[sfw1979]

Hello everyone! I love this board..tons of info!

My family (myself, husband and 2 kids) are planning on moving ot Key West in 2 years. We would already have a good job and housing lined up ( my husband is Navy) so for anyone who lives there can you tell me a little more about it? I've been there once on vacation several years ago.
I have read that everything is spendy!! And with the base and commisary that is fine, we would shop there most of the time.
Are there good beaches there? etc..

Thanks for any replies!

[mrs1885]

Oh jeez. We need to meet and have coffee.

Old Town Key West was my home away from home for about 5 years. Hubby and I would go down about 4 times a year for a weekend and took the kids down for a day trip several times a year. I love Old Town.

Gosh - so much to tell. Will you be at Fort Zachary Taylor? I love it there. very historic. The view from up top looking out is gorgeous. But every view from the main island is gorgeous I guess. The beach there is nice. Halloween is great at the fort for kids.

We're very into the whole wrecking history and pirate history so that's primarily what our focus is. And anything to do with Jimmy Buffett - we're huge Parrotheads.

As with any island - especially one so secluded from the mainland - everything is going to cost more as it costs extra just to get the supplies down there. I know lots of people who own the B&Bs down there do massive shopping expeditions monthly to stock up on stuff in Florida City and such to help save a bit. But yep, shopping is a bit more expensive down there.

As for stuff to do, keep in mind it's very tourism geared there. Short of bar hopping and shopping and doing the tourism attractions there's not a heck of alot to do other than enjoy where you are. My husband and I have talked often of moving there. We're just afraid that after awhile we'd wind up bored and lose sight of the reasons we enjoy it. For us it's still a magical place. Once we hit that 7 mile bridge we can feel all the stress and fast pace of life slipping away. We love mornings on a wide porch eating fresh fruits and bagels, sipping our coffee. Or going to ..... oh, shoot - I think it's called Harpoon Harry's. We had a local tell us about it quite a few years back - said it was a very reasonably priced local breakfast place, and it is. The food and atmosphere are great.

Afternoons just walking the island, drooling over the gorgeous old homes. Walking the docks feeding the tarpon, having lunch at one of the local restaurants right on the dock, watching the fish and dolphin. Trips on the glass bottom boat out to the reef. I just love the reef and sea life out there.

And there is no other place I'd rather be than Mallory Square at sunset for the sunset celebration. Everyone gathers each night for a show. The Square is opened up for street performers - dogs and cats walking a tightrope, the silver robot man, the escape artist, etc. You get a fruity mixed drink and sit on the edge of the pier and the lower the sun gets the quieter it gets there. Once the sun dips below the horizon everyone claps and cheers at once together. I love the sunset celebration.

Key West also has an awesome history, so if you've not been, take a trip to the Wreckers Museum and sit through the video and walk the museum. From the wrecking days to the island chain suceeding from the union, it's an amazing place with some incredible people.

Feel free to PM or e-m me - I'd be happy to talk to you for hours on end about Key West. As happy as we are that we left Florida, we desperately miss Key West and are just heartbroken that we can now only visit our home away from home a couple times a year. We'll be there for Pirate in Paradise and the Conch Republic Independence Celebration each year and if we can swing it we'll attend Parrotheads in Paradise as well.

[sfw1979]

Originally Posted by mrs1885

Oh jeez. We need to meet and have coffee.

Old Town Key West was my home away from home for about 5 years. Hubby and I would go down about 4 times a year for a weekend and took the kids down for a day trip several times a year. I love Old Town.

Gosh - so much to tell. Will you be at Fort Zachary Taylor? I love it there. very historic. The view from up top looking out is gorgeous. But every view from the main island is gorgeous I guess. The beach there is nice. Halloween is great at the fort for kids.

We're very into the whole wrecking history and pirate history so that's primarily what our focus is. And anything to do with Jimmy Buffett - we're huge Parrotheads.

As with any island - especially one so secluded from the mainland - everything is going to cost more as it costs extra just to get the supplies down there. I know lots of people who own the B&Bs down there do massive shopping expeditions monthly to stock up on stuff in Florida City and such to help save a bit. But yep, shopping is a bit more expensive down there.

As for stuff to do, keep in mind it's very tourism geared there. Short of bar hopping and shopping and doing the tourism attractions there's not a heck of alot to do other than enjoy where you are. My husband and I have talked often of moving there. We're just afraid that after awhile we'd wind up bored and lose sight of the reasons we enjoy it. For us it's still a magical place. Once we hit that 7 mile bridge we can feel all the stress and fast pace of life slipping away. We love mornings on a wide porch eating fresh fruits and bagels, sipping our coffee. Or going to ..... oh, shoot - I think it's called Harpoon Harry's. We had a local tell us about it quite a few years back - said it was a very reasonably priced local breakfast place, and it is. The food and atmosphere are great.

Afternoons just walking the island, drooling over the gorgeous old homes. Walking the docks feeding the tarpon, having lunch at one of the local restaurants right on the dock, watching the fish and dolphin. Trips on the glass bottom boat out to the reef. I just love the reef and sea life out there.

And there is no other place I'd rather be than Mallory Square at sunset for the sunset celebration. Everyone gathers each night for a show. The Square is opened up for street performers - dogs and cats walking a tightrope, the silver robot man, the escape artist, etc. You get a fruity mixed drink and sit on the edge of the pier and the lower the sun gets the quieter it gets there. Once the sun dips below the horizon everyone claps and cheers at once together. I love the sunset celebration.

Key West also has an awesome history, so if you've not been, take a trip to the Wreckers Museum and sit through the video and walk the museum. From the wrecking days to the island chain suceeding from the union, it's an amazing place with some incredible people.

Feel free to PM or e-m me - I'd be happy to talk to you for hours on end about Key West. As happy as we are that we left Florida, we desperately miss Key West and are just heartbroken that we can now only visit our home away from home a couple times a year. We'll be there for Pirate in Paradise and the Conch Republic Independence Celebration each year and if we can swing it we'll attend Parrotheads in Paradise as well.

WOW! Thanks for your reply. We would be stationed at NAS Key West. We really want to take advantage of the fact that after my husband retires we won't just be able to pack up and move somewhere like Key West. A lot of our military friends talk about Island Fever, referring to living in Hawaii and getting island fever after sometime there. I suppose this could happen in Key West too but it's only for 3 years not forever and we should do it now before he retires and we settle down for good.

[to570717]

Key west ismy favorite place in the USA!!!

[BeenAroundTheBlock]

Beaches, what beaches? There is that one tiny little beach in a state park as I recall. I was really shocked when I went to Key West for vacation that there were no beaches surrounding the town. You really have to get in the car and travel back up.

[macguy]

Originally Posted by sfw1979

Hello everyone! I love this board..tons of info!

My family (myself, husband and 2 kids) are planning on moving ot Key West in 2 years. We would already have a good job and housing lined up ( my husband is Navy) so for anyone who lives there can you tell me a little more about it? I've been there once on vacation several years ago.
I have read that everything is spendy!! And with the base and commisary that is fine, we would shop there most of the time.
Are there good beaches there? etc..

Thanks for any replies!

It gets old REAL quick. My sister-in-law has a house there and as much as she loves it never spends more the a few months at a time there. She is there now and has already called like three times to see if we are going to drive down and hang out for a while. Not me, I can't take it for more the a couple of days of Kew West. Living there full time would be like a prison sentence, I don't see how the locals do it other then through a lot of drug and alcohol abuse. You would be hard pressed to find a local that is not an alcoholic. You asked.

[mrs1885]

There's a beach at Fort Zachary Taylor. There's a few little beach strips around the other side of the island. Other than that, yes, you'd need to go back to another island. But heck, a 20 minute drive and you're there. It's not like it's a big deal if you compare that to other 'beach communities'.

As for the state park - if it's the one I think you're talking of - Bahia Honda is gorgeous. Consistently rated in the top 10 beaches in the country. My friend got married there. Wonderful wondferful place!

If you are really set for beach time there and Fort Zachary Taylor doesn't do it for you, talk to some people and see where the closest nice beach is. Bahia Honda I think is like 45 minutes from the main island. I personally loved the beach at FZT. It's got little camp grills and everything there. When we go, that's the beach we go to.

[mrs1885]

Originally Posted by macguy

It gets old REAL quick. My sister-in-law has a house there and as much as she loves it never spends more the a few months at a time there. She is there now and has already called like three times to see if we are going to drive down and hang out for a while. Not me, I can't take it for more the a couple of days of Kew West. Living there full time would be like a prison sentence, I don't see how the locals do it other then through a lot of drug and alcohol abuse. You would be hard pressed to find a local that is not an alcoholic. You asked.

I know alot of the locals after years of going down. And not everyone there is a drug user or an alcoholic. I've found them to be - for the most part - very friendly and out-going. That was quite the little blanket statement, now wasn't it?

To live there full-time you really do need that mentality though. I love that life-style. I could happily spend the rest of my life in a bathing suit and flip flops watching the sun come up and go down everyday with nothing else in between.

I grew up on an island too and loved it. I have the most wonderful memories of my childhood. I'd love to have it again. I could easily spend all my days on a beach doing nothing but reading a book. It's just personal preference like everything else.

[macguy]

Originally Posted by mrs1885

Oh jeez. We need to meet and have coffee.

Old Town Key West was my home away from home for about 5 years. Hubby and I would go down about 4 times a year for a weekend and took the kids down for a day trip several times a year. I love Old Town.

Gosh - so much to tell. Will you be at Fort Zachary Taylor? I love it there. very historic. The view from up top looking out is gorgeous. But every view from the main island is gorgeous I guess. The beach there is nice. Halloween is great at the fort for kids.

We're very into the whole wrecking history and pirate history so that's primarily what our focus is. And anything to do with Jimmy Buffett - we're huge Parrotheads.

As with any island - especially one so secluded from the mainland - everything is going to cost more as it costs extra just to get the supplies down there. I know lots of people who own the B&Bs down there do massive shopping expeditions monthly to stock up on stuff in Florida City and such to help save a bit. But yep, shopping is a bit more expensive down there.

As for stuff to do, keep in mind it's very tourism geared there. Short of bar hopping and shopping and doing the tourism attractions there's not a heck of alot to do other than enjoy where you are. My husband and I have talked often of moving there. We're just afraid that after awhile we'd wind up bored and lose sight of the reasons we enjoy it. For us it's still a magical place. Once we hit that 7 mile bridge we can feel all the stress and fast pace of life slipping away. We love mornings on a wide porch eating fresh fruits and bagels, sipping our coffee. Or going to ..... oh, shoot - I think it's called Harpoon Harry's. We had a local tell us about it quite a few years back - said it was a very reasonably priced local breakfast place, and it is. The food and atmosphere are great.

Afternoons just walking the island, drooling over the gorgeous old homes. Walking the docks feeding the tarpon, having lunch at one of the local restaurants right on the dock, watching the fish and dolphin. Trips on the glass bottom boat out to the reef. I just love the reef and sea life out there.

And there is no other place I'd rather be than Mallory Square at sunset for the sunset celebration. Everyone gathers each night for a show. The Square is opened up for street performers - dogs and cats walking a tightrope, the silver robot man, the escape artist, etc. You get a fruity mixed drink and sit on the edge of the pier and the lower the sun gets the quieter it gets there. Once the sun dips below the horizon everyone claps and cheers at once together. I love the sunset celebration.

Key West also has an awesome history, so if you've not been, take a trip to the Wreckers Museum and sit through the video and walk the museum. From the wrecking days to the island chain suceeding from the union, it's an amazing place with some incredible people.

Feel free to PM or e-m me - I'd be happy to talk to you for hours on end about Key West. As happy as we are that we left Florida, we desperately miss Key West and are just heartbroken that we can now only visit our home away from home a couple times a year. We'll be there for Pirate in Paradise and the Conch Republic Independence Celebration each year and if we can swing it we'll attend Parrotheads in Paradise as well.

Just out of curiosity, could you take a seven day a week diet of that, week after week? Big difference between a weekend escape and living there. I won't criticize you if you say yes, I am really curious whether you can separate the two if you actually think about it.

[mrs1885]

Oh absolutely. I'm not an active person - never have been. My idea of heaven is laying on a beach reading a book. I don't drink. I don't like masses of people. I don't like shopping. I just like spending my days doing nothing. It's what my entire life consisted of until I was 18 - that and school.

Like I said - it's a personal preference thing. My husband says all the time he wants to move to a deserted island - just he and I. He'd never make it. He just retired from law enforcement a year ago and he's going stir crazy. He's a workaholic that always has to be doing something.

We're proof that opposites attract!