Naples, The Good, Bad and Ugly? (Sarasota, Country Club: to rent, credit, home)

[JMadison]

Originally Posted by welder

They don't!

Why wouldn't Lauderdale and Miami be considered "real cities"? Forgive my ignorance, but they seemed like dense concrete jungles to me.

[Sad truth is truth]

Naples, full of the rudest, meanist people I have every come in contact with. I worked at Naples Community Hospital and I would rather have a plane take me to another state than be treated at NCH. The people that work there are rude and mean.....wow. If you are not WHITE than don't even think about moving to Naples, Florida.....run as fast as you can from this nasty place. The only beautiful thing about it is the beach. The job market sucks, unless you want to make 7 - 8 dollars an hour than you will be happy here...good luck.

[Jynxster]

Lets see Naples Fl...I lived there for 23 years so here is my input.

Good- It is somewhat pretty I guess and clean and the violent crime in Naples itself is pretty low. They have a lot of restaurants and shopping as well as the beach. No state tax, no Ad-Valurum tax

Bad - Very expensive compared to most other places in the US, you do not get a lot of house for your money. Hot weather all year round, no change of seasons. Not a lot of industry for jobs unless you are in the medical field. There is no middle class in Naples, only the poor catering to the rich. The school system isnt that great as their curriculum is behind most other states. There isnt a whole lot to do there besides shop and go to the beach. Construction takes FOREVER down there since they is no state tax for funding road projects. It literally took 2 presidential terms to complete Immokolee RD. property taxes and home owners insurance are relatively high as well. You are in a very high flood zone as naples is only 8-10 feet above sea level. The beach is not very clean as compared to other places in Florida. It is pretty much a concrete jungle. A lot of kids do drugs or are troublemakers due to the lack of family entertainment there, or any entertainment for that matter. Not a lot of industry for jobs unless you are in the medical field. It used to be construction/real-estate and medical, but since the housing market plummeted, now it just medical...or retail.

Ugly - Hurricanes, not fun at all. even if they dont destroy your house, you will most likely be without power for a week or so. The poeple down there think they pee perfume and that they are better than you since they have money. Customer service is non existant. people do not make eye contact with you and are not overly friendly unless you are wealthy and are into the whole little elite country club scene. I was shocked when I moved from Naples to Georgia and had people actually smile and wave as I drove though neighborhoods. Driving can be tricky since most of the drivers are retirees who do not need to be drving in the first place due to very very age. Naples refuses to grow into a big city and have many ordinances so they can keep it "pretty" even though iin numbers it has reached big city status, they just refuse to accomodate. last but not least "season". This is the time when all the snow birds come down. You wont be able to shop, eat out, or drive anywhere in a reasonable amount of time due to the sheer volume of people down there, it is horrible.


All in all it is a nice place to visit for a few days, but I would not recommend moving there as the negatives way out-way the possitives.

[MaestroMcD]

I've lived in the mountains, desert, city, suburbs, overseas, and now the beach. (Naples area)

Just like everywhere there are positives and negatives. I feel like the person's perspective is what tips the scale towards either side.

This place is REALLY safe compared to a lot of the places I've lived. I can't remember the last time I lived in a place where you can leave your car doors unlocked and not have to worry. The heat can be acclimated to. (Believe me. I blow glass all year around: Indoors where A/C cannot be used)

I would say the accounts of people in this thread are for the most part correct, but if you find yourself here don't let the bads outweigh the goods. There are good people everywhere and beauty is everywhere you look.

[Ilovethewindycity]

I was in Naples about 4 years ago searching for property, I visited with a realtor and she gave me a map of the GGE. The map, if I recall correctly, had the lot numbers on every single street in GGE. I have no idea where that map is, since I still have some unpacked boxes. Does anyone know what I’m talking about and where I can get one online? I am considering Naples, Fl again since it has become affordable.
I moved from Chicago to Dallas, Tx and since being in Texas I have realized how much I really rather live near the beach, it’s not just about warmer weather.

[TANaples]

Actually, it is the Fall and Winter that bothers me more than the Summer. I want COOL Fall and COLD Winter. I don't work in the Summer and just stay inside with the AC. Besides, Summer is Summer. Sun and heat everywhere.

[Seabeacon]

Naples is wonderful. I lived there for 19 years. It's beautiful, the weather is great, and there are lots of things to do. On the downside, the traffic is bad, people can be rude (back in the day people were so friendly that Alan Funt sat on the beach and struck up random conversations with strangers), and it's very expensive. I'd stay away from Golden Gate city and East Naples but other than that, it's nice.

[TANaples]

Originally Posted by Seabeacon

Naples is wonderful. I lived there for 19 years. It's beautiful, the weather is great, and there are lots of things to do. On the downside, the traffic is bad, people can be rude (back in the day people were so friendly that Alan Funt sat on the beach and struck up random conversations with strangers), and it's very expensive. I'd stay away from Golden Gate city and East Naples but other than that, it's nice.

[supermomlol]

Originally Posted by TANaples

Me too! Been here most of my life. (I am not a teenager).

[Fischer_girl]

I am from small town ND but spend six months last year living and workin in Naples. Naples is sooo beautiful. I heard that Naples beach is one of the most wealthy beaches in the US. Really where you are moving from will determine how you feel about the area. For example, coming from ND I nearly died when I realized the cost of living. But for Floridians..its normal.