Growing Up in Southwest Florida

By Janice Harris

People often ask me why I chose Naples.

The answer is simple.

I've spent my entire life in Southwest Florida.

I grew up in Fort Myers after my family moved here from New York when I was a baby. Fort Myers is where I learned to ride a bike, where I went to school, where lifelong friendships began, and where my love for Southwest Florida first took root.

It's where I remember boating on the Caloosahatchee, driving beneath the royal palms of McGregor Boulevard, watching spectacular sunsets over the river, weekends on Sanibel Island and Fort Myers Beach, and growing up in a community that felt welcoming and connected.

Those memories will always be part of who I am.

I've also always been a beach girl.

Some of my favorite childhood memories are of family weekends on Sanibel on the boat and motorhome, our condo on Fort Myers Beach, and camping at the Red Coconut with the Gulf just steps away. There was something about the sound of the waves, the salt air, and the sunsets that always felt like home to me.

As I got older, I found myself spending more and more time in Naples.

What first drew me here wasn't real estate—it was the lifestyle.

Days on the boat. Sailboat races at Naples Yacht Club. Lunch at The Turtle Club. Dinner at Campiello on Third Street South. Evenings strolling Fifth Avenue South. Shopping at Waterside Shops. Weekends at LaPlaya. And, of course, ending the day with another unforgettable Gulf sunset.

I always seemed to linger a little longer before driving home.

Eventually, I realized that was because Naples had quietly become the place where I felt most at home.

To me, Naples is a true beach town.

The beach isn't somewhere you visit occasionally—it's woven into everyday life. You can take a morning walk along the Gulf, meet friends for lunch, spend an afternoon boating, enjoy dinner outdoors, and watch the sunset before heading home just a few minutes away. There's an ease to life here that I appreciate more every year.

Whether I'm watching the sun disappear into the Gulf from Park Shore Beach, meeting friends for dinner on Third Street South, or simply enjoying another beautiful evening outdoors, I'm reminded why I chose to call Naples home.

- https://www.visitnaplesfl.com/

- https://www.visitnaplesfl.com/downtown-naples

- https://www.visitfortmyers.com/

- https://www.fourseasons.com/naplesbeachclub/