NAPLES, FLORIDA

'Naples' is a city in Collier County, Florida, USA. The population was 20,976 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 21,480 ^[1]. The Naples-Marco Island, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area has a total population of 317,788^[2].

Contents

Geography

Area attractions

Education and Healthcare

Demographics

History

Points of interest

Economy

Notable residents

External links

Geography

Naples is located at (26.152941, -81.798510) on U.S. Highway 41 between Miami (to the east) and Fort Myers (to the north).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 37.3 km² (14.4 mi²). 31.2 km² (12.0 mi²) of it is land and 6.2 km² (2.4 mi²) of it (16.53%) is water.

Area attractions

Naples is home to several major land reserves, including the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge, and Picayune Strand State Forest. The Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is known not only for its 11,000 acres (45 km²) of landscape and wildlife, but for a two and a half mile length boardwalk spread throughout the sanctuary^[3]. The Naples area is also home to the Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens, which dates back to 1919^[4].
Naples is part of the market for the Florida Everblades ECHL hockey team and the Florida Firecats af2 arena football team, sharing the market Fort Myers and Lee County^[5].
The city is served by the Naples Municipal Airport, whose only year-round commercial carrier is Delta Connection, which flies to Atlanta^[6]. Southwest Florida International Airport, in South Fort Myers, handles the vast majority of commercial air traffic in and out of the region, with 7.5 million passengers making their way through the airport in 2005^[7].
Naples is home to an estimated 250 Fortune 500 CEOs. ^[8]
Downtown Naples is home to the 5th Avenue South and 3rd Street South shopping districts, which feature a variety of antique shops^[9]. Gallery Row, also downtown, is a concentration among the numerous art galleries spread throughout the downtown area^[10]. The Village on Venetian Bay is an upscale open-air shopping district on the Gulf coast^[11]. Located directly off of Tamiami Trail are the Waterside Shops, an upscale open-air center home to such high-end retailers as Saks Fifth Avenue, Gucci, Tiffany & Co., and Lacoste^[12]. A two-story Barnes and Noble is located on site as well.
In a separate area is the shopping district Tin City. This open-air shopping center specializes in antiques and handmade local novelties^[13].
The Philharmonic Center for the Arts, located in North Naples, has played host to celebrities including Bill Cosby, and musical talents from across the globe^[14]. The Naples Players at the Sugden Community Theatre,[15] who, along with their Kidzact youth theatre program, have been nationally recognized as one of the top three Community Theatre companies in the entire United States. Other resident groups include the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra, The Philharmonic Center of Naples, and the other cultural attractions in Naples makes the area "The top small art town in America"^[16].
Naples is also the home to swamp buggy races, held three times each year at the Florida Sports Park.
The beach on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico is more than 10 miles long, and is noted for its cleanleness and pristine white sand. In 2005, Naples was voted the best beach in America by the Travel Channel.^[17]
With more than 80 championship golf courses in the Naples area, Naples is the self-titled "Golf Capitol of the World", claiming to have more holes per capita than any other community^[18][19]
Nearby Immokalee boasts the Seminole Casino, a 24-hour gaming venue owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
Marco Island 20 miles to the south offers island relaxation, along with upscale shops and restaurants at the Marco Island Town Center^[20].

Education and Healthcare

Naples schools are part of the Collier County School District, which includes several of the state's top-ranked schools. Barron G. Collier High School is the only school in Collier County to make Newsweek's 2006 list of top U.S. high schools^[21]. Ave Maria University, the first Catholic university established in the U.S. since 1963, is located northeast of the city^[22]. Florida Gulf Coast University is located just outside of Estero, which is between the cities of Bonita Springs and Fort Myers to the north.
The region is served by the NCH Healthcare System, which currently has 681 beds between two hospitals.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 20,976 people, 10,803 households, and 6,568 families residing in the city. The population density was 673.2/km² (1,744.3/mi²). There were 16,956 housing units at an average density of 544.2/km² (1,410.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.50% White, 4.65% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 2.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.23% of the population.
There were 10,803 households out of which 10.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were married couples living together, 5.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.2% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.92 and the average family size was 2.38.
In the city the population was spread out with 10.9% under the age of 18, 2.3% from 18 to 24, 14.5% from 25 to 44, 30.0% from 45 to 64, and 42.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 61 years. For every 100 females there were 86.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $58,641, and the median income for a family was $117,040. Males had a median income of $86,092 versus $30,948 for females. The per capita income for the city was $61,141. About 3.1% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.1% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.

History

Naples was founded during the late 1880s by former Confederate general and Kentucky U.S. Senator John Stuart Williams and his partner, Louisville businessman Walter N. Haldeman, the publisher of the ''Louisville Courier-Journal.'' It had grown into a resort town by the turn of the century. The city got its name from developers who advertised it in the north as to have "a bay comparable to that of Naples (Italy)".

Points of interest

★ The Naples Players- Recognized as one of the top Community Theatre companies in the entire United States

★ Naples Botanical Garden

★ Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens

★ Naples Pier

★ The Conservancy of Southwest Florida

★ The Teddy Bear Museum of Naples (now closed)

★ Ave Maria University (Temporary Campus)

★ Waterside Shops

★ Community School of Naples

Economy

The economy of Naples is largely based on tourism. Along with Marco Island, the city makes up the popular vacation area known as the Paradise Coast. The tax bracket of Naples is very high overall, due to the city's title of having the most millionaires per capita. Fortune 1000 company Health Management Associates is also headquartered in Naples.

Notable residents

★ Peter Thomas - television narrator, humanitarian and World War II veteran

★ Steven Spielberg - movie producer/director

★ Robert Ludlum - author (deceased)

★ Judith Sheindlin - famous television judge

External links

★ Local government

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★ City of Naples Government

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★ Collier County Government

★ Cultural and other attractions

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★ Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts

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★ Naples Players Community Theatre

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★ Naples Botanical Garden

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★ Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens

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★ Naples Daily News - Newspaper of Record

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★ Official Naples Visitor Bureau

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★ Naples Bay Resort

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★ Naples Hotel, Resort and Area Guide

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★ Naples, FL and all of Collier County Giant Resource. 30,000+ home pages of Collier County businesses, thousands of news articles, Videos and chat