Naples--ANYthing positive? (Tampa, Pompano Beach, Country Club: sales, HOA, lawyers)

[brokerdave]

Originally Posted by square-deal

Yes! I like body surfing, too. And boogie-boarding. Are there EVER any waves, or swells, big enough for an adult to body surf there in Naples?

south end of marco island is about it, lots of kite boarders out there tho

[brit2122]

The following sums up Naples for me:
Does anyone remember the news story several years ago when a little girl had a lemonade stand and her neighbors called up the police because she didn't have a permit?
The people in Naples are bizarre. There is absolutely no sense of community because no one is from there. It's a very transient place. It is a very superficial place that for me never felt like home. One would think that living in eternal summer would mean people are constantly at the park playing frisbee, riding their bikes everywhere, grilling, etc.... But I don't feel like this is the case. People generally do this when they first move there, but before long they're locked up in their houses like everyone else. Eternal summer I think makes a lot of people numb. There are certainly exceptions to the rule. There are people who practically live at the beach. Which brings me to my next point. To me, the scenery in FL cannot be beat. If you get yourself a canoe, for example, there is an unlimited amount of peaceful places you can go to that will take your breath away. Also, Florida is a vacationer's paradise, and when you live in FL you can go on little mini vacations every weekend if you want to! The scenery in the state varies a lot from place to place. The Keys are like 6 hours away and so is Miami. The Everglades are pretty close as well, so right there you have 3 very drastically different places available to you for any long weekend.
If you don't mind living a solitary life (which, I have a theory might be they reason many, many people actually do choose to move there), you might like it here, but otherwise I don't recommend this area. The scenery is astounding, the social atmosphere is horrific in my opinion. I do, however, know a lot of people who move there and make lots and lots of friends.
You can tell the mentality of this area by looking at how people cut eachother down right on this forum. That's what it's like living there. You'll constantly get butted in line and experience road rage.

[TANaples]

Originally Posted by brit2122

The following sums up Naples for me:
Does anyone remember the news story several years ago when a little girl had a lemonade stand and her neighbors called up the police because she didn't have a permit?
The people in Naples are bizarre. There is absolutely no sense of community because no one is from there. It's a very transient place. It is a very superficial place that for me never felt like home. One would think that living in eternal summer would mean people are constantly at the park playing frisbee, riding their bikes everywhere, grilling, etc.... But I don't feel like this is the case. People generally do this when they first move there, but before long they're locked up in their houses like everyone else. Eternal summer I think makes a lot of people numb. There are certainly exceptions to the rule. There are people who practically live at the beach. Which brings me to my next point. To me, the scenery in FL cannot be beat. If you get yourself a canoe, for example, there is an unlimited amount of peaceful places you can go to that will take your breath away. Also, Florida is a vacationer's paradise, and when you live in FL you can go on little mini vacations every weekend if you want to! The scenery in the state varies a lot from place to place. The Keys are like 6 hours away and so is Miami. The Everglades are pretty close as well, so right there you have 3 very drastically different places available to you for any long weekend.
If you don't mind living a solitary life (which, I have a theory might be they reason many, many people actually do choose to move there), you might like it here, but otherwise I don't recommend this area. The scenery is astounding, the social atmosphere is horrific in my opinion. I do, however, know a lot of people who move there and make lots and lots of friends.
You can tell the mentality of this area by looking at how people cut eachother down right on this forum. That's what it's like living there. You'll constantly get butted in line and experience road rage.

We have been living in this development for just six months now. After March, the place became deserted, quite literally. All the snowbirds left. Houses are now locked and boarded up. The condos across the course are in total darkness because there is not one single person living in them right now.

My next door neighbor (retired), who I liked and was just getting to know, sold and moved out in June going to Port St. Lucie. Snowbirds bought his house, so it is now empty. The couple across the street, who we also became friends with, are moving out the end of August and will be renting their home until they can sell. We will leave too, someday.

I can contrast this with LI where I lived for 20 years. Not one person moved out in all those years. We were the first and it was only because of circumstances, not choice. The people on the street raised their families in all that time and STAYED after their children left the nest, so to speak. They only moved when they became too old to take care of those big family homes. Because people stayed, put down roots, there was much more of a sense of community.

Yes, it is very, very different here.

[brit2122]

Originally Posted by BacktoMA4good

Gated communities give people a false sense of security... I worked on 2 of them, and both had more crime get into them than a regular property. Pay more ofr what? I big fence and gate anyone can get into?

Gated communities are militant! Do you want to be told what color you can paint your house and what you can park outside of it, what kind of mailbox you can buy? Gated communities are eerie.... clone houses, no character.

[ChrisA70]

I agree 100%....

Originally Posted by brit2122

Gated communities are militant! Do you want to be told what color you can paint your house and what you can park outside of it, what kind of mailbox you can buy? Gated communities are eerie.... clone houses, no character.

[WingsAsEaglz]

Originally Posted by novanative75

I would NEVER move to Naples to get into education. I work for Collier County Schools now and am being laid off because of the cuts with the budget. The education down here is so bass ackwards, it is sad for the kids.
I know you said you might have a job but with the salary you will be making at a private school, nonetheless, and the cost of living here, no way, stay where you are. You would be better off moving to a better public school system and making a better salary.
I did not read if you were single or not, but this is NOT the place to be for a single person, unless you are 70 and retired that is.
This state is in shambles when it comes to education, do not come near it.

It just touched my heart to hear of your layoff. To me, children should be one of our top priorities. Yet we are failing them in this country. It makes me angry that we can so freely spend our money overseas in places that do not even want us there yet cannot find the money to give our children the best educational opportunities that we can.
I am sorry this is so off topic but it is something that really bothers me. I lived in upstate NY and grew up there. The New York State Lottery was supposed to help fund education yet year after year there is more cuts in education. And parents are forced to pay more and more for what used to be provided for by the schools. It's just not right!
I say we bring our troops home and quit sticking our nose in where it doesn't belong and then we'd have plenty of money for education. It's a national disgrace.
Again-I am sorry this is so off topic! I am actually here to learn about Naples because I am considering a move there. I've lived in SE Florida and loved the weather. Can someone tell me if the breezes cool off the west coast of FL as well as they do in SE FL? They make the summers much more bearable to me. But I think the prevailing winds go NW so I wonder about Naples. Do you get nice breezes off the bay?

[RMD3819]

Wings-

I don't really think Naples get much breeze off the gulf. I live inland so maybe someone who lives beachside can answer.

To me the summers are hot, humid and stagnant.

[Rachael84]

My parents say there's hardly any breeze in Naples, which makes the heat a lot worse. I always notice there's never really a breeze either when I'm down there.

[LewLew]

Just had to comment on the thread.... I agree with almost everything here. Naples and surrounding areas have no sense of community. There are no roots, and the educational system is horrifying. I also agree that people move here with thoughts of sugarplums, and soon they realize that living somewhere is a lot more than scenery and weather. You end up having to work, don't hit the beach, and are pastey white like when you lived up north. (why do you think tanning salons do so much business down here)

My husband and I enjoyed it until we became parents, and realized there is nothing here for him. We want him to grow up with the same neighborhood kids (not behind marshalled gates either), see the same people at the stores etc., have a strong education etc. Thus, for those reasons we are thinking of leaving. We'll miss the weather when we are freezing, but again....if weather is the ONLY reason you move somewhere, you'll soon find yourself leaving.

[tjstrain]

To the ones who hate the gated communities, just don't move there. Go move into a community where there are people like yourselves who don't want to follow regulations and don't give a hoot how their homes and properties look. Do you want a purple house next to yours? Think it might effect the resale value of every home around it? I bet you'd love to have old rusty cars and big a$$ old boats sitting right next to your driveway that you see all day everyday. Overgrown yards and trash will look great right next to your home! Get the idea? That's why we have deed restrictions and try to enforce them to keep our communities looking great. PS, it's not only gated communities that have deed restriction, they just add the gates and a poop load of more monthly fee's for those gates.
Be smart when looking to purchase a home anywhere, ask if there are deed restrictions and get a copy before buying. Look at the paperwork that you are signing at settlement, there is a legal sheet in the pac that states that you are aware of the deed restrictions and have read and understand all of them. You have to sign that document at settlement and are legally responsible to follow them.