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zboss · 15-02-2015, 19:03

We spent a little over a month in Key West over xmas and new years. Although I agree that KW is kind of a dump, and that the mooring field is the absolute pits, if you get off the beaten edge of the island there is a lot of nice architecture and whatnot and some nice restaurants.

But, my wife and I have made a rule... no more than a few weeks there in the future. We have seen the Hemingway house, the Whitehouse, the shipwreck museum, etc... so no need to hit the touristy stuff. The bars are nice for a bunch of people to go out and slam back some beers, and we really like the Green Parrot, but every time we step onto KW $100 magically flies out of my checking account and I wonder - WHY?

I didn't find the people there particularly friendly although we did occasionally run into some nice folks. I consider myself very friendly - always say hello and ask about your day regardless of our relation - but we made it a game to see how many people would say hello or acknowledge you back and it was about 40%.

Restaurant food was generally average to below average and expensive, with some exceptions such as Blue Heaven (where I would say "slightly over average"). I can only speak about the places we ate and there were a lot we did not.

The music scene there was pretty good.

Island Time O25 · 15-02-2015, 19:32

I like the funky aspects of KW, kind of like Greenwich Village/Haight Ashbury/Harvard Square used to be before the yuppies and the corporations moved in and ruined those. Although it seem that now the time has come for Key West to go that way. But at least one can bask in the sun and have a few beers in the swimming shorts in the middle of the winter without a long shlep to some Caribbean island. It is what it is and considering all the winter alternatives (within the US) ain't too bad.

Group9 · 16-02-2015, 06:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave852

I live in the upper keys and whenever I tell some one where I'am from they say "oh key west" and I say no, key west is 90 miles away. Key west is a whole different place than the other 105 miles of keys.

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When I used to live in Miami, we used to hit the Keys a lot (and I had to work in KW every once in a while). Every time, driving down, we would comment on how much nicer the places in between Miami (Homestead, really) and Key West, were than what was on either end. My last trip has made me think that even more.

My fear is that the KW experience will eventuallystart moving up the chain and consuming the really nice places that are left.

Crosis · 20-02-2015, 22:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saleen411

It was GREAT 40 years ago when I first went.

I'm of the school where most ALL the nice places in the US have been RUINED by overcrowding and subsequent issues such as crime.

LOL there were only 243 million people living in North America in 1975. Everything was nicer back then.

zboss · 21-02-2015, 20:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crosis

LOL there were only 243 million people living in North America in 1975. Everything was nicer back then.

Do you realize that Russia has 1/2 our population and almost twice the square miles? That would be like seeing 1 person for every 4 (right?) you see now in the keys. Of course, I am generalizing but still... weird to think about.

rwidman · 22-02-2015, 10:06

Remember, when complaining about overpopulation, that you are part of the problem!

Celestialsailor · 22-02-2015, 14:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by redhead

Just as an added note for those on land. A great friend of mine has been a street musician on Mallory Square for the last 15 years. She can tell you of the changes. Oddly, her biggest complaint is the yuppification/homogenization of EYW.

Hilarious...the very people she makes money from.

Stu Jackson · 22-02-2015, 16:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by zboss

Do you realize that Russia has 1/2 our population and almost twice the square miles? That would be like seeing 1 person for every 4 (right?) you see now in the keys. Of course, I am generalizing but still... weird to think about.

Good math.

One might, however, check the latitude of most of the rest of the country. Moscow is quite a bit further north than London, without the benefit of the Gulf Stream. Among other geographical issues.

They also killed off a lot of their own countrymen during that, uhm, civil war, after 1917, plus WWII.

johnb23 · 22-02-2015, 22:58

apropos of nothing...my favorite epitaph ever is on a headstone in a Key west cemetery..."Flo" was a waitress and a noted hypochondiac (sp?) the quote?

"I told you I was sick."

IntoMyHealth · 23-02-2015, 18:53

Dump? No way! Touristy? Sure, but a good one. We just spent a few days there after the boat show">Miami Boat Show. Lots of great music, food, cigars, drinkin'. We liked it! Not sure we'd take time out to sail there, but I'd go back. The Hemingway house is a great tour! No, not a dump. Not perfect, but clean and cared for where it needs to be.

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natraps116 · 23-02-2015, 18:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by IntoMyHealth

Dump? No way! Touristy? Sure, but a good one. We just spent a few days there after the Miami Boat Show. Lots of great music, food, cigars, drinkin'. We liked it! Not sure we'd take time out to sail there, but I'd go back. The Hemingway house is a great tour! No, not a dump. Not perfect, but clean and cared for where it needs to be.

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The town is cool, just don't sail there and anchor is all....

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DeepFrz · 23-02-2015, 19:44

Key West area, including Stock Island, is a facade. Just like the old western movie sets...

Group9 · 23-02-2015, 20:37

You can sure drop some serious coin there in a very short period of time. I really don't see how the people who work in the bars and restaurants afford to live there. Housing is out of sight.

DeepFrz · 23-02-2015, 20:38

Quote:

You can sure drop some serious coin there in a very short period of time. I really don't see how the people who work in the bars and restaurants afford to live there.

Look in the mangrove swamp trailer parks.