He was My President

During the summer of 1963 I got to go on the best vacation of my life: a summer trip to Europe with seventeen other kids from my school district and two chaperons. We did the grand tour for six weeks. There were many memorable stops and events. I got drunk for the very first time at the Moulin Rouge in Paris where I saw a couple of nearly naked women except for pasties. We ran wild in the rainy streets of Salzburg, and we swam in the Mediterranean west of Rome. But it was in Berlin that two events became etched in my memory card.

Kennedy motorcade in Berlin 1963

On June 26th 1963 three other kids and I left our group to see if we could get a glimpse of President John F. Kennedy. He spoke at two different locations on his famous trip to Berlin. He gave his "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech at the Schöneberg Rathaus (City Hall) in Berlin. We went to the other location, the Free University of Berlin. We got to our location to get a good view of the Presidential motorcade. We stood in the hot sun for what seemed like an eternity. The longer we waited, the more people arrived. By the time the motorcade arrived the sidewalks were crowded with Germans. As he approached the crowds roared with applause. The limousine got near and I raised my camera above the assholes that had crowded in front of me to catch a better view of My President. I as so excited to see him that I took four very blurry photos. But more than the photos I remember the adulation the German people had for Our President. So many of the people who lined that section had brought American flags. And they screamed in delight of the man who symbolized America. It was a feeling I will never forget. Equally amazing was the reaction of my often bunk-mate, Bill Phillips. He was a waspish little Republican if there ever was one. We lived only a few blocks apart. He, like me, was Irish and freckled, and as I later found out, gay. Only his family was Republican and anti anything Democrat. How surprised I was to see Bill scream and yell for Kennedy. He's retired now and lives in the California with his partner of over 32 years. I wonder if he is still a Republican.

We spent three or four days in Berlin. We took a bus ride into East Berlin which had been walled off to keep its citizens from escaping to the west. We saw buildings that had been bombed into rubble years earlier during World War II. There were blocks and blocks of destroyed buildings more than two decades after the war had ended.  I remember that bus ride quite well. I can still see the blue sky which sharply contrasted with the blah new buildings. There were few trees. And certainly there were no bill boards nor colorful signs.  The landscape was so blah and devoid of color. It was like watching an episode of  The Twilight Zone. Only it was real.

I think it was the same night we went to a movie theater on the Kurfürstendamm. We watched To Kill a Mockingbird but we listened to it in German. No matter what language we heard, the story was so easy to understand. The imagery as I said before is etched into my memory. The images of 1930s south. Of poverty and of privilege. Of Scout and Jem and Boo Radley. Of Atticus Finch defending an innocent black man accused of violating a white girl. Of intolerance and prejudice. Of a lynch mob.



Four months later I walked into the Lakewood High School cafeteria just around 11:30 when I picked my my lunch and headed toward my normal table. Before I could set my tray down Dennis Becker said "Gary, President Kennedy has been shot!"  "What? You're joking."  No, it is true or words to that affect. He told me as much as he knew. I put my tray down and walked back into the hallway looking around as other students walked the halls oblivious to what was unfolding. I then went to the student store to see if someone had a transistor radio so that maybe I could verify what Dennis had said. There was a radio, and there was confirmation. He had been shot

I went back to the cafeteria and sat there in disbelief.  I could not eat my meal. How could this be?  At some time during the afternoon, I don't recall exactly when, a voice came over the school loud speaker system that announced that the President had died and said classes would continue until normal closing time. We were trapped in school until 3:15 when classes let out.

I lived with my dad in an apartment a few blocks from school. As soon as I got home I saw The Denver Post outside our front door. It confirmed what I already knew. I kept that paper as a remembrance of that day. I went inside and turned on the television.  I watched the black and white images of the scenes from Dallas earlier that day. I remember calling my dad and discussing what had happened. He stayed at work until his normal quitting time - 9:00 PM. I sat there in that apartment by myself not understanding how in the world this could have happened. I remember waking up on Saturday morning thinking the day before had been a bad dream. But, sadly, it wasn't.

Two days later I was watching the ongoing and unending coverage of everything. A television camera was in the basement of the police department where Lee Harvey Oswald was supposed to be transferred to another facility. I thought to myself this is the most stupid thing imaginable. Someone on the street will rush the truck and kill Oswald.  I was wrong. He didn't even make it to the truck. Oswald was shot on live TV. This was like beyond belief. How could this happen in America? How? Why? Like Jem and Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird, my innocence was lost.

Monday came.  The funeral went on all day, or so it seemed. Finally, at the end of the afternoon the President's body was laid to rest at Arlington. It was over.  My older brother and his wife were going bowling that night and asked me to watch their two kids. I agreed but could not understand how anyone could do something so trivial as to bowl on a day like this.

School reopened on Tuesday.  At some point during the day I walked past the school emblem embedded in the floor at the front door of the school. As I passed I heard one of the jocks on the football team say, and I will never forget his words until the last day of my life, "You know what John-John got for his birthday?  A jack-in-the-box." The other guy laughed, and I cringed.  Maybe you can excuse this idiocy to this kid's youth. But I am not one to forgive this kind of behavior.

Sometime between the sixth and seventh grade (1959-1960) I decided that instead of being an architect (which I thought would be fun except that I am horrible at math), I would become a cinema photographer. As I watched history unfold on television, magazines, and newspapers of the next three years, I decided to become an attorney, like Kennedy. President Kennedy made a huge impact on many of the young people of my generation.  I think our country became a better country because of him. We started movement away from the racial divide. We headed up into space, which as a bi-product made possible all of the gadgets that now rule our lives. We stood up to and later defeated Communist Russia in the Cold War. America helped save the world from the Nazis during World War II, but it was Kennedy who made many people in many different lands love our country as never before.

For those few moments I got to see Kennedy drive down the street in West Berlin, I will be forever grateful.  He was my President.

1327 White Street - Key West, Florida

If you have been looking for an impressive four bedroom home with a pool, off street parking, and lots of Key West charm, please consider 1327 White Street as an affordable alternative to more highly priced homes of similar age and condition in Old Town.  The listing Realtor describes this 2862 sq ft home this way:

 "Luxury renovation of a historic 1880s three story home. Neighboring the highly coveted Casa Marina District. A perfect combination of every modern luxury a discerning buyer would expect and beautiful 1800s historical architecture. The property features restored Dade County Pine throughout as well as heart pine floors. Crown molding, cathedral ceilings, a spacious master bedroom suite with a walk in closet are just some of the features you will fall in love with. There is a 350 sq ft treetop deck off the third floor with stunning views of the tropical foliage. Sliding glass doors all along the great room open up to the pool and jacuzzi. Perfect for entertaining your guests and family. Spacious floor plan, natural light throughout."

A gracious front porch welcomes guests and provides ample space to sit and watch the world go by. Higg's Beach and Rest Beach are just four blocks to the south. The shops and restaurants of the Key West arts district are three blocks to the north and Duval Street is five minutes by bike to the west.

This house was made for someone that wants a big house with lots of interesting rooms and spaces. This house is the anti-salt box because the geometry of the place is so varied. Look at the photo just above. That proves my point for sure. This home has the appeal of a Queen Anne with a bit of Conch added.  Lots of angles and numerous building materials have blended historic sensibility and current trends together to create a really unique living space. The third floor can be either used as a fifth bedroom or game room. That room provides access to the private roof top deck with commanding tree-top views of the island and the large kidney shaped pool and separate spa below. There are very few homes in Key West that have this kind of view!

 

The front entry hall (viewed in first two photos above) leads to the second and third floor bedrooms. The main level is a gracious reinterpretation of the historic home with modern lighting, new windows and doors, HVAC, and new kitchen appliances and cabinets all of which are highlighted by the crown molding that defines each living space.

The house sits on a large 4678 sq ft (46.75' x 100.08') located five blocks from the Atlantic Ocean. A white picket fence spans the front of the property. A large gate on the right provides access to the large off street parking space. Notice the wooden vine covered trellis to the right in the photo above. The house faces west toward White Street. The southern side yard is quite large. The parking space is located there (as noted above). Multiple sets of French doors open to the rear side yard and back deck and pool area. The pool area is surrounded on three sides by mature specimen palm trees. The pool and spa are quite large, but there is plenty of room left over for outdoor living. There is an existing shed with water that a new owner might want to expand and turn into an outdoor kitchen. That's the trend for high end homes.

1327 White Street is offered at $1,400,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and listing photos.  CLICK HERE to view more photos of this really beautiful Key West property which offers so many of the features buyers seek in a Key West home.  Better yet, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing of this beautiful home. I live in the Casa Marina and really love the convenience it offers. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

2 Fletchers Lane - Key West, Florida

The listing Realtor of 2 Fletchers Lane in Key West describes this hidden gem thus:

"Wonderful 2 story Old Town home with beautiful Brazilian cherry floors, custom kitchen cabinets & Dade County pine walls. Obviously built by a ship builder, you can feel the custom woodwork quality throughout. Each bedroom enjoys lots of privacy with a split floor plan plus a guest cottage. Totaling 3 bedrooms & 3.5 baths with a great room that opens completely to the outdoors. Tropical landscaping and new Trex decking surround the heated pool & spa. The third bedroom cottage can double as guest quarters or a bar entertaining area with accordion style windows that open it up completely. Fully fenced for privacy & located between Grinnell & Margaret Streets, you can walk to everything from this unique property."

The good thing about owning a house on a lane that hardly anybody even knows that it exists is that you probably will not have many drop in guests, Fuller Brush salesmen, or other ne'er do-wells knocking on your door. You probably won't be serenaded as the bars close when locals and tourists find their way back to their homes, apartments, guest houses or hotels. You'll miss out on lines like "Babe I love you!" or "I hate you! Get out of my life!".

 2 Fletchers Lane in Key West is hidden away on just such a little lane that few people even know exists.  If you have a big ego and want everyone to see your big house and talk about how much money or whatever that you may have, this is not the place for you. However, if you want a slice of Old Key West that has been updated and tweaked just ever so nicely, this may be the place you have been looking for.

As frequent readers know the Key West mls is auto-filled with data that comes from the Monroe County Property Appraiser database. Unfortunately, the historic property records were destroyed in the great fire many years ago. Members of the WPA recreated (with an emphasis on the word create) those records but made guesses as to when many of our old homes were built - including the home at 2 Fletchers Lane which the official record says was built in 1924.  I looked at the Sanborn Fire Maps for Key West and found what I believe to be this property which I have marked with an "X" on the map below. That map was made in 1890 which tells us the house and rear cottage existed prior to 1899. You will note that the house appears to be placed on an angle.  That was not uncommon in olden days. Some houses were not placed at perfect right angles to the lot or the lot.  Some houses are still sit like that. This house has been re situated so that it now sits parallel with the lane.

I dug into the old shoebox and found a photo of 2 Fletchers Lane taken back in 1965. Compare that with the photo which I recently took..

The black and white photo shows 'scuttles' located on the roof. Scuttles are vents used in historic construction that allowed warm air to vent out through the roof..  The first house I sold in Key West was built around 1824. It had scuttles. I will never forget that house because of its simple but beautiful construction. Note also that the front porch still functions as such, but the main entrance has been relocated just past the gated side entrance which is barely visible in the above photo. 

The main living area is located at the rear of the home.  The kitchen, dining, and living areas form one great room which has sets of French doors on two sides that provide ample daytime light that is filtered by the palms and tropical foliage on this and nearby properties.  The Brazilian cherry floors, the extensive wood trim, and the custom cabinets in the kitchen make the main floor living space extra cozy and comfortable.

The ceiling in the living room soars two stories high.  Your guests will be amazed to see a second floor glass walkway that extends from the bedroom area to second floor rear balcony that looks out to the pool and guest cottage below. This is an ingenious mix of old school charm with contemporary design.  I seriously doubt that our current HARC would ever permit something so ingenious to be built today.  

There are two bedrooms on the second floor. The master suite is located at the rear of the house. The space is evenly divided between sleeping area, sitting area, dressing room, bath and that incredible glass walkway and rear balcony.   

What must have been the original living room in the olden days is now used as an office. The space reminds me of an old house that has been treated with care for generations. The second bedroom is accessed from a stairway from the office area.

The front porch is still a fine place for sitting and watching - pretty much of nothing. Only a couple of other homes share this tiny little lane. There is no off street parking here. You can drive your car up the lane to unload groceries and things. But you will need to park on nearby Eaton or Grinnell Street. The listing Realtor tells me the owners have parked in the same spot on Eaton Street for as long as they have owned this house.

I don't know if the guest cottage is the same cottage shown on the old Sanborn map or if it was built new. But I know its current configuration is pure genius. I have never seen any structure like this in Key West. You enter the cottage by stepping down a step from the pool deck level into this exquisite space. The cottage almost feels like a cabin in the woods except it is located in Key West, Florida! Windows on two sides open out from the bar to the pool where you and your guests can lounge in luxury. Please CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on this home that is offered for sale at $1,123,000.

CLICK HERE to view more photos which I took of this really charming Key West property. But better than that, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. This is a truly incredible home. Don't miss this.