is much slower and much quieter. Many of the lanes are less than a block long. Some lanes dead end within a matter of 150 feet or so from the street whence they began. Other lanes, like Elgin Lane, may run two blocks long. Lanes are typically narrow and many only permit travel in one direction. Some lanes such as Hunts Lane are so narrow that cars are not permitted. And a couple of lanes are so tiny that it is difficult to walk two-abreast. Lanes attract owners that want a slow paced and quiet lifestyle.

I am speaking of course of the 104 named lanes in Old Town Key West. In 1980 a Conch (native Key Wester) named C.W. (Billy) Pinder prepared a history of Key West lanes for the City Commission which he subtitled "A Bit of History, A lot of Dimension". He recited the name and location of each lane and suggested in his forwarding Memorandum that "the Police, Fire, Sewer and our department has expressed interest in this booklet" inferring that a lot of people in responsible positions did not know where some of the lanes were located. The reason is there are several lanes that have more than one name. Also there are a few lanes with the exact same lane which are located in totally different parts of town.

Here are but a few of the Key West lanes for your edification: Billygoat Lane is now known as Hibiscus Lane, the entrance to which is located next to 512 Grinnell Street. There are several very sweet little Key West cottages on this lane.

Hibiscus Lane with its darling little cottage homes

A hundred feet or so to the south Cornish Lane intersects off Grinnell Street

This little gem on Cornish Lane was recently completely renovated.

I remember showing the Cornish Lane house many times several years ago. It had been somewhat renovated in the 1970s or early 1980s but it just did not work. Buyers looked and buyers walked away complaining of all the work that the place would require. Lucky for this little house it got new owners who took on the project and ended up with a beautiful Key West cottage. This house used to sit behind a tall wood fence unseen by the world. What a striking difference it has become. All because one couple had vision and were willing to take on a project.

Lowe's Lane is located adjacent to 525 Grinnell Street opposite of Cornish Lane.

I believe this is Lowe's Lane as photographed in the 1930s. 525 Grinnell is the first house.

Same location photographed in 201o.

Canfield Lane abuts 618 Grinnell Street to the north and runs about 150 feet west. There are several very cute houses down this very quiet lane.

Carey Lane is also known as Thompson Alley --not to be confused with Thompson Lane . And please don't get Carey Lane confused with Curry Lane which is located between White Street and Frances. Curry Lane runs paralell between Fleming Street to the north and Southard Street to the south.

There are two Thompson Lanes -- one is located between Duval and Whitehead Street just south of Catherine Street and the other is located a mile away near the new Strunk Ace Hardware on Eaton Street. Imagine the poor fire dispatcher.

Carey Lane is about the cutest of the cute lanes in my opinion!

Carey Lane is the poster child for quintessential Key West charm.

And please don't get Carey Lane confused with Curry Lane which is located between White Street and Frances. Curry Lane runs parallel between Fleming Street to the north and Southard Street to the south.

Stump Lane is located about 200 feet south of Curry Lane and also runs between White Street and Frances Street.

1116 Stump Lane is one of many adorable Key West cottages on this lane.

One of my favorites has always been Peacon Lane (also now known as Gruntbone Alley). Peacon Lane is located directly opposite the former Calvin Klein House at 712 Eaton Street.

The former home of Calvin Klein at 712 Eaton Street.

Peacon Lane a/k/a Gruntbone Alley is located opposite the Klein house

1937 photo of same location but with fewer trees

Donkey Milk Lane runs about 150 feet west off Elizabeth Street.

Love Lane runs on either side of Southard Street. Who wouldn't want to own a home on a lane named Love? They say "Love don't cost a thing". But houses on Love Lane cost a' plenty.

There are several lanes located near the Key West cemetery. They include Passover Lane, Poorhouse Lane, Petronia Lane also known as Poorhouse Lane (its named both on one sign).

I remember when a dog or a cat could sleep in the middle of a street in Old Town. No more! Life on Poorhouse Lane is the last refuge for this kitty.

Passover Lane borders the Key West Cemetery on the west side. It also has dogleg dead end off to the west where it it becomes a narrow walking lane just wide enough for an owner to carry a bag of groceries down the graveled lane. There are only four houses on this dead end lane and each is a jewel.

I'm not trying to confuse you, Dear Reader, but Passover Lane becomes Windsor Lane where the two meet at the Key West Cemetery. Passover Lane ends and Windsor Lane begins as it jogs to southeast and then jogs south up to Truman. Windsor Lane has intersection with upper William Street about 150 feet before Windsor and Passover Lanes merge. William Street runs south and then bends east at the Bill Butler Park. All of a sudden William Street is gone and that becomes Poorhouse Lane if one moves east toward the cemetery or it becomes Petronia Lane or continues to be Poorhouse Lane if one heads south to the corner at Olivia Street. A street sign designates that same lane with two different names -- Petronia Lane and/or Poorhouse Lane.

Upper William Street doglegs off Windsor Lane as it prepares to merge with Passover Lane

Petronia Ln or Poorhouse Ln intersects with Olivia St between Elizabeth St and Windsor Ln

Confused?

Carsten Lane runs to the south of Southard Street and takes a lazy curve between Margaret St and William St.

Some friends own a house on William Street and we often walk past this Carsten Lane cutie on our way to Michael's Restaurant.

If you have been dreaming of buying a place in Key West and are not working with a Realtor, please consider working with me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or contact me by email at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West. Experience life in the slow lane, no matter what street you may live on.

1110 Curry Lane - Old Town - Key West

1110 Curry Lane - Old Town - Key West

Curry Lane looking east toward White Street - a world away

The delightful home across from 1110 Curry Lane to the east

The rear entrance to a larger home fronting on Fleming Street (west of 1110 Curry Lane)

The home immediately east of 1110 Curry Lane

For most of us fortunate enough to live in Key West year around, we live life in the slow lane every day. We don't have skyscrapers. We don't have big stores with escalators. There are no Interstate Highways. Our rush hour usually lasts five minutes or so. Many of us transplants have learned to live with less and certainly feel the need to buy less. We are not deprived, but we are content. Our lives are simpler than before. No matter our religious beliefs or our political persuasion, most of us subscribe to the notion of One Human Family. For Key Westers who actually live on a lane, life is more slow and much more quiet.

1110 Curry Lane is an ideal example of the perfect cottage located on a quiet little lane in Old Town Key West. This Old Town gem is tucked away on one of Key West's slow lanes between Frances and White Streets. The cottage has been lovingly restored to maintain the character you would expect in a custom restoration.

The listing Realtor describes 1110 Curry Lane like this:

"This charming home is tucked away on a pleasant, quiet lane in the heart of Old Town. It received the Historic Florida Keys Foundation Preservation Award. It has Dade County Pine walls, reclaimed Georgia heart pine floors with great attention to detail. The open floor plan and mature landscaping create a wonderful indoor/outdoor lifestyle in a lush tropical setting. There are two bedrooms and two baths. Serious cooks will appreciate the kitchen's utility with a commercial range, stainless steel appliances, and soapstone counter and sink. River rock decking surrounds the lagoon pool and waterfall. Private outdoor shower. Off-street parking."

Neighbor-friendly front porch & off-street parking

I have written about 1110 Curry Lane before. It was priced higher then. Today the asking price was reduced to a point where there could be multiple offers just because this place is so cute and so well located that any serious bargain hunter will realize this is kind of property and the price point he or she has been looking for. 1110 Curry Lane is offered at the price of $799,000 or $700 per sq ft per sq ft for this 1207 sq ft treasure that sits on a 2321 sq ft lot. If you bought this house you could walk to Duval within 5-7 minutes. Same for the Historic Seaport. Or your job-if you have one and if it is in Old Town. There are two convenience stores within a two minute walk as well. You won't hear the noise of Harleys roaring down your street or the clang of a trolley car filled with tourists passing buy snapping photos, because they never get near the house. All manner of motor vehicles pass by the entrance to Curry Lane on a daily basis but normally only people who live on the lane actually drive a vehicle there. Even your creditors will have difficulty finding you. You see, life on a slow lane has lots of advantages.

CLICK HERE to checkout the Key West mls datasheet and accompanying photos of this charming cottage. If you are looking for the perfect Key West cottage style home, this may be the place you have been dreaming about. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule an appointment to see this hidden gem. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West. Give me a call and let me show you how slow life can really be in Key West.

319 Grinnell Street - Bank Owned - Key West

319 Grinnell Street - Old Town - Key West - Bank Owned

Just listed, but not by me, 319 Grinnell Street near the Historic Key West Seaport. This house is Bank Owned. I expect multiple offers on this very interesting property because of its low offering price of just $299,500, and the fact that it has three key features most second home buyers want in a Key West house: (1) style, (2) pool, and off street parking. The listing Realtor describes this house this way:

"Fantastic Location In Key West! Walk To The Water, Water Activities, Shops, And Entertainment. Boasting 944 Sq Ft This Two Bedroom Two Bathroom Single Family Home Sits On A 3220 Sq Ft Lot. Quaint And Cozy. This Fannie Mae Property Is Approved For A Homepath Renovation Mortgage. Owner Occupants Close By October 31 2011 And Request Up To 3.5% In Seller Paid Closing Costs. Restrictions Apply."

319 Grinnell Street in Old Town Key West as it appeared in 1965

319 Grinnell Street in September 2011

The Monroe County Property Appraiser's property card on this house says it was built in 1924 and that it has 944 sq ft of living space. I question both the year of construction and size. This house has design and structural elements that suggest it is much older, probably in the late 1880s. It is located a little over a block away from the seaport near other houses built in the 1880s which have similar features. I did the math and checked the square footage using the Appraiser's house map and found the square footage was actually 1594 sq ft vs the 944 sq ft shown on the property card. If my 'math' on the square footage is correct, the asking price on a sq ft basis would be $187 per sq ft instead of $317. The lot is 40'x80.5' or 3220 sq ft. I mention the size not to question the listing Realtor's data because it is automatically extracted from the Property Appraiser's database. Instead, I use the size to alert Readers that this house is bigger than the data suggests and warrants serious consideration. CLICK HERE to compare the architectural elements and construction date of a very similar house also just listed and located only a couple of blocks to the west at 311 William Street . It was constructed in 1852. (The dormers on 311 William Street are not original to the house. And 311 William Street has been meticulously renovated to the highest of standards. Otherwise, the similarities between the two houses are remarkable.)


Here's the bad news. This house has been screwed around with by some past owner that carved the house into three living units. The main floor has a very interesting Victoriana front room with a kitchen located at the end. The front room and the adjacent bedroom have Dade County Pine walls, ceiling, and floor. A bathroom is tucked off to the side. It has a glass block walled shower and disassociated hippie 'style' elements. Someone created a passage way by removing drywall to enter into a second living space at the rear. This space is one big living area more typical of a studio apartment. It has a large newer kitchen and an open living area with lots of windows and doors that look out to the pool at the rear. Oh, it has a functional toilet that sits in the corner, but there is no sink or shower. Nor is there any walls or partition to provide any privacy. A third living space is accessed from a side doorway located on the north side of the house. The stairway is narrow and steep and probably not constructed to code. It looks like this space was another studio apartment with a mini-kitchen, bath, and bedroom. Two scuttles on either side of the bedroom date this space to pre-1924 vintage construction in my opinion.

I mentioned that this house has a pool. It does. The pool has 'hippie roots' if ever I saw one. It sits out of the ground a bit. I doubt that a building permit was pulled on the pool when it was built. In fact I doubt any permits were pulled when any of the 'renovations' were done to this house when it was carved into three living units. Because of this I suspect much if not all of the electric and plumbing will need to be replaced to bring this house to code. There is no air conditioning. I can tell you I was sweating when I took photos you can see if you CLICK HERE.

The hippie pool

If you think I am suggesting that potential buyers avoid this house the answer is I am not. I think this is a great project house. It needs new windows and doors. The old roof looks great but a new roof would mean lower windstorm insurance rates. The clapboard siding looks pretty solid but needs some repairs. The windows need replaced. And the HVAC needs checked out. I suspect all will need replaced. The front could be dolled up by replacing the odd concrete front porch and adding shutters. A white picket fence and editing the overgrown foliage would sharpen the look of this place. The back yard could be wonderful. I would eliminate the pool and put a new one in but that is a matter of choice. There is an old out building that could become the new laundry room or maybe a pool house bar. There is an old fish pond that looks intriguing as do some huge tropical plants. This space could become something very special. Oh, there is off street parking on the side.

If you are interested in buying a place like this, please consider working with me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or by email at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Reatly, Inc. in Key West. Don't dilly dally on this because you will lose out. Don't make a mistake and try to get this place on the cheap. I expect the house will sell quickly and above the asking price.