Aren’t we lucky to be in Key West?  We can maximize our enjoyment of our tropical climate by planting tropical fruit trees right in our own backyard.  Feeling the warmth of the sun and the balmy breeze year round has brought many of us here.   Let’s maximize our enjoyment with healthy fruit that we grow ourselves.  We have compiled a list of tropical fruits each with a link to the University of Florida’s IFAS Extension website with explanations on the plants and their care.  Of course, there are many other fruit trees that grow in the Keys as well, such as the Sapodilla, Key Lime and other citrus trees which are more tolerant to lower temperatures.   The trees listed below are truly tropical trees which can only survive in a tropical climate such as ours.  We invite you to add to the beauty of Key West and to your garden with a  tropical fruit tree.  To your health!

• Atemoya
• Avocado
• Banana
• Barbados Cherry
• Carambola (Star Fruit)
• Guava
• Jaboticaba
• Jackfruit
• Longan
• Loquat
• Lychee
• Mango
• Mamey Sapote
• Papaya
• Passion Fruit
• Pineapple
• Selected Eugenia Species
• Spondias
• Sugar Apple

When one thinks of Key West architecture, an image of elegant 19^th century wooden homes with gingerbread is usually what comes to mind.  Yet there is a different side to Key West—literally.  To the east of the historic district and the Casa Marina area, are the neighborhoods of Mid-Town and New Town where many of the homes were constructed in the 1950’s.  Most were built of concrete block and designed in post-war modernism.  Their utilitarian design was a practical matter of the time, but is now sought after.  With the heightened interest in mid-century design, these homes are going retro after years of bad renovations and neglect.

Since the housing crisis, Key West properties in Mid-town can sell in the $300’s—a relative bargain by Key West standards.  Prices in these neighborhoods began rising again in early 2010 as inventory went down 22% year over year in the second quarter and the median price of a single family home rose 17.7% in July.  Key West’s modern neighborhoods are ripe for investment.   The inhabitants consist mostly of full-time, year round residents, although second home owners are increasingly becoming commonplace.  Newcomers are discovering the uniqueness that is Key West, and they are finding that there are high design opportunities in its modern neighborhoods.  The best news is that Key West real estate in these areas has become affordable– quite a contrast to the real estate boom days.