2014 changes in Key West

Key West 2014

What in Key West changed for the better and what changed for the worse in 2014? Here is my annual review of Key West changes - a personal selection. If you want a comprehensive list then read the Citizen! I do this every year and you can see links to previous years' reviews at the end of this post.

The two anncouncements offering the most impact were not new or surprising and had been brewing for years:

US to normalise relations with Cuba - 90 miles from Key West
Cuba came whole lot closer to Key West in December when President Obama announced more normal relations with Cuba, including relaxing travel barriers for vacations to Cuba. Subsequently, Cuba was named the #2 top destination in the New York Times's 2015 list.

This has potential for profound impact on the closest US real estate to Cuba (e.g. Key West) and could well mean a lucrative tourist route starting between the two. Day trip to Havana, anyone?

The alternative prediction for Key West is a reduction in cruise ship traffic because they choose to stop off / divert to new, interesting, different Cuba rather than good ol' Key West (which regrettably is looking more indistinguishable from all Caribbean / sunny destinations with each passing year).

2015 changes Key West

It was all change in Key West in 2015. The biggest story of 2015 (officially, according to a Florida wide poll) was Florida gay weddings - the very first of which were conducted right here in Key West. Just after midnight on January 7 2015 (as soon as it had become legal in Florida) on the steps of the county courthouse in Key West. Watched by a good sized crowd who wanted to be part of history being made.

Keeping with gay, later in the year on 29 May 2015 a "gay" (i.e. rainbow) crosswalk was installed (painted on the road) in the gay block (Petronia Street) of Duval Street. I think this is a most excellent idea and as I believe they are permanent, I look forward to seeing them when I visit later in the year. They gained lots of international media coverage.

Now to the major themes running throughout the whole of 2015 in Key West. According to my radar, in order of strength of signal, I would say they were:

1. Key West is going to the dogs. Typified by talk like: "Woe is me, Key West is getting busier, very noticeably this year, especially with all the tour buses arriving for the day. Key West isn't what it was, the homeless have taken over..." etc etc
2.  Tree commission is out of control and literally killing Key West's natural heritage
3. More new building development hits Key West. In particular inappropriate construction approved in Old Town.

Key West changes 2013

What changed in Key West in 2013? Lots. But here are the things I noticed or wanted to comment on. West Marine has a great new store. La Ti Da, Antonias, and Pier House changed hands, as did Big Ruby's, another gay only guesthouse gone. Aqua changed hands but so far has stayed the same (good). The pizza place on Duval has closed - why?, it was great. Key West is back to being super super busy with new nationalities taking over town in certain weeks! There is a Fort Jefferson museum at the Bight. The development between the Bight and Caroline Street has started. Shopping wise: The Rum distillery has opened as has Salt on Fleming - good news, both. Old Bones antiques has a notice in the door that they are moving. Evolution has their most boring window display yet. Cuba Cuba! has dumbed down and changed its name to Funky Chicken Store or something like that - what a shame that Cuba has no allure any more as a name. Little Room is still open, against the odds - excellent! The Citizen's weather forecast stupid descriptions are now driving me mad (they are no longer funny, even if you thought them funny in the first place).

The biggest change/achievement of the year: The channel widening decision was a NO - well done sane and rational people of Key West.

Please feel free to leave a bitchy, or even constructive, comment below. What Key West change have you noticed the most?

THIS POST CONTINUES....

Long Lost Key West - The Monster and Atlantic Shores

I don't often post about a specific product but here you can wear a slice of Key West history and also look totally cool!

I saw them first in Fast Buck Freddie's, and also some locals I've seen wearing them around town.  They do several designs.

The current Long Lost Vintage Tees designs in Fast Buck Freddie's

I love the Monster one and, as you can see, I've purchased it!

Me

I got it from Evolution on Duval for $36 plus tax.  Long Lost Vintage Tees has a webstore if you want to buy one.

I've suggested to the company that they should do an Atlantic Shores t-shirt.  Ahhhh - what great memories of that place.    I did a post on Atlantic Shores way back in 2009.  The guys at Long Lost Vintage tees say they are working on it already and they will let me know if they manage to achieve it. So watch this space!  


If you have a memory about the Monster (it was before my time!) or Atlantic Stores (or have a picture of can get a good quality version of the logo!) I'd love to hear from you.

Fast Buck Freddie's

Fast Buck Freddie's is - was -  Key West's 'rather different' department store but is now closed.

It was at 500 Duval Street, next door to Margaritaville.   Open since 1976, it bills itself as a 'tropical' department store and it's one of those unique Key West things.  It's unlike any other department store I've ever been in. It's a real loss to Key West.

Outside of Fast Buck Freddie's by day - from across Duval Street

Fast Buck

Close up at the entrance of FBF

For many years in the past I thought FBF's was a bit boring.  But they seem to have put lots of effort into their design and layout inside and also have great window displays.  Or they haven't changed and I am getting old.

Here's some pictures of the store today.

Fast Buck Freddie's window display features massive flowers of Key West - here a huge paper hibiscus.  They have added educational signage about the flowers too which is a good touch.

Fast Buck stocks this selection of really cool Lost Lost T's - featuring old, now closed, establishments from Key West history.

One of the tropical departments in Fast Buck Feddie's

These are fab.  3D cushions featuring tropical plants!

Fast Buck Freddie's by night

Note added 2013: Fast Buck Freddie's closed in May 2012.  Really bad and sad news.  I write its obituary in a post here.

Key West and Flagler's Folly

I'm reading Last Train to Paradise by Les Standiford at the moment - the story of Henry Flagler - the man that gave birth to modern Miami - and his money that made the 'railroad that crossed an ocean' possible.

It's a brilliant book - I picked it up when I was visiting the Flagler Museum in Palm Beach last year (http://bit.ly/cwIi0p) the wonderful guide said it was the best book ever written on the subject.

A reminder of the facts:

1892 Flagler visited the seaside hamlet of Palm Beach: 'I have found a veritable paradise'

1894 one of worst freezes in Florida history (2010?). St.A frozen. He gets sent an orange blossom (=not frozen) from Miami (Fort Dallas as it was then known). He's sold; 3 days later Flagler's in Miami for the first time.

1898 'I would have been a rich man if it hadn't been for Florida.'

1899 Flagler 69. Proposed to 3rd wife (Mary Lily). Moves legal residence from NY to Florida (good move).

1905 The Keys, according to write of the day 'worthless, chaotic fragments of coral reef, limestone and mangrove swamps... and have been aptly called the sweepings and debris which the Creator hurled out to sea after he had finished shaping Florida.' Flagler visits Key West and tells everyone that he intends to bring the railroad to them. How? 'It's perfectly simple. All you have to do is to build one concrete arch, and then another, and pretty soon you'll find yourself in Key West.'

1908 Ever the marketer, Flagler demands a picture, from out at sea, of his new Long Key Viaduct; his signature and favourite bridge.













October 17 1906, October 11 1908, October 17 1910 Despite hurricanes on all these three dates, lives are lost but hard work goes on.

1912 Flagler arrives in Key West, to a reception of 10,000 people, on his own iron. 'We have been trying to anchor Key West to the mainland...and anchor it we have done.'

1935..... next post.

What needs to change? Knife, fork, spoon, Key West...

I was thinking just now that in our fast paced world where everything seems to change, actually, some things stay stubbornly the same.

The trend over the last 30 years has been to converge, to minimalise, to update, to modernise, to evolve, to jump to a new technology and a new way of doing things.

But then I thought of the knife, fork and spoon. They have not changed. They have not converged or minimalised. To me there seems real opportunity here. Three becomes two?

Key West's a bit like that too. Not changing.

Is that a good thing that they've not changed? have they not changed because no one can be bothered, or because it's too much trouble to change, or because they are the best solution to the problem (of how to eat, in this case). What about just giving one of them up? And which one? The fork maybe.

I think Key West hasn't changed because it's too much trouble for the kind of folks that live there. That's not too much of a bad thing.

If we did, what bit of Key West would we give up to 'minimalize' the island? Well, unlike other towns, we've only got 1 Starbucks so we can't get rid of one of those. But do we really need Faustos? Do we need both (all!) the trolley tours? Lose one of the piers (so we lose some of the cruise ships)? Do we need all the veggie restaurants or art galleries? Sloppy Joe's is just like the Hog's Breath Saloon; Antonias is like La Trattoria - do we need both?

What's the strategy?

It was fascinating to read the Option page of today's Citizen about the forthcoming vote on CityView trolley tours. Key West does not seem to have a strategy (=direction) on development and tourism.

No one seems to get that Key West's charm is in its natural,authentic state. Modern day impositions like real estate development and modernity dilute the Key West 'real thing.'

For Pete's sake, there are enough trolley tours already. Too many actually. Tourists should walk more! (You'd think all those visitors straight off the ships would want to stretch their sea legs not get right into a confined trolley tour!).

I always think one of Key West's usp's is that you can walk everywhere you need to in old town. Why more trolleys then? Madness prevails.

The battle of Fleming Street - Green Republic vs Help Yourself!

In the last few months, Fleming Street has become a battle ground between competing veggie cafes.

Today we went into both veggie restaurants on Fleming Street:

Green Republic

('be lean, be green')
just off Duval
Opened a few months
All veggie but not organic
kitchen: total separation between front of house and kitchen, cannot see good being made
design: Minimalist, high design interior, lots of open wait space inside, air conditioned
Green Republic website

Help Yourself!




('delicious, nutritious, natural food')
a few more blocks north - but not that far (Margaret Street)
Opened just before Fantasy Fest 2008 (so almost a year) - was Bubba's (but no relation)
organic
kitchen: right there by the till, watch your food being made
design: busy, carrots, experiential, wait space outside (shaded)
Help Yourself website


As you can read from the above they are quite different in style and menu (bearing in mind they are both veggie and after the same market).

Also both have set their sights on 'world veggie domination' with both having expansion plans for the future - although in both cases, Key West is currently their only outpost.

I really want both businesses to succeed, and have purchased from both this week (and there is no reason why they cannot as it's Key West after all - a diverse and busy eating out market).

But this week one of them has really annoyed me so time to get off sitting on the fence....

Green Republic

Fascinating menu
Really great 'chicken' (=i.e. veggie) nuggets
BUT... we asked on 3 different days for 'chicken' Marinara and they were out of it on every single occasion!!

I can deal with frustration in restaurants. Once. But this was 3 times!! And the third time there was no 'chicken' at all, knocking out several options.

And, worst really, the staff did not seem too bothered by the continued lack of this option.

Either have it, or remove it from the menu. It's all about expectation management!

Help Yourself!

So, unsatisfied and without purchase, we wandered up Fleming to Help Yourself!

We ordered pasta and a salad. Watched it being cooked in front of us by Charlie. Chatted to the new co-partner Annie who (is lovely and) has only been part of the partnership for a few days. Everything was fresh and delicious. It's more hectic experience (I liked at!) and the ladies are great folks, are committed to both the food and the community.

And the food was great.

End of round one: winners were....... Help Yourself!

But Green Republic will be strong competitors in the future I am sure.

My advice would be:

Green Rep: Guys...Be able to deliver what your menus says you can.

Help Yourself!: Ladies.. Slightly easier to navigate menu would be good and also have some things on the menu that are a bit naughty - remember that lots of your visitors are tourists and so don't care too much about being mega healthy.

Good luck to both!

(and, finally, how will they stand the test of time against that old timer, the Veggie Cafe?)

Here's Help Yourself's scarily good juice selection: