If you’ve been reading “Keys Voices” for any length of time, you most likely realize that I’m passionately partial to the Florida Keys — and have been since I discovered Key West some 30 years ago and realized the quirky, artistic seaport town would be my forever home.

Key West was recently named one of America's "Prettiest Painted Places," honoring its colorful historic architecture.

Yet even I, with my unashamed bias, am slightly startled by all the awards, recognition and kudos the island city has racked up lately.

For example, a couple of weeks ago Key West was named Florida’s only finalist in a national competition to find the “Prettiest Painted Places in America” — and guess what? Just today, judges named it one of the 12 national winners!

That’s quite an honor since the competition drew nearly 200 entrants, ranging from big-city neighborhoods to tiny rural towns and historic districts, from around the United States.

Years ago, when I settled in Key West, I was captivated by the glorious Victorian-era architecture — as countless other visitors and residents have been over the years. And why not?

Key West’s predominantly wooden historic district is believed to be America’s largest, with many homes constructed in the 1800s by shipbuilder-carpenters.

Abundant sun and warm temperatures (and those palm trees!) make Key West an ideal winter destination. (Photo by Andy Newman, Florida Keys News Bureau)

They range from gingerbread-adorned two-story “conch” houses to tiny “shotgun style” cottages for cigar industry workers, standing side by side showcasing their stylistic diversity. Crisp white with dignified shutters, wonderfully faded peach, turquoise, yellow, lime green, and even purple houses delight the eye throughout the district — making it a pretty painted place, indeed.

But that’s not the only honor to come Key West’s way.

The quirky subtropical city was recently named the best winter weather location in the United States by the Farmers’ Almanac, and the island city’s Duval Street was designated one of the 10 Great Streets for 2012 by the American Planning Association.

The Farmers’ Almanac designation, announced in the 2013 edition of the popular annual publication, might seem like a no-brainer — at least to me. I fled my Midwestern birthplace forever on a February day when the wind chill was 58 degrees below zero and the snowdrifts stood shoulder-high. A few hours later, I arrived in Key West to find sunshine, sea breezes and 70-something temps.

Sure enough, Key West topped the Almanac list for its frost-free climate, warm temperatures, abundant sunshine and low precipitation during winter months.

Key West's legendary Sloppy Joe's is a Duval Street landmark. (Photo courtesy of Sloppy Joe's Bar)

“What better way to enjoy winter weather than in a city that has no known record of frost, ice, sleet or snow?” Almanac staff wrote, citing average afternoon winter temperatures in the 70s.

Duval Street earned its designation as one of America’s great streets under the American Planning Association’s Great Places in America program. (New York City’s Fifth Avenue was also on the list, so Duval is in quite prestigious company!)

“Duval Street, the undisputed ‘Main Street’ of Key West, is the only place in the U.S. where one street allows you to walk from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico,” stated the announcement on the APA’s website. It also praised the citywide historic preservation commitment that helped the street to morph from its maritime past to its current (and occasionally kitschy) tourism-based character.

Duval has been called “the world’s longest street” for stretching all the way from the Atlantic to the Gulf (though the distance is actually just a bit over a mile).

Duval Street is perfect for strolling, people-watching and spending a day exploring shops, restaurants, clubs and galleries.

But there’s much more to the street than that. With a lively bar scene on the Gulf end and a thriving gallery district on the Atlantic end, plus everything from exuberant LGBT clubs to artisan shops and restaurants in between, it’s also an intriguing and eclectic thoroughfare.

For residents like me, these recent awards spark a renewed pride in the island we call home. So come on down and help us celebrate Key West’s kudos — and discover for yourself why the island city is so worthy of them.