San Carlos Institute

June 4, 2011 | Filed under Duval Street Buildings Worth Noting

It’s right there in front of you every time you walk down Duval Street in the 500 block but if you’re like me you probably never knew what is was. There it is at 516 Duval, an imposing, beautiful historic building with a Spanish facade lovingly restored. It houses the San Carlos Institute, which is a Cuban cultural center that’s been at this location since 1890. José Martí spoke there. The organization itself began in the 1870s but later moved to Duval Street, where a collection of donors and government funding keep the old building in tip top shape.

The San Carlos Institute, according to its website, was an all encompassing center for Cuban expats in Key West. Initially formed by supporters of Cuba’s freedom from Spain, it quickly became a center for bilingual education…one of the first in the country, in fact. Integrated long before almost any other school in the United States, it wasn’t just for children of Cuban expats. Children of all races could attend the San Carlos Institute.

Money to keep the Institute and the school going came mainly from Cuba during the early days, but of course that changed with Fidel’s takeover in 1959. By 1973 they couldn’t keep things going and closed the school. It sat in disrepair for almost twenty years. In 1981 a chunk of the building fell on a tourist and people wanted to tear it down.

A Miami attorney named Rafael A. Peñalver, Jr. was pretty much solely responsible starting a movement to save the building (and the San Carlos Institute). He put in millions of dollars of his own and the building reopened in 1992. Now you can attend concerts, Songwriters’ Festival and other events in their 360-seat theater.

Walgreens, Formerly Known as The Strand

September 7, 2010 | Filed under Duval Street Buildings Worth Noting Duval Street Shopping

Best Walgreens in the USA

Duval Street has changed a lot over the decades, and however you may look at it, one thing stands out: Duval Street is home to the most awesome Walgreens ever. Seriously, we challenge you to find a grander, more colorful Walgreens anywhere around the country, and betcha you won’t find many housed in a former theater. Yes, The Strand was once a movie theater that sat over 800 people.

Like most small town, old-timey movie houses, The Strand couldn’t stay in business and lost out to the larger movie plexes. Unlike most old movie houses, however, this one has been kept up and maintained. We are lucky that the current tenant, Walgreens, chose to restore the paint job and keep the figurines on the outside of the building.

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Duval Street Restaurants

March 11, 2010 | Filed under Duval Street Restaurants

Where’s the best place to go for seafood? Anyone who works on Duval Street has no doubt been asked this question dozens of times. Key West is full of fishermen and women, charter fishing boats, commercial fishing enterprises, lobster trappers, and fresh fish every where you look. Just stroll the docks at Historic Seaport when the charter fishing boats come in, you’ll see the mates busy filetting up the fish, or snapping pictures of fish with proud anglers.

But which Duval Street restaurants serve up the freshest seafood at the best prices with the best service? That’s an ongoing debate, and differs according to your needs, but some places have great reputations and others don’t. If you’re willing to pay a bit more, you’ll get better service, and that can make a world of difference, especially at Duval Street restaurants where service can be the worst thing about your meal if you’re not careful. In a town known for expensive real estate and hard drinking, good help is hard to find. You may want to shell out a bit more dough just to have a pleasant dining experience because it’s probably going to be worth it.

Duval Street Hotels

March 11, 2010 | Filed under Duval Street Hotels

Staying on Duval Street while on vacation in Key West can be the greatest thing ever, or it can be a huge mistake. It all depends on what your vacation is all about and how much money you have. And of course which hotel you choose. Duval Street hotels range from the sketchy accommodations with weekly rates and gruff managers, to the posh historical oases of calm and quiet on an otherwise busy street that sizzles with energy day and night.

Duval Street is the center of shopping, restaurants, bars, festivals, and almost everything that’s exciting and fun and doesn’t involve being on a boat or in the ocean. Staying in a hotel on Duval Street will put you within walking distance to just about everything you want to do, including boarding boats for water sports, tours, and excursions.

You will be able to park your car if you drove to Key West, which is something you’ll be thankful to do, once you’ve driven here from Miami or Fort Lauderdale. Key West is a small island, and the less driving you do, the better. This makes the Duval Street hotels very attractive to the average visitor.

There’s only one drawback to staying on Duval Street, and that’s if you end up in a hotel that’s too small or badly designed to isolate you from the noise at night. Luckily, this is not much of a problem in most cases. Many of the Duval Street hotels are small, but they’re clever: they put the rooms in the back so guests can sleep peacefully no matter what craziness is occurring out on the street. Just ask about where the room is located before booking a room and you’ll have a great vacation staying on Duval Street.

Why We Love Duval Street

March 10, 2010 | Filed under Duval Street

Key West is a small island city with a very diverse population. While certainly a wealthy community, there are also plenty of regular folk just trying to make a living in Paradise. While there are lots of snowbirds here in winter, making the average age tilt toward the retirement generation, there’ s a vibrant youthful energy on Duval Street, with kids, twenty-somethings, rockers, skaters, and even a small underworld that’s kept closely in check by our friendly Key West Police department.

In short, Duval Street is a microcosm of a larger city, with many of the elements found only in larger metropolitan areas without the pitfalls that come with urbanization… like major crime and stress. This is the start of a long list of reasons why we love Duval Street!

Stay with us and we’ll take you on a photo-video journey up and down Duval, from Key West’s South Beach to Mallory Square. In addition to streetlife on Duval, you can check out bars, hotels, restaurants, shopping, and festivals. It’s all here on one crazy street called Duval.

Duval Street Bars

March 9, 2010 | Filed under Duval Street Bars

From one end of Duval to the other, you’ll find bars to fit every personality and every mood. From the anything goes joint to the elegant piano bar, Duval Street bars cover the gamut of entertainment and nightlife in Key West. There are more bars on this street than anything else it seems, which you and your friends or family can bar hop all day long and never visit the same bar twice.

We even have a term for this action, the ability to visit so many bars on one street, from one end to the other…it’s called the Duval Crawl. You can party it up, jump from bar to bar, and never ever step foot in a car. It’s all done on foot, safely thank goodness. You can hop, jump, or crawl between such a diverse set of bars you’ll feel like you’re at the Epcot Center of bars…a new flavor every few steps.

Go from a old honky tonk three level bar that’s steeped in historical charm, booze, and night after night of rowdy live entertainment to a swank patio bar with Sunday tea dances and gourmet bar food. That would be The Bull & Whistle and La Te Da, located at opposite ends of Duval Street. And there’s a whole lot more in between, with so many Duval Street bars you can’t throw a stick without hitting one!

Duval Street Shopping

March 8, 2010 | Filed under Duval Street Shopping

What’s a trip to Key West without a little bit of Duval Street shopping? Here on the main drag you can find beads, baubles, and bodacious gifts as well as unique items, boutique buys and artists’ renditions of everything Key West, form the Southernmost Point to your favorite Key West hotel. Buy a cigar and puff up and down Duval as you take in the scene, watch the world go by, or just soak up the sun and good vibes.

There’s a version of Duval Street shopping for everyone: man woman or child. Buy a gorgeous bikini that nobody else back home will own. Or collect a flavorful range of “Cuban” cigars to impress your buddies back home. Get some amazing bling jewelry at discount prices or just get a postcard. Duval Street shopping doesn’t have to ruin your budget!

Good news is, there are fewer and fewer tacky t-shirt shops these days, and more interesting boutiques and galleries than ever. And talk about unique storefront ideas: there’s a towel store, a flip-flop store, a hammock store and a store for all things Cuban. There’s a pricey designer clothing store, a swimsuit store, and a store for all things Jimmy Buffet. Some peoples’ idea of Duval Street shopping is to just window shop, and that’s OK too, since it can be pretty entertaining. There are some creative store owners in this town, and if you walk up and down Duval, you’ll see the evidence everywhere.

Beaches Near Duval Street

March 7, 2010 | Filed under Beaches Near Duval Street

We all know and love Duval Street for its nightlife, dining, shopping, and center of activity of Key West. But did you know there are also some beaches near Duval Street within walking distance? If you’re staying in a Duval Street hotel, you don’t have to get in a car to enjoy the beach in Key West. So grab your towel, your sunscreen, and a hat and some walking shoes, and let’s hit the beach!

First, there’s South Beach, not to be confused with the one in Miami. As the name implies, South Beach is on the south side of Key West and totally within walking distance from Duval Street. In fact, it kind of is on Duval Street.

Next, we have a beach at the other end of Duval, sandwiched between two of the major luxury hotels. It’s small, but it’s free and open to the public. And of course it’s totally within walking distance of Duval.

And then we have the beach at Fort Taylor State Park, which is one of the nicest beaches near Duval Street. It’s just a teensy bit further to walk, but well worth the trek.

For more info on these and other beaches near Duval Street, read our in-depth pages on the individual beaches, and then go out and try them all!

Duval Street Festivals

March 6, 2010 | Filed under Duval Street Festivals

Of all the Duval Street festivals, the one that stands out among the rest, like a shining star that cuts through the haze of a foggy night, is the one and only Fantasy Fest. This is a week long festival during the last week of October, that involves theme parties every night, incredible costumes, and a festive environment that makes even the most reclusive introvert want to don feathers and dance in the streets.

But we’re here to celebrate the dozens and dozens of other Duval Street festivals that occur all year long, making Key West one of the best vacation destinations in the country if street celebrations is your bag other then your Florida villa holidays. Some celebrate Key West history, like the Civil War days at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park. Or Conch Republic Days each Spring, celebrating the Florida Keys’ secession from the USA in the early 1980s.

Some Duval Street festivals celebrate art, which of course comes in many forms. There are true art festivals where local artists show their paintings, and what not in the street. Then there are things like Bike Week, which celebrate motorcycle art, among other things.

There are Duval Street festivals that celebrate lifestyles, like Woman Fest, which takes place each Fall. Key West has a proud tradition of welcoming all lifestyles, and the environment of tolerance and togetherness is part of what makes the Southernmost City such a great place to live or visit.

Check out out Festival Calendar to see what’s going on during your Key West vacation. Join the fun when you get here for a real Key West experience!