Oh my bugs, crime, bad schools, etc...HELP!! (Sarasota, Bradenton: rentals, low crime)

[sunsky778]

Wow am I feeling down

I was offered a teaching job in Naples. Parkside Elementary to be exact. All I have heard is bad stuff.

Can it be true that Naples is full of crime, bad schools, big roaches, and mean people???

I have lived in Clermont, Florida for 5 1/2 years. While Florida is tough financially for most people I love it here and have decided to make it home. My best friend and her family moved to Naples about 3 months ago and love it there. Given they are new comers to FL they can't offer much advice to me. Since I have been looking for a new job figured why not try Naples. The County seems to be an excellent place for teachers... but now I am wondering if this is a good idea afterall....

I am married with a HS student and MS student... schools are of great importance to me!

My second option is a school in Manatee County where I could live in Sarasota or Bradenton. I wonder would this be a better choice???

Any thoughts??? I have 3 days to make a final decision.

[yachtcare]

I noticed you mentioned you are married. How will the move effect employment of the other half? Jobs in this area are almost non existant. And getting worse. If that is a concern, looking toward the Manatee area, where there is a larger, and probably, comparatively more stable population right now, might be a easier place to find employment. Unless the other half is in a health oriented field.

Much of the housing numbers (sales, rentals, etc.) are, IMHO, somewhat skewed and propagandized in SW Florida at the moment. At best, there is a slow population decline taking place here. Businesses are closing, municipalities cutting jobs and having severe budget cuts.

OTOH, You have employment lined up, and if the other half is all set in that category, all things are equal....

[TedTAce]

The bugs are no different in Naples then they are in Clermont!!

[RMD3819]

I'll see if I can tackle these one by one:

-Parkside is a school with kids from Naples Manor, which is one of the few ghetto areas in Naples. I'm not a teacher, but if you look at the demographics from that other link I posted, you can decide if teaching there would be a good fit for you.

-Crime-if you are hanging out in the wrong places or are looking for trouble. Same precautions as anywhere else.

-Rude people. I keep reading about this but I just don't see it. I don't think there are more rude people here than anywhere else.

-Schools. The schools in Naples do not have a good reputation. The system has been in turmoil for a few years since they fired the superintendent and quickly hired another one. I would search Naples Daily News: Local Naples, Florida News Delivered Throughout the Day..

-I know nothing about Manatee or Sarasota.

-Bugs. No worse than anywhere else in FL.

Yacht is right about the employment situation.

Naples is not all bad. Plenty of people with families live here and are happy. It is important to note that it is first and foremost it is a town for wealthy retirees, run by wealthy retirees. The economy and political machine reflect this.

[somebodymiami]

naples is good , alot of nice big houses, look like a city for the rich. went visiting 4 days ago with my mom. non of the houses is miami-dade can compare to the ones in naples, and im serious blocks and blocks of 3 to 4 story houses. i noticed barely any police presence while there, and we stayed near the downtown. so looks like crime is low to me. cant say much. just have money. and the hs naples high is very nice went by it, and its right across from the new mall they built.

[cicilyb]

I grew up here. There are things I don't like- like the rapid growth, seasonal congestion / traffic, and the heat. You have lived in Clermont- so you know what to expect for several months in terms of weather. We probably do get more of a gulf breeze than Clermont though- so you may actually find it cooler here. Schools?- I have 2 elementary aged children- we started out at Laurel Oak and then were rezoned for Veteran's Memorial. I can't sing enough praises for those schools and the teachers that we have had. I have a nephew at Pine Ridge middle- great school - friends with kids at North Naples Middle as well as Oak ridge middle- also great schools according to the parents. Have friends with kids at Barron Collier and Gulf Coast High- positive feedback from them as well. Of course you can't expect perfection from every school or teacher anywhere in this country. And I would imagine every school in this country has some degree of drugs or even gangs. Unfortunatly that caN go with that age group. My sister in law has taught at Barron for many years now and feels that drugs and school crime are not a big problem here. People on these posts are often very negative about he schools here and I don't get it- because that is not what I'm hearing from the people we are around. Crime??- I would say that Naples has a low crime rate. Was just talking to a co-worker who's husband works for that naples Police Department- she said that he says crime is low here. Again- no place is perfect. There are bad people everywhere. There are alot of wealthy people here. We live in North Naples in a nice middle class family area. We do however benefit from the beauty of Naples. If it weren't for all of the money here- I suspect things wouldn't be as beautifully manicured and taken care of as they are. As far as home prices go- there really has never been a better or more affordable time to buy in Naples. Prices are at least half what they were just a few short years ago. Unemployment is bad everywhere in the country- no different here. Good luck with your decision. If you have visited here and liked the place- then you might just like it.

[cicilyb]

Forgot to mention in my post- I have heard negatives about gangs and drug problems at Bradenton area schools- now this is only what I have read and I don't have first hand experience- so son't know how much truth there is to that. What I have read may be the same stuff I hear about the Naples schools- which I simply feel is overblown.

[nhkev]

see if you can somehow reach out to some teachers at the school and get their opinions of what it's like good and bad to work there. Also verify for yourself. This forum is full of differing opinions on every area of swfl. I could post how great my experiences have been and yet Kitkat on another post went to the same places and came up with a completely different perception of the area... are either one of us wrong? No. My parents are both making cape coral their home. My father loves it my mother hates it. Use the thread to gather info and maybe to know what red flags to look for but ultimately don't let strangers sway your major life decisions.

[sunsky778]

Originally Posted by cicilyb

I grew up here. There are things I don't like- like the rapid growth, seasonal congestion / traffic, and the heat. You have lived in Clermont- so you know what to expect for several months in terms of weather. We probably do get more of a gulf breeze than Clermont though- so you may actually find it cooler here. Schools?- I have 2 elementary aged children- we started out at Laurel Oak and then were rezoned for Veteran's Memorial. I can't sing enough praises for those schools and the teachers that we have had. I have a nephew at Pine Ridge middle- great school - friends with kids at North Naples Middle as well as Oak ridge middle- also great schools according to the parents. Have friends with kids at Barron Collier and Gulf Coast High- positive feedback from them as well. Of course you can't expect perfection from every school or teacher anywhere in this country. And I would imagine every school in this country has some degree of drugs or even gangs. Unfortunatly that caN go with that age group. My sister in law has taught at Barron for many years now and feels that drugs and school crime are not a big problem here. People on these posts are often very negative about he schools here and I don't get it- because that is not what I'm hearing from the people we are around. Crime??- I would say that Naples has a low crime rate. Was just talking to a co-worker who's husband works for that naples Police Department- she said that he says crime is low here. Again- no place is perfect. There are bad people everywhere. There are alot of wealthy people here. We live in North Naples in a nice middle class family area. We do however benefit from the beauty of Naples. If it weren't for all of the money here- I suspect things wouldn't be as beautifully manicured and taken care of as they are. As far as home prices go- there really has never been a better or more affordable time to buy in Naples. Prices are at least half what they were just a few short years ago. Unemployment is bad everywhere in the country- no different here. Good luck with your decision. If you have visited here and liked the place- then you might just like it.

Thank you very much for the positive comments. They are much appreciated!

[sunsky778]

Originally Posted by nhkev

see if you can somehow reach out to some teachers at the school and get their opinions of what it's like good and bad to work there. Also verify for yourself. This forum is full of differing opinions on every area of swfl. I could post how great my experiences have been and yet Kitkat on another post went to the same places and came up with a completely different perception of the area... are either one of us wrong? No. My parents are both making cape coral their home. My father loves it my mother hates it. Use the thread to gather info and maybe to know what red flags to look for but ultimately don't let strangers sway your major life decisions.

Great point!