Joey One Pants, A Cautionary Tale

Less than an hour ago I was exciting the Winn Dixie Shopping center onto North Roosevelt Boulevard in Key West at a controlled intersection. An older adult male was riding his bicycle on the opposite side of the street continued to ride across the intersection long after the light changed. Then he abruptly turned to cross the street in compliance with a directional light. He did not interfere with any of my driving. But he clearly violated the law and potentially put his safety and that of others in his hands.

We all see people do something like that every day. I drove to my office to pick up signs and balloons for my open house yesterday morning. There must have been a couple of hundred people walking on the sidewalks and either eating in or standing in front of restaurants waiting to get a table. Maybe ten percent were wearing face masks which are required in Key West. I guess the other ninety percent are invulnerable to Covid 19. This blog is not about Covid. It is about not following rules.

I knew Joey One Pants for about 20 years. He was the night clerk at one of the hotels in Old Town. He and I were both born in 1947.  He went to Viet Nam. I dodged the draft along with Clinton and Trump. Joey was kind of slow. His slowness agitated me. I can't abide slow people. He was a miser. He saved and invested his money. He had no children or siblings.

About five or six years ago he was riding his bicycle at that same intersection mentioned above. He rode thru the intersection disobeying the traffic light and got hit by a car. He was airlifted to Miami. People I know who knew him said they were certain he would die. But he didn't. I don't know who paid for the helicopter ride. I think it is about $70,000. He stayed in Miami for quite awhile recovering from his injuries. He eventually returned to Key West. He had lost his job and finally retired.

He lived in an apartment somewhere. I think it was in Mid-town. Then Hurricane Irma happened. Joey One Pants stayed. He had nowhere to go or to be with. A day or two after the storm one of the guys at the hotel where he used to work went to Joey's place to make sure Joey was okay. Joey was not there. The door was unlocked but not open. The guy went back again. Nobody but the guy from where Joey used to work cared about him. The guy from work went to the Key West Police Department to report Joey One Pants was missing. As I recall the story, the police were not actually back in business at that time. Many had evacuated the city and went north. I think the guy convinced a cop to take a look. The guy gave the police Joey's description.

The guy from work called the police a couple times to see if they had heard anything about Joey. No, they hadn't.

A few weeks later the police called the guy from work. They located the unclaimed body of an old man in the morgue. The body was found by the side of a road after the storm passed. The guy went over. It was Joey One Pants. 

Found on the internet

You may think that a simple little act like illegally crossing an intersection does not have any consequences. Or that not wearing a face mask in this time of international pandemic is okay. The President does wear one. You might think that. And as you can see from this story, you would be wrong. Actions have consequences.

912 Fleming Street Key West - Fathers Day Open House

Happy Father's Day Open House to 

All You Daddies out there!

912 Fleming Street ~ KEY WEST

12:00 to 2:00 PM

Stop by after church or on your way to brunch.  The Seaport and Duval Street are steps away.

Two Amazing Front Porches for Great People Watching!

It's not up front that counts here. You gotta see the rear!

 A buyer of mine sent me the link to Bob Dlyan's new record about Key West. Check it out.

Total Privacy Abounds. You'll be tan allover all year long and your friends will be Green with Envy!
CLICK HERE to see more photos.  Better yet head over to see this house on Key West's Millionaires Row. It can be yours.

1019 South Street, Key West - Just Listed

One of the joys of living in the Casa Marina Area of Key West is driving streets lined with swaying palms and giant mahogany trees. I often see my neighbors walking their dogs or tourists biking thru the area pointing out houses they dream of calling home someday. While Casa Marina Court, Johnson Street, and Flagler Avenue seem refined with curbs and gutters, the rest of the area retains its original rural charm with yards extending to the street. The architecture varies from a few original Conch houses, mid-century modern, and 21st Century contemporary. Most of the lots are 5,0000 square feet or larger many of which are hidden behind six foot tall privacy walls.

Each block in the Casa Marina area is different - there's nothing cookie cutter about this part of town. The new listing at 1019 South  Street is located one block from where I live. I walked over there a couple days ago while the photographer was taking photos for the new listing. This house is located caddy-corner across from 1100 South Street, the bungalow where Ernest Hemingway lived when he completed A Farewell to Arms. The two houses could not be any more different in style or construction. 1100 South Street is a stick built bungalow to which an earlier owner added a brick veneer that now covers the original wood siding of that single story home.

1019 South Street was built new in 2008 to replace one story CBS home that previously sat on the lot. The new house has 2,928 SqFt of interior living space plus covered and uncovered decks plus pool, loggia, and privacy fencing. I have lived a block away for 25 years. I cannot remember the lot before the new house was built. That is why I do my Projects of Key West series. Memories fail. Let's take a look at the house and pool.

The house is fenced for total privacy. You enter the yard thru gated entry into the foyer and then the great room. There is an informal sitting area on the right where glass sliders open out to the pool and loggia. The kitchen is a show stopper. The upper cabinets are illuminated to showcase china and glassware. There are gadgets galore. I don't they could have spent anymore. Really! The kitchen rocks. The family room is set back behind glass panel doors. There is a dining area nook off the side plus a guest bath. The above photos shows the large master suite at the rear.

There are four bedrooms and three and one-half baths. The master suite is located on the first floor which should make seniors excited. The master bath includes a big tub and shower. All closets are outfitted with closet systems for convenient storage. All rooms have high baseboards, crown molding, impress wood trim, recessed lighting, Plantation Shutters, and hardwood floors.

Two of the second floor guest bedrooms share a huge Jack and Jill bath while the other has an en-suite. The master and two of the guest bedrooms have doors that open out to private balconies or decks.

The loggia is located steps from the house and offers shade and protection from our seemingly ever-present sun. You will love the loggia this time of the year. It's getting hot and normal people cannot take as much sun as they think they can. Look at the above photo: you will see a pass through into the kitchen so that drinks can be exchanged without going inside. (Rich people think of everything.)

The current owners have not rented this home. It looks brand new on the inside. There is nothing for a new owner to do but bring cloths and a toothbrush. And booze. If you buy from me, I'll supply the booze.

Louie's Backyard, Higg's Beach, Fausto's Food Palace and the DQ are each located within easy walking distance. There are numerous nearby eateries, salons, gyms, and yoga studios. Upper Duval Street is a five block walk. The airport is seven minutes away. (I counted it.) What more could you ask for?

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet for 1019 South Street, Key West offered for sale at $2,939,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-755-2642, to schedule a private showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties. I live in this neighborhood and love it. If you like Old Town, you'll love the Casa Marina. Let me take you on a genuine tour.

413 Julia Street, Key West - Just Listed

Just Listed, but not by me, 413 Julia Street, Key West. This charming little house dates to before 1892 but it is beginning to look brand new all over again. The house was recently purchased by a local developer who had done multiple restorations and new builds in Key West. I dug around in my old shoebox and found a photo taken 55 years ago showing the house as it looked then. See the same house as it appears today from the same angle.  The was renovated several years ago and even won a coveted Florida Keys Ceramic Star for the prior renovation. The house fell into a bit of disrepair which is by it is being updated again.

413 Julia Street - 2009

The listing agent describes this 944 Sq Ft cottage (the square footage does not include the loft) this way:

"Simply Stunning-The Trifecta of Old Town Key West. A Remarkable Renovation with a projected completed date of August 01st. resulting in the Quintessential Key West Cottage. Located on a quiet one way street, steps from Duval St. award winning restaurants, Key West Lighthouse, beaches and so much more. Home features an abundance of Dade County Pine, with two bedrooms, two baths and additional sleeping loft, all finished with highest quality materials and superior craftsmanship. Impressive new Kitchen overlooks spacious living area with stunning new floors, soaring ceilings and two sets of french doors opening to private dipping pool and patio. Finished with New Siding, Floors, plumbing, electrical and AC resulting in a beautiful historic cottage in the heart of Old Town Key."

The above photo shows Julia Street as it dead-ends onto Duval Street - about 100 feet from 413 Julia Street. The house is near to the action but it far enough away not hear it. Julia is a narrow street in the neighborhood. There won't be any Conch Trains and only minimal auto traffic because it dead-ends. There is off street parking in front of the house and it has a pool. This home should sell quickly given the newness of the renovation and excellent location.  Owners who want a charming getaway and who also want to rent as a monthly vacation rental should anticipate a brisk business.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and more listing photos of 413 Julia Street offered for sale at $1,099,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

910 Elizabeth Street, Key West - Transient Licensed Property

910 Elizabeth Street, Key West, is listed by Preferred Properties Key West. That is where I work, but this is not my listing. The listing Realtor describes the property thus:

"This unique opportunity in old town Key West includes three units and three parking spaces. The first unit is a gated 2/2 transient home with den with a large heated private pool surrounded by a sunny porch, deck, patio and lush foliage. There are also two residential units with separate entrances and their own parking. Unit 2 has loft bedrooms/1 bath and unit 3 has a den with loft bedrooms/1 bath. The long term units are accessed through a gate into a beautiful orchid laden garden. The property has been a successful transient rental for many years and the other units are owner occupied and provide exceptional opportunity for rentals or owner use. Located in the X zone on a pretty tree lined street just two blocks off Duval this is a rare offering."

If you are looking for an investment property in Key West, this may be the property you have been seeking to find.  It has the features that should make it an ideal investment.  They include prime location just two blocks from Duval Street - about a five minute walk.. Elizabeth Street is a one-way street  one-half block from St. Mary's Basilica on Truman Ave. The Old Town Gym is a couple blocks east of the church. There are numerous spas, eateries (fine dining and el cheapo) within
easy walking distance.

The property has three off street parking spaces including one covered space. That's a rarity indeed. Since Elizabeth Street is a small one-way residential street, you won't have much traffic to disturb your peace. The lot measures 50' by 154' or 7,700 sq ft.  What looks so small in the above photos is actually two separate homes with a beautiful sunny pool separating them.

910 Elizabeth Street, Key West is offered for sale at $2,800,000 including the Transient License.  CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS database and Listing Photos of this incredible property. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. to schedule a private showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. This property is licensed to make money.