1215 Truman Avenue, Key West - Just Listed

I have written about 1215 Truman Avenue, Key West a couple of times over the years, including in my Projects of Key West series.

Locals refer to this style of house as a Conch House. It is large impressive house with the strong architectural lines identified elsewhere as a Classical Revival. In his book The Houses of Key West Alex Cammerer described Conch Houses as "...a simple rectangular block of more than one story. It has a low-pitched roof; the main entrance is on the gabled end. The attic story extends beyond the vertical plane of the vertical stories, forming a portico. Formal columns ...are an integral part of the portico structure." 

 

I searched for historic photos of the house and found the old black and white postcard below dated 1929. I added an arrow to identify what I believe to be 1215 Division Street (which is now known as 1215 Truman Avenue).  The house is located opposite Bayview Park to the left. The large two story house located across Division Street at the corner of Georgia Street and the adjacent cottage have been replaced by modern buildings for the Wesley House Family Services. Other homes that may have existed in that area were replaced by what became the Division St Grammar School which later became the Monroe County Office Building. Locals and returning tourists will quickly notice that Division Street (or Truman Avenue) abruptly ended at the Garrison Bight. In later years US 1 was built around the the Gulf of Mexico and barren ground to the east and bridged into Division Street. As years became decades many of these once grand old houses became apartments or boarding house while others were converted into commercial uses. A few stately single family homes remain.

The listing Realtor describes 1215 Truman Avenue as an... 

"Amazing renovation in Old Town Key West. Top down restoration. Dade county pine throughout. Master bedroom on first floor with access to deck and pool. Open living area with top of the line appliances. Laundry room with half bath rounds out the first floor. Two bedroom with attached bathrooms on the second floor. Open floor pan on third floor with additional bath room. This house is loaded with historical charm. Covered outdoor area for dining. Pool was just resurfaced. Car port for off street parking.'"

I remember walking around this house years ago before it was renovated. It was a series of rooms. Big rooms with tall ceilings, Dade County Pine walls, wood floors, big old windows. The original house was dysfunctional as compared to the way we live now. I thought of how it could be improved if only I could find a buyer with money and vision. Some other Realtor found that buyer a few years ago. I photographed the changes made to the exterior over a few years. After house was completed I met with one of the interior decorators who helped complete the project. I was so impressed by the home when is was completed. It is now for sale. Let's look inside.

I tell buyers and write here that old houses are just boxes with rooms someone else built years ago. Don't worry about the old boxes. Think outside the box. Create new boxes with different openings and different uses. Look below and compare that photo to the two immediately above. Same space but totally different and now useful and pretty damned pretty on top of that.

There were two entry doors.The one on the right led to the stairway to the second floor. The opened door was the entry into what had been used for years as a real estate sales office and living area at the read. That door was replaced by a window. The room was repurposed into guest bath at front with laundry room behind it The rear portion of the former large room became a part of the new great room which itself was incorporated into the great room.

You can see the staircase ascending upward. French doors open out to the covered deck and pool added by a previous owner. We will look at that shortly.

The addition at the back of the original house is now the first floor master suite with large bath and walk-in closet. And there is a wall of windows and doors with cook pool views. Who would not want that view? There is a single story office building next door and tropical foliage all around. Nobody can see inside the bedroom.

 

The ceiling in the rear addition was modified by a prior owner who added the window a the gable Several of these windows were salvaged after the first that destroy St. Mary's convent years earlier. Of course the pool and decking are of more recent vintage. The generations that preceded us did not sun or lounge by a pool They worked.

There are two bedrooms with en-suite on the second floor. The front bedroom has two doors that open onto the front covered balcony. I used to own Eaton Lodge Guesthouse. Guest would sit on the porch and watch the people go by a dream of what it must be like to live in Key West. I know they did because they told me. This is far better than walking up and down Duval Street and ducking in and out of bars. If you want healthy, go across the street to play tennis or baseball.

 

The third floor was turned into dormitory for the grand kids with five single beds arranged railway sleeper style complete with separate televisions. Individual air pods provide the sound. When I saw the house a couple of chairs and table were set up with a wine carafe and glasses. That would surely keep the tykes asleep.

1215 Truman Avenue Key West is offered for sale at $3,895,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS data sheet and listing photos. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing of this beautiful home. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. 

1207 United Street, Key West

The lowest temperature ever recorded in Key West was 41 degrees and that occurred twice. I can avow with certainty the only place in Key West where you can get a BLIZZARD is the Dairy Queen. This little building is not stuck in time. It is stuck in Paradise.
 

The listing Realtor describes 1207 United Street, Key West this way:

"Established in 1950, the Key West Dairy Queen has become a staple ice cream and treats destination on the island for decades. Price includes the business and real estate strategically located near the new Key West City Hall and right around the corner from the busy White Street corridor. Property is located in a residential zoning and is being operated as a legal non-conforming use. A prospective Buyer has the option to purchase the entire package as a business with real estate or redevelop the property. Do not disturb the business or employees of the ongoing operation."

I'll bet a lot of locals think that the only Dairy Queen in Key West is the one above which was just listed for sale. Andy they would be wrong. There were two in the 1960s. The other DQ was located at 2120 North Roosevelt Boulevard. It later became Burger King and is now Popeye's. I wrote about that location in a recent blog. North Roosevelt is a tough street for fast food stores. Half the traffic is speeding by and can't stop in time to turn. Think about that. Maybe that is why three notable fast food franchises have not been successful there.

The one and only Key West DQ is located on United Street one of the slowest thru streets in Mid Town. That is because of the two schools located two blocks to the east.  Speeders in school zones get hammered in Key West (in court not bars). Moms can take the kids for an after school treat. Beach goers can grab a before or after beach Blizzard or burger. Employees at the National Weather Service or city hall can buy an inexpensive lunch.by walking less than a block from work. On any given night you will see generations of Conchs standing in line to a banana split, a sundae, chocolate curly cone. It is not the same at a McDonalds or Burger King. It never has been. There is something magic about a Dairy Queen. In a town with a hundred or more bars for adults, this and the baseball fields where kids come first. 

The above photo also from the early 1960s shows the Dairy Queen facing opposite the old Navy trailer park. I have lived in Key West now for over a quarter century and have watched so much of this area change. I remember when-the trailers were moved out and replaced by the National Weather Service building. The old Key West High School across White Street underwent a multi-million dollar renovation-is now our city hall. The former pizza joint on the corner is now an office building. Dozens of homes in the immediate area have undergone their own renovations. What was once stagnant neighborhood is now a vibrant of the community.

Key West City Hall

National Weather Service Key West, Florida

1207 United Street is 8,110 Sq Ft (92' Wide X 88' Deep) and zoned HMDR. CLICK HERE to view the zoning regulations. 

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet for 1207 United Street, Key West, offered for sale at $1,300,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to help start the process to evaluate this property for you create blizzards in paradise. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West

 

Key West Real Estate Throwback Thursday No. 42

from April 7, 2016

1521 Seminary Street, Key West - Affordable Home in Paradise

The newly listed home at 1521 Seminary Street in the Midtown neighborhood of Key West just may be the answer to the impossible dream that so many would be buyers have. What's that - you ask.  It's a cute little place with character with a large yard that you could add to over the coming years to create your version of the perfect place in paradise and to do so at an affordable price. The listing Realtor at Preferred Properties describes this unconventional delight this way:

"Lovely Mid Town Artist Home with an Old Town feel, centrally located for an easy bike ride to Downtown or the Beach. Open floor plan with Dade County Pine throughout and 10 foot ceilings. Large French Doors off of the Kitchen and one of the Bedrooms open up to the back deck and screened bungalow. The tropical foliage of mature palms surround the outdoor shower and bath."

This sweet little home is located away from Old Town which means a lot of would-be out of town buyers won't have the foggiest idea where it is located. GOOGLE solves that problem by providing aerial and street maps. CLICK HERE for an aerial view of the location and then click the toggle switch for a street view.  The street view, however, doesn't provide much help in that the house is located behind a six foot privacy fence.

You enter the home directly from the large wood deck in the front yard. As soon as you walk through the front door you know this is not suburbia. While the living room may look pedestrian, the kitchen and dining area are anything but. The kitchen has all the look and feel of a saw tooth addition you'd see in Old Town. The exposed vaulted ceiling adds volumes of character to this space. An arched opening between the kitchen and dining area is repeated on the rear kitchen wall. Another window provides a view of the perfectly picturesque artist studio to the rear. (More about that later.)

The Property Appraiser website recognizes two bedrooms and one bath. The red bedroom is located just off the kitchen. French doors open out to the rear deck which will be discussed shortly. The yellow bedroom is located at the opposite side of the house.

The rear deck provides access to the artist studio which is charming beyond belief. When I saw this place my mind immediately raced back to the hippie days in Boulder Canyon and Aspen and later to Old Town Key West before all the money and HARC changed things. This place was put together by love and creativity that a committee of architects, lawyers, and social do-gooders could never imagine. Nor create! 

There is a small "shed" located next to the artist studio. The washer and dryer are housed in this space which also has "facilities".  Please CLICK HERE to view more photos which will reveal more than I can write. They also show the huge rear yard which has room for a large pool. When you walk the end of the deck and  take a quick left you see the outdoor shower which is an earthly delight.

The Monroe County Property Appraiser website shows the 912 sq ft house as having been constructed in 1933 which would have been the Great Depression. We know that date is not correct but was selected by members of the WPA who recreated county records destroyed  by the great fire much of Old Town including the old court house. I checked the historic Sanborn Fire Maps none of which showed any homes in this area. I also looked at old aerial photos but was not able to find one that showed a house in this area. Still I am of the belief this house existed before 1933 either at this location or that it was moved to this location later. 

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and to view more listing photos of this wonderful home which is offered at $545,000. A new owner could move in here and not do anything. This is the personification of Key West casual before so much of town got renovated. True, a new owner could renovate and if that is your preference, you could update this place. But the point is you don't need to. That is why the asking price makes this place affordable. 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.

Update. A couple days ago I was looking thru Instagram posts and saw an image that reminded me of how much the hippies and gays influence Key West four decades ago. They came to a town time and distance forgot and created their own little nirvana. I miss it.