continuing growth in SWFL (Naples, Immokalee: appointed, mobile home, construction)

[Tripower455]

Originally Posted by JPrzybylski07

Everglades blvd to 41?

Yeah, you used to be able to take Everglades south to the end, make a right, and take Miller (a rough dirt road) to connect to 41. They shut that down years ago, and now, I believe, you can't even drive too far south of 75 on Everglades. I haven't been out there in years now. You also used to be able to take Jane's Scenic Dr. from Everglades. I often used to take that way to Everglades City vs. 951/41, even before the traffic got ridiculous.

This funnels all of the Alley and 41 traffic going to Marco/East Naples to Exit 101 or the 951/41 intersection. More options to get in or out of Naples, not to mention having some more detour options when the alley shuts down, would be nice.


An I75 exit on Everglades would be a huge improvement by itself. Think of how much time and fuel could be saved every day just by the folks living east of Wilson that commute to South/East Naples if some of them could use the alley instead all being stuck on GGB.

[Corrie22]

Originally Posted by Tripower455

An I75 exit on Everglades would be a huge improvement by itself. .

Tri, that's something I really don't understand...not only for Naples traffic....but there's a lot of people commuting back and forth from Miami and Ft Lauderdale now. There's no easy way to get in or out of GGE

[Fltaz]

As Florida continues to become more over populated/too expensive other places by default will start becoming more appealing then here which is why I brought up the idea in an earlier post about baby boomers retiring abroad being a more appealing option then it use to be in the past. The weather alone is a big factor for many, but also things like cost of living, job opportunities, traffic, quality of life, etc.. So it's up to people to decide demand and pioneer the way to a new better place if it exists.

You bring up a great point. Many of the other southern states are becoming more and more popular with retirees due to a lower cost of living, lower real estate cost etc. There is also the traffic, humidity and hurricanes to consider. We now live in Tennessee after living in Naples for 40 years. We love it here and would never consider living in Naples again.

[hardluk1]

Reading this tread brings back lots of good memory's and bad along the reason I moved away . I remember the old freight depot for the rail road at the corner of airport and radio road and radio road was the only south route to golden gate . Airport road industrial park was just starting and a buggy track was off radio road along with a stock car track .

Who fishes here ?? I remember grabbing oysters at low tide arms reach below the waters surface to eat for lunch if on the bay side of Port royal for work . I'm sure that would kill you today . It use to so nice to get up Saturday morning and be at bay view park 1/2 hr before sun rise to launch your boat , park and run out to Gordon pass to watch the sun bring light to the gulf and maybe catch a snook along the calm shore line that was chasing bait fish . Then get up to speed and head back in to some skinny water to fish . Now its a un-ending idle zone and chances are the line at the bay view boat ramp at day light would not allow for you to get in the water in what ,, and hour plus assuming there some where to park at all today .

I gave up trying to visit the any city beaches with our girls . Easier to go to Shell Island Boat Ramp and then run down to one of the boat only beaches around Marco Pass .

Use to be nice during hunting season to unload your buggy to hunt 12 mile prairie CLOSE to everything but walking and no sure about that today or go out to the old 32 mile marker , no access for atv's or buggys now or go into the fakahatchee strand to camp off gator alley, CLOSED from the alley and no hunting allowed .

By the time we decide to sell out and moved away it took me 22 to 25 minutes to drive from the end of 25ave sw - Four Walls Tavern area for the older folks or whats now called Cracklin' Jack's to any of the port royal homes we were building around 5:30 am to fish before work . Then 45 to 50 minutes to drive back home after work . Most be a 1.15 hr plus today . Most wilderness areas I spent many years around camping or hunting are now closed to hunting or so restricted they did not matter any more and even going fishing was no longer enjoyable .

Yea , I miss the good days but for a country boy , collier county was circling the bowl 20 years ago . Todays its more cesspool that a great place to raise a family .

Many families I knew moved up to the Suwannee River areas or to NC mountains .

[old_cold]

Like so many that bought on the fringes, it's disheartening to see manicured residential plus retail development replacing natural habitat at such an alarming rate.
I'm near the 951/41 intersection which .like so many other fringe areas is exploding with development.
The change from the old two lane on the southeast part of 41 pretty much tells me it will continue.
What's funny is I swear the traffic from the Miami direction wasn't heavy enough before to suggest the need but now it is.
Where'd it all suddenly come from??

[hardluk1]

Use to be Collier county was a preferred weekend get away for many Miami Cuban families . Might be different today . Now it might be the other way around . Collier county transplants go east on weekends !!

Remember the dove /quail hunt property on the south east corner below sabal palm road. After we moved away we had not been back to the area for about 12 years when a funeral brought use back to the area and when we got there my wife and I felt like a strangers down there for the most part with few old land marks remaining .

[Tripower455]

Originally Posted by old_cold

Like so many that bought on the fringes, it's disheartening to see manicured residential plus retail development replacing natural habitat at such an alarming rate.
I'm near the 951/41 intersection which .like so many other fringe areas is exploding with development.
The change from the old two lane on the southeast part of 41 pretty much tells me it will continue.
What's funny is I swear the traffic from the Miami direction wasn't heavy enough before to suggest the need but now it is.
Where'd it all suddenly come from??

You hit the nail squarely on the head with the "fringe" comment. We moved out where we did (close in "estates" near the VBR/951 intersection) because we wanted some elbow room, no HOA nonsense, and it was outside of the seasonal high traffic areas of Naples. As long as I didn't stray south and west of the VBR, Airport Rd. intersection, traffic etc. wasn't too bad, even in the height of the season. Now, traffic is bad year round out by us, and only getting worse, seemingly by the day.

Sadly, it's not just Naples. The entire state is exploding again. My drive to work in Orlando is exponentially worse than it was even a few years ago. There is a LOT more traffic along the SR17 corridor than I've ever seen in 17 years of driving it. The Bartow/Winter Haven area is a nightmare. What used to take 10-15 minutes to traverse is often 30-45 nowadays, during the day. Even the rural back road detours around the major traffic problem areas (namely, I-4) are often clogged year round nowadays. They used to be deserted, and not that long ago. The only time the drive isn't a complete nightmare is late at night, unless it's Friday or Saturday.



It's getting bad enough that we're seriously considering punching out. These days, I spend so much time and effort trying to adjust my work schedule to reduce the number of commutes, that it's getting hard to enjoy what's left of what I like about living in Naples.

[shokwaverider]

We are going to North Naples to look for property to relocate from NW Florida in a couple of weeks. This thread put me right off. But if it is like you all say, we will stay on the Historic Coast!

[Corrie22]

Originally Posted by shokwaverider

This thread put me right off. But if it is like you all say, we will stay on the Historic Coast!

LOL...it's all relative...I'm moving to Naples for better weather, higher class of shopping and eating, more things to do, less crime..and less crowded and less traffic

[cvap]

Originally Posted by Corrie22

LOL...it's all relative...I'm moving to Naples for better weather, higher class of shopping and eating, more things to do, less crime..and less crowded and less traffic

Less crowded and less traffic??? I guess it truly is all relative.