Buying 2nd home in Naples-from MN (Vineyards: hair salon, rent, condo)

[minnesotanmama]

Who else here is from Minnesota?

We'll be buying our 2nd home in Naples in the next couple of months. Very excited about having a retreat to escape the harsh MN winters.

I've been reading this forum for years and now we're finally able to take the plunge!

Please share where you're from and where you chose to live in Naples if you have a 2nd home too!

Can't wait to walk the beaches and smell that wonderful salty air!

[bbtondo]

congrats on buying your 2nd home in Naples! Lots of fun ahead. From Long Island NY and moved to Naples about 4 years ago full time. Bought in the Vineyards.

Lots of great advice here on deciding where to buy. Good luck!

[minnesotanmama]

Which are your favorite beaches to walk and why?
How does parking work-are there usually places to park?
How long of a drive is it from the Vineyards during winter months (typical -nonCOVID- tourist season)?
How long are the paths to walk in the Vineyards?
We are seriously looking at the Vineyards!

[markjames68]

Originally Posted by minnesotanmama

Which are your favorite beaches to walk and why?
How does parking work-are there usually places to park?
How long of a drive is it from the Vineyards during winter months (typical -nonCOVID- tourist season)?
How long are the paths to walk in the Vineyards?
We are seriously looking at the Vineyards!

As a Collier County resident you will be eligible to get free parking passes for places like Vanderbilt Beach.

Personally I prefer Lowdermilk Beach and Barefoot Beach to the Naples Pier area.

I moved away a few years ago but you'll love Naples. I'm assuming you have already visited during the heat of summer and "lived" for a week or 2 then, as well as in the winter time during height of season. If it's your second home you will be probably spending most of your time in Naples from Jan-Apr, but if you're thinking eventually about making it full year please, please make sure you experience SW Florida during the heat of summer first.

[Jzullo83]

We’re actually flying down today from Long Island to close on our second home (eventually full time) been visiting for over 10 years and like you finally took the plunge. Good luck

Ps we really like lowdermilk and since my mom has a condo in the moorings we’ll go to the association beach but our favorite is the beach access in port royal at 33rd ave.

[Marc Middleton]

Originally Posted by minnesotanmama

Which are your favorite beaches to walk and why?
How does parking work-are there usually places to park?
How long of a drive is it from the Vineyards during winter months (typical -nonCOVID- tourist season)?
How long are the paths to walk in the Vineyards?
We are seriously looking at the Vineyards!

5th Ave beach is great but for the extra drive, you're better off going straight down V Beach road and going there, not as busy. Barefoot Beach in Bonita is great because you can get a drink at Doc's or play beach vball with the family or rent jetskis. But it gets much more crowded there in season.

I would plan for a 35 min drive from your house to the parking lot to the beaches in Naples, in season. Current drive time (2pm in July) is 23 mins or so.

The golf is amazing at Vineyards and its always in great shape, even in Summer months. One of our favorite courses in SW FL! Large development, plenty of areas to walk around without having to leave 'the gates'.

Very close to Publix/Banking as well since you can enter Vineyards right off Pineridge. Plus easy access to i-75.

[minnesotanmama]

Thank you guys for your insightful answers.

I tend to prefer the softer sand I experienced at the Naples Pier. Vanderbilt Beach was "crunchier". Is that typical? This was last August.

Can't even begin to say how excited we are to have a retreat right now with all that's going on. Beaches have stayed open to walk, right? Or has that been disallowed to the public with COVID?

Thank you again for any input from your experiences. So appreciated!

[Jzullo83]

Originally Posted by minnesotanmama

Thank you guys for your insightful answers.

I tend to prefer the softer sand I experienced at the Naples Pier. Vanderbilt Beach was "crunchier". Is that typical? This was last August.

Can't even begin to say how excited we are to have a retreat right now with all that's going on. Beaches have stayed open to walk, right? Or has that been disallowed to the public with COVID?

Thank you again for any input from your experiences. So appreciated!

Try the beach access at 33rd in port royal. You can walk a hundred yards in either directions and have plenty of space to yourself without the crowds at the pier.

[bbtondo]

Originally Posted by minnesotanmama

Which are your favorite beaches to walk and why?
How does parking work-are there usually places to park?
How long of a drive is it from the Vineyards during winter months (typical -nonCOVID- tourist season)?
How long are the paths to walk in the Vineyards?
We are seriously looking at the Vineyards!

When you own in Collier County you are entitled to a Beach Sticker which allows you to park at the beaches for no fee. No sticker it's $8 a day. This included Barefoot Beach in Bonita which is actually in Collier County. Also free parking with sticker in Naples at all the parking lots with pay stations. For us, it's a big deal. When in season you have to get to the popular beaches before 10AM in my experience. You can always drive gulf shore past 5th and find parking as you go south down one of the beach entrances. No facilities, but not a lot of people.

Favorite Beach to walk off season: Clam pass at the end of Pineridge. About 15 minute drive off season. It has a long boardwalk to the beach and back. About a 50 minute walk round trip. If you add a walk on the beach you can make it as long as you want. I love it because the boardwalk is mostly shaded and very scenic through the mangroves. At the end of the boardwalk on the beach there is a small restaurant for drinks and light fare. Also bathrooms. They are almost finished with renovating the bathrooms as we speak! I don't go inseason there since it gets more crowded especially with the Naples Grand Hotel Guests that share it, but you can.

Depending on your mood you can drive to various beaches depending how far you want to drive. Off season I make it to clam pass in 15 minutes. Vanderbilt Beach off season 15 minutes. .

Winter Months drive times from My home in the Vineyards to:

Loudermilk beach: 25-30 minutes

Naples Pier and 5th Ave: 30-35 minutes depending on traffic.

Barefoot Beach: 40-45 minutes? Large beach with various parking lots. Main house has bathrooms and a small snack section. There are boardwalks from most beach spots to the Main house. You still would have to get there before 10AM to get a parking spot. We go all the way to the last parking lot and go to the left once we get to the beach. Much less people there.

20-25 minutes to Mercato and Vanderbilt Beach. We tend to go to Mercato a lot for restaurants and happy hours

5 minutes Publix shopping center on Pineridge. Has most shops you need. A lot of people in the Vineyards walk there instead of driving.

5 minutes to the Vineyards CC Just renovated with an awesome pool bar, sports bar and large diningroom for holidays and sunday brunches, new gym with classes and lap pool, spa and hair salon. 2 18 hole golf courses. Awesome tennis courts and pro shop. No assessments ever! Yes, they can increase the fees if they want, but it's not like you'll get a $17,000 assessment if they redo the pool area for example. And yes, that happened to my friend in another neighborhood.

Long walking path on Vineyards Blvd and Arbor Blvd. To start at my house and walk the entire loop is wayyyy too long for me to walk. Lots of people biking and walking. Vineyards blvd is beautiful and can get you to Pineridge or Vanderbilt pretty easily with no hassle. I also walk from my house to many of the Vineyard neighborhoods.

If you're seriously looking in the Vineyards I would suggest my realtor. She was wonderful! Not afraid to make a low offer and very easy to work with. We had a lot of fun looking with her too! Arrange a tour of Vineyards CC. If you join you will get a slight discount if a member refers you. Let me know and I can forward the information.

Where are you looking at in the Vineyards? condo, home, community? Outside the 2 main gates or inside the 2 main gates? Family or retiree neighborhood? No 55 and older, but most, not all neighborhoods are geared toward retirees. I would be more than happy to give you any information I have. After Irma some communities flooded more than others. Some homes on the same electric line as the hospital. We got our electric back 2 days after Irma. We were lucky. Good info to know.

Good luck!

[minnesotanmama]

This is very handy information! Thank you so much! Wow! Can’t even begin to say how excited we are.

Hopefully I’ll get down there in a couple weeks and get my boots on the ground again to see for myself which areas we really want to dig our heels in to.

We are wavering between some place like the vineyards or some place smaller within walking distance to a beach. Still weighing and figuring it all out. Hubs really likes the idea of being within walking distance to a beach and I’m still deciding if I want a more “homey” place there or just a respite type of place to visit.

As Minnesota gets weirder with its politics, Naples is looking more & more tempting to just live there to me lately. With all the changes in work environment it may be feasible to just work from home wherever we are so that opens up that opportunity.