Anyone from Naples? (Miami, Tampa, Orlando: houses, construction jobs, where to buy)

[lifesigns64]

I lived in Naples for 16 years and moved 2-1/2 years ago. I worked in the public school system.

When you think of sex offenders you get a certain picture. I was shocked to learn that a man who was a multi-millionaire and lived in a high-rise on Gulf-shore was not only an offender, but a Predator.

I loved Naples when we moved there it was a piece of heaven and I felt I had found my place.

Fast forward 16 years and the changes were UNBELIEVABLE, tons of illegals, non-english speaking workers in food stores, mall, everywhere, on the loud speakers at Walmart and Target things are announced in English and Spanish.

The crime and drugs are bad. I would go to Boca, more to do for your daughter as well.

[JimKing]

Originally Posted by lifesigns64

I lived in Naples for 16 years and moved 2-1/2 years ago. I worked in the public school system.

When you think of sex offenders you get a certain picture. I was shocked to learn that a man who was a multi-millionaire and lived in a high-rise on Gulf-shore was not only an offender, but a Predator.

I loved Naples when we moved there it was a piece of heaven and I felt I had found my place.

Fast forward 16 years and the changes were UNBELIEVABLE, tons of illegals, non-english speaking workers in food stores, mall, everywhere, on the loud speakers at Walmart and Target things are announced in English and Spanish.

The crime and drugs are bad. I would go to Boca, more to do for your daughter as well.

Thanks for the information. I had no idea Naples was having these problems.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by JimKing

Thanks for the information. I had no idea Naples was having these problems.

Yeah, Collier County is starting to get a lot of illegal aliens. Palm Beach County is having the problem to a much lesser extent, and Broward not really at all (Which is surprising, us bordering on Dade and all).

The crime is not really bad at all (its actually fairly safe and about at the same level as Boca, maybe a little worse than Parkland), but there certainly are a lot of drugs around, as the younger population does not really have anything better to do.

[debntx]

I read an article earlier this year(April 2007) that in far NW Florida Escambia county had 584 sexual offenders, Santa Rosa County had 234 and Okaloosa county had 288. Anyone know how that compares to some other counties in Florida?

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by debntx

I read an article earlier this year(April 2007) that in far NW Florida Escambia county had 584 sexual offenders, Santa Rosa County had 234 and Okaloosa county had 288. Anyone know how that compares to some other counties in Florida?

Well, ho wmany people did Escambia have? Broward is Florida's second largest and had around 1200, but its generally considered to have a below-average to average ratio of offenders for its size.

274,663 lived in Escambia, and 584 sex offenders lived there.
1,757,590 lived in Broward, and 1262 offenders lived there.

So about twice the amount of sex offenders lived in Broward compared to Escambia, but about 5 times more people live here. Ouch! Thats the best I can really do for a comparo, but that leads me to believe that the offender ratio is higher than it should be in those counties.

[mrs1885]

Originally Posted by fort lauderdale

Yeah, Collier County is starting to get a lot of illegal aliens.

Actually, Collier has always had a large illegal immigrant population due to the farms in Immokalee. BUT, they were in Immok, pretty much exclusively, with the only exception I can think of being Garguilio or whatever it is off of extreme east 41 headed toward Miami.

But over the years the illegals have become very brazen, not really caring if anyone saw them and knew they were illegal. So they've moved into the rural areas of Naples (Golden Gate Estates being a prime example) and very recently into the incorporated city as well. They live 2 and 3 families to a small 2 or 3 bedroom house. They drink heavily, play music very loudly, have junk cars and beer cans covering their yard. Now, this obviously is a generalization as I'm sure there are some hard working illegals out there that actually take pride in where they live. But for the most part, any area that's been inhabited by large numbers of them have gone to hell quickly. Naples Manor started getting bad in the 80s while I was in high school. I went to Lely so we drove through that mess every day. Then in the 90s they started to clean it up, but by the late 90s it was even worse than 10 years earlier. We were constantly responding to calls of drug sales, prostitution, shots fired in the area, domestic violence, rape, etc.

When people do searches for Naples you get info on the upper class incorporated areas, usually strictly in the city on the beach. They are gorgeous areas and available for sale or rent, should you have an extra $5k a month to drop, before your condo fees.

Like I said on another thread, Naples has gorgeous beaches. They are quite frequently voted in the top 10 nation wide. The downtown area has done an excellent job at renovations and such. There are some wonderful boutique type hotels down there within walking distance of the beaches and stores with $30 pairs of socks to sell, should that be your thing. But short of visiting for the beaches and upscale shopping and dining, Naples has really become a waste. Short of being an illegal picking tomatoes or a multi-millionaire, you really just don't belong there anymore. It's a shame. It was once an incredible little sleepy fishing village. So sad that that is gone forever.

[THX 1138]

Originally Posted by JimKing

Thanks for the info....you pretty much sealed the deal for us, Naples is off the list. The more research I do, it is not very kid friendly or dog friendly. I loved Jupiter Farms, you got 2.5 acres of land and in 15 minutes you could park for free right next to the beach and walk your dog anytime.

Looks like we will be renting in Parkland and pursuing our daughter's tennis in Boca Raton.

Why not just move to Loxahatchee and commute?

[JimKing]

Originally Posted by THX 1138

Why not just move to Loxahatchee and commute?

Not a bad idea. We have friends who are tennis pros at Ballenisles and Eastpointe in Palm Beach Gardens so we want to spend time there...and our daughter wants to go to a tennis academy like Evert's in Boca. And we like a few acres. We are trying to find a place that suits everyone's needs.

So we could do a rental in Parkland, 1-3 acres lots, and be near Boca, but have a pretty long drive up to Palm Beach Gardens....or Loxahatcheee or the Acreage and commute down to Boca.

[shevsky31]

Some of these replies are to funny to read. Have any of you people that think Naples is flooded with illegals live anywhere else in America? Open your eyes. This whole damn country is filled with Mexicans and Cubans that have mysteriously appeared without a plane ticket.

I have a second home in pelican bay, and quite frankly we had a lot of choices of where to buy in Florida. The face of the matter is those here who bitc.h about Naples probably can't afford it anymore, and it's too bad that they take it out on the city. You are the same asses that made 150% return on your homes in 10 years if you were smart, but still complain about the city.

Naples proper as well as north Naples are both some of the most beautiful places in all of America. No where else will you find such clean streets, sidewalks, and beaches. The people are some of the friendliest around. And don't complain about us snowbirds, because if it wasn't for our money, your houses would never increase in value. Nor would you have many jobs in the service sector as well.

I'm sick of folks bashing Naples as some immigrant laden town. Don't believe their BS and go down to a city of paradise and see for yourself what it's like.

[macguy]

Originally Posted by shevsky31

Some of these replies are to funny to read. Have any of you people that think Naples is flooded with illegals live anywhere else in America? Open your eyes. This whole damn country is filled with Mexicans and Cubans that have mysteriously appeared without a plane ticket.

I have a second home in pelican bay, and quite frankly we had a lot of choices of where to buy in Florida. The face of the matter is those here who bitc.h about Naples probably can't afford it anymore, and it's too bad that they take it out on the city. You are the same asses that made 150% return on your homes in 10 years if you were smart, but still complain about the city.

Naples proper as well as north Naples are both some of the most beautiful places in all of America. No where else will you find such clean streets, sidewalks, and beaches. The people are some of the friendliest around. And don't complain about us snowbirds, because if it wasn't for our money, your houses would never increase in value. Nor would you have many jobs in the service sector as well.

I'm sick of folks bashing Naples as some immigrant laden town. Don't believe their BS and go down to a city of paradise and see for yourself what it's like.

I guess I am another one who would not choose Naples. Nothing special about Naples, just another fabricated facade so commonly found in Florida.