Duval Street slices across Key West from north to south, a distance of about 15 blocks, or about a mile and a quarter, or two kilometers if we are going to measure stuff in foreign.
Because this is Key West, land of the inexplicable, the north end of Duval is Lower Duval haunt of the bars and t-shirt shops, while the Southern, more laid back end is Upper Duval. The bit in the middle where the most prominent gay hang outs are, is the neutral ground I suppose, though you would find that designation on any tourist literature.
I really rather liked this sign - "Voted" by whom? ..."in the area." Really? I wonder which area that would be. "Truly a local's place" which if it were, it wouldn't need a sign. I think one reason why locals tend to despise visitors is thanks to the lead we get from our tourist affiliated enterprises. BS laid out to snare visitors just looks bad.
Anyway, as I was saying, Upper Duval seems to be getting busier and more interesting at the moment. There has always been a certain level of resentment that cruise ship business is directed at Lower Duval at the expense of enterprises down here but somehow this shortcoming is being turned to advantage. I'm not a shopper but Upper Duval has quality restaurants, decent shops, souvenir stores for sure but selling stuff that looks a cut above for the most part. There is the island's best ice cream at Flamingo Crossing and a civilized wine bar at Grand Vin where cigars are also fro sale for those that smoke them. I enjoy walking these blocks.
This used to ab an island institution called Valladares, and in the pre-Internet era made a living selling mainland news to visitors who wanted their New York Times and so forth. Now it has been occupied by knick knacks under new management. 
Change is good, though one has to wonder about that platitude sometimes.
Duval Street was named for the first governor of the new Territory of Florida appointed to the post in 1822 by President Monroe. Key West was incorporated as the seat of Monroe County in 1828 and in those days Monroe was a huge expanse of wilderness across the southern half of this uninhabitable state. William P Duval was a native of Virginia where he inherited a plantation and gave his fortune to charities which it is said ended up impoverishing him.
I am rather fond of Governor Duval who was repeatedly told by his autocratic father he was a "good for nothing" and one day on a whim when he was sent out for a log for the fire took off and didn't come home for twenty years. Whereupon he returned to Virgina, came through the back yard of his father's home, picked up a log and walked into the house putting the log on the fire without a word other than to tell his astonished family "There's the log you sent me out for." I wish I had had that wit when I returned home after 25 years away, wandering the world.
Because this is Key West, land of the inexplicable, the north end of Duval is Lower Duval haunt of the bars and t-shirt shops, while the Southern, more laid back end is Upper Duval. The bit in the middle where the most prominent gay hang outs are, is the neutral ground I suppose, though you would find that designation on any tourist literature.I really rather liked this sign - "Voted" by whom? ..."in the area." Really? I wonder which area that would be. "Truly a local's place" which if it were, it wouldn't need a sign. I think one reason why locals tend to despise visitors is thanks to the lead we get from our tourist affiliated enterprises. BS laid out to snare visitors just looks bad.Anyway, as I was saying, Upper Duval seems to be getting busier and more interesting at the moment. There has always been a certain level of resentment that cruise ship business is directed at Lower Duval at the expense of enterprises down here but somehow this shortcoming is being turned to advantage. I'm not a shopper but Upper Duval has quality restaurants, decent shops, souvenir stores for sure but selling stuff that looks a cut above for the most part. There is the island's best ice cream at Flamingo Crossing and a civilized wine bar at Grand Vin where cigars are also fro sale for those that smoke them. I enjoy walking these blocks.This used to ab an island institution called Valladares, and in the pre-Internet era made a living selling mainland news to visitors who wanted their New York Times and so forth. Now it has been occupied by knick knacks under new management. Change is good, though one has to wonder about that platitude sometimes.Duval Street was named for the first governor of the new Territory of Florida appointed to the post in 1822 by President Monroe. Key West was incorporated as the seat of Monroe County in 1828 and in those days Monroe was a huge expanse of wilderness across the southern half of this uninhabitable state. William P Duval was a native of Virginia where he inherited a plantation and gave his fortune to charities which it is said ended up impoverishing him.
I am rather fond of Governor Duval who was repeatedly told by his autocratic father he was a "good for nothing" and one day on a whim when he was sent out for a log for the fire took off and didn't come home for twenty years. Whereupon he returned to Virgina, came through the back yard of his father's home, picked up a log and walked into the house putting the log on the fire without a word other than to tell his astonished family "There's the log you sent me out for." I wish I had had that wit when I returned home after 25 years away, wandering the world. 
1 comment:
Its good to see something in the vacant Valladores store, but I still miss having a bookstore/newsstand in the city. I also miss Blue Heron which was in the middle bits of Duval. Your blog allows me a bit of a mid-morning mind-wander in one of my favorite places!
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