Living in Old Naples, Florida

Living in Old Naples

Old Naples is the oldest part of the City of Naples: the blocks between the Gulf of Mexico and US-41 around Fifth Avenue South, Third Street South and the Naples Pier, with Naples Bay to the east. It is one of the few places in Southwest Florida where you can walk from your front door to the beach, to dinner and to a Saturday farmers market.

The town started here. In 1886 John Stuart Williams and Walter N. Haldeman formed the Naples Town Improvement Company and bought 3,712 acres between the Gulf and Naples Bay. The pier opened in 1888 and a hotel followed in 1889. Haldeman's 1895 cottage on 12th Avenue South still stands as Historic Palm Cottage.

There is no official line for Old Naples. The city describes it as the area west of US-41 to the beach, running north from the Third Street South shops toward the old Naples Beach Hotel site, and real estate listings stretch the name south toward Aqualane Shores and north toward Seventh Avenue North. Ask how a listing defines it, and check the parcel on the Collier County Property Appraiser's map.

Because Old Naples is inside city limits, the City of Naples handles permits, flood rules, water, sewer, trash and beach-end parking. Collier County still assesses the property and runs the schools.

Streets and pockets of Old Naples

Old Naples is a grid of numbered avenues running east to the Gulf, crossed by streets like Gulf Shore Boulevard, Gordon Drive and Third Street South. Each stretch has its own mix of homes.

Naples Historic District

The National Register district listed in 1987, bounded by Ninth Avenue South, Third Street, Thirteenth Avenue South and the Gulf. Its contributing buildings date from 1887 to 1937, many of them frame vernacular cottages.

Third Street South

The shopping street of boutiques, galleries and restaurants a few blocks from the beach, home to the Saturday farmers market. Condos and townhomes sit on the blocks around it.

Fifth Avenue South

The downtown main street, running east from Third Street toward US-41, with shops, restaurants, offices and condo and mixed-use buildings.

Broad Avenue South

A wide avenue with a landscaped median running to the Gulf, with older cottages and newer houses. Its beach end is one of the main walk-on accesses near the pier.

Gulf Shore Boulevard South

The Gulf-front street from the pier area south toward Gordon Drive, with beachfront homes on one side and the avenue beach ends along the way.

Crayton Cove

The small waterfront pocket on Naples Bay around 12th Avenue South and the Naples City Dock, with restaurants, the Naples Yacht Club nearby and bay-view condos.

Cambier Park area

The blocks around Cambier Park near Fifth Avenue South, close to the Sugden Community Theatre and Naples Art.

Aqualane Shores (neighbor)

The canal neighborhood just south of Old Naples, developed from 1949, with most homes on navigable water. Often listed alongside Old Naples, but it is its own neighborhood.

Kinds of homes in Old Naples

Old Naples has four main kinds of homes: historic cottages, rebuilt single-family houses on small lots, Gulf-front estates, and low-rise condos and townhomes near the shopping streets.

Historic cottages are the oldest stock, mostly frame houses built before the late 1930s, concentrated inside the Naples Historic District. Palm Cottage at 137 12th Avenue South, built of tabby mortar in 1895, is the best-known example. A cottage on the National Register or on the city's historic list can come with review requirements for changes, so ask the city before you plan a remodel.

Most streets now mix original houses with newer two-story homes built after teardowns. Lots are smaller than in Port Royal or Aqualane Shores, and many new homes are raised to meet current flood elevations, so you will see a 1950s ranch at grade next to a new house on a raised first floor.

Gulf-front homes line Gulf Shore Boulevard South and the west ends of the avenues, closest to surge and erosion.

Condos and townhomes cluster around Third Street South, Fifth Avenue South and Crayton Cove, mostly low- and mid-rise buildings. Buildings three habitable stories or taller fall under Florida's milestone inspection and reserve rules, so read the association's reports before you make an offer.

Schools for Old Naples addresses

Old Naples is served by Collier County Public Schools. Addresses we checked across the neighborhood, from Broad Avenue South to Gulf Shore Boulevard North, were zoned to the three schools below when this guide was written. Zones change, so look up the exact address in the district's zoned-school tool at zones.collierschools.com before you count on it.

Gulfview Middle School sits inside Old Naples, on Sixth Street South. Collier County also offers Parental Choice applications to request a school outside your zone, subject to space, and lists charter schools on its website. Naples has private schools as well; contact each school about admissions.

Lake Park Elementary School

1295 14th Avenue North, Naples 34102.

Gulfview Middle School

255 6th Street South, Naples 34102, a few blocks from Fifth Avenue South.

Naples High School

1100 Golden Eagle Circle, Naples 34102.

Beaches and parks in Old Naples

The beach in Old Naples is the city's own: a run of public beach ends at the west end of the avenues, plus the Naples Pier at 12th Avenue South. Most homes are a few blocks from one.

Parking at the beach ends is run by the City of Naples. Some ends are pay stations open to anyone, and others are reserved for vehicles with a City of Naples or Collier County resident beach permit. City residents and city property owners get their permit at City Hall, 735 Eighth Street South; Collier County residents use the free county sticker. naplesgov.com blocked automated reads, so check the city's beach parking page for which ends are resident-only.

The Naples Pier was badly damaged by Hurricane Ian in September 2022 and has been closed since. The city began demolition and rebuilding work in early 2026. The beach on both sides stays open; check the City of Naples pier page for the reopening date and which nearby beach ends are open during construction.

Naples Pier

At 12th Avenue South and Gulf Shore Boulevard South, first opened in 1888. Closed since Ian while the city rebuilds it.

Broad Avenue South and 13th Avenue South beach ends

Walk-on accesses near the pier, used as the main beach entrances during pier construction.

Lowdermilk Park

The city's beach park at 1301 Gulf Shore Boulevard North, north of Old Naples, with parking, volleyball courts and picnic shelters.

Cambier Park

The downtown park near Fifth Avenue South, developed from 1949, used for concerts, festivals, art shows and movie nights.

Historic Palm Cottage and the Norris Gardens

The Naples Historical Society's 1895 house museum at 137 12th Avenue South, with gardens and an exhibit hall. Tours run in season; the cottage closes for part of the summer.

Naples Landing Park

A public park and boat ramp on Naples Bay, a short drive from Old Naples.

Things to do in Old Naples

Most of what people do in Old Naples is on foot: the beach end in the morning, Third Street South at lunch, Fifth Avenue South at night.

The Naples Historical Society runs Palm Cottage tours and seasonal walking tours of the historic district. Naples Bay is a few blocks east, with charters from the City Dock at Crayton Cove.

Fifth Avenue South has been the town's main street since the 1920s. The first commercial building, Ed Frank's Garage, went up in 1923, and the Orange Blossom Special reached the Naples depot in 1927. After the street declined, business owners brought in planner Andres Duany in the early 1990s, and the redesigned street of shops and restaurants is the one you see today.

Dining, arts and events in Old Naples

Old Naples has the city's two main restaurant streets, Fifth Avenue South and Third Street South, plus the waterfront restaurants at Crayton Cove on Naples Bay.

The Naples Players, a community theater company founded in 1953, perform at the Sugden Community Theatre, 701 Fifth Avenue South, which opened in 1998 and was renovated in 2024. Gulfshore Playhouse moved into its Baker Theatre and Education Center at 100 Goodlette-Frank Road South, at First Avenue South, in fall 2024. Naples Art is beside Cambier Park, and the Naples Depot Museum is in the restored train station.

Annual events on Fifth Avenue South include the Christmas Walk and tree lighting, the Christmas parade, the Fourth of July parade and fireworks, Evening on Fifth and art shows in Cambier Park. The Third Street South Farmers Market, founded in 1994, sets up on Third Street South on Saturday mornings in season and moves to a nearby lot in summer.

Fifth Avenue South

Downtown's main street of restaurants, shops and galleries, with the Sugden Community Theatre.

Third Street South

Boutiques, galleries and restaurants a few blocks from the beach, and the Saturday farmers market.

Crayton Cove

Restaurants on Naples Bay beside the City Dock.

Sugden Community Theatre

Home of The Naples Players at 701 Fifth Avenue South.

Gulfshore Playhouse

Professional theater at the Baker Theatre and Education Center, 100 Goodlette-Frank Road South.

Naples Depot Museum

The restored Seaboard Air Line passenger station, where trains ran from 1927 to 1971.

Boating and golf near Old Naples

Old Naples is set up for beach life more than dock life: most lots are not on the water, but Naples Bay and Gordon Pass are minutes away.

Boats leave Naples Bay for the Gulf through Gordon Pass, at the south end of Port Royal. Naples Bay is a no-wake zone with manatees and sandbars, and Gordon Pass has strong tidal currents and shoaling, so check current charts. Keewaydin Island, just south of the pass, is the usual anchorage. North of downtown, Doctors Pass is a narrower, shallower inlet.

Golf in Old Naples itself is limited; most courses are in private clubs north and east of the city. Hole in the Wall Golf Club, a private club established in 1957, is one of the oldest in Naples.

Naples City Dock

880 12th Avenue South in Crayton Cove, with fuel, pump-out, transient slips and charter boats.

Naples Yacht Club

A private club at 700 14th Avenue South on Naples Bay, founded in 1947.

Naples Landing Park

A public boat ramp on Naples Bay.

Gordon Pass

The main inlet from Naples Bay to the Gulf, south of Port Royal.

Getting around Old Naples

Old Naples is one of the most walkable parts of Collier County: the beach, Third Street South, Fifth Avenue South, Cambier Park and the bay are all within a short walk or bike ride of each other. You still need a car for groceries in bulk, the airport and most of greater Naples.

US-41 (Tamiami Trail, called Ninth Street South through downtown) is the main road in and out. Goodlette-Frank Road runs north toward Pine Ridge Road and I-75, and Fifth Avenue South meets US-41 at the corner long called Four Corners, which got Naples' first traffic light in 1948.

Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) is about 30 miles north by way of I-75. Naples Airport (APF), on the east side of the city, handles private and charter flights. Winter fills downtown streets and parking, so expect slower drives from January through April.

Hospitals near Old Naples

The closest hospital is NCH Baker Hospital at 350 Seventh Street North, a short drive north of Fifth Avenue South. NCH North Naples Hospital and the Physicians Regional campuses are farther north and east.

Climate in Old Naples

Old Naples has two seasons: a dry, mild winter and a hot, wet summer. Winter, roughly November through April, brings sunny days, cooler nights and the busiest months downtown.

The rainy season runs roughly June through September. Most summer days start clear and build to short, heavy afternoon thunderstorms with lightning.

The Atlantic hurricane season is June 1 through November 30. Because Old Naples sits between the Gulf and Naples Bay at low elevation, storm surge, more than wind, is the main hurricane risk here.

Daily life in Old Naples

Everyday services in Old Naples come from the City of Naples. The city utility provides water, sewer and, on many streets, reclaimed irrigation water, and city crews collect trash, recycling and yard waste.

Electric service in coastal Naples is from Florida Power & Light (FPL). Confirm the provider for any address with the utility before closing.

The nearest full grocery store is Publix Naples Plaza at 1981 Tamiami Trail North; smaller markets and specialty shops are around Fifth Avenue South and Third Street South. The Naples Regional Library, the county's original library building, is at 650 Central Avenue.

The Third Street South Farmers Market runs Saturday mornings. Check city rules before taking a dog to the beach.

Owning a home in Old Naples

Owning in Old Naples means following the City of Naples' building and flood rules, which are separate from Collier County's.

City building department. The City of Naples Building Department permits and inspects work in Old Naples, and its floodplain coordinator runs the city's flood insurance program work. The county's elevation certificate map covers unincorporated Collier only, so ask the city for any certificate on file.

The 50 percent rule. If the cost of improving or repairing a house reaches half of the building's market value, the city treats it as a substantial improvement or substantial damage, and the whole house must be brought up to current flood elevation standards. The city makes that call itself. For an older cottage at grade, this rule often decides whether a big remodel is possible or a rebuild makes more sense. A city ordinance exempts qualifying historic buildings from this requirement, so ask whether a house is listed.

Hurricane Ian. On September 28, 2022, Ian's surge reached at least 6.18 feet above normal high tide at the Naples Pier gauge before it stopped reporting. Surge water reached the shops on Third Street South and around Crayton Cove, and the pier was badly damaged. Ask every seller what water reached the house, what was replaced and whether the work was permitted.

Flood maps. Old Naples sits low between the Gulf and Naples Bay. If a house is in a FEMA A or V zone and you use a federally backed mortgage, flood insurance is required. Get the zone and an elevation certificate for the exact house, and ask whether proposed new FEMA maps for Collier County would change it.

Condos. Old Naples condo buildings three habitable stories or taller need milestone inspections and structural integrity reserve studies under Florida's post-2022 condo laws. Ask for the reports, the budget and the minutes.

Property taxes in Old Naples

A home in Old Naples pays City of Naples taxes on top of the Collier County, school and other countywide taxes, because it is inside city limits.

The Collier County Property Appraiser sets the assessed value each January 1, and the Collier County Tax Collector sends the bill in the fall. Paying in November gets a 4 percent discount, December 3 percent, January 2 percent and February 1 percent.

If the home is your permanent residence on January 1, file for homestead by March 1. Homestead starts the Save Our Homes cap (3 percent or inflation, whichever is less, on yearly assessment increases), and portability can bring savings from a previous Florida homestead. A second home has a 10 percent yearly cap for non-school taxes. Both caps reset at a sale, so the seller's bill is not yours.

Old Naples has no community development district. Look at the non-ad valorem lines on the current bill for any special assessments before you buy.

Buying in Old Naples from out of state

You can buy in Old Naples without living in Florida. These steps keep the details in view.

1. Walk the streets once if you can, in winter and in summer, and note which beach end and shops each block is near.

2. For each house, get the elevation certificate, flood zone, Ian history, roof age, wind mitigation report and permit history, and ask the city whether it is historic. For a condo, add the milestone inspection, reserve study, budget and rental rules.

3. Get financing and insurance quotes, including flood, before your inspection period ends.

4. Tour by live video, let inspectors work without you, and ask the title company about remote closing. After closing, file for homestead if it is your permanent residence and get your city beach permit at City Hall.

Jorgie Arndt of Premiere Plus Realty Co. works this way with buyers who live elsewhere: she sends homes before the trip, tours them on video, negotiates while the buyer is away and stays on after closing. Her motto: "Don't worry, I'll take care of it."