Key West #2 – Old Town

Key West Old Town is a gorgeous historic district in Florida. I loved Key West the first time I came there, and this time I was here to explore the place more deeply. Even though it was spring break and people were drunk by 12pm, I was very serious with my camera, notebook and guide book. Here what I liked the most in Old Town…

The incredible houses

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Octagon House, built in 1897. Calvin Klein lived there for a while!

Maison remarquable Key West - Floride - Pelican Poop Shop

Casa Antigua, built in 1919, used to be a hotel, where Hemingway stayed for his first visit in Key West. Below is the garden in a courtyard… Fancy.

Maison remarquable Key West - Floride - Pelican Poop Shop - garden Maison remarquable Key West - Floride Cypress House

Cypress House, built in 1887, which is in a typical Bahamas style house

SONY DSC Curry House Inn - Key West - Floride

This crazy wedding cake is the Curry House, built at the end of the 19th by a billionaire. It’s now a luxurious inn, but it’s possible to visit the house, where the landlords still live! It’s a little bit messy and spooky, and the family has many personal stuff all around: pictures, instruments, boardgames… But it gives a really nice shot at a mansion interior.

Audubon House, my favorite house

I LOVED this place, because:

(1) it’s a gorgeous house built in 1840, and furnished with style
(2) there’s an exhibit of Audubon lithographies – and I eventually learnt who this guy was (I saw his name in many US cities, never knew what or who it was referring to). Anyway, Audubon was a naturalist who drew all the birds in America, and made a book out of it. It’s so incredible that you would think he invented the birds.
(3) the tropical garden, very fancy and wild. I saw many butterflies there, but also, pineapples growing in the natural habitat: it was a first for me.

Audubon House - Key West - Floride

Audubon House - Key West - Floride - ananas

Hello there!

The Little White House of Key West

The little White House do refer to the biggest one in Washington DC. Truman (the president of the US between 1945 and 53) lived there for his summer vacation – 10 days, no more. Obviously, it’s said all over the place that there were “work-vacation”, but I definitely saw pictures of him fishing on a boat.

Little White House of Key West - Floride

Mallory square

This is the most touristic place of Old Town, not super pretty, except for the view of the Gulf of Mexico and some museums.

Le golfe du Mexique - Key West - Mallory square - Floride Key West Aquarium - Floride Key West Museum of Art and History - Key West - Floride

Duval Street

Duval Street is the most famous street of Key West. It’s a little bit trashy – a floridian version of New Orleans Bourbon Street, because there are many bars to hang out, and cheap shops. But there are also very fine buildings! Like this theater, which is now… a pharmacy.

Strand - Key West - FlorideSt Paul's Episcopal - Key West - Floride

St Paul Church, so white that it hurt my eyes

Cuban influence

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Mathilde

Mathilde

Rédactrice, grande organisatrice et réseau socialite du Blog de Mathilde. Quand je ne suis pas devant un écran, j'organise des visites guidées de Boston, là où j'ai fondé ma petite entreprise Boston le nez en l'air. Je suis aussi auteure de nombreux guides de voyages, de livres de yoga et de jeux chez des éditeurs français. Suivez-moi sur Instagram, Facebook ou Pinterest.

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