DearMissMermaid, I hope I can answer most of your questions as I have lived on Big Pine Key permanently since 1972. The Keys overall took a tremendous hit from Irma, worse hit was Grassy Key south to Big Coppitt Key. The eye went over CudJoe to Big Pine, with Big Pine Key taking the worst of what Irma could deliver. We are slowly but surely recovering and trying to return to some kind of normalcy, some quicker than others as in most natural disasters. Big Pine and some other areas are still a mess in certain areas, most people are still fighting with insurance companies if they were insured, others lost everything. You will still see many roofs with blue tarps waiting to be repaired, we just received our metal two weeks ago. Most of the lower Keys restaurants (not all) have reopened, as have most businesses. Rents and prices of homes have gone up. Bahia Honda is partially open with limited rv spaces. Sunshine Key Campground is still closed and under complete construction installing all new electric, sewers, water to every site. Knights Key in Marathon sold out and now they are constructing 3 story condo's where RV's once parked. The Big Pine Fishing Lodge is open for RV's however their office and surrounding buildings are under construction. The KOA on Sugarloaf Key is not open as of yet. Boyd's Campground and the surrounding campgrounds on Stock Island are open and received minimal damage as did all of Key West. Being on Bahia Honda you can travel north to Marathon for restaurants and all or most are open, Lazy Days on 11th Street ocean is one of my favorites, Burdines at end of 15th Street ocean, Stouts for B'fast/Lunch, Sharky's moved from Key Colony Beach to behind the Holiday Inn what was previously known as Tarpon Creek, across from The Island which is also open. South from Bahia Honda on Big Pine Key you have Paradise Burgers (new) where Springers used to be, Milagro (new) where Bistro 31 used to be, Cracked Egg open, Buck Tooth Rooster where the previous known Big Pine Restaurant was is also back open. Kiki's Sandbar on Little Torch Key back open, Square Grouper (one of my favorites) and on the second story My New Joint both open, Mangrove Mama's on Sugarloaf also open. Since you said you are not into the Key West scene I will leave it there. Come down and help support all the businesses you can, they and their employees will thank you. On the flip side be careful and patient on the road, this year so far we are seeing tragic accidents that tie up the highway for hours on end almost daily, more so than in previous years. Enjoy!
