Just Listed, but not by me, 1022 Fleming Street, Key West, Florida. This is another unique Old Town property for several reasons. I did a quick check of the Historic Sanborn Fire Maps to see if I could determine when this building was built. The 1889 Sanborn Map showed a small building on what I am certain was the lot for 1022 Fleming, but the building was way too small and set back on the lot so far that the building could not have been the current structure. The building was numbered 425 Fleming Street on that map. The 1892 map showed it numbered with the new number of 926 Fleming and was further identified as a grocer. I looked at other nearby buildings within 200 feet or so and learned there was another grocer plus a general merchandise store across the street at the corner of Frances at Fleming and a barber located midway down the block toward Duval Street. I also learned that the Cologne Lane (located about 50 feet west of what I know is 1022 Fleming) had its name changed to Nassau Lane on the 1892 map. It was not until the 1912 map that 1022 Fleming Street appeared in the right location. Thus we know this house was built sometime between 1899 and 1912.
I then searched through my old shoebox and found a black and white photo of 1022 Fleming Street that dates back to 1965. That's only 50 years ago, but it shows the house before more recent additions changed the exterior a bit. If you look at the black and white photo you will quickly see an exterior staircase on the left side which leads to the second floor. Notice a gap in the first floor wrap-around porch where a set of stone or concrete steps provide entry to the porch. Then look to the far right side where you'll notice a more formal stairway leading to what appears to be the front door which at that time had glass louvers. The property is a legal duplex. The above photo shows us that the second unit is located on the second floor and was historically accessed via the outdoor staircase. Today that staircase is semi-enclosed. See the two color photos below.
The listing Realtor describes 1022 Fleming Street this way:
"This stately home is located in the heart of Old Town, near the Historic Seaport
and surrounded by some of the most beautiful homes on the island. The property
is prime for a renovation. It's a legal duplex that could be converted back to a
single family home or supply its owner with rental income from above or below.
The home features an abundance of well-maintained Dade County pine, beautiful
oak floors, and gorgeous natural light that shows off its phenomenal potential.
Enjoy the peaceful views over Old Town tree tops or gaze out along Fleming
Street from the magnificent double wraparound porches. Off street parking and a
private pool put the finishing touches on this masterpiece."
This is a very pretty house from both the street and from the inside. It offers the same basic features on both floors with slight variations. Both units have living areas located at the rear with kitchens tucked into the left rear corners. Both have pool and garden views from the rear. The main floor unit has direct pool access. The second floor unit has a balcony that looks down to the pool and out toward the neighboring homes. Both units have two bedrooms which are accessed via the quite large west side interior hallway. The hallway has plenty of ambient daytime light that floods this hall. The bedrooms also have an exterior porch on the east and front sides. East side windows in all bedrooms open out to this hallway onto the covered porches.
The above photos show the first floor configuration. The owners created a contemporary feel in this hundred year-plus house. The Dade County Pine walls are painted a stark white which beautifully contrasts to the rich wood floors. The hallway provides a great space for displaying artwork. There are built-inshelves and more storage not visible in the photos.
The second floor is laid out pretty much the same as the main floor, however, the rear addition boasts a paladin window opposite the storage loft. CLICK HERE to view more photos of 1022 Fleming Street.
1022 Fleming Street is offered at $1,095,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on this really pretty and quite unique Old Town home. This home gives a potential new homeowner the ability to have his cake and to eat it too. The ability to rent out either the top floor or main floor ought to generate a good cash flow either as a full time annual rental or as a vacation rental. The property could also be converted into a single family residence. Remember, there is a pool here. There is plenty of on street parking as well. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to set up a private showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.
Just Listed, but not by me, 1515 18th Street in Key West, Florida. This is an expansive Mid- Century Modern home constructed in 1958. The CBS (concrete block structure) is a combination of stucco over CBS and stone surface over CBS. The roof is flat which was typical of that era. Most of the homes in this area are of similar age and construction. The lot measures 8937 sq ft (65' x 137.5') and is surrounded on three sides by an expensive CBS privacy fence. The house itself measures 2388 sq ft under air. The backyard is pretty amazing. There is a large pool surrounded by a large deck for sunning punctuated by towering palms and tropical foliage. The asking price is just $515,000. There's a whole lot of house here. I hope some reader who has been dreaming of buying a second home or maybe a future retirement home will take note of the opportunities this property provides.
This is a very simple house on many levels, or should I say it is a one level home that is very simple and efficient in its design. The living room has a wall of windows the type of which can be seen throughout Key West in homes built from the 1950s forward. The windows open and allow air to flow from the outside. Before there was air conditioning, there was natural ventilation. These windows provide both light but also lots of ventilation. Two skylights provide additional light as well. One of the first things I noticed was the mix of the original terrazzo floor and newer tile floors in the dining area and bedrooms. I will comment more about this later.
The house has an "L" shape design. There are two bedrooms and baths located on the east and west sides of the longer portion of the "L" shape. The smaller end of the "L" is the family room and kitchen. The kitchen was updated several years ago and has a several years of service before it needs redone. The appliances and counter-tops are a bit dated, however. There is a pass through from the kitchen into the family room where there is a built in dining bar. The photo immediately above shows the Cuban tile floors that mark a third type of floor material used in this house.
Both the west and east bedrooms have full baths and lots of closet space. They both also have a mix differing floor surfaces between rooms. It may be that the living room and the bedroom areas were carpeted and that the carpet was removed. There is no central air conditioning in this home. There are wall unit air conditioners, however. I think a new owner might want to install a new mini-split system throughout the house. These systems are whisper and are more economical to operate than the old wall units. By the way I could not help but notice how quite and lovely the outdoor area was while I was taking photos. This is really a lovely home. CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of this very interesting property.
CLICK HERE for a Google aerial view of this property which is located four blocks to the west of Cow Key Channel which leads to deep Atlantic Ocean waters via the Sunrise Canal across the street from this home. Jimmy Buffet once lived a block or so down the street on the opposite side of the adjacent Sunrise Drive.
1515 18th Street is offered at $515,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and listing photos. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a showing on this very interesting and fairly priced home which has so much to offer. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.
The Key West of 2015 is much different today than it was on my first visit in 1984. Back then most of the Conch Houses in Old Town had not been renovated and most of the cars on the streets were old and rusty - they were called Conch Cruisers.Thirty-one years later I would estimate that more than half of the houses in Old Town have been renovated to some degree. Some of the best blocks in town like the 600 block of William Street still have a couple of straggler properties that will someday be renovated. Their lingering dereliction probably pains the neighbors who have spend a couple of million dollars on their homes. But I am confident that greed will out and either the current owner or more probably an heir will end up with a big booty of money for the unkempt houses. There are few Conch cruisers remaining, especially in Old Town. You are more than likely to see late model European import than a rusty cruiser. I ended up moving here twenty-two years ago. I've seen a lot changes since I got here. Some are good. Some are not so good. I miss a lot of the way Key West used to be. I mourn the passing of what was an institution - Atlantic Shores.
Vintage post card before the Shores went gay
The 1950s vintage motel before it became a world famous "gay" resort.
The Pool before it became a social Mecca. The parking lot before it became a weekly drive-in movie theater.
This building was once Papllion, a late night bar and later became a drive-thru liquor store.
I stayed at Colours Guesthouse (now called Marerro's Guesthouse) for the first week of my initial visit to Key West. The houseboy at Colours told me to go to La Te Da on Sunday afternoon to attend Tea Dance and later to go to Tea By The Sea. The next week I moved over to La Te Da for the second week of my vacation. That is when I attended my first Tea Dance. The place filled up with a couple of hundred locals and tourists just after 5:00 PM. They left en-mass promptly at 8:00. Everybody left. I had never seen a bar shut down so quickly. Waiters emerged from out of nowhere and set up the restaurant within minutes. I thought that was the end of the night. Little did I know that I was supposed to follow the crowd a couple of blocks south to Atlantic Shores for Tea By The Sea.
A few days later I walked over to Atlantic Shores which was located at 510 South Street. I walked past the 1950s era motel towards the ocean side pool.I could hear the constant beat of music blaring all the way from South Street beckoning would-be sun bathers and drinkers. The original motel was a combination of three long buildings, a restaurant, and check-in office. The buildings stretched toward the ocean where there was a very large pool surrounded by wood deck. An even longer walking pier extended further out to the ocean. I reckon I got there sometime just after noon because all lounge chairs were still facing south. The specter was overwhelming. There must have been a couple of hundred people hanging around the pool in various locations. Some were standing or sitting in the covered bar area. Others were laying on chaise lounge chairs on the deck or on the pier or swimming in the pool. Atlantic Shores was clothing optional. Most people wore bathing suits, but clothing was optional. For some it ought to be required. I had heard the place was a gay hangout, but on that day there were a lot of college kids and maybe an equal number of locals hanging out and partying. A lot of the college girls were topless but the boys had more modesty. There were a lot of tanned locals, many of whom were nude. I felt uncomfortable and left. (But I did return many times in the future.)
It wasn't until a later visit to Key West that I actually attended Tea By the Sea. Tea
started at 8:00 PM every Sunday and lasted until 11:00 PM. You could
hear the music for blocks around even though Key West has a noise
ordinance that is supposed to forbid such noise. Locals and tourists would follow the beat as if summoned to the pier by the Pied Piper. All of the lounge chairs were removed from the deck to create a large dance. Most people got liquored up a bit before they started to dance. Once the music was just right the deck got crowded with dancers. The boards would bounce up and down to the beat of the music. Sometimes the beat was so intense I was sure the deck would collapse into the ocean below. It didn't. Dancing under the stars and on top of the water. Wow!
Some people would stand out on the pier and watch the little boats bobbing up and down on the horizon with lights reflecting off the water. Stars illuminated the sky. If you looked toward the east I swear the lights from Miami seemed to light the sky. If you looked south or west the horizon was almost pitch black.
The tiki hut bar was pretty small, maybe 15' X 15' or so which was open on all four side. There were normally two or three bare chested bartenders who moved at a furious pace opening beer bottles and mixing cocktails. Locals grabbed bar stools early. Others would cram the remaining space where people talked or tried to buy a drink. As the night progressed the noise level got so loud that you would have to shout to speak to the person next to you. And you could not help but get nearly intimate with just about every person there.There was no such thing as 'personal space'. Maybe that was part of the attraction. I remember a couple of times when a sudden cloudburst would occur and the normally crammed tiki hut bar became a sardine can filled with men.
Every Sunday night just a couple minutes before eleven o'clock Last Dance was played. Donna Summers slowly and softly at first then faster and with ferocity would entreat the dancers with her lament:
Last dance
Last chance for love
Yes, it's my last chance
For romance tonight
After which the lights went up, the music turned off, and lucky ones went home for some romance and or maybe to another bar for another chance to get lucky or more likely home - alone.
More than any other bar in Key West, this was the great equalizer. Drinks were as cheap as some of the people that hung out at the Shores in the daytime. I'll give you a couple of examples. During season the place was always jammed during the daytime. But when season was over locals had the place pretty much to themselves a lot of the time. I remember one cloudy Sunday afternoon when there were few people there. After all, it was cloudy. There was this smallish guy who was so pale he looked as if he might have been albino. I distinctly remember that he wore a very dark lipstick - totally odd, even for Key West. He had been doing hand stands in the shallow end of the pool. His head was in the water and his legs extended up to the sky. His tiny frame was exposed for all to see. He was not wearing a swimsuit. He had a petite pecker that was at full attention - or maybe I should say he was seeking attention. He got out of the pool and headed toward the bar - his small manhood preceded him by three inches at most. He walked with his right hand outstretched as he headed towards a group of gay boys standing near the south end of the pool. I remember this one guy jumping into the pool to avoid physical contact with the white one. That did not deter the little guy. He got close enough to one guy to give him a kiss. The guy tried to back away but was too slow. He got a slider from the little lipstick man. It was hilarious.
I remember another occasion late one sunny afternoon. I remember this because all lounge chairs had been rotated toward the west. There was a smattering of locals and a few tourists still hanging by the pool. A very good looking older man (in his fifties or early sixties) was accompanied by a very handsome and extremely well built young guy in his early twenties. The older guy had been buying the younger guy cocktails throughout the afternoon. The young guy asked the older man if he could go talk to a girl at sitting nearby me. Permission was granted. The guy walked past me to the cement block wall to my rear where the girl was seated. I remember him asking her something like "Are you working here today?" It clicked. They were both professionals. He was a Rent Boy. They talked for quite a while. And then I remember the guy took off his swim shorts and dove into the water. He reemerged and climbed up the metal steps and stood there. It was like something out of a porn movie - the guy stood there with water trickling down his backside for all to see. He pivoted and flexed for everyone. Unlike the smallish Albino, this guy was fully equipped. The old guy must have paid a lot for him. I surveyed the crowd at the bar and around the deck. Everybody there was drooling over this kid.
It was either on Wednesday or Thursday night that the parking lot at Atlantic Shores became the Key West Drive-In Theater. Lounge chairs were moved to the parking lot. Locals could bring their own chairs. Cocktails and popcorn were served. There would usually be a little raffle. I won such a raffle and yelled "Bingo". I got a $25 or $50 gift certificate for food or alcohol at Diner Shores (the restaurant at the front) or the cook shack on the deck which by the way was a daily treat for all that dined there. The drive-in movie showed movies that you couldn't see at the Regal Cinema out in Searstown. That place ran mainstream movies. Our drive-in had more independent type movies. Today the Tropic Cinema on Eaton Street fills that cultural void. But back in the day, there was nothing quite like watching a movie under the stars in Key West.
I witnessed a lot of unforgettable spectacles there. I have so many fond memories
such as laying out at Atlantic Shores almost all day on Christmas Day in 1999.
The temperature was near 80 as I remember. And the weather up north was
frightful but the weather here was so delightful.
I took my sister to Atlantic Shores when she visited me in 1994. She was seventeen years older than me. She lived in Broomfield, Colorado. She was a big liberal and a voracious reader. She could not get enough of this place. There was nothing like this in her little town. Nor was there a place like this pretty much anywhere else. Besides being a place to sun and drink, it was a meeting place where social events and charity events were held. Locals felt at home here. As I wrote this blog I searched for photos and found the YouTube Video below. It was shot at the Last Tea Dance at Atlantic Shores. Take a look. If you're a local, leave a comment. I mourn the loss of this once very special place in Key West. It seems like only yesterday.
Atlantic Shores during demolition of an era
The corner of South at Simonton Streets. The drive-thru liquor store once stood here. Progress to some.
