Business Opportunity in Key West: Smallest Bar, Guest House & Restaurant

We’ve all heard the mantra, “Quit your job and move to Key West,” but here’s a chance to do it AND still earn a living. This is a rare opportunity to own a business right on the world famous Duval Street! The Smallest Bar in Key West is for sale!

This highly-profitable business has a proven track record of more than 14 years and includes a 6-room guesthouse (Old Customs House Inn) and 33-seat full-service café – ALL ON DUVAL STREET! Included in the purchase is the lease of a non-transferable 5-COP license with a highly favorable new 10-year lease in place. A 5-COP license is a full-service liquor license valued at $400,000 to $500,000. There are a limited number of these licenses available in Key West. This is a sale of the business only, not the real estate.

Smallest Bar in Key West, located at 124 Duval Street in Key West

Full-Service Cafe Entrance at 124 Duval Street

Old Customs House Inn has 6 charming guest rooms and suites on Duval Street

At 72-square-feet – about  the size of a jail cell – The Smallest Bar is decidedly upbeat and tropical. Right in the 100 block of Duval Street, it's been a famous hot spot for years and is officially the smallest bar in Key West, Florida. A search of YouTube finds that tourists love this place! According to the website: “The drinks are inexpensive, the guests are having a blast and you just won't want to leave!" Trip Advisor ranks it #12 of nightlife spots in all of Key West.

Old Customs House Inn guest suite balcony on Duval Street

The Old Customs House Inn features quaint, clean and private rooms with a Key West tropical feel. Six units in all, either Suites with two queen-size beds or Studios with one. All rooms include a private entrance, private bath, wicker sitting area with cable TV and beautiful Key West island décor, local telephone, air conditioning, ceiling fans, efficiency kitchenettes with refrigerator and microwave. Some of the unique features of the rooms are handcrafted beds made of original Dade County Pine, Saltillo tiled baths, antique claw foot tubs and hardwood floors.

Clean, quaint, sunny suites with sitting room and kitchen

Private bathrooms with Saltillo tile from Mexico

Outdoor staircase to upstairs guest rooms

Jungle-themed outdoor cafe tucked just off bustling Duval Street

The jungle-themed café is open-air and breezy. The perfect stop for a quick lunch or a delicious dinner. Wooden tables and chairs seat 33.

You get three-for-one with this amazing business opportunity at only $995,000. View the MLS listing for 124 Duval Street here.

Now is a great time to invest in Key West! Contact me at 305-304-1708 for more information about this or other commercial or residential business or real estate opportunities in Key West! Or visit my website to browse for yourself.

It's the Most Wonderful (Crazy?) Time of the Year!

It's one of the craziest times of the year here in Key West! We’re smack dab in the middle of Fantasy Fest, a 10-day celebration of everything weird, wacky, spooky, imaginative, entertaining and a little indecent.

Bahama Village Goombay Festival

The Fest started last weekend with Goombay, an exuberant street party that showcases island arts and crafts, music and food in the heart of Key West’s historic Bahama Village neighborhood.

On Sunday, the streets came alive – er, dead – during the Zombie Bike Ride, a local’s favorite that drew more than 7,000 painted and costumed Zombies riding bikes from Stock Island to Duval Street. In only its fourth year, the ride has grown from a couple hundred participants to this year’s peak.

Zombie Bike Ride

Throughout the week, tourists and locals alike can participate in activities and costume parties on Duval Street and beyond. Color themes have dominated recently, i.e. Rhapsody Blue Party, Finnegan's Wake Green Party, Capt. Tony's Party in Plaid, Fogarty’s Red Night and Fat Tuesday’s Pink Party. Another favorite is Tutu Tuesday, where entry is allowed only to those wearing the traditional – or not so traditional – ballet skirt.

Tutu Tuesday

Toga Party

Other highlights range from traditional to kinky and everywhere in between. It’s all up to you! Some to check out: Heroes and Villains 5K run, Decorated Bra Auction benefitting Womankind, Headdress Ball, Pet Masquerade & Parade, Redneck Party, Homemade Bikini Contest, Wet T-shirt Contest, Glow Party, Toga Party, Pajama & Lingerie Party, Leather and Lace Party, Fetish & Fantasy Party, Pirate Bash, Pimp & Ho Party and the Living Art Airbrush Expo.

Friday’s big event is the Masquerade March where costumed adults and families parade through Old Town with stops at local guesthouses for libations. The week culminates with a street fair on Duval Street and Saturday night’s Captain Morgan Fantasy Fest Parade where 70,000 exuberant partygoers watch as hundreds of glittering floats roll down Duval Street. For a full schedule of events, click here.

It’s not always this crazy in Key West, but one thing’s for sure. There’s always something happening on our little island worth talking about. Come for a visit or stay for a lifetime.

If you're looking for a Key West home, contact me at 305-304-1708 or email nexxthome@yahoo.com. You can also browse Keys homes for sale at www.KeyWestListings.com.

Happy Fantasy Fest!

Santa Clara Condo in Key West is Truly Affordable

It's not often I get to write about a truly affordable property in Key West, so I'm excited to share with you this unit in the Santa Clara condominium complex located at 3312 Northside Drive. It’s priced at just $219,900 for a two bedroom/one bath unit measuring 856 square feet.

Unit #313 is no doubt one of the finest Santa Clara units on the market today, with very recently upgraded granite countertops, cabinets, tile, carpet, impact glass windows and sliding doors and storm shutters. You will absolutely love the pool and tennis court view from the third floor balcony!

Balcony view of tennis courts and pool!

Santa Clara is a pet-free complex with an extra large parking lot, 50-foot heated pool, two tennis courts and gated security entrance and lobby. Built in 1980, this solid concrete structure has seven floors serviced by two elevators with a laundry facility on each floor. In 2008, the building underwent a total facelift, including exterior and interior paint and new balconies and sliding doors on most units (including Unit #313). Condos in the complex range from efficiencies to three bedroom/two bath units. 

Santa Clara is in an outstanding location in New Town Key West, just behind the Searstown Shopping Center, Publix supermarket and the Regal Cinemas movie theater. I love this condo complex because it is so versatile. Perfect as a starter home for a young couple or family, a great retirement home, a rental income or an investment property.

Aerial view of Santa Clara Condominium Complex.
Large parking lot, gorgeous pool and two tennis courts.

Santa Clara is located in New Town Key West,
near shopping, restaurants and transportation

Condo fees for Unit #313 are just $580 per month and include cable, trash removal, building exterior maintenance, common area maintenance, pool maintenance and building insurance. Your only bills will be electricity, water and homeowners insurance!

There are currently three other units for sale at Santa Clara. Give me a call at 305-304-1708 to schedule an appointment to view the units and the complex. Unit #313 is vacant and easy to show.

Now is a great time to invest in Key West, and at this price, how can you not?

Santa Clara building with balconies overlooking the pool and tennis courts in New Town Key West.

Private, relaxing, beautiful pool area

Look-through kitchen and bar in Unit #313

View more listings and search properties at KeyWestListings.com.

"Little Hemingway House:" One-of-a-Kind Property in Key West

I'm excited to share with you one of Key West's most unique properties: 713 Whitehead Street! This wonderful Mediterranean-style home, located in the heart of Old Town Key West, is known as “Little Hemingway House” because it was inspired by the Ernest Hemingway Home (and is located just two blocks away).

I love this location because it’s so close to everything. One block off Duval Street and just under a mile to the best beach in Key West: Fort Zachary Taylor State Park. For you history buffs, this home is located at the site of the former Samaritan Hall, an icon in Key West history.

713 Whitehead Street is located two blocks from the Hemingway Home and less than a mile from the best beach in Key West.

Janis Taylor is pictured in front of Samaritan Hall, 713 Whitehead Street, in 1961.
Photo credit: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/153517

The exterior of the home makes you feel like you’re at an elegant European villa with a beautiful, private fenced-in tropical garden and lush landscaping. Its oversized lot means there are three off-street parking spaces and room for a pool or to expand. For the practical-minded, you’ll be happy to know this home is constructed of poured concrete on an elevated foundation high out of the flood zone: built to survive a hurricane! This also makes for low insurance costs and easy maintenance.

The 2,028-square-foot interior is spacious and gracious with 10-foot ceilings, Mexican tile and lots of light. The home features three bedrooms and three bathrooms plus a commercial grade kitchen. The large master bedroom and bathroom suite has a Jacuzzi tub for four.

As an additional perk, this home is zoned for office and professional use, which gives you the flexibility to use it as a grand single family home or to convert it into a professional office or combination office and residence. Its location near the Key West courthouse would make it an excellent choice for an Attorney, but it certainly could be used by a doctor, architect or other professional, as well.

If you'd like to be the next owner of this one-of-a-kind property in Key West, please email or call me at 305-304-1708 to schedule a viewing.

Key West Welcomes Diana Nyad Home

All the world's eyes have been on Key West this week as Diana Nyad became the first person to swim from Cuba to Key West without a shark cage. Thousands lined up on Smathers Beach to see the finish of this amazing feat. Old, young, gay, straight, republican, democrat, locals, tourists: All walks of life were there to welcome Diana to Key West, waving flags and carrying signs.

Diana’s team held back the throngs of well-wishers as she stood up and walked, stumbled, walked, stumbled again, until her feet finally touched dry land. The total time: 52 hours, 54 minutes and 6 seconds.

The world embraced Diana Nyad on Monday as she completed this swim, but the citizens of Key West have been cheering her for the past four years, through sickness, weather delays, jellyfish stings, storms and all the other setbacks she has encountered. We have embraced her as a temporary citizen and part of our community for four summers. Hundreds turned up at the beach last year to welcome her home even when she didn’t complete the entire distance.

Yesterday, fans lined the streets of Key West for an impromptu parade honoring Diana, including police and fire truck escorts. Diana’s XTreme Dream team followed Diana aboard Key West’s famous Conch Tour Train. There is talk of making Diana an Honorary Conch!

Diana’s messages of never give up and you’re never too old to chase your dreams really ring true with so many of us here in the Conch Republic. It’s been an honor to have her spend her summers with us and we wish her the best in all her future endeavors. ONWARD!