The Key West Effect

parrotcuda · Post by **parrotcuda** » March 1, 2008 1:55 pm

Now my wife is very grounded person.She never watches the news,and admits her whole life revolves around her family and a very few close friends.Not a day go's by she doesn't talk to them,and has never strayed too far.---------------That is till our first trip to K.W. She told me to call the kids Tell them to sell the house and everything in it and send us the money! She was pretty damn serious! Of course a lot of us Texas people begin to act like that towards the end of Winter.
Just a K.W. question for those of you who have been going a long time.How much has it changed in the last 10-20 yrs?

springparrot · Post by **springparrot** » March 1, 2008 2:11 pm

Where are you in TX?

drunkpirate66 · Post by **drunkpirate66** » March 1, 2008 2:53 pm

I lived in Key West roughly 7 years ago . . . I was just back there last week. It hasn't changed too much in appearance although Buffett's old neighborhood down off of Waddell is really built up with a big a$s hotel that seems to be expanding. It is more expensive. There are more annoying scooters. More "expert" fisherman. More homeless. But for the most part - and from what people tell me who have lived down there for more years than I have been alive - it is still pretty much the same. Music and bars and warm water and taxis that cost too much and obnoxious tourists and nice people and the military (me) and locals and sunsets and cheap beer at Pepe's and a funky little airport that is still there but not for much longer and the Green Parrot at 4AM where the shots are free (shhhh) and drag queens and cruise ships - all that stuff hasn't changed too much in a long time. The boutiques on Duval Street have to be burned down . . . IMO . . . and I hate those f'n roosters down Petronia near the Blue Heaven at Sun Rise (my old place is down there) but other than that Key West is still a quiet place that is fun to hang out in . . .

Tropic_Al · Post by **Tropic_Al** » March 1, 2008 3:00 pm

It certainly is a fun place to visit but I don't know if I could live there.

mcm · Post by **mcm** » March 1, 2008 4:27 pm

we were just down key west last week......our 1st time ever

we had a fantastic time

the roosters have to go

we heard from numerous sources at margaritaville that buffett was there last monday night (2/18).......we were there in the afternoon on monday so we missed him

i like to believe that he was there, but u never really know for sure

conched · Post by **conched** » March 1, 2008 4:39 pm

Don't know what KW was like 20 or so years ago, but I thnk it is unique to be able to drive to a place to snorkel or scuba and just generally BE in a tropical jungle paradise. Only been going about the last 10+

Nothing like that down here in Texas.

(Has anyone ever seen 92 in the Shade? Was Key West depicted accurately in that movie? Kinda wacky, crazy? I guess it still is...

)

drunkpirate66 · Post by **drunkpirate66** » March 1, 2008 5:55 pm

mcm wrote:we were just down key west last week......our 1st time ever

we had a fantastic time

the roosters have to go
we heard from numerous sources at margaritaville that buffett was there last monday night (2/18).......we were there in the afternoon on monday so we missed him

i like to believe that he was there, but u never really know for sure

word bro . . . word.

I got yelled at because I threw a full can of Coors Lights at a rooster once when I first moved down there. It was 5:45 AM. I was hungover. I missed the rooster. THe gigantic lady accross the street called me a devil monger.

inked-parrotthead · Post by **inked-parrotthead** » March 1, 2008 6:58 pm

new a guy who was stationed there way back,he didnt much like it there and said he heard Jimmy Buffett play and thought ,"this guy aint too good".I have made several trips there and would like to have seen it in the 70s or perhaps older days.I love the place and understand how important tourism is butr hate seeing new shiny buildings there,also places like the hard rock,fastfood joints,and the like,it just dosnt fit with the way I see the tiny island,but as I said I love it and will return there,its a great place to let it all hang out.

conched · Post by **conched** » March 1, 2008 7:04 pm

gotta say I just watched 92 in the Shade again. Is the setting for it actually Stock Island? Cow Key Marina is in many of the shots.

Weird movie!!!

I think I'll go watch Key West Picture Show now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUhMgpMVo3g

drunkpirate66 · Post by **drunkpirate66** » March 1, 2008 7:15 pm

conched wrote:gotta say I just watched 92 in the Shade again. Is the setting for it actually Stock Island? Cow Key Marina is in many of the shots.

Weird movie!!!

I think I'll go watch Key West Picture Show now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUhMgpMVo3g

ah Captain Tony. You and your wacky sex drive.

conched · Post by **conched** » March 1, 2008 7:19 pm

drunkpirate66 wrote:
conched wrote:gotta say I just watched 92 in the Shade again. Is the setting for it actually Stock Island? Cow Key Marina is in many of the shots.

Weird movie!!!

I think I'll go watch Key West Picture Show now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUhMgpMVo3g

ah Captain Tony. You and your wacky sex drive.

The closer you get to the equator!!!

And

it's

true!!

C-Dawg · Post by **C-Dawg** » March 1, 2008 7:19 pm

my first trip there i fell in love with the place, but kept thinking "Man, what I wouldn't give to be able to have experienced this place 50 years ago before the Tourists, the cruise ships and the developers came in"
Thinking about it, I'd settle for 30 years ago, watching a poor troubador try to make a living before building a media empire.

indymiller24 · Post by **indymiller24** » March 1, 2008 8:54 pm

C-Dawg wrote:my first trip there i fell in love with the place, but kept thinking "Man, what I wouldn't give to be able to have experienced this place 50 years ago before the Tourists, the cruise ships and the developers came in"
Thinking about it, I'd settle for 30 years ago, watching a poor troubador try to make a living before building a media empire.

I'll let you know when my time machine is up and running. It currently only is reaching a time when a yellow album was released.

I don't think that's full capacity, eh?

C-Dawg · Post by **C-Dawg** » March 1, 2008 9:03 pm

indymiller24 wrote:
C-Dawg wrote:my first trip there i fell in love with the place, but kept thinking "Man, what I wouldn't give to be able to have experienced this place 50 years ago before the Tourists, the cruise ships and the developers came in"
Thinking about it, I'd settle for 30 years ago, watching a poor troubador try to make a living before building a media empire.
I'll let you know when my time machine is up and running. It currently only is reaching a time when a yellow album was released.

I don't think that's full capacity, eh?

no, I think that's when all hell broke loose in KW.....the cruise ships came and Jimmy finally made enough money to open Margaritavilles across the land and being a PH wasn't quite so exclusive company....but you're getting there...call me when you get it sorted out....I'll be your guinea pig

KruzinParrots · Post by **KruzinParrots** » March 1, 2008 10:02 pm

We fell in love with Key West the first time we visted. We've traveled all over the country and a good bit of the world. All we can say is that there is no other place like Key West. After one day we knew one day we would live there. It just felt right!! The people are the craziest you'll meet but crazy in a good way. They are good people. They stick together and take care of each other. We to agree that to much updating isn't good for the town. Not much we can do about that. But if all goes as planned we'll be calling it home. Gotta love a town that succedes from the union and has a food fight with the US navy!! You gotta love how the people think there!!

C-Dawg · Post by **C-Dawg** » March 1, 2008 10:07 pm

KruzinParrots wrote:We fell in love with Key West the first time we visted. We've traveled all over the country and a good bit of the world. All we can say is that there is no other place like Key West. After one day we knew one day we would live there. It just felt right!! The people are the craziest you'll meet but crazy in a good way. They are good people. They stick together and take care of each other. We to agree that to much updating isn't good for the town. Not much we can do about that. But if all goes as planned we'll be calling it home. Gotta love a town that succedes from the union and has a food fight with the US navy!! You gotta love how the people think there!!

I agree.....they're my kinda people....just not sure I could afford to live there anymore.....maybe that's why I wished I could have been there 50 years ago.....before it became too costly

Longboardn' ASEL&S · Post by **Longboardn' ASEL&S** » March 1, 2008 10:29 pm

First went there in '73.
Camped at Stock Island.
No cruise ships, and Mallory square was a free-for-all for the buskers.
I could have set down a cup and played the blues harp if I so desired.

Continued to go down in the winter ever since.
There's just something about being able to hop in your car in the Motor City after work and being in Paradise for the next day's sunset.

Ten years ago our middle son was able to set down a cup and perform as an un-licensed acrobat without being ticketed.
Wouldn't get away with that today.

Tony's is the same. Green Parrot is too. Sloppy Joes is not. Might as well be owned and operated by Disney.
Jimmy's Margaritaville is of course New Key West. Not really an asset, if the old KW is what you seek.

Things change.

I traveled to Negril before they had electricity or landlines.
Next time I went back All Inclusive ruled.

Some things don't change.
On my first trip to Key West a kid in a golf cart patroled the campground to keep us noisy teens under control.
He's still there, only ownership of the place has trickled down to him.
The golf cart's battery stays charged and ready for action,
but most of his time is spent evaluating appraisals for the property so that the right offer from a developer isn't ignored.

Roosters?
I love 'em.
They don't remind me of the farm, just my winter days in Paradise.

conched · Post by **conched** » March 1, 2008 10:45 pm

Ok, got another perspective watching City Confidential--Key West--Pirates in Paradise. It's done by A&E.

A lot about Mel Fisher and diving the Atocha, but shows how Key West was back in the earlier days.

Michael McCloud does a few spots on it also and talks about "Today's The Day."

C-Dawg · Post by **C-Dawg** » March 1, 2008 11:25 pm

conched wrote:Ok, got another perspective watching City Confidential--Key West--Pirates in Paradise. It's done by A&E.

A lot about Mel Fisher and diving the Atocha, but shows how Key West was back in the earlier days.

Michael McCloud does a few spots on it also and talks about "Today's The Day."

Where you finding these movies? I'd love to watch them

sailaway82 · Post by **sailaway82** » March 2, 2008 12:02 am

Question:

My fiance is trying to talk me into Key West as a honeymoon. We have the whole caribbean to play with and being that I have done all of europe and lived in Australian I want to go to an exotic island. He is really pushing key west. His old job as a pilot he had to fly all over the island so he has been everywhere except Turks and Caicos. Should I let him have his way and honeymoon there? Are there any honeymoon-ish resorts? I saw Someting-Marina and The Reach.