Key West Ruins Everything Or Why We’re Grateful to Call Key West Home

By Christopher Hamilton

December 1 marks Mikey and my 9th anniversary of arriving to live in Key West. And for that decision we are very thankful this holiday. We left a good life in the District. Jobs we loved, family and friends developed over decades, season tickets to the Nationals and Redskins, a cute condo in a hip and thriving neighborhood near the trendy U Street Corridor, favorite café’s, an unparalleled ethnic food scene that we readily took advantage of, and a cool bikeshare and pervasive transit systems that made it easy and inexpensive to hop about town without a car. Life was good. But here we are getting ready to celebrate our 9th holiday season on the island. Key West has that kind of effect on people. It draws visitors in and makes them dream of, well, as the book says quitting your job and moving to Key West.

Which we did. And never for a moment have we regretted making the decision to uproot all we had going in D.C. and take a chance on life where we didn’t know a soul and had no work. Boy, do we love it here and consider ourselves fortunate to be residents.

Everyone who calls Key West home, and I’m including snowbirds, part-timers, and regular visitors because we love and need them all, have their own reasons to be thankful, but for us it starts with the fact that we’re urban rats and prefer a city-life where you can bike and walk to all of life’s needs. And living in Key West makes that easy. Being able to live car-free keeps life simple and more connected to our glorious surroundings. Oh, and it certainly helps us better afford the high cost of living in a sought after vacation destination.

We are grateful to live smack dab in the middle of North America’s largest historic district of wooden structures. Old Town is simply beautiful and reminds us of our old neighborhoods in D.C. and Old Town Alexandria – although those were brick. And our balcony overlooking Fleming Street provides us with ideal 12-months-a-year outdoor living while allowing us “front porch” viewing – at a distance – of a vibrant city life.

Wearing shorts and t-shirts and being able to swim, often naked, 12 months a year is an amazing plus. It keeps us healthy too as we’re more apt to get out and about. And for my friends and family up north, yes, we have changing seasons, they’re just a lot more subtle.

It’s just an easy, breezy, simple, and relaxed life. And everywhere we turn there’s the ocean, the gulf, or the seaport. Oh, and unlike in D.C., where we were often the oldest people wherever we went, now we seem to be the median age. It’s nice to live in a place that accepts us as we are. Which leads me to the main reason we are so gratified to live here. THE PEOPLE!

Maybe it’s because we’re such a small town so you get to know everyone. Wherever you go there’s a hello or a hug. Or maybe it’s because Key West attracts the best of humanity. We’re an island of misfits, and people on their second and third lives. We’re known to attract artists and creative types. And dreamers. And dropouts. And people who love to party and cut loose. And people who like to quietly paint, write or curl up with a good book. We live and let live and are willing to give anyone the benefit of the doubt or a second or third chance. We’re generous to a fault – witness there’s a fundraiser every single week of the year, and resilient in the face of obstacles. We’re just too small a community to not include everyone and that spirit is embodied in our One Human Family slogan. It’s uplifting and hopeful to live in a place with this kind of spirit and love.

So, you can have your mainland. And your mainland ways.

Walk and bike everywhere

We’ve kept the best of urban living combined it with small town

Historic district

Warm weather, wearing shorts and swimming year round

Water at every turn

Art and events

Relaxed, simple, easy breezy life

Swimming naked

THE PEOPLE, quirky, fun, live-and-let-live, caring, compassionate, people that care

Rita Troxel’s book, the characters

Third times the charm on my job – great friends from each

– fundraisers and parties and events

small town

Thankful for a place and a state of mind

But now that we live here, we get sunshine and warmth year-round. Now that we live car-free in a fun-filled little urban tropical oasis, where everything is close by and where we bike and walk everywhere, why would we want to subject ourselves to the drive-only, suburban splendor that is mainland Florida? All that motoring to get from one place to the next. All that traffic. All those people. All those endless strip malls, acres of parking and corporate retail chains. Yech.

No, now that we live in Paradise, the desire to travel to most any other place is fading. Especially places like the Florida mainland where you need a car to do everything. Yes, Key West does ruin everything. And that’s just the way we like it.

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