Streets for People / Key West Ruins Everything Or Why I’m Grateful to Call Key West Home

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 system 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 and workers on this island.

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. (Walkscore 94 and Bike Score 100) 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 of a vibrant city life below.

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

It’s an easy, breezy, simple, and relaxed life because well, we’re all on Key West time. 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. There’s always something to do and there’s always the option just to waste away.

We live and let live and are willing to give anyone the benefit of the doubt. 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 town not include everyone and that spirit is embodied in our One Human Family slogan. It’s uplifting and hopeful and fun to live in a place with this kind of spirit and love. As a result, we’re blessed with amazing co-workers and lovely friends. I’ve never witnessed and felt this kind of close-knit and connected community.

So, you can have your mainland and your mainland ways of life. As Mikey said to me a few years ago, “Key West ruins everything!” And it does. Because living anywhere else just pales in comparison and so ruins it for us. I’m just so very thankful and grateful to live here.

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Chris Hamilton is founder of the local advocacy group Friends of Car-Free Key West & Duval Street/Historic Downtown. Subscribe to the blog. Follow on Facebook and Twitter. Support ($) our local journalism here. A native of the District of Columbia, where for a couple decades+ he led nationally renowned efforts promoting transit, bike, walk and smart growth for Arlington County, VA’s DOT. Chris has lived in Key West since 2015. He lives car-free downtown and works and volunteers for a few non-profits. You can find three years’ worth of KONK Life Streets for People column articles here and here.

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