Naples and a young family (Miami, Sarasota: fit in, renting, home)

[bbbrock]

My family and I have an opportunity in Naples and we are excited b/c we love it there but have heard bad information and want to clarify. After talking with some people we have recently become discouraged. We have been told it is only an area for old rich people and we won't fit in. We are well to do in our late 30s, early 40s,w e can afford up to $850,000 for a home but would like a family friendly neighborhood which we were told is hard to find. my wife is a school teacher in Fl. and would work for the school district. We know the school s aren't magnificent, but our concern is the amount of private schools? Do most middle class white children attend the private schools? Are there activities for an 8,7 and 5 year old? Are the summer's brutal? We are in N. Florida and don't find them bad, but was told they were as bad as Miami, is this true? we were also told the summer's are so hot that you can't even use the beach. we would be making the move at the beginning of May, I would like the opinions of people who live there. I think it is a beautiful, beautiful place (did I say beautiful) but I want to make sure it is a good place to raise my family. thanks in advance and any info. is greatly appreciated.

[aprilbutterfly]

Hi! I am sure you will get some negative comments, but I will start with a positive one I am sure you will fit in just fine. We have lived here since last summer and we have two children who are now 5 and 3. Our son will actually be starting kindergarten in the fall at a public school. We considered private school but we felt like the public school was a good fit so we will be saving our money! I don't get the feeling that most most middle class kids go to private school. I know a lot of people say the schools are bad, but most of the parents I have talked to like the schools where their children attend. Of course it depends greatly on which school you are talking about. Also, the school lines seem to be much more fluid than they should be and just because your home is in one school district doesn't mean it will stay that way.

I have begun to suspect that people say Naples is terrible and full of rich old people to keep people from moving into their paradise Haha. I don't know too much about how hot it is in North Florida in the summer except for spending a week at a time in Destin or Panama City. The record highs are actually higher in that part of Florida than here. Yes, it is hot. Yes, it is humid. Yes, it rains most afternoons in the summer. But I personally like hot weather and by NO means is it too hot to even go to the beach. Well, maybe if you are too OLD

[cicilyb]

The vast majority of children in the public schools in Naples are white. There may be some clusters of black or hispanics, but they would be in the minority. I have heard that the schools out further in Golden Gate Estates (one being Estates Elementary) have higher populations of Hispanics. A neighbor of ours moved to our neighborhood because their children were in classes that had a predominantely Mexican population, and because of the language barrier, they felt their kids were getting behind being in these class rooms. My nephew and niece both go to Lake PArk Elementary and there is a large black population...but my sister-in-law, who happens to be a teacher feels it is an excellent school. They live in a well to do neighborhood ( Royal Harbor.) I know of very few people who send their kids to private schools. I do NOT believe that you have to send kids to private school in Naples to get an excellent education. That is ridiclous. This is a well to do school district with a lot to offer. Go on to the Collier county public schools web site and pull up info about all of the schools. You can look at the racial makeup of the schools, if this is a concern for you. We live in North Naples and have 2 children at Veterans Memorial Elementary. We are zoned for North Naples Middle and Gulf Coast High. Both of which we hear great things about. You have a LARGE home budget and would have it made for finding a nice area to live in. Collier County has lots of great sport programs, a great parks and recreation program and many other activities for families. We have talked about moving to a cooler climate, but are hesitant because we are living in such a great area that offers so much for children. The only thing is that if you move into one of the million dollar neighborhoods that your large budget will allow, you may not end up with many kids in the neighborhood. This is something you will want to research. As far as the summer time weather...I have been in North Florida during the summer, and it isn't any cooler there that it is here. And South Florida is definetly cooler that Ga in the summer time! Some feel that we do get the gulf breezes in the summer, and that this helps. I don't like the weather in the summer time, and never have, but other people I talk to like it. I'm not a great beach fan in general, but my kids love it and many people I know spend their summers down at the beach. I'm more of a pool girl myself. I hope this info helps you out in some small way- let me know if you have any more questions. Good luck.

[RMD3819]

You have a lot of options with that housing budget, but as cicilyb said those neighborhoods are filled with wealthy retirees.

The heat will be the same as Miami. I think summers are brutal but this is an individual thing.

Read my post on this thread. It describes Naples for a family. Many found it helpful. Scroll down a few posts.

//www.city-data.com/forum/naple...l#post14807112

[JudiPatooti]

Well, I'm not Black or Hispanic, and I'm not rich, but I am old, so I hope no one will mind my commenting here. I can't speak for the Black or Hispanic person, but I can speak for old people when I say that I hope my age won't offend anyone as some of the posters here have offended me. (Opps, one day you'll all be old, too. I hope the ageism you are perpetuating is gone by that time since it's so unpleasant to be a victim of it. Take it from me. And, a doesn't make it feel any better, either! Like all racism and bigotry, I seem to be lumped in with my peers here in Naples whether I deserve it or not, particularly in this forum.)

Now that I got that off my chest I'd like to help out the OP, too.........There are four high schools and at least four middle schools in Naples, if not more. So, somewhere there must be children. Perhaps keeping your furniture in storage and renting for a few months to more or less scope out areas to find the family neighborhoods might be a good idea. I would think seeing a few reputable realtors would be informative, also. They must know where there are more family neighborhoods that are not filled with snow birds. I don't like living in a ghost town neighborhood during the summer, either. It's just not normal.

With the money you have to spend on a home you should be able to write your own ticket as someone else here said. And I'm guessing you'd probably want to be in North Naples so that makes your search a little more concentrated.

And, as far as the heat goes, it will be hot and damp during the summer, but not as hot as it is inland. Naples has a constant off shore breeze, not that the air isn't still at times. But, overall this does keep it from going over the low nineties most of the time. A/C and the pool will be your friends! But, snow, ice, bitter cold, and blustery winds will only be dim memories!!

Best of luck to you and I'll bet you'll love it here!

[aprilbutterfly]

JudiPatooti I hope I am not the one who offended you, because I was ABSOLUTELY kidding about being too old for the beach. It was meant to be a poke at all the people on the forum who do all the complaining about the "terrible old rich people" (not my words, or my sentiment at all). I personally think being old really has nothing to do with anything, it's all about who you are not how old you are.

[Beth Mone`]

"Never trust anyone over 30" Jack Weinberg

We raised our family here. Our kids graduated public schools here, went on to college and are now successful adults.

While i remember believing Weinberg's famous quote when I was 25, I find it doesn't play true.

Naples has an abundance of smart successful people of all ages. I think that feeling of competence and acknowledgment of success by our kids as they interacted with other Neapolitans more than paid off.

My one son in high school wanted to be an author. He spent a Summer discussing life with Stephen King in old Naples as King recovered from an illness.

We never found a better safer place to raise kids and let them learn from life's example than in Naples.

Beth

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by Beth Mone`

"Never trust anyone over 30" Jack Weinberg

We raised our family here. Our kids graduated public schools here, went on to college and are now successful adults.

While i remember believing Weinberg's famous quote when I was 25, I find it doesn't play true.

Naples has an abundance of smart successful people of all ages. I think that feeling of competence and acknowledgment of success by our kids as they interacted with other Neapolitans more than paid off.

My one son in high school wanted to be an author. He spent a Summer discussing life with Stephen King in old Naples as King recovered from an illness.

We never found a better safer place to raise kids and let them learn from life's example than in Naples.

Beth

Weinberg is 70, now, still getting arrested and now admits he was wrong.

I'm surprised about King. He lives on the gulf in Sarasota. I wonder why he would be in Old Naples even if it were to recover?

As far as helping the prejudiced...

[cicilyb]

Hik- I remember hearing years ago that King had a home here. THis may have been back in the 80's and 90's- not sure. I was always a big fan of his books...so took note of it when I heard about it. Old Naples would have been a beautiful place for him to recover!

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by cicilyb

Hik- I remember hearing years ago that King had a home here. THis may have been back in the 80's and 90's- not sure. I was always a big fan of his books...so took note of it when I heard about it. Old Naples would have been a beautiful place for him to recover!

That's right. They spent one winter in Naples but declared it "a little bit stuck up."

Author Stephen King is at ease in the Sarasota sun | HeraldTribune.com