Sports Reporter - Key West, FL

Doesn't this paper have an opening every year?

 

Seems that way. Like I told my wife when we talked about it, it's not like this job won't come open again.

I'm not entirely sure that's an indictment on the paper itself, though. Key West as a whole seems to have a pretty transient population, from the military to the tourists and tourism-based economy, to the folks who only spend the winter or summer there. If the island's population is about 25,000, I'd venture a guess that half that number has lived there more than 10 years.
It's a gorgeous place, but I can see how the expense and isolation can lead people to treat their residency as an extended vacation instead of a chance to lay down roots.

 

My mom lived there for about 7 years before moving to the Orlando area. It's possible to live there and make money, but it's VERY hard. A lot of people seem to move there on a whim and then realize they've made a mistake in planning so aren't able to stay as long as intended.

 

I would have to live in a van down by the river at Key West, but it would be a great gig, I'd like to think.

 

You either have to be really rich or always drunk to enjoy living in Key West.

 

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

 

I vote for being both.

 

I've always thought Key West was the ultimate "great place to visit, wouldn't want to live there" place, mainly because of the cost of living. Indeed, it is one of my favorite places to visit. But if you don't earn a lot of money or aren't a trust-fund baby, you'll need to work two jobs to make it there.

 

I've never been to Key West but is there really any business there where someone could make a living good enough to live in Key West? Outside being a doctor or lawyer?

 

Your coverage area may be the Lower Keys, but I'm thinking you'd still be rolling up a lot of mileage. Unless just about everything is a call-in.

 

That's what it was like in Hilton Head when I spent a year and a half there as a reporter.

 

Terpsichorean ecdysiast. Rolling in it.