Lived here almost 3 years now UPDATE (Miami, Tampa: for sale, real estate, 2014)

[Tripower455]

Originally Posted by OptimusPrime69

I dont understand why ppl take offense when Naples is called boring.
I mean, it's not untrue...

No offense taken. I just turned 50, and I've lived in Naples for almost 30 years. I have never considered it boring, so yeah, it is untrue. If it was boring, I wouldn't have stayed in Naples.

It really depends where your interests lie. If you're into snowboarding or the rage scene, yeah, I think you'd be pretty bored in Naples.

[Neapolitan]

Originally Posted by OptimusPrime69

Yes, Tampa St. Pete/Tampa would be more exciting, Miami of course, orlando...etc.

Wow, it's good YOU don't live in Naples, but in Miami.

Enjoy your Miami scene. Miami is certainly not for everyone, but apparently it's good for you, an active 31-year-old.

[markjames68]

Originally Posted by Tripower455

No offense taken. I just turned 50, and I've lived in Naples for almost 30 years. I have never considered it boring, so yeah, it is untrue. If it was boring, I wouldn't have stayed in Naples.

It really depends where your interests lie. If you're into snowboarding or the rage scene, yeah, I think you'd be pretty bored in Naples.

No Tony Montana's in Naples, for sure.

[Sweetbottoms]

Originally Posted by markjames68

No Tony Montana's in Naples, for sure.

Clearly you haven't met some of the high rollers in the port Royal area.. This place is riddled with drugs. Heroin being high on the list. Had a bad batch going around last year around oct- nov last year. Sheriffs office was getting 8 calls a night for deaths. Owner of south street was one of them

[macrodome2]

Originally Posted by Tripower455

Here are a few basic rules for driving in FL:

Everyone else has the right of way, all the time.

The only time to drive fast is in parking lots or until you catch up with another car, at which point, you're to pace him in his blind spot.

If the speed limit is 50 and not a construction zone, drive 35-40 next to other cars going 35-40. DO NOT PASS!

If the speed limit is 35 AND it's a construction zone, go 50 mph plus, tailgating anyone going slower. On multi lane roads, the pacing rule applies, so be sure to slow to the same speed as the car you just caught up with and stay in the blind spot.

The left lane is for pacing (not passing) as is the middle lane.

The 1/4 mile long acceleration lane on the interstate isn't. Be sure to drive at 35 until the merge, and then stop. This is the safest way to merge into 60 mph traffic.

The 1/4 mile long deceleration lane exiting the interstate isn't either. Be sure to slow to 45 while still ON the interstate when exiting.

Everyone is in a hurry, unless/until they're in front of you.

Red lights are for texting.

There are no blind spots.

Driving in packs like you're in a parade is far safer than spreading out, especially in heavy rain or fog.

When the light turns green, sit there until it turns yellow. The folks behind you want to keep texting, so it's OK if they miss the green light a few times.

This was so funny (and true) I had to read it out loud to my husband.

[Thundarr457]

It depends on your definition of boring. I spent some time there and I loved the stores and restaurants on 5th Ave and 3rd St. I saw some dolphins, shopped at the Waterside Shops which are very high end. The Mercato is mostly restaurants and a Whole Food Market and a high end Kitchen Supply Place Sur La table, its okay for a meal or a movie. The pier is great, the beaches if you can find a parking space which is not always easy. Tin City Shops are a tourist mecca plus there is a nice restaurant looking out over the inlet. The boat ride that takes you by the Port Royal Palaces was fun. Those were the high points but living there full time would be boring to me. If you are a big golfer that helps. To each their own and we could go on and on with everybody having a different opinion but after spending time there I would run out of interesting things to do fairly quickly. I thought it was boring long before I read this thread.

[markjames68]

Originally Posted by Sweetbottoms

Clearly you haven't met some of the high rollers in the port Royal area.. This place is riddled with drugs. Heroin being high on the list. Had a bad batch going around last year around oct- nov last year. Sheriffs office was getting 8 calls a night for deaths. Owner of south street was one of them

You'll find heroin and meth problems everywhere now, sadly.

[relocatingtonaples]

Interesting thread.

My husband and I have been snowbirders for 5 years with a home in Naples we recently sold. We've spent a few months a year here in season each year. I've also spent a couple of months each year off season, usually because I've had business travel in the south and it was easier to use RSW as a home base than Cleveland or Akron airports. Or simply drive to Orlando, Miami, Tampa, etc. We are building a new home in Riverstone to relocate to Naples full time.

I've traveled extensively on business for almost 30 years, including overseas.

My impressions:

- Property values in Naples are great and real estate values are robust. Home values bounced back very well after the drop in 2009-ish. Our home in Ohio which is twice as large at over 5,000 sq ft as the Naples one we recently sold, is worth almost exactly the same 20 years later. Almost zero appreciation. Yet we doubled our money in 5 years on the Naples home we sold. True, we bought it at short sale, but still... Naples is a far more robust real estate market.

- Taxes in Naples/ Collier are lower. In Ohio school levies are out of control, driven by redundant and overpaid school administrators and Taj Mahal facilities that don't improve school ratings, don't improve education, and don't benefit students in the long run. So you end up in Ohio with $15K annual property tax bills, yet mediocre schools - both of which undermine property values. (I'm not saying that nice facilities aren't good, but when you have an inept local school board that agrees to reimburse a morally-bankrupt (in my opinion) school administrator $260K for 27 years worth of his past college expenses, a move called "jaw dropping" by the State Auditor, something is seriously rotten with the system.) Me, I'll take the Collier school system and Naples taxes. Every. Single. Day.

- Traffic in season is slow and annoying as others here have mentioned. Still, by comparison with driving in the Northeast or Miami or LA or Mexico, it's really not so bad. I've driven rental cars in many major cities white knuckled - literally. I can live with Naples slowpokes. LOL

- Naples night life is not exciting. But I no longer care about night life.

- Naples weather is a huge improvement over many other places. There are almost 4 months' worth of sunny days more per year than where I currently live. And in the winter months we have 1.5 hours less daylight than Naples. I live on a golf course in Ohio but you can only play 5 months of the year. Oh sure, the diehards get their propane heaters and plastic cart covers they zip themselves into. But the ground is soggy, the air is heavy, and it feels like your golf club is hitting a brick when you play in April. The club pool is only open for 3 months. So it's really expensive to carry a membership year round when you can only enjoy most of the facilities for a small part of the year.

All in all, I think Naples has real positives.

[Thundarr457]

Originally Posted by relocatingtonaples

Interesting thread.

My husband and I have been snowbirders for 5 years with a home in Naples we recently sold. We've spent a few months a year here in season each year. I've also spent a couple of months each year off season, usually because I've had business travel in the south and it was easier to use RSW as a home base than Cleveland or Akron airports. Or simply drive to Orlando, Miami, Tampa, etc. We are building a new home in Riverstone to relocate to Naples full time.

I've traveled extensively on business for almost 30 years, including overseas.

My impressions:

- Property values in Naples are great and real estate values are robust. Home values bounced back very well after the drop in 2009-ish. Our home in Ohio which is twice as large at over 5,000 sq ft as the Naples one we recently sold, is worth almost exactly the same 20 years later. Almost zero appreciation. Yet we doubled our money in 5 years on the Naples home we sold. True, we bought it at short sale, but still... Naples is a far more robust real estate market.

- Taxes in Naples/ Collier are lower. In Ohio school levies are out of control, driven by redundant and overpaid school administrators and Taj Mahal facilities that don't improve school ratings, don't improve education, and don't benefit students in the long run. So you end up in Ohio with $15K annual property tax bills, yet mediocre schools - both of which undermine property values. (I'm not saying that nice facilities aren't good, but when you have an inept local school board that agrees to reimburse a morally-bankrupt (in my opinion) school administrator $260K for 27 years worth of his past college expenses, a move called "jaw dropping" by the State Auditor, something is seriously rotten with the system.) Me, I'll take the Collier school system and Naples taxes. Every. Single. Day.

- Traffic in season is slow and annoying as others here have mentioned. Still, by comparison with driving in the Northeast or Miami or LA or Mexico, it's really not so bad. I've driven rental cars in many major cities white knuckled - literally. I can live with Naples slowpokes. LOL

- Naples night life is not exciting. But I no longer care about night life.

- Naples weather is a huge improvement over many other places. There are almost 4 months' worth of sunny days more per year than where I currently live. And in the winter months we have 1.5 hours less daylight than Naples. I live on a golf course in Ohio but you can only play 5 months of the year. Oh sure, the diehards get their propane heaters and plastic cart covers they zip themselves into. But the ground is soggy, the air is heavy, and it feels like your golf club is hitting a brick when you play in April. The club pool is only open for 3 months. So it's really expensive to carry a membership year round when you can only enjoy most of the facilities for a small part of the year.

All in all, I think Naples has real positives.

You can compare Ohio or the northeast to almost any city in Florida in terms of weather and there is no comparison. I live in Buffalo and anything is an improvement. Summers are much hotter and more humid in Naples though. As far as property values go you are spot on. I bought my house 10 years ago in Buffalo and there has been zero appreciation. I think the property values in Naples have peaked now and there will be little appreciation for awhile and if the housing market falls it will fall more there because it has risen more. Taxes are very low in Naples and a big plus. Nightlife is pretty non existent in Naples and since you are not looking for any that's fine. You are golfers and Naples is the golfing capital so that's great for you. Enjoy your life there.

[relocatingtonaples]

Originally Posted by Thundarr457

You can compare Ohio or the northeast to almost any city in Florida in terms of weather and there is no comparison. I live in Buffalo and anything is an improvement. Summers are much hotter and more humid in Naples though. As far as property values go you are spot on. I bought my house 10 years ago in Buffalo and there has been zero appreciation. I think the property values in Naples have peaked now and there will be little appreciation for awhile and if the housing market falls it will fall more there because it has risen more. Taxes are very low in Naples and a big plus. Nightlife is pretty non existent in Naples and since you are not looking for any that's fine. You are golfers and Naples is the golfing capital so that's great for you. Enjoy your life there.

Ah Buffalo -- one of the few cities I haven't visited, but living near Lake Erie, I certainly understand lake effect snow.