Property Description

So you've decided to become one of those lucky enough to be vacationing in extraordinary Key West this year! Your next step is to choose just the right residence. With two plus bedrooms, two full baths, and a stellar location, Azure Hideaway could easily be your answer. Hidden at the end of a driveway, behind a gate, down a private and secure walkway ringed by tropical foliage, a second gate opens onto the deck and French doors that create the perfect hideaway. All this privacy and yet you are located less than a block from the White Street corridor of shops, restaurants, and galleries and seven blocks from Duval, the fabulous two-mile main street of the island.

If you have a car, you can park it in the designated spot right outside the gate to #5. Once you pass through that entrance, a sense of assurance and relaxation comes over you. Tall white picket fences line the walkway, with trees and plantings on either side. The gate at the end of this walkway opens onto a long rectangular deck that is the epitome of outdoor living so popular in the Keys. There's ample open-air room for a dining table and six chairs with a BBQ grill nearby. There's also room for a double swing, café table with two chairs, flower pots, art, and a comfy conversation setting with deep-cushioned chairs, coffee table, and triangular awning perfectly positioned for shade. A sign declares a tropical mantra: Life's Better With Sandy Toes, and with thirteen beaches on the island, sandy toes are easily achieved.

o your left is your access to the inside: two sets of French doors plus a single door. The single door opens into a great room typical of Key West architecture. It's an open floor plan for the dining room, kitchen, and living room. The cathedral ceilings hold skylights, and the French doors comprise one entire wall of glass. The result is a flood of delightful sunlight. Or should you prefer softer illumination, curtains stand ready to be closed.
The kitchen supplies everything you need to prepare a simple sandwich or five-course meal and clean up easily afterwards. Or perhaps you'll go more native by doing all your cooking on the grill outside on the deck. Or with over 200 eating establishments in town, your third option is not to cook at all. One of the charms of Key West is that it offers so many choices.

Conveniently located between the kitchen and living room is a full bath. The living room itself is comfortably appointed with a deep, three-seater couch, chairs, and a lounger, all with splashes of throw pillows in tropical colors. To add to your comfort and entertainment, there's wireless high-speed Internet, three cable TVs, a DVD player, and air conditioning augmented by Casablanca-style ceiling fans. In one corner, a spiral staircase leads up to a loft area with oodles of storage, a linen closet full of nubby towels, a cubby under the eaves with a single mattress, and a laundry station with washer and dryer.

Back downstairs, under a sign that proclaims a second island mantra-Relax-another set of French doors leads to the sleeping wing, which features two queen bedrooms, one with an en suite full bath, one with an added bunk bed alcove. While the rest of the residence has natural stone floors, the bedrooms have wall-to-wall carpeting that softly cushions your bare feet. Ample closets and a chest of drawers provide plenty of space for your travel wear and accoutrements. And should guests arrive, there are two pull-out beds.

After you finish congratulating yourself for picking Azure Hideaway as your vacation rental and get unpacked, it's probably time to venture out. As you explore your White Street neighborhood, you'll find art galleries, Faustos Food Palace, convenience stores, several gyms and yoga studios, the best cupcakes in town at Key West Cakes, and a gas station featuring a local favorite, Dion's fried chicken. At one end of White Street is Higgs beach and long pier that juts far out into the shimmering Atlantic. At the other end of White Street is the Historic Seaport. And of course you'll want to travel by foot, bike, scooter, or car the seven blocks to Duval Street, the central artery of Key West entertainment. There you'll find even more of what Key West is famous for: tours, beaches, museums, water sports, shopping, bars, and all those restaurants, many with outside seating, many with water views. If the arts interest you, you've come to the right town for music, movies, plays, art galleries, lectures, artists in residence, and more. Don't miss the sunset celebration at Mallory Square or the opportunities for all kinds of water sports along the Historic Seaport boardwalk. A good guide book can give you more fun ideas. This home is Pet (Dog) Friendly**(please see below or our FAQ page for rules and restrictions)

To know what's going on from day to day, check out Historic Hideaways' informative Area Guide/Events page at http://www.historichideaways.com/key-west-events/. Other information on the current music scene, movies, plays, gallery openings, and charitable events can be found at milezerokeywest.com (calendar section) or in the print publication Paradise, which is available at various locations around town every Thursday.

Free delivery and setup (over $75) of beer/wine/liquor is available from Kwest Liquors, 705 Duval Street. Historic Hideaways guests receive a discount on pricing. Order in advance and have your vacation home fully stocked upon arrival. Contact the Historic Hideaways office in advance for details.

**For Pet Friendly (dog) homes there are restrictions that include, but may not be limited to, the following: pet friendly means dogs, no other animal is permitted. Dogs are restricted to one (1) large dog or two (2) small dogs per stay. Due to Homeowner Insurance restrictions we are unable to accommodate the following breeds: Pit Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Terriers, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Presa Canarios, Chows Chows, Doberman Pinschers, Akitas, Wolf-hybrids, Mastiffs, Cane Corsos, Great Danes, Alaskan Malamutes, Siberian Huskies nor any mixed breed that contain one of the preceding as part of that mix. Guest is responsible for an additional pet fee of $200.