We are thinking of staying at Key Colony Beach, as a base for day trips to various places. What is key Colony Beach like? We have 4 children ages 5 –13 so night life and nice restaurants are not required. Is K.C.B a decent area?

Its decent but BORING. Bring a good book(s).

Can someone offer a bit more information on renting a duplex in Key Colony Beach? We are looking for a quiet neighborhood with boat dockage and fish cleaning stations easily accessible from the home. We're certainly not looking for South Beach-esque nightlife since we expect to be fishing or boating or snorkling for most of our days and passing out from exhaustion by 10p.m. We would like an area that would be interesting to take late afternoon walks around (for us walking the canals and watching the boats go by would be ideal) Does Key COlony fit my idea?

Key Colony Beach is a residential area with high dollar homes. There are no public fish cleaning stations and there is not a lot of boat or foot traffic. A better bet would be to stay in Islamorada which caters to those who like to fish.

About a year ago I looked into renting at Key Colony Beach. All of the homes I looked at were canal front and had outdoor sinks/fish cleaning stations on their docks.

To me, none of the homes looked 'high dollar' to me.

GoTravel-Any house with ocean access in Florida especially the Keys are "high dollar." All of those houses in KCB on the canals have ocean access. Check out the real estate prices. I have a friend who has one of those so called homes on a canal that look very modest but because the canal feeds into the ocean the price is indeed very high.

IMO, buckeyemom is right on. If you are into fishing Islamorada is the place to be. Key Colony is very residential, very seculuded with absolutely nothing to do there. And I doubt people who are renting their homes for top dollar want a bunch of fish guts on their property.

I do know how expensive real estate is in the Keys but the houses in Key Colony Beach on the man made canals are not what I would call high dollar. I think of high dollar being 10,000 square feet.

Houses at Key Colony go for $500,000 to $1 million. What's the old saying in real estate, location, location, location. High end in the midwest is less than 10,000 sq. ft. also. Obviously, you don't know squat about real estate or prices.

OK, my home is oceanfront. The land my house sits on is worth money but my house isn't worth squat. It is an old beach house. That said, the property would be considered high dollar but the house certainly is not. Does that explain better what I am saying by not calling the houses in KCB high end?

I think it is more terminology than real estate savvy.

Myrna, by chance would you be thinking of Sunset Key in Key West?

Geez, didn't mean to start an argument about real estate prices and the meaning of "high end."

As to KCB, the area is very residential, is that better Go Travel? Quiet, no night life and not a lot to do. We have stayed there a couple of nights and moved on. My husband does fish and we have found Islamorada more conducive to fishing.

Stop the arguing and quit nitpicking go, you sound like someone else here who shall remain nameless.

Actually, we prefer staying in Marathon to Islamorada because if the ocean is rough, bayside Marathon is deeper and more easily navigable than bayside Islamorada... Marathon is our preference.

That being said.. I was looking for feedback as to whether Key Colony Beach would be a quiet neighborhood (sounds like it is) while being safe and with interesting areas to walk around.

Being from suburban DC - the homes do not look to be "high-end" but rather comfortable and well located. The rental prices are certainly far from being high-end. $900 a week for a 2BR 2BA 1/2 duplex with full kitchen is quite reasonable in my opinion.

Also - with people throwing around the phrase "there is nothing to do" - I have to wonder what their definition of "stuff to do " is? We are certainly not going to spend the lion share of our day at the home - but on the water where we find plenty to do? To my understanding there is also a private, sandy (I know - likely manmade) beach if one chooses to spend a day on the beach (I would think that we would head over to Bahia Honda to do that anyway) And since we'll have a car - driving to restaurants on Marathon or nearby isn't that big a deal (that is if we aren't eating our own fresh caught Mahi-Mahi or yellowtail snapper at our rental). So what do you (plural - anyone who says "there's nothing to do") expect out of a rental home location?

Thanks to those who posted helpful, relevant information!

Most of the houses at KCB are second homes. Because of their location they are expensive. Doesn't matter if they look it on a website or not. Case closed.

Fishingirl-Having been to KCB several times, there is a small, tiny beach. Most of the rentals include access to a private club, Cabana Club or something like that. The beach there is crowded and tiny. There is one restaurant on KCB other than that there is nothing. You need to drive to Marathon on US 1 which is a pain because of the traffic and it is a bigger pain trying to make a left turn out of KCB onto 1 with no traffic light. It is a quiet,safe area.
There is also a golf course there and that is about it. If you want any kind of nightlife or good restaurants nearby go elsewhere.

As to your comment about deep water, unless you have a Hatteras that is a moot point. One of my dear friends has a 36 Regal and can get in and out of bayside in Islamorada. You have to know where you are going and how to read a chart.

Well Fishingirl I'm sure you've navigated the waters on the Chesapeake Bay often enough. I'm sure that you, like the many of us who run up and down little creeks fishing, have learned quite early how to follow markers and especially, how to use a depth finder.

It does sound like Key Colony is NOT a place for fishermen and doesn't have much friendly activity. Perhaps Islamorada or Marathon would be a better place for that new Post or Sea Ray you've been wanting to try out.

we have a duplex in kcb and spend 6 months of the year there and in the subdivision and it is set up fishermen friendly. fish cleaning stations are all over the place. have you people ever been there? don't know what you people are talking about it being hooty tooty. laid back. so yes fishinggirl, kcb is for fishermen.

sunscreen - could you email me privately so that I can ask you a few questions about KCB? email [email protected]
Thanks!

LN-My kinda person knows what a Post is. No comparing a Sea Ray and a Post, not even in the same league. ;-)

Always amazes me how people who boat on inland waters think they can boat in the Keys. My dh and I are both experienced boaters and have passed the Coast Guard course and we would not boat in the Keys without someone along who knows the waters.

Sunscreen-I have been there and the place IMO is boring city. She asked about the beach I told her tiny and crowded. And you have to admit it is a pain to make a left turn outta there onto US 1. Residential area pretty much sums it up oh yea fish cleaning stations all over the place. I am sure fish girl and her bass boat will be righ at home.

It is unbelievable to me how mean spirited and insulting the responders on this message board can be. People are certainly free to voice their own opinions on various destinations, but constructive advice (that means with examples and details, not just blanket statements such as "how boring" and "there's nothing to do") is seemingly absent from most of your responses. Most of you also seem to have difficulty with reading comprehension At no time did I ask about the beach (noting we would likely prefer to spend any beach time at Bahia Honda) or about nightlife (which I specifically indicated I was trying to avoid) and instead of offering answers to my questions, you act like you need to make yourself feel better by patronizing and pigeonholeing people into a stereotype with no basis for your actions. You have no idea who I am, what my boating experience may be and dismiss my family's preferences as naivete - of course no one who was familiar with fishing or vacationing in the keys could want to go anywhere but Islamorada. I realize that the omnipotent among you cannot recognize the different strokes for different folks, or that people who live in a stereotypical metro area might not fit your vision of a typical bumbling tourist.

If someone (preferably with firsthand experience) would just answer the questions posed without acting benevolent and sharing their supposed superior opinions with the world, this forum might be a more enjoyable place.

Well Buckeyemom, you do know your boats!! You're sure on the right course when you say there really isn't any comparison between a Post and a Sea Rau :^).

Ciao!!