1503 South Street, Key West - a Bit of Old Town in Mid Town

Who'd-a-thunk you could buy a genuine Old Town house in Mid Town Key West with a virgin-like yard.d home.  Read on and you will learn more. But look just below to see the same house after it was moved from the 600 block of Simonton Street to permit construction of the old firehouse at Simonton and Angela Streets.

The listing Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West describes this property this way:

"This charming property has never before been offered for sale and it is a one of a kind in this neighborhood. The house is considered a historic structure, having been moved to this location from Simonton Street in the late 1940's and features the sawtooth roofline found in many Old Town cottages. Instead of being landlocked, it sits on a 9400 sf lot offering the opportunity to build an accessory unit plus pool & gardens. The house was completely renovated from the structure up in 2011 and features vaulted ceilings, an open kitchen/living area, a beautiful kitchen with white Kraft Maid cabinetry and granite countertops, porcelain tile floors throughout and all new windows which invite in loads of natural light. There are three bedrooms and two baths off a central hallway, shotgun style. At the rear of the property is a fantastic workshop and covered patio flanked by many fruit trees including mango, cherry, guava, key lime and banana. If you are looking for space, this is for you!"

This newly rebuilt home looks so bright and cheery on the outside and that same warmth continues when you open the door to the vaulted ceiling and great room. The old walls were removed and the interior reconfigured for our modern lifestyle.

A central hallway leads to the three bedrooms and two baths. A glass door at the rear leads to the covered patio and nearby workshop.  You rarely get to see a green yard in Key West. This has got to be greener and in better shape than the nearby Bayfront Park.

Although there are two separate lots, this property is being offered as one parcel which includes the house and all of the land. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet for 1503 South Street, Key West and to view more listing photos.  This property is as clean as a whistle and awaits the creative touch a new owner may bring to this unexpected treasure. 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.

3 Aronovitz Lane, Key West - Slow Lane Living

On my third trip to Key West in 1986 I spent much of the time looking for a place to buy. When the trip was over, my Realtor picked me up at my guesthouse and took me to the airport to return to Colorado. As we drove east on Fleming Street she had to stop her car for a dog laying in the street to wake up and get out of the way. Serious.  Today there's too much traffic for any dog to even lay down in a street let alone take a dirt nap - except, maybe, on a slow lane. 

Longtime readers of my little blog know my fondness of the slow lanes in Key West. A "slow lane" is not a phrase: it is a lifestyle. Some people love to sit on their porch and watch tourists and locals go past their homes. It's almost like a sport. Others prefer not to see or be bothered by anybody. Since so much of Old Town is so tightly packed most of the streets here are by definition well traveled.  I will be you that if you buy 3 Aronovitz Lane that your dog can lay in the little street and will not get bothered by tourists or locals passing by. Most locals and few tourists have never heard of this street nor know where it is.

I looked in my old shoe box and found a photo taken more than fifty years ago that shows the house as it then existed. I looked through my Historic Sanborn Fire Maps to see if I could determine when it was built. I searched each map starting with 1889 through 1912 but the entire lane was omitted from each map yet the surrounding buildings and houses on Duval, Southard, Angela, and Whitehead Streets were shown. This large area may have been stables. Even today there is an expansive paved parking area located on the backside of today's featured home.

The listing Realtor describes 3 Aronovitz Lane in Key West this way:

"Stunning Renovation of this classic Historic Cottage located just steps from Duval on a quiet one way street. Beautifully Reclaimed Dade County Pine coupled with gorgeous pine floors, coffered ceilings and elegant finishes throughout. Open Kitchen and Living room appointed with Custom Cabinetry and granite countertops. Living space opens via French doors to private pool and sunny filled patio. Property is being offered turnkey with stylish furniture package. Located in x-zone."

As soon as you open the front door to this freshly renovated Conch Cottage you know everything is going to be alright. Everything just looks perfect. They didn't miss a beat. The Dade County Pine walls and new wood floors are set off by the crisp white trim and crown molding.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and the listing photos. What you cannot see in the photos today is the new pool that is in place but not yet finished.  3 Aronovitz Lane will have a smallish splash pool that is larger than a cocktail pool.  The house is offered with the stylish furniture package shown at the offer price of $895,000. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing of this really cute renovation located just one-half block from Duval Street. This house would make an excellent vacation rental. It is near everything. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

1316 Villa Mill Alley, Key West - A Private Shangri-La

I often write about the joy of owning a home on one of the slow lanes in Key West. Since most of the Old Town lanes are often sandwiched in between large blocks, the houses on the lanes are often cottages as opposed to larger homes. These homes are ofttimes located on smallish one-way streets that may only one or two blocks long. Some locals probably could not tell you where many of these little lanes are located because they are tucked away from view.  Such is the case for the new listing at 1316 Villa Mill Alley. Villa Mill Alley is located about one half block east of Simonton Street just south off United Street. This is a small enclave of very expensive homes with a location few people know exists situated just on the edge of the Casa Marina Area. 

I found the old aerial photo  pictured above taken of the Casa Marina Area in 1930. I added an arrow to show where the original home at 1316 Villa Mill Alley was later built. Upper Duval Street is located a block and a half to the west. Today the lot measures 110' X 80.26' or 9,775 sq ft. The Monroe County Property Appraiser shows the square footage of the property as 2200 sq ft. The property was just completely renovated and expanded. I think the property appears to be much larger because of the connective walkways between the buildings which make up this incredible Key West home.

There are two entrances to the home both of which are located on Villa Mill Alley and both of which are shown above. The formal entrance is located immediately to the left of the two story bedroom building centered above. The informal entrance is to the right side and adjacent to the double garage.

Instead of walking into the home, you enter a covered walkway that connects the living pavilion on the north and the master and guest bedrooms on the south. No matter which location is your destination, your eyes are immediately diverted to the lush tropical gardens, koi pond, pagoda, and pool.

The great room is designed for very relaxed and informal Key West living, but at the same time exudes a sense of dramatic style. You'll quickly notice architectural and building elements like the wide wood floors, the extra-wide horizontal wall boards, the vaulted ceiling that soars, and the retro-style impact glass windows and doors. These building elements are carried throughout the property. The glass doors retract and open out to the covered deck and the private Shangri-La courtyard.

The third bedroom and bath are tucked away just to the right of the front entry and behind the kitchen. A potential fourth bedroom (or as currently used den) is located on the far side of the great room. The room has doors that open out to garden and the adjacent pagoda.

The master suite is located on the first floor of the bedroom pavilion. Imagine waking up in the morning looking out to the garden and hearing the babbling koi pond and viewing the tropical foliage. While the bath has all the latest high-end bath fixtures, you may be more inclined to use the adjacent outdoor shower.  There is an adjacent guest bathroom. A spiral staircase leads to the second floor guest bedroom.

The guest bedroom really is tucked away and located out of sight up the spiral staircase. There is a morning kitchen located just inside the entry.  Guests won't have to go down the steps for morning coffee or evening cocktails unless they really feel the need to socialize. Otherwise, they can cozy up in their own private luxury suite. The doors open out to the expansive where they can muse about what it must be like to own such a wonderful retreat. CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of this property.

1316 Villa Mill Alley is now offered for sale at $3,495,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing of this one-of-a-kind Key West property. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. Let's go take a look. Perhaps this could be your own private Shangri-La.