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Hello,
I have grandparents that live in Naples and have been down to visit several times and see the occasional young family in restaurants but such occurrences are seldom.
I was wondering where in Naples do middle/upper middle class families with children mainly live?
I have always enjoyed the area and am just preliminarily thinking this maybe a nice place to start a career after my studies (which would be several years away) and would like some input.
Thanks!
We are a young family living in Naples, well actually young couple hoping to be a family soon, and I would strongly urge you against living here with a family. Most of the families live in North Naples and there are some nice neighborhoods but it is really not a great place to raise kids and the schools are awful, awful, awful, trust me, I work in them.
I am sure someone will come on here telling you it is the greatest place in the world but I know very few families here who are excited about living here and have anything but crappy things to say about the schools. Most are here because they have to be and are waiting to get out!
Again, this is only my opinion.
Well you will certainly have your choice of neighborhoods as far as upper middle class, you can try Four Seasons (I grew up in Four Seasons, very nice houses on canals and big lots), Regent Park, Victoria Park, Pelican Bay, Pelican Marsh. Some neighborhoods you can find a mixture of middle class and upper middle class. Naples Park for instance has a mixture of everything ranging from small houses and duplex's to McMansions towards the water. You should have no problem finding a place, what price range for a home are you looking at? Do you want gated, deed restricted, condo, high rise, single family, acerage... Tons to choose from just give us a little more info and specifics and we might be able to help more..
Naples is a great and up and coming place for young people/families and believe me there are PLENTY of them there and more coming in every day, lots to do, and great for a family and children. There are waterparks, state parks, zoo, malls everywhere, tons of resturants, great beaches, awesome sunsets, up the road is Ft. Myers with the everblades hockey team, ice skating, piers, summer programs for the kids, big movie theaters, lots of parks dog parks and up the road dog beaches. Teco Arena in Estero consistanly has concerts with people such as Billy Joel and Elton John. There are art festivals downtown, the snow festival, wine tasting festivals, plays at the Phil etc. The list goes on.. Everyone has negative and positive things to say about Naples as you are about to find out. My husband and I are moving back after leaving for 6 months. I fully plan on raising my children there. As you have already visited and seem to enjoy the place take the experiences that you have well experienced lol and go from there.
There are waterparks, state parks, zoo, malls everywhere,
Ok, I have lived here for a year and a half, coming from Washington, DC. Where are all these malls you speak of?? As far as I have seen, there is Coastland Mall, which is junky and awful, Waterside Shops (not really a mall) which is 80% things no one can afford, and the newly opened Coconut Point, which is OK. Where are there 'malls everywhere'. Coming from any major city, the shopping here is pretty bad. Most of the people I know head to the East Coast for any real shopping.
Thank you both for your responses. I can see both of your perspectives...
If you don't mind novanative75, what apart from the schools makes Naples a bad place for a family in your opinion?
Naples is a great and up and coming place for young people/families and believe me there are PLENTY of them there and more coming in every day, lots to do, and great for a family and children. There are waterparks, state parks, zoo, malls everywhere, tons of resturants, great beaches, awesome sunsets, up the road is Ft. Myers with the everblades hockey team, ice skating, piers, summer programs for the kids, big movie theaters, lots of parks dog parks and up the road dog beaches. Teco Arena in Estero consistanly has concerts with people such as Billy Joel and Elton John. There are art festivals downtown, the snow festival, wine tasting festivals, plays at the Phil etc. The list goes on.. Everyone has negative and positive things to say about Naples as you are about to find out. My husband and I are moving back after leaving for 6 months. I fully plan on raising my children there. As you have already visited and seem to enjoy the place take the experiences that you have well experienced lol and go from there.
I find it so interesting when people talk about Naples, trying to defend it, and mention many of the above things. I am not trying to start an argument or anything but really want peoples' opinions.
I have lived in Suburban Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia, Columbus, Ohio and Atlanta, GA so those are my experiences. I have also traveled quite a bit and visited people in many areas. Every single place I have lived in or visited has parks, big movie theaters, restuarants, festivals, plays, concerts, etc. Aside from the beaches and maybe a bit more water than other areas, I do not really see anything here in Naples that other cities do not offer. In fact, I long for many things that I had in previous areas. Some On top of that, the extreme poor schools are enough for me to not really even care how many parks there are, etc., there are so many better places to raise kids simply for the education. The school system here is in chaos and if there is not a major teacher strike very soon, I will be shocked. They are talking about major budget and teacher cuts next year which, for a school system already struggling, is major.
Again, I am curious to hear what people think. What does Naples offer to young families that can counteract the terrible school system?
Ok, I have lived here for a year and a half, coming from Washington, DC. Where are all these malls you speak of?? As far as I have seen, there is Coastland Mall, which is junky and awful, Waterside Shops (not really a mall) which is 80% things no one can afford, and the newly opened Coconut Point, which is OK. Where are there 'malls everywhere'. Coming from any major city, the shopping here is pretty bad. Most of the people I know head to the East Coast for any real shopping.
Miromar, Coconut Point which btw is BEAUTIFUL with brick lined roads, music on the sidewalk and too many great stores to count, COUNTLESS stripmalls and new ones popping up every day, Third street south, fifth ave, all of downtown Naples, Tin city, The new one they build with the Bass Pro shops I'm not sure what that ones called.
I'm insterested to know how places like Waterside shops and Coastland are junkie with stores like Gucci, Fifth Ave, Prada, etc. Those stores do not just plop down anywhere, they are particular about where they are located.
Not all these malls are IN Naples, but all are easily a 15 min drive... I was there for 25 years.. I can remember when the Pavilion and the Coastland Center which was 1/4th of what it is now were the only places to shop at all in Naples.. Believe me there is LOTS to do! There are also super Targets, super walmarts for quick convienence and small family owned shops. You are also right across the alley and can jump on for a day of shopping in Miami, at the Sawgrass Mall and all up South Beach.. The possibilities are endless.
Thank you both for your responses. I can see both of your perspectives...
If you don't mind novanative75, what apart from the schools makes Naples a bad place for a family in your opinion?
Again, I can only speak from my experiences and I honestly think that I have lived in such great places that, for me, it is relative. I am sure if I had not lived in certain areas, I would think Naples was great. I grew up and lived most of my adult life in suburban Washington, DC with high quality schools, culture down the street in the city, plenty of great dining and shopping, season changes and positive multicultural influences at every corner.
We live in North Naples in, what I think, is a great neighborhood, every single person is a full time resident, which is key if you live here year round, you do not want to walk around in June and feel like you are in a deserted area. We have a ton of families, kids everywhere and the kids are districted to some of the best schools in the disctrict, although that is all relative! So, I have nothing but great things to say about the neighborhood.
People talk about 'beautiful Naples'. Ok, who has driven around here lately? Unless you are strolling fifth or Gulfshore Blvd, the rest of the area resembles what I think Beruit must look like, construction, construction, construction. It drives me crazy. Ok, that is a little sidebar, I guess construction does not make a place a bad place to raise kids!
Honestly, education is so important to me that getting out of here before my kids reach school age is a must and if for no other reason. Education, for me is also more important because I work in education. I, personally, as an adult am disappointed with the shopping, dining, cultural activities and overall feel of the area. To me, it is a series of strip malls, snowbird communities, construction and more non-English speaking people than I care to live around-and I am a liberal!!!! Sometimes, I have to remind myself that I do not live in Mexico!
I guess, aside from the education argument, the easiest way to say it for me would not be what about it do I not like, but rather what do I like. The answer to that would be nothing! I am out of here as soon as I can be.
I'm insterested to know how places like Waterside shops and Coastland are junkie with stores like Gucci, Fifth Ave, Prada, etc. Those stores do not just plop down anywhere, they are particular about where they are located.
I never said Waterside was junkie, please reread my post, I said Waterside is an expensive shopping complex, mostly unaffordable. I said Coastland was junkie which I do think, nothing appealing about it. Waterside is lovely, however, mostly unaffordable, I mean who needs to shop on a regular basis at Louis Vuitton? There are a few good stores there that are regular stores, Ann Taylor Loft, Banana Republic, etc. but it is mostly good for a martini at Brio!
There are not high end stores in Coastland, it is a great place if you are 15!
Everyone has different shopping tastes and what is good for one is not for another. However, as I said, most people I know who need to do any real shopping head over to the East Coast. I was there last weekend and the shopping is sooooo much better. I think, after having lived near cities most of my life, I know that better shopping options exist. I would never brag about the shopping in Naples, but that is my opinion. I love traveling because I get to do real shopping. We went to Crate and Barrell this weekend on the East Coast and you would have thought someone had given me a million dollars. You come to get used to having things and Naples does not have it alL!
I find it so interesting when people talk about Naples, trying to defend it, and mention many of the above things. I am not trying to start an argument or anything but really want peoples' opinions.
I have lived in Suburban Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia, Columbus, Ohio and Atlanta, GA so those are my experiences. I have also traveled quite a bit and visited people in many areas. Every single place I have lived in or visited has parks, big movie theaters, restuarants, festivals, plays, concerts, etc. Aside from the beaches and maybe a bit more water than other areas, I do not really see anything here in Naples that other cities do not offer. In fact, I long for many things that I had in previous areas. Some On top of that, the extreme poor schools are enough for me to not really even care how many parks there are, etc., there are so many better places to raise kids simply for the education. The school system here is in chaos and if there is not a major teacher strike very soon, I will be shocked. They are talking about major budget and teacher cuts next year which, for a school system already struggling, is major.
Again, I am curious to hear what people think. What does Naples offer to young families that can counteract the terrible school system?
There must have been something in Naples that brought you there in the first place, and perhaps didn't work out for you and that is why you don't enjoy it there, however perhaps what didn't work out for you will for someone else. You can't tell me every single thing about Naples is terrible and negative and life is miserable. That is just not so.. Many of my friends who I grew up with moved away from Naples after highschool and just about all have all moved back and now won't move away for anything. I myself am moving back.. Its all about what floats your boat.
NOT every school is terrible in Naples, they grade the schools so you can choose what are not suitable for you and your children and there are new beautiful schools popping up everywhere. YES some schools aren't that great.. Golden Gate High, Lely High are two of them.. However you have Private schools such as St. John Newmans and Naples Christian Academy.. Barron Collier has been rated an A+ school for years, the schools is swarming in money and gives kids more opportunities than some will every have again in their life life like going to China, or Ireland, or marching in the Macy Day Parade, I was lucky enough to play at Carnegie Hall. Gulf Coast high and middle are another good schools. Pelican Marsh Elementary and Laurel Oak elementary are also great schools. The children coming out of these school are completely imcompetant, a lot of people that I graduated with went on great Universities. My girlfriend went her entire schooling in Naples and is now a doctor.. Naples is also nice in you can choose where you want your children to go free of charge, if you are out of district you can drive them to the school you want. What some people don't realize is other places actually tax you to bring your child to a school out of district per child.. Where I currently am its $5,000 a year per child.
If parents aren't invovled then the kids dont' have a chance anyways. You can't blame everything on the schools, its the childs williness to learn and the parents monitoring to make sure they are learning what they should be... There are no excuses imo
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So, I have nothing but great things to say about the neighborhood.
