Fort Myers Beach vs Naples Beach

Old Dec 17th, 2014, 06:19 AM
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Fort Myers Beach vs Naples Beach

My family of nine, (grandparents, parents, four young children), is planning on a trip to Florida in mid April. We'll be renting a house and had originally planned to be on either Captiva or Sanibel Island. But the price of houses to the value we were looking for haven't worked out. So we are now looking at the surrounding areas and I was wondering if there are any opinions on one beach location to another. We are mainly going for the beach and night life, golf, or other non-kid friendly activities aren't important. Thank you!
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Old Dec 17th, 2014, 06:24 AM
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I like the city of Naples better than I like Fort Myers.

I can't believe Naples is cheaper than anywhere because it is so spendy.
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Old Dec 17th, 2014, 07:09 AM
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Naples is very nice, but Fort Myers Beach is a fun place for kids. There is a pier for fishing, beautiful sand. A short distance south is a state park on the water, I think it is called Johnston State Park and that is less busy, and a very nice beach.
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Old Dec 17th, 2014, 03:48 PM
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Thank you for the advice. The main problem with Sanibel is that the houses require a month long stay and then the condos offered weren't large enough for our group. Both Fort Myers and Naples sound good in the city's write up, but it's always hard to trust the local tourist board.
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Old Dec 17th, 2014, 06:04 PM
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Are you talking about renting a house on Naples Beach? Seriously?
If Ft. Myers beach is a Chevy, Naples Beach is a Rolls.
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Old Dec 17th, 2014, 06:23 PM
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Patrick, I was thinking the same thing. I can't imagine how expensive a house on the ocean in peak season is in Naples.

By far if you can swing it Naples over Fort Myers.
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Old Dec 18th, 2014, 03:53 AM
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Actually, in Naples itself, I can't imagine that there is a single house that is ever for rent on the beach itself. Period -- unless it might be for a one or two year lease starting at something like $10,000 a month. Within the city, there are a few, but none would consider a week's rental that I can imagine.
Certainly people would not stay in Naples over other choices to save money!

My sister's extended family rented a 6 bedroom house on a canal in Marco Island with a private pool a few years ago for a week. But the OP mentioned nightlife and activities -- so I'd hesitate to recommend Marco. (By the way, I think that rental was about $3500 for the week).
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Old Dec 18th, 2014, 04:58 AM
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I'm always surprised when negative comments are made about an aspect of a trip that wasn't really introduced to be discussed. I do thank those of you responded for your time. It's more helpful though to address the point of the question and give a reason to support your opinion. Anything else, when written with a negative bent, is uninteresting and disappointing.
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Old Dec 18th, 2014, 05:11 AM
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Huh? Could you explain that please?

You asked about the possibility of Naples as opposed to Ft. Myers Beach based on the issue of price problems with the other locations. Do you resent that we have firmly suggested that Naples is more expensive, or is cost suddenly not an issue -- even though you indicated it is?

What "negative comments" are being made about an aspect of the trip that wasn't introduced to be discussed?

Would you be happier if we weren't honest about Naples -- a fantastic place, but generally regarded as one of the priciest places in Florida? I will repeat what JoJoSiestakey said -- "By far if you can swing it Naples over Fort Myers."
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Old Dec 18th, 2014, 05:15 AM
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By the way, you specifically stated in your post that "we are renting a house" and you added that you are looking at other "beach locations". So naturally the talk turned to the possibility of renting a HOUSE on the BEACH. Were we wrong in that?
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Old Dec 18th, 2014, 10:23 AM
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Lara... You need to chill... You also need to know that you will have to haul nine people from Ft Myers airport all the way to Naples for an overpriced rental... Great rentals in Naples are More Expensive than Sanibel/Captiva... Ft Myers is much more Family rental... In fact, consider Clearwater or Sarasota as better choices... Good luck...
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Old Dec 18th, 2014, 11:41 AM
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What negative comments?

You said that beach locations on Sanibel and Captiva weren't of value and now you are looking at Naples and Fort Myers.

Naples is far nicer than Fort Myers but there isn't any value there.

You are paying for the name, for the very wealthy enclave of Naples in peak season or much more blue collar Fort Myers.

To me it isn't even a competition.

BTW, Patrick is a long time resident of Naples and I lived on Siesta Key for a couple of years. I think that makes us experts in the area.
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Old Dec 18th, 2014, 01:16 PM
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Perhaps there was an issue of me taking the tone of your choice of words the wrong way. It seemed to me that you were "imagining" how much renting a house must cost without really knowing anything specific. To me, that sounds like you are being negative, not supportive.

Besides, I asked about the areas. Not about opinions of renting. Being residents I would regard you as experts on the area. Emalloy however is the only responder who gave an opinion backed up with facts. When a statement is as general as "you are paying for the name (Naples)", "Fort Myers is blue collar", or even "Clearwater or Sarasota are better choices", I have no idea how to take that because I don't know you or your point of reference. In reading your replies I saw no supportive evidence to visit either area and therefore I found them negative.
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Old Dec 18th, 2014, 01:39 PM
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"It seemed to me that you were "imagining" how much renting a house must cost without really knowing anything specific."

That's because I also thought I made clear there are no such things as houses for rent on the beach in Naples. One can only "imagine" what the houses on the beach in Naples would rent for IF they were ever rented. At a value of at least 5 to 10 million each minimum, it is an educated guess that they would be at least $10,000 a month on an annual lease.
Sorry. I really wish I could tell you exact prices for rentals on the beach, but since they don't exist, I'm not sure how I could do that.

And maybe I took YOUR tone wrong too. I really interpreted "But the price of houses to the value we were looking for haven't worked out. So we are now looking at the surrounding areas . . ." as if you were saying we're looking for something nicer but less expensive in Naples. I was just being honest that that isn't going to happen. But I sincerely apologize if I took that comment wrong.
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Old Dec 18th, 2014, 02:51 PM
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<When a statement is as general as "you are paying for the name (Naples)", "Fort Myers is blue collar", or even "Clearwater or Sarasota are better choices", I have no idea how to take that because I don't know you or your point of reference. >

Sorry, but welcome to the Internet. These are opinions, which you solicited by posting here. You don't have to like them, you don't have to do as they suggest, but what else were you expecting? emalloy's helpful post is his/her opinion, too, so...not sure where you're coming from.

My opinion--ahem--is that Ft. Myers and Naples are apples and oranges--the former more blue collar, the latter high cotton indeed. Since night life and fine dining and golf are not important to you, as you say, I'd choose Ft. Myers for your group. The kids will love it the beach, and you'll get a better value for money.
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Old Dec 18th, 2014, 03:01 PM
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Sorry, those phrases were confusing to you. Here are better explanations:

You are paying or the name Naples means Naples is at least twice as expensive as Ft. Myers Beach.
And
Fort Myers is blue collar means that Ft Myers is more lower middle income people while Naples is considerably more upper class and more expensive. We often use blue collar and white collar to indicate overall income or wealth of residents.

You're welcome.
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Old Dec 19th, 2014, 01:18 AM
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We are renting a house on a canal with a pool and dock in Marco Island for a family group in March for a price in the same range as NeoPatrick's sister paid several years ago.

It is not on the beach but within walking distance. It has five televisions and a billiard table. We don't watch much tv ourselves, but there is little night life in Marco, again as Neo said.

Beachfront property in Naples: when we still owned a condo there, a property on Gordon Drive was going for $55 million. There are houses on canals in North Naples that might fit your budget but they are not large enough to fit your party nor are they on the beach.

Naples, west of US 41 and south perhaps of Vanderbilt Beach Road is a very, very beautiful small city. It has areas that are charming like Old [sic] Naples, areas that are imposing like Gordon Drive, areas that are beautifully laid out and landscaped like Pelican Bay, and areas that might not be done that way again if they could start all over like the area from Venetian Village to Doctors Pass.

Within this area are museums and cultural activities (music and theater), great food, both funky and high end, epic shopping, fabulous beaches, and very little traffic IF you avoid 41.

These may not be the amenities you are looking for, but they are high value amenities that make Naples Worth the Price for many people. You are paying for more than the name.

In this area, there are, to my perhaps out of date knowledge, no miniature golf, water parks, go carts, traditional souvenir shops (plenty of tacky art, though), biker bars, surf shops, outlets, or many other things that a lot of people want on vacation. I am not knocking these just trying to characterize in a fairly neutral way how the areas west of 41 differ from traditional beach communities.

I don't know where you are from, but but I think Naples is comparable to Carmel; Petoskey, or Harbor Springs, Michigan; Nantucket or Martha's Vineyard; Mount Desert or Dark Harbor, Maine.

Hope this helps!
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Old Dec 19th, 2014, 04:11 AM
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Great and accurately descriptive post, Ackislander. Gee, that house in Marco sounds just like the one my sister's family rented!

Just a couple of comments, though.
There are a ton of souvenir shops in Naples -- think Tin City in particular, which is actually a kind of fun stroll through lots of them.
There is a pretty good miniature golf course on East 41, quite close in.
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Old Dec 19th, 2014, 08:36 AM
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Neo, I think that description could fit most of the houses in Marco! LOL

Well, I was mostly thinking about the area between 41 and the beach to the west. Tin City is below the jog in 41, so I left it out! But I was thinking of it among the "funky food" places.
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Old Dec 19th, 2014, 09:53 AM
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Ackislander, kind of funny story. That house in Marco was rented by my sister's kids, grandkids, and great grandkids a few months after she died. Her husband had died a year before. The family gathered for a week and they tossed my sister and her husband's ashes into the canal. As they did that, two porpoises swam right up to the seawall, raised their heads and nodded -- I kid you not! So of course, all the little ones decided that was "grandma and grandpa". To this day, a couple of those kids (now about 9 years older) want to go back to Marco to see if grandma and grandpa are still there.
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