*New* SWFL & Naples Thread

[121804]

Best of luck. SW FL is a strange & bizarre place. We were able to finally leave, also. I have a 2 yr old & spent too many days inside b/c of the heat & humidity. The whole places gets wearing as does the attitude & just overall lifestyle of people down in that part.

Everyone is different in their tastes & preferences. Hope things work out for you where you are now.

[Tarastomsgirl]

Originally Posted by CJFlorida

We spent a lot of time visiting friends in Naples last summer and did not experience the 98-103 degree temperatures.

A check of the National Weather Services history show that the in July 2007, the average high was 91 degrees, and at no time during that month was any temperature recorded over 96 degrees at any weather station in or around Naples.

August 2007, the average high was 93 degrees and no temp. above 98 degrees was every recorded that month.

September 2007, 91 degree average high and no temperature above 95 degrees was recorded.

Our friend's children played tennis and soccer all last summer in Naples. The kids traveling team practiced 5 times per week and played games every Sat. and Sun. Another friend's 2 daughters are in the new elite junior tennis program at the Naples Bath and Tennis Club. They practiced 4-5 hours per day last summer. The pros there are great at hydration and proper snacks that prevent dehydration and cramping.

I suppose different people tolerate temperatures in the 90s better than others. Kids in Latin American countries routinely play soccer and baseball in temperatures hotter than Naples. When we visited Brazil, we saw kids playing soccer in the heat of a 102 degree day. They obviously have adjusted to the temperatures.

Just like up north with the windchill, Florida has whats called a heat index. So the temp might read 95, but the heat index can be 106 so really the temp ,imo is 106.

[HockeyMom72]

Originally Posted by Nancy Lynne

Thought I'd do everyone a favor and move one from the orignal thread:

Anyway:

Traffic w/ V LOUD Massive Construction, Everwhere, All the Time
As bad as everyone told me it was gonna be, I didn't believe it was possible. It was bad. It was also very loud (the highway costruction).

Now for those who aren't ever in a hurry to get somewhere it might be perfectly acceptable. But when you do need to get back & forth in a reasonable timeframe to get to your job and back, pick up your kids from school or a soccer game), it is stressful. Doable, but stressful.

Very Expensive to live there; Housing costs equal NJ if not higher. The big different is that salaries in Naples do not align with their cost of housing. NJ's real estate has gone thru the roof too, but (some) of the salaries substiante the cost of housing.

For those of who where money is not a problem, you may enjoy it.

HOT! SIZZING HOT! You guys told me it was gonna be real hot too! And it was hotter than you know what! SWF had one of its hottest summers in history with no rain for many month. Whew! I can remember going out to my car at 6:00am and my car read 98 degrees and the sun had not even come up. I can remember getting back to my car at 6:00pm and my car read 113! Although that was a particularly hot day. I would say that the temperatures hovered around 98-103 during July, August and September. I'd walk out of an airconditioned office and my sunglasses would fog up. My son COULD NOT play outside all year road. That is the biggest bunch of you know what. He could not play basketball or baseball or do much of anything in that heat - he tried and he tried. And we were in a kid community with all the amenities. We soon figured out that people stay inside in the summer (including kids) and enjoy the outside during all of the rest of beautiful season - which are all beautiful. As for the poster that said he enjoyed the waterparks...yes, enjoyed them to for the first 5 times.

However, once again, for the snowbirds that live in Naples, they are not there to experience the heat. Most of the high rise condos looked like were about 80% closed up.

The Gulf became less and less refreshing as it warmed up. Many of the pools had difficulty keeping cool as well. But more importantly, you have to keep yourself covered up as much as possible under the intensity of that sun --it will turn you into a crisp. Yes, I know I went at a bad time...

However, if you are a sun worshipper, go for it!

More nasty people than nice. More sad people that happy. Not alot of 30ish - 50ish types with kids. Some, just not alot.

With no disrespect, I didn't like what I saw and learned about the schools. The wealthy people sent their kids to a couple of the private
school $15-25K, some to private christian based schools and alot of the people I worked with, did home schooling. I reserached, visited the schools when they knew I was there and not there, asked every parent and colleague at work for their feedback, but many did homeschool.

Nothing to do in Naples...I will tell you that. You can only go the things that poster mentioned so many times...

Anyhow, there was not ONE specific reason I decided to leave, it was a combinations and I did the PRO list and CON list.

And as my son comes first in my life, the bottom line decision was based on what I wanted for his. As I said before, Naples is a "one in a kind" -- maybe Miami, etc., are the same, I don't know, but Naples is "very different" --and I want my son to grow up in your average everyday community, where the schools are great, the communities are small enough that you know the people you need to (your kids' friends parents). He can ride his bike all over town without traffic and without gates.

Coupled that with not enjoying the job I was doing and that I wasn't being paid very much...why should I stay?

However, I am soooooo glad I did. Being me, I have to learn for myself first hand. And I did. And now, I don't feel like I should be somewhere else.

Finally, even if I did have all the money in the world, liked the heat, had an opportunity to retire with no financial worries --- I WOULD NOT GO TO NAPLES.
But that is because, it's just not my style.

Talk to you all later.

especially as far as your son is concerned. I know exactly what you mean about a sense of community. Although I lived for 20 years and raised two children on LI, I knew many people from NJ. It is very similar. The street where we lived there was a mix of young families, empty nesters, and seniors. When the kids were growing up, they knew that if they needed to, they could call on all these people on the street to help/support them. Yes, even the Seniors opened their doors to them. People watched out for one another.

As far as the schools are concerned, I do know that New Jersey Public Schools are rated in the top 10 in the country. Actually, most of the NE states are. I worked for a LI school district and now work for a Collier public school. Sorry, there is no comparison. I am also working at a Top "A" school and I simply shake my head so many times at the difference. The term controlled chaos comes to mind. No, I will not go into detail. Suffice it to say you made the right educational choice for your son.

Everything else you said about Naples is also true. The place is bizarre. Take that coming from someone who grew up in NYC. There is weird and then there is WEIRD. At least weird in Manhattan is a REAL weird, here it is some kind of artificial weird. Do you know what I mean? It also takes me right now about 45 minutes to drive 15 miles to work. lol My husband used to complain that it took him 45 minutes on the LIE to drive THIRTY miles to work.

My husband also works for a software firm. Probably a wanna be to the place you worked for. Nearly every employee in the place is from the NE, especially NY and NJ. They advertise in local papers, fly people down here to see "beautiful Naples", and then pay them the salary they were making where they came from. Worked well until recently. They were trying to recruit a guy from Denver. Fly him down here for 5 days, all expenses paid, then made him an offer ($100,000). He kept putting them off for weeks. No, it wasn't the MONEY. He didn't want to move to Florida. He said he would accept their offer only if he could TELECOMMUTE from COLORADO (SNOW over beaches?). They even considered doing that until they got an uproar from their current, former out-of-state employees. "How come HE gets to telecommute from another state when we all had to haul our asses down here." Sound like people who were just THRILLED to move here????

Ok, I won't go on. Someday, somehow I WILL go HOME. Enjoy your life in New Jersey raising your son. You made a very wise choice.

[thebigr]

I have alot of friends in Southwest Florida. One thing I always noticed is one crowd I hang out with are mostly true Floridians, born and raised there. They are easy going and really enjoy life, not much complaining, always on the go. They were the people I prefer to go out with. The crowd who my wife worked with were mostly transplants and they were for the most part not real happy. Always saying where they came from things were always better. I think they missed where they grew up. I know when I first came to Florida in 81 I used to always say how great things were up north. After a little time we all adjust to where we are, and if you don't want to I believe a person would be better off to go home. No need to be miserable.

[calm1]

wow thats really hot we are 75 here year round and cheap in hilo.
just nothing to do. my office rent is 450.00 one block from the ocean.
SO how hot is Pensacola? We are moving to Florida but want to be informed!
aloha and thanks!

[Ladywithafan]

Once again, you all forget, Florida is a "Tourist Destination/Retirement State".

Pay has & always will be low. We were told fifteen years ago that Florida was going to become the next California is relation to taxes & property investments.

Life isn't easy anywhere, anymore. If you've got a job, be glad! If you have a roof over your head that's paid for, be glad. Jeez, it was just Thanksgiving for pete's sake. Wait till you see the homeless on our street this season. I can assure you with the construction drop & up north homeless heading down, the streets are going to be full of people at night.....and they won't be minding the heat.

[Mr. M 55555]

Really pretty amusing to read a lot of these posts about the weather. It's SW Florida already....what does anyone expect...it's gonna be hot a lot of the time.

[Mr. M 55555]

OMG....it's southern Florida already...I am amazed there is so much debate/conversation about the weather. It's supposed to be hot. From the Buffalo NY area here, but in the process of purchasing a home in Naples. It can snow here from late September until June...y'know what? We just deal with it.

[stars99]

quote=Nancy Lynne;2056015 Thought I'd do everyone a favor and move one from the orignal thread:

Anyway:

Traffic w/ V LOUD Massive Construction, Everwhere, All the Time
As bad as everyone told me it was gonna be, I didn't believe it was possible. It was bad. It was also very loud (the highway costruction).

Road construction doesn't go on forever.

Very Expensive to live there;

There are many good deals now, due to the housing bust. Besides, you could have moved to a much less expensive place in Florida than Naples.


HOT! SIZZING HOT!

Yes, Florida is hot--apparently that still comes as a surprise to some people.

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