FL Keys (all of them)

[MapNerd]

Visited Key West today.

My take? Key West is a minor upgrade from Asheville, NC (the city proper) as we didn’t witness even a single fist fight between two grown men, we did not see any hypodermic needles laying around nor any tweaked out junkies filling the city square. Dont get me wrong though, the city square is still absolutely filled to the brim with junk, the vast majority of which is made in China. The entire island is just cheap gift shop after cheap gift shop, each located adjacent to either a strip club or bar that reeks, or on occasion a pawn shop. Then you have your run of the mill overpriced, low quality restaurants, very few with any kind of quality, thought, consideration or pride put into their product. All with substandard, awful housing and infrastructure tucked in wherever it fits for the poor service workers, who are very friendly, nice people doing the best they can while their government absolutely exploits and fails them.

@J&JD - you asked for a recommendation, mine is to skip it. Every other key is worth your time and money and has something to offer. I couldn’t find anything in an entire day of roaming Key West, but I’ve never been a fan of large crowds, bad food, cheap chachkies and an inescapable and overpowering stench of urine and liquor in the air.

 

[redbaron]

Visited Key West today.

My take? Key West is a minor upgrade from Asheville, NC (the city proper) as we didn’t witness even a single fist fight between two grown men, we did not see any hypodermic needles laying around nor any tweaked out junkies filling the city square. Dont get me wrong though, the city square is still absolutely filled to the brim with junk, the vast majority of which is made in China. The entire island is just cheap gift shop after cheap gift shop, each located adjacent to either a strip club or bar that reeks, or on occasion a pawn shop. Then you have your run of the mill overpriced, low quality restaurants, very few with any kind of quality, thought, consideration or pride put into their product. All with substandard, awful housing and infrastructure tucked in wherever it fits for the poor service workers, who are very friendly, nice people doing the best they can while their government absolutely exploits and fails them.

@J&JD - you asked for a recommendation, mine is to skip it. Every other key is worth your time and money and has something to offer. I couldn’t find anything in an entire day of roaming Key West, but I’ve never been a fan of large crowds, bad food, cheap chachkies and an inescapable and overpowering stench of urine and liquor in the air.

But did you see the "ladies" hanging out at the bar, or biking up and down the street, cat calling for you to join the show.

I had to give my homeschooling lesson on why those ladies had such deep voices.

 

[MapNerd]

But did you see the "ladies" hanging out at the bar, or biking up and down the street, cat calling for you to join the show.

I had to give my homeschooling lesson on why those ladies had such deep voices.

YES and I had to do the same. That was easily the worst part of our entire time there.

- Cheap souvenir - $20
- Overpriced, average quality dinner for 4- $160
- Explaining to your 11 year old son why those quarter dressed women standing on the street corner were so ugly - priceless.

 

[J&JD]

Visited Key West today.

My take? Key West is a minor upgrade from Asheville, NC (the city proper) as we didn’t witness even a single fist fight between two grown men, we did not see any hypodermic needles laying around nor any tweaked out junkies filling the city square. Dont get me wrong though, the city square is still absolutely filled to the brim with junk, the vast majority of which is made in China. The entire island is just cheap gift shop after cheap gift shop, each located adjacent to either a strip club or bar that reeks, or on occasion a pawn shop. Then you have your run of the mill overpriced, low quality restaurants, very few with any kind of quality, thought, consideration or pride put into their product. All with substandard, awful housing and infrastructure tucked in wherever it fits for the poor service workers, who are very friendly, nice people doing the best they can while their government absolutely exploits and fails them.

@J&JD - you asked for a recommendation, mine is to skip it. Every other key is worth your time and money and has something to offer. I couldn’t find anything in an entire day of roaming Key West, but I’ve never been a fan of large crowds, bad food, cheap chachkies and an inescapable and overpowering stench of urine and liquor in the air.

We have been to Key West before. Yikes, it must really have gone downhill. Luckily, we have reservations at Blue Water Key, bayside. It is one of my all time favorite places to just kick back and relax. Perhaps we will not want to venture into town very often. Thanks for the update. Judy D

 

[MapNerd]

There are probably nicer parts of Key West (I hope). I just couldn’t find them. Blue Water Key is wonderful. You have to work hard to not have a nice time there. If you find spots in Key West that are outside of BWK that are worth a visit, please let us know. We’re already planning a second trip back down to the keys for February-March

 

[redbaron]

The nicest part of keyless is the square maker as Southern most part of the US.

The airport is 2nd

 

[J&JD]

There are probably nicer parts of Key West (I hope). I just couldn’t find them. Blue Water Key is wonderful. You have to work hard to not have a nice time there. If you find spots in Key West that are outside of BWK that are worth a visit, please let us know. We’re already planning a second trip back down to the keys for February-March

We enjoyed the Hogfish Bar and Grill on Stock Island. Sundays they have a great low country boil. For a special occasion, Latitudes is lovely. Reserve far ahead. Judy D

 

[ArmandV]

I went to Key West three years ago, a stop during a cruise to Havana, Cuba (one of the last before the ban was re-imposed) and I found the place clean and fun. I didn't eat there, but found a place with good Margaritas, El Meson De Pepe, next do a nice cigar shop (I was running low and needed to re-load). I was planning on going back two years ago, but the pandemic messed up those plans.