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Registered
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Louisa, VA
Posts: 96
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Naples, FL area?
Hey Guys-
My wife and I are considering a relocation to the Naples, FL area. We like it down there, having visited a few times, but have never lived there. Anybody local have any "real world" observations or comments on the general business climate/state of the economy in that area? My wife is an RN, and I'm in Sales. Thanks in advance for any comments, advice, etc. DL |
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Registered
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: North of You
Posts: 9,160
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This should be interesting. Subscribed.
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"A machine you build yourself is a vote for a different way of life. There are things you have to earn with your hands." |
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Banned
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: cutler bay
Posts: 15,136
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a nice little village totally destroyed by urban sprawl
only plus to the place is the collier collection unless you like never end strip malls and housing developments no real jobs only service type stuff wife as a RN should be high demand as lots of old farts sales not to much happening |
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TIG Welder
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My father-in-law has lived there for decades. If I remember correctly, it's the wealthiest city per capita in the US? Depending on what sort of sales you do, I'd think you'd be OK. My wife and I just relocated from Colorado to Tampa a little over a month ago, and there seem to be plenty of jobs (then why am I typing this from my apartment at noon???).
I like Naples; nice beaches, plenty of good food and shopping, relatively close to the Keys and Miami, couple hours to Tampa if you need a bigger city for something. We considered it but for reasons that aren't important Tampa won our vote. Good luck!
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'79 SC Targa (SOLD) '85 944 (SOLD) '86 951 (SOLD) '97 Boxster (SOLD) |
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Registered
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Louisa, VA
Posts: 96
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Thanks for the replies, guys-
So... double- Broncos or Bucs? ![]() Anyone else out care to opine? Locals? What do you like about Naples, and what don't you like? |
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19 years and 17k posts...
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I lived in Ft Myers for 3 years ('80-'82) and it was unbearably hot and humid in the summer. I would rather stay in northern FL, like St Augustine or Pensacola, but that's just me. Have you spent a summer down there yet?
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Art Zasadny 1974 Porsche 911 Targa "Helga" (Sold, back home in Germany) Learning the bass guitar Driving Ford company cars now... www.ford.com |
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Registered
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: North of You
Posts: 9,160
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I think you will find a huge cultural difference....no? Dinner hour is about 4PM there....
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"A machine you build yourself is a vote for a different way of life. There are things you have to earn with your hands." |
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I think every former upper management GM/FORD/CHRY exec. has retired to SW Florida. The area has gone nuts in the last 15 years. Hope you like golf.
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Jacksonville. Florida https://www.flickr.com/photos/ury914/ |
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Pasadena, CA
Posts: 1,382
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Almost every neighborhood is gated. Too hot in the summer months, so the place empties out. It gets pretty swampy pretty quickly as you move inland, so the "nice" parts are mostly only the 5 mile strip next to the water. Having said all that, having a drink at the little tiki bar on the beach behind the Ritz watching the sunset is not so bad. The collier collection is phenomenal.
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My business partner lives there, plus we have a few retail stores there... Business is very seasonal, mainly snow birds for the winter, gone by Easter, and you can really see it on the roads, when they leave, it is like a ghost town.. The real back bone to the econmy in Naples has always been the medical, taking care of the older people, but many now are buying homes in NC, and others are dying off, meaning not as much work to go around. People in Naples stop SPENDING anytime there is talk of a TAX increase, we have seen this happen EVERY time DC has talked about it and the numbers back that up
![]() Course, when I'm down there, we eat almost every day at Jimmy P's Butcher Shop & Deli, http://jimmypsbutchershop.com/ This place ROCKS!!!! As for night life, you pretty much have to go to St. Pete...
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Byron ![]() 20+ year PCA member ![]() Many Cool Porsches, Projects& Parts, Vintage BMX bikes too |
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Registered
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,085
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Great fishing and kayaking. Water you can get in w/o getting shrinkage
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Peter '79 930, Odyssey kid carrier, Prius sacrificial lamb Missing ![]() nil carborundum illegitimi |
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Registered
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Louisa, VA
Posts: 96
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Thanks, Guys-
I did live in Tampa for year way back in the day, so I'm familiar with the heat. Honestly, though, having been in central VA for most of my life, the humidity here is as bad as any I've seen in FLA. Right now I'm a Branch Manager for a privately held Konica Minolta/Ricoh/ HP VAR. There are some larger imdependents in this industry down there, but it looks like most of the industry is further north in the Ft. Myers area..., or in teh Ft. Lauderdale/Miami area which we also considered. I tell you what though- you can buy a nice house down there for very little. That's attractive. And yes, I do play golf. |
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