The Importance of Finding Ernie

The Conch Telegraph reported that Bert and Ernie were recently seen on an airplane headed to Key West.  Various tourists captured photos of the famous pair and posted them to Instagram. Gossip travels fast in Key West. And if you are celebrities like Bert and Ernie, it travels even faster.

Bert was spotted sipping cocktails on the plane ride down to Key West. After the plane landed Bert sped over to the Bourbon Street Pub for happy hour.  He left Ernie at the airport waiting for their bags to arrive on a later flight.  Thank you very much American Airlines! 

Word got out that Bert was in town without Ernie. Newsmen and paparazzi appeared out of nowhere hoping to snap a shot Bert.

Day turned into night.  Bert wandered up and down and into and out of all the bars on Duval and the side streets looking for his little buddy.  At the end of the night he ended up at Captain Tony's playing pool for shots.   

Captain Tony's was a very bad choice.  Bert woke up the next morning and found himself mounting a Hemingway Cat that looks like Adolph Hitler reincarnated!  Once he sobered up Bert once again set out to find Ernie.

Bert went over to Simonton Street hoping Ernie might be at their favorite old deli only to find the place was closed and Ernie was nowhere to be found.

Bert then headed to seaport.  B.O.'s Fish Wagon was another favorite hangout. No Ernie there either. He wandered around Old Town for hours. Eventually he and made his way up to the Key West Cemetery.

Bert wandered over to the sweet little pink house over by the Key West Cemetery.  Bert and Ernie rented it for a month last year. Best vacation ever! But Ernie was nowhere to found. Bert then remembered their first trip to Key West when they stayed in a trailer up on Simonton Street.

When Bert arrived at the trailer court not only was Ernie not there, the trailer court was not there either. It was as if their life together had been erased. It seemed to Bert that he was living in the Twilight Zone or something.

 That night Bert went back over to the Bourbon Street Pub hoping against hope that Ernie would show up. He got wasted again.  When he walked out the front door door of the bar he heard someone say "Put on sock on it!" and ran for his life. 

The next morning Bert woke up with the worst hangover ever!  He headed over to Alcoholics Anonymous.  Whatever happened inside stayed inside.

Bert didn't fall off the end of the earth, Thank God!  But when Bert came out he renewed his quest to find Ernie with even more determination. He wandered the streets of Key West for several more hours.  It turned out that Ernie had been tracing Bert's movements. Everywhere he went he heard something like Bert was just here looking for you.  Forlorn, Ernie walked over to the the parking lot opposite the Leather Master on Appleroth Lane where he fell asleep. He awoke when Bert gave him a nudge. Together again!

Bert and Ernie made their way to Ft Zach Taylor Beach - their favorite place in the world - waiting for sunset.  Key West is the place they where they plan to spend their retirement - together.

832 Johnson Lane, Key West - Back on the Market

Looking for a "Fixer" in Old Town?  832 Johnson Lane may be the place you have been waiting to find. 

Just below is a photo of 832 Johnson Lane that was taken in 1965.  I took the photo below it to show the same house nearly 50 years later.  Our Historical Architectural Review Commission (HARC) will need to approve any exterior changes to the building.  The existing house has just one bedroom and one bath.  The Monroe County Property Appraiser says the 527 sq ft house sits on a 2633 sq ft lot or 25' x 116'.  The house sits close to the front of the lot. A new owner could seek permission from HARC to expand the size of the little house by adding to the rear. It appeared to me that the existing foundation is a bit dated. The existing piers may need rebuilt or replaced.  A new owner might seek permission to move the house back from the lane a bit further. If that were done new piers, plumbing, sewer, and electric would be necessary as well. But those improvements and the new foundation would be the start of a revitalization of this old house.

832 Johnson Lane as it appeared in 1965

As we walked through the house I knew nothing on the inside was worth saving. The rooms are very small and dysfunctional. They were built long ago for people who lived much differently than we live today. I didn't bother to take any photos because the interiors will be gutted and replaced by whoever buys this place. The house will also need new wood windows, doors, and floors.  A new kitchen and bath(s) will replace what exists today. There is some Dade County Pine which ought to be preserved.

I consider the backyard as the most attractive feature of this home. The yard is 25' wide by 116' deep or 2633 sq ft. The back property line abuts the rear of a parking lot that belongs to a guest house on Truman Avenue.  I am making an assumption that a new owner may be able to obtain permission to use the parking lot for a limited time to add a pool and deliver building materials necessary to renovate the cottage. 

The above photo was taken from the back step of the house and looks south. There is no back porch.  I have added a graphic to show the lot line at the rear.  As you can see there is a lot of open space from the house to the rear lot line. The plumeria tree seen in the photo (some call it a Frangipani) is not protected. It can be removed to provide room for lot development such as adding a pool.

The above photos were taken from the rear lot line looking toward the house.  The small addition to the rear is bathroom. The original "out house" still sits exists on the property. The plastic blue chair (two photos above) rests in the middle of the old outhouse. HARC and building rules may permit that space to be expanded into a cabana or other use.

The above photo shows the condition of the rear piers or foundation.  This is typical of some older homes in Key West that have not yet been renovated. Many of the lovely homes you see on the streets and lanes of Old Town used to look something like this. Some were much better to be sure, but others were worse.  Our local contractors are seasoned veterans when it comes to dealing with fixing old foundations which are essential to any good renovation.  Once the foundation is repaired, the creative part begins.

Johnson Lane is only one block long and runs parallel between Truman Avenue to the south and Olivia Street to the north. Entrances are located on Windsor Lane (that intersects at Truman Avenue) on the west and Margaret Street to the east.  The lane itself is a mix of very expensive town homes, some nicely updated homes, and a few little cottages like 832 Johnson Lane that await renovation.  Photos of the house next door and across the lane are shown below.

Next door

Across the lane

832 Johnson Lane is offered for sale at $580,000.  CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet for more information.

If you would like to see 832 Johnson Lane or any other house in Key West, please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or send me an email at kw1101v@aol.com.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

1025 Von Phister Street, Key West - Casa Marina Area Dream House

 

Just Listed by yours truly, 1025 Von Phister Street in the Casa Marina Area of Key West.  This dream home is tucked away behind a bamboo fence and professionally landscaped yard lush with tropical foliage, tall palms, and an orchid garden. Then the two story house is revealed. When the front doors are opened your eyes are immediately drawn through the formal entry, past the living area, and out to the covered lanai and pool. The view is unparalleled.  Your guests will be awed.

As I took photos of the house for this listing and my blog I began to appreciate the detail in the design that seems, at first glance, very simple. Upon reflection I decided that there is a great deal of planning in the the design and materials used that make this house.  Take, for instance, the formal entry. How many simple houses have such a spectacular formal entry that leads to such an impressive two story great room?

As I clicked away I began to see numerous design elements emerge. The built-in bookshelf walls in the photo just above provide display spaces. Consider they are the same size but the opposite of the other. How clever! The kitchen island seems so spartan. There's more storage and utility than meets the eye.  There is under island storage under either side of the island. A large pantry is located just off the kitchen that provides a huge amount of storage for food, cookware, and seldom used items that all of us seem to have. This house a place for all the stuff. And everything is tucked away right and proper.

 

There are two bedrooms on the main floor each of which has a private porch. Both share one bath. The larger bedroom has a huge built-in closet with lots of do-dads.  The other has immediate access to the covered outdoor lanai just off the orchid garden. 

Note the shared bath has both an inside and an outdoor shower which has a little awning to keep rainwater off.  I use my outdoor shower all the time. Everyone that I that has one does the same.  This is one of the joys of living in Key West - being able to take a shower in the middle of winter outside when the friends and family up north are freezing the behinds. 

The bamboo stairs and banister lead upwards to the second floor which is the master suite. The bamboo continues on and becomes a second floor railing that overlooks living area below and the pool beyond. The vaulted bedroom ceiling provides dramatic relief from hum-drum flat ceilings seen in so many homes. The drama continues at the front where French doors open out to a little Juliet balcony where two can sit and ponder the worries of the world - or not.  A private office is hidden away in the west side.  The master bath is tucked in the opposite side of the house.

The living room opens out to the outdoor dining area. A single lounge chair is located at one end.  A pedestal monument is located at the opposite end with the word "DREAM" engraved thereon. A twenty-five foot pool with waterfall runs in between. There's a little Tiki hut hidden in the bushes at the very rear amid all the palms.  CLICK HERE to view more photos.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet.Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to show you this Dream Home come to life.  I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.