822 Carsten Lane - Key West - Old Town Dream Cottage

 I have often written about living life on one of the slow lanes in Key West. The slow lanes are for meant for people that are happy about their personage and don't require a lot of attention.  Some lanes are nearly hidden from passersby. Others sometimes have multiple names just to confuse firemen and tourist alike.  Carsten Lane has been known as Carson Lane, Carsten Lane, and Carstens Lane. It historically had signs at opposite ends of the one block long lane that zigs and zags between William Street to Margaret Street to the east.  The old Harris School is located to the north and the ever so charming Carey Lane is to the rear. Carsten Lane is home to some of the prettiest little homes on the Island of Key West, and 822 Carsten Lane is one of the prettiest of these homes. And it is now for sale. Read on, Dear Readers.

Just listed, but not by me, 822 Carsten Lane in the Old Town area of Key West. This house is close to nearly everything you would want but tucked away on a very slow lane.The listing Realtor describes this property as an

"Elegant renovation of a gorgeous historic home on a quiet lane in the heart of Old Town Key West. Hardwood floors, custom designer kitchen with Bosch & Miele appliances, granite countertops and designer finishes. High ceilings, crown molding, luxurious appointments. Located near Solares Hill in highly desirable neighborhood of multi-million dollar homes. Large tropical yard with pool and covered 272 square foot outdoor living room create an oasis of privacy and luxury to enjoy our tropical breezes. Off-street parking, walk to restaurants, seaport, theater, shopping and nightlife. A Tranquil Oasis For Luxury Island Living"

Before writing today's blog I looked at the old Sanborn Maps and found 822 Carsten Lane placed on the 1899 edition.  Except at that time the lane was named "Carson".  The now vacant Harris School was not on the map in 1899, but i did find numerous cottages located across the lane and on Margaret and Southard Streets. Later all of the old houses and cottages were razed to make way for the Harris Elementary School where generations of Key Westers were educated. I dug into the old shoe box and found the black and white a photo of 822 Carsten Lane taken in 1965.  I took a similar photo that shows the house today.  While looking in the shoe box I found photos of the sixth grade class in 1959. That's the same year I was a sixth grader in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. My class looked and dressed pretty much the same - except the boys did not wear their safety patrol belts in class. I'll bet Mr. McCully served during World War II and ran the safety patrol para-military style. My sixth grade teacher, Mr. Morrison did.  I found another photo of kids playing during recess. You can nearly see Carsten Lane in the background.  When I first moved to Key West in December 1993 the Harris School Annex was used as part of the MARC House. The MARC House was the place to go buy the best Christmas trees. A few years later the annex building was razed.  The photos of the sixth graders and the razed school building make me feel my age. You see the new building was torn down because it was old and useless. I was born before that building was built. Now it's gone. How would you feel?

822 Carsten Lane in 1965

822 Carsten Lane August 2013

The Harris School Annex was built after the above photo and was razed several years ago. Carsten Lane is in background.

The Harris School Annex

This is where the Harris School Annex used to be located.

822 Carsten Lane is pretty as a picture. It is for that reason that I took a whole of photos which you can see if you CLICK HERE. Click on any photo to enlarge and start a slide show.  The photos show the house from the front entrance to the rear gate that opens onto Carey Lane. The house itself is 1412 sq ft on two levels. The main floor has been tastefully updated with a gracious great room that flows into the kitchen and out to the loggia. Two bedrooms and two baths are also located on this floor. The front bedroom would be suitable to use as a master suite should taking the stair be a chore at a later moment in life. The coffered ceiling and crisp white moldings and trim whisper "class".

 

The second floor can be used as either the master suite or as a secluded guest suite.  The area includes a small sitting niche, a hidden closet, a spacious bath, and lots of irregularly angled walls that give this room so much character.

822 Carsten Lane has been rented as a vacation rental. The monthly rental rates varies depending on the date and number of person occupying the home. High season runs $19,000 per month.  A potential buyer will be forced to decide between sharing this beautiful house with others or foregoing income to keep this wonderful space very private. Renting is an option, not a requirement.  CLICK HERE to view professional photos of this home.

822 Carsten Lane is offered at $1,395,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls data sheet and listing photos.  I have a better suggested and that is for you to call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, or send me an email at kw1101v@aol.com to set up a private showing of this remarkable Key West home. It will knock your socks off! I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. Let me help you find your place in Paradise.

529 Grinnell Street - Old Town - Key West - New Lower Price

Bring your toothbrush, some comfy shorts and tee shirts, and prepare to enjoy the "rest" of your life at 529 Grinnell Street in Old Town Key West. You won't need to do a thing as this home is move-in ready. So you won't need to spend time or money fixing things, painting, or trying to get someone else to show up. Instead, you can spend your time living the life you have dreamt of living in Key West.

The listing Realtor describes 529 Grinnell Street this way:

"Beautifully renovated historic home on one of the most desirable streets in Old Town Key West. Located in a neighborhood of multi-million dollar homes, this historic treasure exemplifies the best of Key West living. High ceilings, open floor plan great room, modern and elegant kitchen, three spacious bedrooms with ensuite baths. Hardwood floors, bright and airy rooms. Fully renovated in 2006 to the highest quality standards. Stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and split bedroom floor plan. Bedroom downstairs with ensuite bath. Off-street parking and pleasant pool with waterfall. Located near restaurants, theaters and Key West Seaport. A Historic Jewel For Comfortable Tropical Living."

I did some searching through the old shoe box and found a photo of 529 Grinnell Street that was taken back in 1965. When I looked at it I noticed that the second floor front porch extended out past the balcony of the house. I then saw a stairway that extended down the left side of the house. That suggested to me that the second floor probably had been converted into an apartment.  Well, folks, the apartment is long gone.  I went to the historic 1889 Sanborn maps and found what I believe to be this house. The map numbering is different today but the location of the large house on Southard (immediately south of 529 today) and the smaller cottage to the right (next door at 525 today) places 529 Southard Street  precisely where it sits today. And that strongly suggests to me that 529 Grinnell was built prior to 1889.

When you first enter this house you immediately know it is as clean as a whistle. The house is arranged for modern living. If you have been inside many of the larger homes in Old Town you will  immediately see that the typical box rooms associated with many old houses has given way to modern living with an open floor plan. The updated space created a great room that is bright and cheery. The house is Key West "casual". There is no pretense of formality here. This house was renovated with comfortable living in mind.

French doors open from the great room out to the deck where you will find a dipping pool and outdoor kitchen. The day I took the photos the outdoor kitchen was getting a bit of a face lift. The owner was not happy with the way the cabinets looked in the listing photos. They have since been refinished to look like new again.

The main floor has a powder room tucked under the stairway to the second floor. And just to the rear of the kitchen you will find a good sized bedroom with en-suite bath. (The laundry is also tucked into this space.) The bedroom is large enough to work as a master bedroom should the stairs someday become a challenge.  Note that the bathroom has a door that opens out to the deck so that swimmers can come right into the house to shower off if need be.

There are two bedrooms located on the second floor - a guest bedroom with en-suite bath with access to the covered second floor front balcony and the master suite with en-suite bath and private rear sun porch.

There is a small coffee bar located just off the door that leads to the second floor balcony. I might add a small refrigerator to hold some late night snacks or chilled wine to make morning and evening people watching all that more enjoyable.

The above photo shows Five Brother's Grocery and Sandwich Shop located at the corner of Southard Street. Both of the two cottages across the street have been featured in national magazines. 532 Grinnell Street (the cottage with the crows on the roof) was in Architectural Digest and 530 Grinnell Street was in Coastal Living Magazine.

The master suite is located at the rear. The bedroom chamber has a dramatic high pitched ceiling. The room is already large and spacious but the volume ceiling makes the space seem extra large. The en-suite bath is totally refined and offers both a pool and a tub.  Just off the bedroom you will find a rear sun porch for some au-natural tanning opportunities.

The off street parking is visible in the photo immediately above. Also visible, but probably not appreciated via the internet photos, is the recently completed exterior paint job. This house glistens. The interior floors were also refinished or replaced. They are remarkable!  This entire house looks so clean and very well maintained.

I think 529 Grinnell Street could be a very successful vacation rental. It has the Key West charm, the pool, parking, location that sophisticated returning vacationers demand.

The  asking price has just been reduced to $1,195,000. I took more photos which you can see if you CLICK HERE.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet which provides more info on this quality Key West residence. I truly expect that this house will sell rather quickly. The housing supply for quality homes in the Old Town area at this price point has shrunk to a few properties. This one is a standout.  Please contact 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. Let me help you find your place in Paradise.