Naples~It's My Town!

Naples is a place like no other.  It is a town that appears to all that visit or live in it to be clean, well maintained and manicured throughout with beautiful beaches of white sugar sand that you can walk for miles just listening to the relaxing sound of the tide washing in.  I love taking long walks on the beach with no worries or concerns about anything at all.  It is a great place to relieve stress and just let your thoughts wander.   The the selection of fine restaurants, shopping and entertainment is vast.  I have always enjoyed living in Naples as an adult but when I was a teenager I remember I couldn't wait to escape.  So what changed? 

Naples has grown in many ways since I was a teenager.  Many would admit that some are good while others bad.  I guess I would say I found
Naples to be a rather small fishing town when my parents first moved our family here when I was eleven (41 years ago) but each year we were here we saw the town experience growing pains~ Fast food restaurants opened around the high school first McDonalds then Burger King (now gone);  the opening of Kmart was once a big deal since Walmart, Target or the mall were nonexistent at that time; influx of people crowding the roadways from many different origins which brought on the local housing boom beginning with Park Shore then moving first north, then northeast, then southeast with our first true towering condominiums coming down on Vanderbilt then all along the North-Central Naples coast line; the state owned park providing paved parking and beach access at a price; hotels and condos cutting off direct beach access; road expansion; stop-lights galore and the never-ending golf courses that were developed.  Some of this growth took place in my absence when I was attending FSU in Tallahassee earning my degrees, making new friends, and trying to find my place as a young career-minded adult.   Once again believing Naples was not a place I planned to return to but then came marriage, responsibilities, a slowing job market in North Florida and here we were newlyweds in Naples with the original intent of always returning to North Florida.  We made our family here; were gainfully employed in jobs we enjoyed; and found ourselves wanting to stay for the services, amenities and schools which we felt benefited our young family and children.  We became part of the community as adults.  Love the beach, the parks, the amenities, the restaurants, old friends and new . . .  So we grew into the community as adults and lost that immature attitude we had as young people.  But don't get me wrong there are many things that we have lose through the growth of Naples that will never be returned- the freedom to drive right up to the beach without a permit; the hunting grounds  now known as the estates or even subdivisions east of 951 (Collier Blvd).  But most of all we lost the small hometown fishing village feeling; the closeness of the community; the securities often found in small towns; and the familiarity of all of our neighbors.  When I went to school there was one Naples High School and now there are six with people living in all the areas that we once viewed as undisturbed. 

I remember the days when life was carefree; school was fun; friends were many; and you could drive on the road without finding yourself backed up in traffic . . .  I remember the old roller rink; driving around town with little to no traffic; parties at the beach; camp outs at the beach; and the relaxed nature of this area.  I remember when the mall was in Ft. Myers or Miami not across the street from the high school which was once just a vast area of trees for students to escapes in for one reason or another.  It's been a long time since my family first moved to Naples and it has definitely changed.

When I was a teenager I thought living in North Naples in Palm River was like living out in the boondocks, so far from everything.  I rode a school bus for the first time since we moved from a city in which I could once walk to anything.  But that city is no longer a good place to raise a family now with all the places I once freely wandered as a child full of gangs and those who no longer welcome the pure joys of just living.  Naples however is a place and will always be a place I can enjoy those pure joys of living with the freedom to travel only to find myself appreciated all the amenities and progress that Naples has.  I haven't found another place that can compare and I am still young compared to the average age in this paradise, HaHa!

Build or Remodel a House in Naples with ONLY the BEST!

A. VERNON ALLEN BUILDER, INC.  has been building houses in Naples since 1951.  Who could ask for more experience?  Not only do they build and remodel existing homes, they do the BEST work in town!  They are well-known for the details to every level of construction fine tuning every element to meet the owners expectations and needs. 
They not only build the home of your dreams but they will take care of you and the work they have done well into the future.  Unlike many builders that purchase a menial insurance policy to cover the workmanship of their construction, AVA stands behind their workmanship for years to come.  The people who work for AVA are their to make you feel at ease through every step of the process and help you make the decisions needed to build and create a home that will endure for many years.  They have been well-established in Port Royal and Downtown Naples for over 60 years now and have built amazing structures.
 I have had the opportunity to see their work from plans, pilings, foundations to the final decorator touches and the workmanship is outstanding.  You will not find better workmanship in Southwest Florida. 
You may find that the owner is a bit eccentric but you will find that he has nothing but your best interests at heart.  He can be a bit overwhelming but again he has and will continue to build and stand behind the product that they have built for ages.  They have even been hired to go in and clean up the messes that other contractors in the area have created with poor workmanship and the inability or wiliness to guarantee the work.  That is one thing you will never have to worry about with AVA, they will always be there to complete the project with excellent workmanship and a guarantee offered by no other.
 You are a fool, if you go with the cheapest bid in this area because you will get just what you paid for, substandard workmanship.  You need to consider what years of guaranteed quality workmanship will provide you from day one.  And I know if you do, you will have no doubts about choosing the ONLY QUALITY CONTRACTOR in Collier County.

For more information on A. VERNON ALLEN visit their website at
http://www.avernonallenbuilder.com/index.php   There website will share a gallery of homes built by this quality contractor as well as remodeled (special projects) homes with before and after pictures.  From this site you will also find more background on the company, links to sites in Naples and contact information for AVA. 

Thinking about building or just remodeling~  Want quality with a guarantee~ Contact them today!

Sunny Naples

Beautiful Sunny weather in Naples today.  A great day to take in the beach with clear baby blue skies laying on sugar white sand listening to the sound of the tide washing in and out while reading a new suspense novel enjoying my solitude followed by a long walk along the south shore of Naples along the beach backed by Gordon Drive all the way to point where you can see Keewaydin in the distance.  Then the walk back to 16th South, a dip in the Gulf, a bit more sun to dry off before loading up the car and heading home.  This is the life in Naples when you are unemployed but enjoying the life while you can.

 The beaches in Naples are beautiful and anyone who visits the area needs to make sure they spend some time walking the shore that is not completely contaminated with condominiums common in many other areas of the coast but homes to millionaires.  I've had the opportunity to see many of the homes decorated and just built through the years and it is never the size that amazes me, it is often the furnishing or decor.  You look at them and you would agree with me I am sure, who lives here.  No one who takes their shoes off and just sits down.  No one who puts their feet up on a table or the sofa.  There are decorative statues or in one carousal horses set out but there were no personal items, keepsakes or decorative pieces on the kitchen counters.  Nothing seems out of place anywhere.  In fact, many of the furnishings look like museum pieces and you might wonder as I do~ just where do you put your feet just to watch the news.   There are walls decorated in cloth or marble floors that clearly need polishing daily to eliminate any foot prints.  At least if I lived there they would. I don't know about you but I like walking around in my bare feet;  I like to put my feet up on the furniture once in a while.  Don't get me wrong, I like everything in it's proper place in my house  and I like my home clean, tidy and decorated.  However, I also like to feel like it is a home; that someone lives there; that you can touch things; or set something down.  I think my home is better (sure smaller than the monstrosities) and it feels lived in.  It's okay to put the paper on the table for the day or hang clothes to dry in the laundry, put bananas on the counter, or forget to make the bed once in a while.  My home has breakables and items I don't want others touching all the times but you can just sit, enjoy yourself, relax, recline and take a nap in comfort.  I think I prefer mine over theirs.  You?

Hot and Humid-But I love It!

It is another hot and humid day in Naples, Florida with the sun shining amongst blue skies with very few clouds.  There is not a wind today or if there is you will not notice.  You can enjoy the beach, a dip in the pool or a cool beverage to help you tolerate the heat. Naples is located in Southwest Florida and I love it.  The medians are well-landscaped; buildings all built to code; cleanliness is unsurpassed by any other city I have ever visited and the average automobile is a luxury model.  You will not see poverty if you travel through Naples because for years it has been well-hidden.  You will notice the shopping districts, banks, golf-courses and multitude of restaurants that are surrounded by multi-million dollar homes in many areas of the city. 

Naples is a great place to visit and the perfect place to live especially if you grew up here as I did.  Naples has all the amenities to keep most people busy.  There are fishing charters, festivals, theatres, live performances, golf, tennis, and much, much more.  The city has definitely grown in the forty years I have lived here.  I have lived a couple other places in my adult life and visited many others but none of them compare to the clean feeling you get when you drive around Naples.  It has the best health care for all ages and the school system has always been outstanding.  I do miss the small town feel but I enjoy the amenities that have come with the growth- parks, well-maintained beaches, excellent roads, . . .  It's a great place.  If you have never been to Naples, Florida, now is the time to plan a visit.  I am betting you will fall in love with it.  I have:)

Don't get me wrong, there is poverty in Naples and everyone including myself is not wealthy.  It is just the vibe generated by what you see when you visit.  Most of the full time residents of Naples are middle class and live in mid-range housing but unless you are looking that is not what will catch your eye when visiting our town.  It's just the way the town is and has been for as long as I can remember.  Maybe that is one of the reason I like living here.