Naples--ANYthing positive? (Miami, Tampa, Immokalee: rentals, condo, houses)

[square-deal]

Yoww! I've been browsing the comments about Naples. I've 99% decided to take a teaching job at one of the private schools there. BUT, I'm pretty shocked by all the negative comments I've discovered on this site about Naples, in particular, and the whole southwest Florida area, in general (not to mention almost the WHOLE of Florida)! Maybe I should just remain here in Kansas City, Kansas! (The winters are preeettty bad, though!) I'm actually thinking of moving into a unit at the Serano in Hammock Bay that is for rent. I believe I will be able to afford that, OK.

Does anybody have anything positive to say about Naples? About SW Florida? About living in a highrise like the Serano? Anything?

[outsider1]

Are you planning to move here by yourself? Have you ever visited anywhere in SW FL? If you're sure that you can secure a job before moving here, then definitely come to visit. It's quite possible that at the end of your stay you'll want to tear up your return ticket to KC.

[Tarastomsgirl]

Yeah I've got positive.. The weather is great.. Coming from living up north the past year (but naples for the past 24 years before that ) I can really appreciate this Fla weather.. Every morning I go to the beach and walk for an hour. We have lots to do here, water park, shopping, beaches, theaters, resturants, pier, you name it.. We're 2 hours from Tampa, 2 hours from Miami so if you can't find it here you can go elsewhere. The home prices are just ridiculously low.. Houses that were going for $500,000 last year are going for $250,000. Most people who you find talking bad about Naples either A) didn't come here by choice (spouse got relocated for job) or B) Came here, thinking they were gonna live their life like they see on commericals and realized that yes we have construction and traffic just like every other place in America..

Don't let the negativity scare you, do what makes you happy... I love it here as a "second" time around resident. Infact I'm writing this in my bathing suit with sand on my feet right now... A week ago I was miserable in 40's with light snow showers... It was a no brainer for me ....

[121804]

Originally Posted by square-deal

Yoww! I've been browsing the comments about Naples. I've 99% decided to take a teaching job at one of the private schools there. BUT, I'm pretty shocked by all the negative comments I've discovered on this site about Naples, in particular, and the whole southwest Florida area, in general (not to mention almost the WHOLE of Florida)! Maybe I should just remain here in Kansas City, Kansas! (The winters are preeettty bad, though!) I'm actually thinking of moving into a unit at the Serano in Hammock Bay that is for rent. I believe I will be able to afford that, OK.

Does anybody have anything positive to say about Naples? About SW Florida? About living in a highrise like the Serano? Anything?

Have you ever visited the area? What makes you 99%

Since you will be employed, you obviously will not be lying on the beach during the work week & unfortunately will be "off" during the hottest part of the year when lying on the beach becomes very uncomfortable after 10am.

Does the pay meet cost of living for the area? I taught in private school (private, not charter )for 4 1/2 yrs & was paid about 50% less than public.

Obviously, there is a reason you even interview in the area.

Go with your gut. If you are single w/o children, you have nothing to lose. Try out something new if that is what you need to do for you.

It may work. It may not. You don't know unless you try.

Be aware, if you are younger, you are moving to the retirement capital of the United States.

Best of luck.

[Tarastomsgirl]

Originally Posted by 121804

Have you ever visited the area? What makes you 99%

Go with your gut. If you are single w/o children, you have nothing to lose. Try out something new if that is what you need to do for you.

It may work. It may not. You don't know unless you try.

Be aware, if you are younger, you are moving to the retirement capital of the United States.

Best of luck.

And there is plenty to do. Even IF you have children! I will never subject my kids to that horrendous dreary cold winter of the NE and having to be cramped up inside for 7 months a year. Lets see in the past couple days, I've gone to the beach, rode my bike and walked there every day. Hit the mall, ate downtown, walked to the pier, went to the movies, went to the water park and the dog beach. Thats literally more than I did in a year in NH with the terrible weather.. There is more stuff for young people to do here than there are for retirement folks.

Stop being such a troll about Naples.. I know you don't like it, you talk about it all the time but point out some good.. IF you just absolutely can't find anything to do in Naples then head up to Bonita which has tons to do or even Ft. Myers... You won't be bored....

This weekened is the Canoe races downtown. .Thats always A LOT of fun, you can see people make up their canoes in crazy themes and dress up and then race them.. This sunday I'm going out on a boat.. YES you can do the beach and all that stuff on the weekends and the summer... The beaches are more packed in the summer than any other time... Most people tend to go in the early mornings or latter part of the day to not contend with the hot heat... Living is so cheap in Naples right now its crazy. Housing is down and rentals are going for as low as $700 ... When I first moved out on my own the cheapest apt I found was $850. You can rent homes now for $850-900 a month where as before you couldn't find one for under $1,500 .. As long as you have a steady job with income you'll be just fine. Its way cheaper to live down here than to live up farther north. I was paying $400 a month to heat my 1 bed 1 bath studio apt in New England.. I paid $75 to run my a/c full blast all summer in my 3bed 2 bath condo here with 12 ft cathedrial ceilings ( heat rises so the a/c had to work extra hard for the ceilings) .. there is no comparison..

If you want nothing to do try Naples in the 80's, try looking at the intersection of Pine Ridge and Airport and seeing farms on all 4 corners.. or nothing but land where pelican marsh and Sams and all of Immokalee Rd is.. Or how about when Naples park had dirt streets, or when you used to pitch tents and camp in the woods of what is now San Carlos Park.. The highlights of our nights were going to where Walmart is on Immokalee and 41 and watching RC Car races on dirty tracks the locals would construct by hand the day before and everyone would come out to race their little remote cars and then getting ice cream at the dipper del.. THAT was bordom.... Naples is now a mecca for activities.. I can't wait for the Everblades to start up!

[Rachael84]

Stay in Kansas City. You don't want to teach in FL after all the layoffs (teachers make hardly anything down there anyway, so I can't imagine how low private school would be). The budget cuts are cutting so many jobs.

Tara, she was asking for advice about specific things. I don't see why you had to go into raising kids here if she doesn't have any (anyway, why anyone would want to raise kids down there is beyond me, but that's my opinion).

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by Rachael84

Tara, she was asking for advice about specific things. I don't see why you had to go into raising kids here if she doesn't have any (anyway, why anyone would want to raise kids down there is beyond me, but that's my opinion).

I agree, I would much rather raise my kids in the wonderful family envrionment of Queens! That's also pretty disrespectful to talk about the pay at the private schools when the OP has already basically confirmed their job. I don't know what would make you think that private schools pay any lower than the public schools anyhow...private schools in Florida typically pay high. As far as public, Collier pays like crap to my knowledge but teacher pay in Florida is actually midpack. When you factor in that the state has no income tax, your takehome pay is very similar to the national average Teacher Salaries by State. Oh and at that, the average pay was higher than Kansas. Read the post throughly before you assume something about someone you have never met before and do your research before you assume something about a state that you have never lived in before.

[square-deal]

Originally Posted by outsider1

Are you planning to move here by yourself? Have you ever visited anywhere in SW FL? If you're sure that you can secure a job before moving here, then definitely come to visit. It's quite possible that at the end of your stay you'll want to tear up your return ticket to KC.

Hey, outsider! Yes, I'll be moving there by myself, if I move. I visited there this past April to interview at the school where I've been offered a job. It's for better pay than they pay me at a private school here in Kansas . . . and it looks like there are plenty of reasonably-priced places to rent down there right now . . . I'm pro'lly movin'.

[square-deal]

Originally Posted by Tarastomsgirl

Yeah I've got positive.. The weather is great.. Coming from living up north the past year (but naples for the past 24 years before that ) I can really appreciate this Fla weather.. Every morning I go to the beach and walk for an hour. We have lots to do here, water park, shopping, beaches, theaters, resturants, pier, you name it.. We're 2 hours from Tampa, 2 hours from Miami so if you can't find it here you can go elsewhere. The home prices are just ridiculously low.. Houses that were going for $500,000 last year are going for $250,000. Most people who you find talking bad about Naples either A) didn't come here by choice (spouse got relocated for job) or B) Came here, thinking they were gonna live their life like they see on commericals and realized that yes we have construction and traffic just like every other place in America..

Don't let the negativity scare you, do what makes you happy... I love it here as a "second" time around resident. Infact I'm writing this in my bathing suit with sand on my feet right now... A week ago I was miserable in 40's with light snow showers... It was a no brainer for me ....

Hi tarastomsgirl, Thanks for taking the time to respond. This past winter was pretty bad in Kansas, too, not just in the Northeast. I'm pretty sure I'd like Florida in the winter . . . but . . . if I move, it will be this July . . . and frankly, I'm concerned about the heat and humidity at that time of year. Just need to be sure anyplace that I rent is air-conditioned I guess. Your comment about your relatively inexpensive bill for running the air conditioner is encouraging! I've never had the opportunity to spend any time day after day on the beach. That could be difference. I burn easily! . . . Guess sunscreen might take care of that, if I can remember to apply it every day!

[square-deal]

There's no need to bicker back and forth. I appreciate everyone's input. All of your comments are valuable, and I appreciate each one of them! I do have kids. Both are in college. I'm kind of hoping to get a fairly nice place with at least 3 bedrooms so that they'll feel comfortable when they come visit. Anyone have any views on where to find an attractive 3-bedroom, 2-bath rental, that might be easily accessible to interesting places for college kids to hang out when they visit . . . or, is that just about ANY place, once you get down there? . . . or . . . NO place, 'cause the place is full of retirees!?