Going to Key West in August and want to be able to experience the "Key West" tropical/relaxing feeling. What is the best bar/resturant to sit outside (preferably by the water) and sip a margarita and maybe listen to music? It does not have to be romantic because I am going with friends. I would appreciate any help. Thanks!!

A number of the very popular spots for drinks and music are on Duval Street - not on the water. There is a bar at Key West Bight (one of the marinas) - just across from the half Shell Raw Bar - it's a casual type place with music on weekend nights. I"m sure others will have good suggestions but that's the one that comes to mind immediately. There are several others near there but not all will have music. You'll experience the relaxed/tropical feeling nearly everywhere you go, regardless of whether it's on the water or not.

First of all, let me warn you that it will be HOT in August...hot and terribly humid, so be prepared for the worst. The tropical feeling will come automatically when you find you can't walk from one place to another without getting wringing wet! There are several bars along the Gulf, but one of the biggest is the one connected to the Ocean Key House on Front Street. Another really popular one with music is Schooner's Wharf. And Duval Street is FULL of bars and restaurants. Have fun!

Yeah, I know it's going to be hot in August but at least it is a week off of work! Thanks for your suggestions.

Just got back from Key West. Big disappointment! Dirty. Vagrants laying drunk in the street. Beggars. E-coli in the ocean/beaches closed. It wasn't the paradise we envisioned . It hit 102 degrees.It "cooled down " to 80 degrees at night. Duval street has lots of bars and music. Just pick one with a/ or you won't br able to stand the temperature. Good luck!

dirty? vagrants? beggars? e coli?

uh-oh, sounds like someone has an ax to grind.

Jersey's taken quite a few shots at Key West--at least 3 I have seen so far in the last 24 hours.

Jersey, why don't you do a comprehensive trip report to further explain your experience?

Also, what type of research did you do for your Key West trip? And specifically, what kind of temperatures were you expecting in JULY?! Some of the best of Key West can be experienced by riding bicycles OFF Duval Street. Sounds like you only experienced what cruise ship passengers might see on a short excursion. Or perhaps you didn't have enough time to get into the eclectic, slightly vagabond mood of Key West.

Liz, there have been many helpful and informative posts about Key West--just do a search on this site.

Liz-I went to Key West last year, and saw neither drunkards in the streets nor vagrants. We went in June, and it was warm, so any walking around town we did in the early morning or in the evening, and either headed for a bar during the hot hours or took a nap.

Lots of different bars around--just hop from one to the next.

You'll have a great time. I went not knowing what to expect, and just had the best week.

Chuck-Jersey did do a trip report on another thread entitled Key West Trip report and no he didn't step off of a cruise ship. Key West does have vagrants who hang around Duval Street and it is miserably hot in the summer down there. With all the cruise ships docking there now it's a matter of time before the place becomes another Nassau....

The only drunks I saw at KW this past February were inebriated and exuberant partiers circulating in and around the bars on Duval Street late at night - certainly not the drunken wino/street person that the previous post might indicate. Yes, there were a few "street people" of varying ages looking for spare change but none were aggressive and it was hardly an issue. I have yet to visit any popular travel destination in a warm climate and not see at least a few street people or panhandlers - it goes with the territory but is truly not an issue in KW. The local governement and police force knows that their economy is based 100% on torusim and they keep things nicely in control but just loose enough that people seem able to let loose and have fun. I'm not a drinker/partier but I still enjoyed wandering around Duval in the evening wit the rest of the crowd. Also note that I've been there on July 4th weekend - probably as hot as it gets in KW. The heat was oppressive but it was still lots of fun.

Chip,

Jersey did not write the Key West Trip Report--he tried to coopt it at the end. John wrote a quite detailed trip report dated 6/17/01, to which Jersey appended his brief and conclusory complaints.

Of course Key West is hot in the summer, which of course underlies my point about Jersey's apparent lack of research about what kind of weather to expect.

And if *vagrants* on Duvall Street concern you, then I agree Key West is probably not the place to take your vacation. I don't think Key West attempts to be a mainstream destination. The funkiness is part of the town--if you like pristine destinations & vacations, you probably won't like Key West.

Hi Liz!
I was in KW last Oct.- Enjoyed Sunset Pier at Ocean Key, but also wanted to suggest you try one of the catamaran sunset sails- Wish I could remember the one we took, (rainbows come to mind) but drinks were included at about $20 a head (sorry, no margaritas- just beer and wine and champagne) and we only had 6 on a really good sized boat. Have a great time- Can't wait to go back!

ecoli in the water at the beaches??? I hope this isn't true!!!! Does anyone else have infor about this aspect of Key West?

I second the sunset cruise. I always try to do one when I go to Key West. But, as far as I can remember, they only serve beer and wine which is included in the price.

key west is a fantastic place. it's very cool, very funky. there are great restaurants, shops, attractions and a 'laid back' feel that's hard to find anywhere else. if anybody has problems with it, it's their problem. you will not find a cooler place on the east coast of the united states.

fly into miami, rent a convertible and drive down. stop at places along the way. do the glass bottom boat. sit outside and have drinks. visit sloppy joes. visit the hemingway house. watch the sunset. there's a rich history in key west. take the conch train and learn about it. don't criticize what you don't understand. have fun.

Note to Candace - the ecoli issue in the waters immediate surrounding KW has been an issue on and off for the past several years and will continue to be so in the future until they either build an adequate sewage treatment facility or pipe it back up to the mainland. The Keys are built on coral and septic leach fields don't go very deep - the contaminants leach out to the surrounding waters and there's no solution at present. When I was there in Feb 2001 here was no detectable smell and I saw a few people swimming (not many). The beaches at KW are small and unimpressive - as has been stated so many times in this forum, it's not a good destination for those seeking a beach type vacation. If you want a funky, fun relaxed, tropical type atmosphere it's great. The ecoli issue has no effect on snorkeling trips - the reefs where snorkeling is done are miles away offshore.

Thanks for everyones suggestions! Key West sounds really cool and very relaxing. I am not worried about having a beach vacation because I am staying in St. Pete Beach for a few days after Key West. I just want to learn the history of key west and do a little partying on Duval Street. Thanks for your help!

Jersey is mistaken about the high temperatures too. It doesn't get that hot there as ocean temps keep the thermometer in check. I looked up the daily highs from June 1 to present. 87 appears to be the norm and the highest was 89, hit 3 times during that period.

Check yourself, Jersey, if in doubt. The address is http://www.Wunderground.com, enter Key West, then click for historical data. Historical data is available for any city and any time period if you have questions about weather in an area you plan to visit.

Liz,
I don't have a specific bar recommendation, but if you just walk around Duval, most of the bars are so open to the street that you can see inside and decide if it looks like what you want.
The restaurants almost all post thier menus, too.
We enjoyed Sloppy Joe's, mostly because of the band on the night we went.
Also, none of the bars charged a cover when we were there (May), so if you don't like where you are, it's not a big deal to leave.

Liz- go to the bar at the end of DUval St. at the Pier House hotel--go way up top and make sure you are there for a good KEY WES SUNSET- it is a tradition in this town to celebrate the sunsets and this bar which is suspended out over the water is the BEST place- you can hear them blow the conch shell at sunset-bring a camera--