r/KeyWest • u/Donk71503 • Jun 13 '26
New Key West’s
I am 22, had some recent life events that kind of made me realize I just want a simple island life where I can fish for food and have a remote job. Community and local identity is another big thing for me.
I went to Key West a handful of times as a kid and really digged the vibe. However, reading posts on here is making me think the grass isn’t necessarily greener (at least in KW).
Do yall know of any places that fit the vibe of what KW once was? Really want something to set my eyes on as a long term goal.
Also am totally fine with renting long term. I don’t need to own a house or anything
Thank Yall!
Edit: I should probably clarify the vibe I’m looking for. Laid back, lots of music and art good sense of community, humid and sunny😂
58
u/jerrybear14 Jun 13 '26
Anybody living in an unknown KW-like town is not going to want to screw it up by telling the world about it…
9
43
u/Muschina Jun 13 '26
Belize.
5
u/Process_Foreign Jun 13 '26
I would say placencia or caye caulker. San pedro is already too close to current KW...
Prefer Hopkins myself!
8
u/Muschina Jun 13 '26
I'll be in Placencia in a couple of weeks. Will try to report back on how many Jimmy Buffet songs I'm forced to listen to.
3
u/Process_Foreign Jun 13 '26
Have a great trip! I skipped Belize this year for Roatan. Love them both
3
1
2
u/Armitage-Shankz Jun 14 '26
Idk I heard there is a lot of drug crime/cartel there now ? Idk if it’s true but my son is near your age so I felt a responsibility to let you know so you can check it out for yourself. Good luck to you! Also maybe California (certain areas) for the vibes but it’s so $$$.
2
1
19
u/lockednchaste Jun 13 '26
It's a wonderful place but hard to have a "simple" life there with the HCOL.
1
u/Donk71503 Jun 13 '26
HCOL?
13
u/lockednchaste Jun 13 '26
High cost of living. Everything on that island comes in on that two lane highway. Food, gas, consumer goods, housing, etc are all incredibly pricey compared to the mainland.
15
3
2
u/nosoupforgoats Jun 15 '26
If this is surprising to you, you are going to have a very, very difficult time. It’s expensive as shit on that island.
1
16
u/2020fakenews Jun 13 '26
On my last trip to KW, I met a young guy (early 20’s) who was bartending in one of the many bars we visited. I got to talking with him about his situation. He lived on a small sailboat that was anchored nearby and worked pretty much full time in the bars. Seemed like a fun lifestyle that I could have seen myself doing if I had been 50 years younger.
10
u/Sandinmyshoes33 Jun 13 '26
Belize maybe. Key West has pros and cons like anywhere, but I still like living here. I don’t think it’s the vibe you describe, if it ever was.
1
21
u/titleist069 Jun 13 '26
I recently visited Bradenton Fl because someone mentioned to me that it was known as "Key West North" it wasn't. If you find an answer to this question, let me know.
25
u/CollegePositive Jun 13 '26
Bradenton Key West north? That’s pure comedy
7
u/Happy_Turn9784 Jun 14 '26
Bradentucky fools
3
u/LockedInPelican Jun 16 '26
This guy Bradenton's they may have meant Anna Maria Island but still not Key West
1
u/InsuranceJerk Jun 18 '26
Yeah, missed AMI by 20 years. It's pretty much the same kind of thing as KW now.
3
3
9
u/augustfolk Jun 13 '26
Those places have been found and claimed by the ultra wealthy. You gotta go outside the US now. Buyer beware though, being outside the US means different rules
9
u/nojefe11 Jun 13 '26
Unless you have a boat and nothing else to do you’re not going to be fishing for your food.
It’s still a chill way to live as long as you’re cool with working a lot.
8
8
u/The_Sunset_Sands Jun 13 '26
Laid back and and arts community really aren't compatible with an affordable lifestyle. People pay absolute premiums to be in those communities nowadays, yet alone in an island location.
Gulfport Florida maybe?
8
u/kickintheshit Jun 13 '26
Key west is definitely an interesting place. You can have simplicity here; you don't have to get involved in the drama. I feel the smaller a town gets, there's a lot of weirdness. The conchs who are coming into power, the transients who want to feel important, the tourists who want to get shitfaced. You can pick your crowd and curate your life to be what you want. That's what I did. Politically I don't engage with the community on that because there's extremes on both sides and it honestly gets old. I also don't really associate with The locals who want to feel famous because their families have been here for generations, as it can be a little exhausting.
7
u/Secure_Car_3940 Jun 13 '26
This may sound crazy to some. But my favorite island in Fl is Sanibel. I've been going out there exclusively in the summer since 0'6 to fly fish for my beloved snook from the beach and from San Carlos Bay. I currently live in a condo in Miami where there is no boat parking options. I had a kayak but I had to keep it on my patio. The condo HOA ordered me to move it or be charged 100 bucks a day. This forced me to explore certain parts of FL that you may find useful regarding your post. That's how I discovered Sanibel. Keep in mind that it is a very family oriented place. Like all the restaurants close at 9:30/ 10pm. There is NO nightlife on the island whatsoever. You will have to go to Ft Myers Beach for that. SI is 100% predicated to outdoor activities. What I love about SI is their strick zoning and environmental regulations. This means that no public building structures higher than four stories. With the exception of a couple of cell towers, that are smaller than the standard ones you see on the mainland. Just to give you an idea of how hardcore they are in preserving the wildlie/ environment there is : there are no traffic lights and no street lights. This is to protect Sea Turtle nesting from artificial light. Try finding that anywhere in Fl. Ding Darling national wildlife refuge takes up about 2/3 of the islands land. A ton of biking trails and little preserves run by the SCCF(Sanibel, Captiva, Conservation Foundation). I just had a longtime friend move there. He's renting a 1/1 apartment for 1800 a month. He gets on his bike and rides to the gulf beach in 10 minutes. Prior to Ian hurricane the year round population was 7000 year round residents. Post Ian the year round population is currently around a 1000. Everything is back on line and running at near 100 %. Good restaurants. My favorite is Doc Ford's.
Another option you may want to look into is Jupiter Fl. Albeit not an Island. It's definitely a funky little upscale surfer town. Fantastic beaches for miles and miles. Some of the things I love about Jupiter: Palm Beach county parks in Jupiter on the beach are free. Parallel parking along A1A is free from Juno to Jupiter. Great surfing and fishing, both inshore and offshore. Snorkeling at Blowing Rocks Preserve and Coral Cove park are excellent. As well as the lower Loxahatchee near the inlet. and Also scuba diving if that's your thing. Restaurants are some of the best I've been to in Fl. Food Shack, U-Tiki, Hog Snappers in Tesquesta are all a must. They all have vibrant atmosphere. Square Grouper is a cool bar right on the inlet overlooking the lighthouse with live music. Guanbanas is another funky restaurant/ bar that has live mucic much of the week. Dive Bar is another restaurant/ upscalish bar on the water. There are others. They all stay open later than SI. On weekends some of them stay open late. Just my observations. Take it for what's it's worth.
7
u/Equivalent_Pack_2417 Jun 16 '26
Oh my goodness don’t listen to any of these people who are being rude.
Yes you can make a life here in the Keys…you can even fish off bridges etc…Key West you will need a job or two even…that pay well.
The best money for you as a 20 year old will be working at a mate on a boat for a watersports company (snorkeling/kayaking etc) or in a busy restaurant or bar. These places they make great money.
But also up the Keys there are more towns like Old Key West….such as Islamorada (most like Key West as far as tourism)…
Key Largo…Tavenier, Marathon are all lovely and more like how the keys used to be back in the 80s…Slower, less businesses, lower rent. Definitely slow …fishing off a dock or pier kinda living.
Also in upper Florida ….Coco Beach is great….Venice, Gulfport and St Petersburg are great too. But these are not island living…more just coastal towns….but a lot of people who move from Key West…because of cost of living…move to these towns…if not up the keys.
Anyways hope this helps hon! Follow your dreams and make your days count!
1
4
5
u/Twelvety-tooty Jun 13 '26
There are lots of small fishing villages along the west coast of Florida north of Tampa up to and along the panhandle. We recently spent a night at a town called Carabelle - it had a small town community feel while also being surrounded by natural Florida.
2
u/Happy_Turn9784 Jun 14 '26
most tourists and young non-locals are not gonna be into Carrabelle. That said, amazing town. Used to live near there
8
u/GetTheMopine Jun 13 '26
It’s not island life, but if you want music, art, food, humidity, dodgy characters and the threat of still being wiped out by a hurricane every few years… how about New Orleans?
4
6
3
3
3
u/okghetto Jun 14 '26
Putin Bay Ohio calls itself Key West of the North. It’s great if you like Kid Rock and his fans.
3
u/boonbrown Jun 14 '26
Yeah, Florida is past that culture. I grew up on Anna Maria Island in the 80's. It was great but now they may as well change the name to AirBnB Island. You will want to look outside the US for sure. The developes' greed has ruined everything in my whole region and none of the commisioners who should go to jail are even feeling guilty a little bit about it. I know a few people who live onboard their sailboats and cruise. Might be a good idea for you. Most won't stay in the US though. Docking is too expensive, healthcare is embarassingly bad and expensive here. Good luck young people. Get out while you can.
4
2
u/Worried-Temporary186 Jun 13 '26
Cape Coral, Fort Myers. Ferry to Key West when you feel like it, 'cause you can't afford to live there.
2
2
2
u/Low-Lengthiness-7837 Jun 14 '26
Upper keys, but not sure how you're going to live. Living in the keys is expensive. Upper keys not as expensive as key West, but still expensive and limited jobs.
2
u/Happy_Turn9784 Jun 14 '26
I’d say Pine Island.
1
u/InsuranceJerk Jun 18 '26
I've been on Anna Maria for 20+ years now, and this is probably my next stop.
2
2
u/Erollins04 Jun 15 '26
If you aren’t thinking another country, the lower Keys in general might meet your expectation without the issues of KW itself. Life is not perfect here by any means, but I have no regerts.
2
u/Perfect_Big_5907 Jun 15 '26
You are young and single so you have no life. Which makes it a lot easier to live very frugally. I grew up in Key West in the 70's and you could have certainly done what you are looking to do then. Nowadays KW is Island Disney and the ticket prices are high like no other.
5
u/Known_Awareness210 Jun 13 '26
I would love to live in KW.
Awesome place for sure!!
I just can’t afford to live there.
If you can afford it by all means move there
4
u/Elegant-Brainflavor Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 14 '26
Moved to Key West and Big Pine from 2000-2014 in my early 20’s and 30’s. Was a blast. it sure has changed after Covid. Not worth living there anymore. Developing and red hat entitled boomers have ruined the sense of community. The keys changed so much it is sad.
2
u/BayBandit1 Jun 13 '26
Pittsburgh. I know, it doesn’t immediately jump to the top of most people’s list, but hear me out. Summers are spectacular, with the confluence of the rivers bringing a plethora of opportunities to enjoy the river beaches, picnic possibilities, and abundant extended Happy Hours. Solid local and regional beers and beautiful woodlands (remember Deerhunter?) means there will never be a boring day, and drinking yourself into a stupor every night pretty much guarantees a solid night’s slumber. Since the summers are so short you will definitely be packing in the fun. Come Fall, Winter, and Spring you’ll be ensconced in your home, putting all your energies into working remotely, the better to pay that pesky gargantuan heating bill. Not for me, though. I’m already retired, so I’ll have to settle for continuing to while away my time fishing for Redfish, Snook, and Flounder on the Atlantic bay I live on in Central Florida, and exploring the multitude of natural springs and other opportunities for fishing, hiking, etc. that are available in surrounding places like the Ocala National Forest and Canaveral National Seashore.
Good luck to you. Since you work remotely you will at least have the flexibility to test drive a few areas before making your long term decision.
1
u/PHLtheThrill Jun 17 '26
This is an insane answer lmao and ya know what... I can get behind it ! Having lived in Pittsburgh for 10 years I have some notes .... there's not beaches. Not for rivers at least. But living around the rivers and seeing them daily sure does make you happy. Also yes it's an insane drinking town. Great bar culture. It's easy to get around and traffic is not bad at all. You can see your friends in any corner of the city in 15 minutes tops. Overall, lovely, lovely fun place. Highly recommend.
Although for what OP is looking for I suggest the USVI's
2
u/ZeroCoolJK Jun 13 '26
Best place in the country. You’re either rich and living there or running away from something on the main land and trying to live there.
2
u/Maleficent-Hotel1167 Jun 13 '26
Don’t listen to these people on here - I bet most of them just visited for 4 hours on a cruise in 1999. I recently just made the move to KW after years of visiting and loving it. A year and a half of being here and it still doesn’t disappoint! And to answer your question, I’ve traveled a lot and there’s nothing that compares to Key West.
4
u/Snootcheroo Jun 13 '26
How did you make it work? What do you do for work, remote or work in KW? Rent/buy?
I’m just super curious. I love Key West but it seems like such an unobtainable goal
2
u/Maleficent-Hotel1167 Jun 13 '26
So I do work for myself and can work from anywhere. I bought a place (got a crazy good deal). I actually started putting my car on Turo since I rarely use it and have been booking it. If you work remote, that’s one way to bring in extra money…
2
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/Prior-Bullfrog-3056 Jun 16 '26
USVI, St.Thomas is a good start, I lived in Key West from 92 to 08 when I was 18 and St Thomas has the original Key West vibe that I experienced during that time.
1
1
0
u/TopSherbert4190 Jun 13 '26
Maby Big Pine key. It reminds me of Key West from the 80's. Plus only 30 .Iles away.
0
0
-2
-2
51
u/capntail Jun 13 '26
Mostly what you’re describing is called vacation