KEY WEST, Fla. -- You can still see chickens crossing the road near the busy intersection of Duval and Truman.

Once they might have been chased by an axe-wielding cook with a gleam in her eye. But today they are more likely to dodge tourist trolleys or shoppers weighed down with high-end fashion accessories or original works of art.

But to those who love the laid-back feel this once-sleepy hideaway was long known for, the chickens are a reassuring sight.

Key West may have gone upscale, but the place hasn't lost all its funky, renegade charm.

Drunks still wander arm-in-arm out of Sloppy Joe's, the wise-cracking street artists still put on whimsical shows at sunset on the dock at Mallory Square and the descendants of Ernest Hemingway's cats still lap water from the urinal the author hauled home from his favorite bar.

Key West has gotten pricey, especially during the winter season, but it also has a lot more to offer these days than simply a rousing good time slamming rum drinks and singing along to Jimmy Buffett songs.

A new art film cinema has opened, art galleries are almost too numerous to keep up with, local troupes perform plays frequently, the annual literary seminar regularly attracts important authors and even a small symphony calls the island home.

And if culture isn't your thing, there's always the standard fare of scuba diving on America's only coral reef, sport fishing in the azure waters of the Gulf Stream, kite-surfing or sunbathing, strolling the shops and tourist traps, taking a walking tour to gaze at Victorian mansions set in a tropical paradise, or biking your way around an island famous for its end-of-the-road ambiance.

Don't forget fine dining, fresh seafood and people-watching, always a winner in a place with as many outrageous characters as Key West.

''It's changed a lot in recent years, but it's still a town that inspires creativity,'' said Sharon Wells, an artist and student of local architecture who escaped to Key West some 30 years ago. ``It's hard to put myself back in 1976 when I came here. It was so incredibly different then. But it's still the people who make the place.''

One of the biggest changes in Key West has been an incredible run-up in real estate prices, spurred when a wealthy developer from the Northeast bought a sprawling former U.S. Navy property in the 1980s and built luxury homes.

A cascade of other high-end projects followed, and Key West slowly transformed itself from a hideout for dazed hippies and crusty fishermen into something of an upscale artists' colony. Tiny frame shacks that cost $30,000 in the 1970s now fetch over seven figures.

The rising values have prompted hotel and rental house prices to climb steadily, too. Many of the posh guest houses fetch $300 to $500 or more per night in the winter season, although a few budget motels are still available.

But for visitors looking to escape their everyday grind for a relaxing getaway, Key West is hard to beat, and the prices are certainly competitive with most Caribbean islands.

One of the best ways to see the older, more picturesque part of the island is a walking tour. Wells, who conducted an architectural survey to document buildings eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, has produced an excellent Walking and Biking Guide to Historic Key West. It is available free at her gallery, KW Light Gallery on Duval Street, and in many of the ubiquitous racks with tourist flyers all over town.

More than a dozen different walks are organized around themes that include literary landmarks, Victorian mansions, a graveyard ramble, a jaunt through the city's forts and military installations, an Afro-Caribbean tour and a gay trek.

The literary tour is a favorite, and Wells' book includes thumbnails of the remarkable list of heavyweight authors who made Key West a favored retreat, including Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, Richard Wilbur, Ralph Ellison and John Hersey.

The Hemingway home at 907 Whitehead Street is one of the best because you can tour it, gazing at the desk where the Nobel Prize winner plied his trade and the airy rooms where he entertained a dazzling array of Hollywood celebrities and bon vivants. The tour costs $11, but is worth the price for the colorful stories the guides tell about the author, his four wives and the origin of the dozens of house cats that still have the run of the place.

If you tire of walking, try renting a bicycle or a motor scooter to expand your touring. The island is only a scant four miles long and two miles wide, but you can still fill up a day exploring off-the-beaten-path residential streets, many of which offer glimpses of fabulous mansions or whimsical shacks. Special bike lanes have been designated on many streets, making the trek safer and easier than navigating -- and parking -- a car.

Yet another way to tour the island is on one of the tour trolleys. Although you'll likely share the ride with day-trippers from the cruise ships that dock in Key West several times a week, the advantage is the steady patter of the guides, who can give you a quick feel for the odd history and characters who contribute to the island's appeal.

That history dates back at least to the 1800s, when wreckers made the place famous. Surrounded by coral reefs, the island is hazardous to mariners, and the wreckers made a living off the law of the sea that allowed salvagers to sell anything they could rescue from a wreck. Legend has it that less scrupulous wreckers sometimes lured unsuspecting captains onto the reefs with bonfires, then rescued the crews and helped themselves to the cargoes.

This history comes alive at the Key West Shipwreck Historeum Museum on Whitehead Street, just a block from Mallory Square. Actors dressed in period attire entertain visitors, who can also glimpse artifacts from the 1856 wreck of the Isaac Allerton.

Nearby, Mel Fisher's Maritime Museum will dazzle you with gold coins and other treasure brought up by Key West's most famous treasure salvage outfit.

Both are great for kids, as is the Key West Aquarium, just across the street from the Shipwreck Historeum. Short of a snorkeling trip on the reef, the aquarium is the best way to glimpse the sharks and colorful fish that inhabit the famous reefs.

Another good adventure for kids is a day-trip to Dry Tortugas National Park, a sun-baked historic fort located 70 miles west of Key West. You can go by ferry or seaplane and spend the day on pristine beaches that offer great snorkeling. Sprawling Fort Jefferson features old cannons and other military artifacts, even though the installation, built to protect the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico, never fired a shot in battle.

Back on Key West, be sure to take note of lush tropical flora and fauna. You'll see it everywhere you go, with towering palms and fragrant bougainvillea surrounding almost every house.

For an up-close look, try the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservancy at 1316 Duval Street or Nancy Forrester's Secret Garden, which is tucked at the end of Free School Lane off Simonton Street. The butterfly attraction features plants, birds and dozens of butterfly species, while Nancy Forrester's garden is an informal hideaway of towering trees, dense vegetation and colorful parrots.

All in all, Key West is hard to beat for an island vacation, near enough to avoid the long flights necessary to reach many of its Caribbean competitors, but still exotic enough to make you feel you've been someplace special.

And while it has grown and changed dramatically in recent decades, its charm remains.

''There is still a great sense of community here,'' said Wells. ``It's not like any other part of America.''

IF YOU GO

• ACCOMMODATIONS: You can choose anything from a budget chain motel to a posh guest house or rent your own vacation house. Start with the Web sites listed below. Notable guest houses (perfect for romantic getaways) include: Marquesa, 600 Fleming St., $330 to $495; Azul, 907 Truman Ave., $219-$319; or find your own at www.keywestinns.com. Upscale resorts include the Westin, 245 Front Street, $409 to $489 and the Pier House, One Duval St., $389-$529. Budget offerings include the Days Inn, 3852 N. Roosevelt Blvd., $189; and Comfort Inn, 3824 N. Roosevelt Blvd., $190-$215. For rental homes, check out: www.vacationhomesofkeywest.com. Rental homes range from $700 a night and generally require a 7-night minimum.

• RESTAURANTS: Locals rave about Martin's, 907 Duval Street, which offers three dining areas on multiple floors and a garden, not to mention fine German and American entrees. Another favorite is Ambrosia Japanese Restaurant, 1401 Simonton St., which offers sushi and other Asian fare. Sample Key West's Cuban heritage at Jose's Cantina, 800 White St., or Spanish tapas at Santiago's Bodega, 207 Petronia St. For seafood and a small adventure, take a quick boat ride to Sunset Key off Mallory Square and sample the fish at Latitudes Beach Cafe, parking and boat ride info at www.sunsetkeyisland.com. If you want to stay on land, Turtle Kraals at 231 Margaret St. offers fresh fish and other marine delights.

• INFORMATION: www.keywest.com and www.fl-keys.com.

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