Dave Osborn | Naples Daily News

…the Sunshine State remains among the most desirable places in the country.

Fourteen Florida cities made the new 2023-24 list of the 150 “Best Places to Live in the U.S.” that U.S. News & World Report released Tuesday.

Other highlights:

Florida is home to four of the top five “Fastest Growing Places” and four of the top five “Safest Places.”
Sarasota was ranked No. 5, again leading the state as the top place to live. Naples was the only other Florida city to make the top 10, at No. 6.

6. Naples is ‘retirement spot for the rich, powerful’
In the Know: Built in 2014, this Naples beachfront residence at 25 16th Ave. sold for $62 million on June 30, 2022, setting a new Collier County record.
This long-ago sleepy fishing town jumped to No. 6 this year from No. 12. Naples also ranked as the No. 1 safest place. Last year, the magazine referred to Naples as “a preferred retirement spot for the rich, powerful and cold-averse,” with “pristine beaches, sprawling golf courses, and fine dining and shopping. Naples, the 2023-24 list said, jumped into the Top 10 because of its “high desirability score,” meaning the city scored well as a place where people want to live, based on SurveyMonkey polling in March…which ranked Naples #1…for places to live in the U.S. by Scholaroo, a nonprofit educational research company and scholarship website engine.

Read about the other cities on the list.

Laura Layden | Naples Daily News

The iconic Ritz-Carlton, Naples will welcome back visitors this summer.

Shuttered since Hurricane Ian, the hard-hit resort on Vanderbilt Beach has announced a reopening date.

It won’t open in time for Fourth of July, but within days of it. The date of its return: July 6.

With its reopening, the resort will debut more than a few changes. And it’s hiring again, after laying off nearly 600 workers.

The coastal property was in the midst of a multimillion-dollar renovation when Ian hit in September, forcing an unexpected closure and triggering hundreds of layoffs.

With 474 rooms and suites, the resort promises to be bigger and better, as it ushers in a new chapter.

Upgrades include the new Vanderbilt Tower, with an expansive new club lounge and more than 70 club-level guest rooms.

Get all the details, read the full article.