It was all change in Key West in 2015. The biggest story of 2015 (officially, according to a Florida wide poll) was Florida gay weddings - the very first of which were conducted right here in Key West. Just after midnight on January 7 2015 (as soon as it had become legal in Florida) on the steps of the county courthouse in Key West. Watched by a good sized crowd who wanted to be part of history being made.
Keeping with gay, later in the year on 29 May 2015 a "gay" (i.e. rainbow) crosswalk was installed (painted on the road) in the gay block (Petronia Street) of Duval Street. I think this is a most excellent idea and as I believe they are permanent, I look forward to seeing them when I visit later in the year. They gained lots of international media coverage.
Now to the major themes running throughout the whole of 2015 in Key West. According to my radar, in order of strength of signal, I would say they were:
1. Key West is going to the dogs. Typified by talk like: "Woe is me, Key West is getting busier, very noticeably this year, especially with all the tour buses arriving for the day. Key West isn't what it was, the homeless have taken over..." etc etc
2. Tree commission is out of control and literally killing Key West's natural heritage
3. More new building development hits Key West. In particular inappropriate construction approved in Old Town.
Key West is going to the dogs
Here's an example, from the Citizen's Voice section of the local newspaper, to illustrate ALL THREE points above:
Citizen's Voice August 4, 2015
and another...
“What is happening to Key West? Duval Street is turning into an outlet mall street. The restaurants are a bunch of chains. I started coming to Key West 35 years ago and I think there are better islands to have fun and spend my hard earned buck!”
Citizen's Voice Jan 23 2016
A third typical example:
if we did not widen the channel have not been borne out. Those passengers throng our streets nearly every day.
What can be done to alter this trajectory into an historic town of expensive hotels and restaurants where eventually high-end tourists will not want to come because of the congestion and tawdry offerings of our downtown area? In short, how do we head off becoming “over”?
Tree commission out of control
The argument here is strong, in my view. There does not seem to be enough oversight on the tree commission. It's a critical decision because it takes generations for these trees to grow yet only minutes to approve a decision to chop them down.
This matter is close to my heart having written a lot in this blog about how wonderful Key West's trees and flowers are.
If you don't know, the case is this: the Royal Poinciana is a large, beautiful tree with amazing red flowers. But when the flowers fade and drop they cause a heck of a mess and smell. A small price to pay, I would have said, to have such an amazing tree on your property. They are protected but property owners can apply to the Tree Commission to have them cut down. This is not a small isolated, incident: shockingly, in the year to June 2015, 32 have been destroyed.
It's not just Royal Poinciana's:
And another, from the Citizen's Voice, early jan 2016
In terms of a large scale development project that will leave a massive impression, on 17 December 2015, the Truman Waterfront development kicked off with the groundbreaking ceremony.
This is a project 15 years in the planning which will cost $19m and transform the Truman Waterfront. In 2015, Jimmy Buffett suggested performing space should be added to the plans. There were concerns that the homeless would (ab)use the restroom facilities, and debates as to whether it needed a water feature.
To be honest, I would have preferred them to leave it exactly as it was as I walk down there and it's lovely and quiet. Not for long.
Personally
On a personal note, I liked the TGI Fridays in Key West and so its a shame it's closed.
Joe Walsh, who owns 6 other restaurants in Old Town including Mangoes, closed TGI Friday's - the Key West outpost of this franchised chain. Now closed, it was in the Overseas Market on North Roosevelt Boulevard. It was apparently over a disagreement on how to spend the advertising budget.
BurgerFi and Johnny Rockets - both burger restaurants - closed on Duval Street.
Let's see what changes to our beautiful island are in store during 2016.
If you like change, here's some more!
2014 Key West changes
2013 Key West changes
2012 Key West changes
source Key West vacation and visitor guide http://ift.tt/1OnkQyQ
