A Few of Our Favorite Things

September 15, 2026

Key West, according to the people who get to call it home

We spend our days showing people this island. But long before any of us handed over a set of keys, we were falling in love with Key West the same way everyone does — one sunset, one bookstore, one plate of Key lime pie at a time.

So instead of talking about the market this month, we thought we’d share something more personal: a few of our favorite things. The shops we wander into on a Saturday, the places we take visiting family, the tables where our own birthdays and anniversaries happen. No agenda. Just the island we love, from us to you.

Where We Shop

Bésame Mucho on Petronia Street might be the most romantic little shop in Florida — candles, linens, jewelry, and treasures you didn’t know you needed until you’re holding them. We’ve lost whole afternoons in there, happily.

Books & Books at The Studios of Key West is the bookstore Judy Blume helped bring to life, and it feels like it — warm, welcoming, and impossible to leave empty-handed.

Soul House and Vignette are our go-tos for that breezy island style, Archeo on Duval is where we daydream over antique rugs, and Uva is our answer every single time someone asks what to bring to a dinner party. (The answer is wine. It’s always wine.)

Where We Play

Yes, we still go to Mallory Square for sunset. Living here doesn’t make it less magical — it makes it a habit. Fort Zachary Taylor is our beach of choice, with the clearest water on the island, and the view from the top of the Key West Lighthouse never gets old, no matter how many times we’ve climbed it.

On the water: an evening sail with Argo Navis will remind you why you live on an island, and a day trip to Dry Tortugas National Park is the adventure we tell everyone not to skip. The Butterfly Conservatory is where we go when we need the world to slow down for an hour.

And a couple of ours you won’t find in the guidebooks: Megan starts her mornings at the White Street Pier and swears by a tiny pocket park on Grinnell Street that most people walk right past. The Howertons will tell you their happy place is a boat morning at the Content Keys sandbar with lunch after at Geiger Key Marina — the Lower Keys at their laid-back best.

Where We Eat

Louie’s Backyard, for when it’s a special occasion — dinner on a deck hanging right over the Atlantic. Café Solé, Megan’s longtime favorite, hidden in a garden and worth every bit of the hunt. Azur, for the kind of meal you’re still talking about a week later.

For everything else: Santiago’s Bodega is where our office celebrations always seem to end up, Half Shell Raw Bar is the Seaport exactly as it should be, Salute! puts your toes in the sand at Higgs Beach, and Blue Heaven — roosters, art, and that mile-high meringue — is just Key West on a plate.

And because every list needs a wild card: The Dive Bar on Grinnell Street. Ice-cold beer, pinball, T-shirts covering the ceiling, and — trust us on this — some of the best tacos on the island. Order the brisket. Thank us later.

From Our Island to Yours

These are the places that make this little island feel like home to us. If you’re planning a visit, we hope you’ll try a few — and if you ever want the longer version of this list, just ask. Talking about Key West is our favorite thing of all.

Brenda Donnelly Real Estate • 305.304.1116 • 1119 White Street, Key West, FL 33040