A broad sugar sand beach awaits your footprints in Park Shore area of Naples, Florida.
By Marisa Spyker March 20, 2018 costalliving.com
We may be a little biased, but we’ve long believed that the happiest places in America are by the sea.
And according to the results from a new Gallup-Sharecare poll, we’re absolutely right.
Researchers recently polled more than 337,000 adults in cities across the U.S. to gauge their states of well-being (including measures of financial, emotional, social, and physical wellness). And for the third year straight, those who reported the highest levels of satisfaction in their lives happen to reside along the sunny Gulf coastline of Naples, Florida.
For those who’ve visited, this probably won’t come as a surprise. From its gorgeous white-sand beaches to its adorable boutique-lined downtown and Old Florida vibes, Naples is an absolute dream of a city. It also consistently receives high marks in terms of desirability: In addition to earning a spot on our original list of Happiest Seaside Towns, it was also recently named as the best place to retire in Florida by SmartAsset and as WalletHub’s Best U.S. Beach Town To Live In.
While the Sunshine State certainly claims its fair share of happy people, it’s not the only coastal spot represented in the Well-Being list’s top 5 communities. Cape Cod’s always-charming Barnstable Town, Massachusetts, came in just behind Naples at number two, and over on the West Coast, the hip surf town of Santa Cruz ranked number four.
Want to see all the top-ranked beach towns? See the top 10 list of happiest and healthiest towns on the coast here.
It just goes to show that no matter which coast you choose, happiness is never too far away. See the top 10 communities with the highest well-being here:
- Naples–Immokalee–Marco Island, FL 67.6
- Barnstable Town, MA 66.4
- Boulder, CO 65.3Santa Cruz–Watsonville, CA 65.1
- Charlottesville, VA 65.0
- Lynchburg, VA 64.9
- North Port–Sarasota–Bradenton, FL 64.6
- Santa Rosa, CA 64.6
- Prescott, AZ 64.6
- San Luis Obispo–Paso Robles–Arroyo Grande, CA 64.6
By Diane Hartley | RISMEDIA, Monday, September 02, 2019—
The luxury lifestyle isn’t just about looking great anymore. It’s about feeling great, too. Of course, the world’s affluent still want jaw-dropping properties with inspiring views, but they’re also looking for more substance. In today’s fast-paced world, they also want homes that can challenge them physically, calm them mentally and keep them centered.
As a result, wellness-related amenities have exploded in recent years. In fact, according to a recent report, properties with wellness-focused amenities sell for anywhere between 10 percent to 25 percent more than traditional luxury properties. In the luxury world, that can mean a significant sum of cash.
But what exactly are these amenities that today’s luxe buyers are looking for? The following are just some of the health and wellness features today’s top-tier buyers have on top of their wish lists.
1. Meditation Rooms
Meditation rooms—quiet, peaceful spots dedicated to self-reflection—are quickly becoming a hot commodity for the world’s elite. Tech-driven virtual mediation spaces are even hotter. These use a combination of virtual reality technology and tranquil design to enhance the owner’s meditative practices.
2. Saunas and Massage Rooms
Dedicated places to unwind and relax are also high on the list for top-tier buyers. They want saunas that can remove all the toxins of the day, private massage rooms where their on-call masseuse can get to work, and in-home spa stations, where they can enjoy a facial, get a Botox treatment or have their hair done without ever leaving the comfort of their own home.
3. On-Site Organic Meals
Access to fast, healthy and sustainably-sourced meals is important to the world’s elite, and many luxury developers are finding ways to cater to this need. From bringing in five-star restaurants to deliver door-side organic meals to on-site nutritionists to rooftop vegetable gardens, luxe real estate is offering buyers their pick of healthy at-home dining options.
4. Yoga and Pilates Studios
Those dedicated to the art of yoga or Pilates often seek out properties with in-house studios—places they can hone their craft or enjoy one-on-one sessions with their trainer. In high-rise buildings or condos, these might even take the shape of outdoor yoga decks or private rooftop studios.
5. Tranquility Gardens
These gatherings of greenery bring peace to the busy lives of affluent clients. Typically situated on high-rise rooftops in gritty, concrete-filled urban centers, they’re a haven of natural foliage to the affluent city dwellers who call these spots home. Some developers are even taking this trend to the next level and offering full on-site private parks.
6. Oxygen Chamber Pods and Cryotherapy Booths
One of the perks of affluence is getting to enjoy the latest technologies and products before they become publicly widespread. In the wellness world, you can count cryotherapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy among these. Many of today’s top-tier clients are looking to bring these new and evolving approaches into their homes to improve their health and increase their longevity. They’re especially popular with athletes, runners and fitness enthusiasts, as these high-tech amenities are known to increase blood flow and improve energy.
Naples-area residents’ sense of well-being ranked the highest for the fourth year in a row, according to the latest Gallup National Health Index.
The No. 1 ranking for the Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island area among 156 communities in the U.S. represents the first time in 11 years that the same area has held the top spot four times in a row, according to Gallup.
Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island moved into first place in 2014-2015. Gallup tracks well-being using two-year rolling averages.
Salinas, California, follows with the second highest well-being, followed by Boulder, Colorado; Santa Rosa, California; and Ann Arbor, Michigan, for the top five.
Cape Coral-Fort Myers has the sixth highest sense of well-being while Tallahassee is 15th on the list of 15 cities with the lowest sense of well-being.
The Gallup well-being score is calculated on a scale from 0 to 100 with 100 as the highest score. The survey focuses on five elements: career, social well-being, financial well-being, community, and physical health.
“I think I am thrilled,” said Naples Mayor Bill Barnett.
He attributes Naples’ standing to the Blue Zones Project of Southwest Florida, a healthy lifestyle improvement initiative launched in 2012 by the NCH Healthcare System and then-president and chief executive officer, Dr. Allen Weiss.
Barnett said the city of Naples was on board with the Blue Zones Project early on to help residents make healthier decisions for lifestyle changes and to improve longevity.
The Blue Zones was developed by National Geographic explorer Dan Buettner who identified communities worldwide where people share lifestyle traits and live to 100 or older. He wrote a New York Times bestseller about the nine principles of longevity.
Naples has been named the best place to retire in the nation.
The city is one of 10 that Livability.com has named as “Best Places to Retire in 2018.”
Data scientists with Livability.com examined nearly 2,300 cities across the country and factored in more than 20 data points, including safety, affordability, property tax, natural disaster risk, and nursing home accessibility and quality.
“Naples has the beautiful beaches that many retirees dream about, but it’s so much more than a beach town,” said Winona Dimeo-Ediger, managing editor at Livability.com.
Naples scored high in community engagement, outdoor recreation and percentage of residents over 65, according to the report.
“It’s a place that makes it easy to get involved and feel a strong sense of community, whether you’re a newcomer or you’ve lived there for years,” she said.
Naples has been recognized for the past three years as having the highest overall well-being in the U.S. and has ranked in the top 20 for best-performing cities in the nation.
A real estate research firm also named a Naples neighborhood as the “best neighborhood” in the United States earlier this year.
Originally published in the Naples Daily News.
The University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science recently completed a study using a robotic water glider that confirms circulation changes in the Gulf brought cooler temperatures and salt to shore thus creating a severe red tide bloom that affects all Florida coasts.
Two Florida counties located north of Lake Okeechobee hired AECOM to deploy a custom-built, mobile algae harvesting unit that separates algae biomass from water. Once harvested, it converted the recovered algae into two streams: a dense algae biomass that becomes a solid and a second that filters the greenbrown algae water into a clear water stream.
Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium is researching the benefits of several remedies to red tide including the use of “living dock” structures that would be covered with filter-feeding animals to remove red tide from canals; Ozonation to destroy red tide algae and their toxins in limited areas; and the use of algae in the Amoebophrya genus to serve as a natural control parasite for K. brevis red tide blooms.
From NABOR Water Quality Newsletter October 2018 PDF
1 RED TIDE IS TEMPORARY
Red Tide (Karenia Brevis) is a naturally occurring saltwater algae bloom that may collect on the beach during a very hot and wet summer. Several federal and state water quality projects are in place to reduce its severity by controlling future algae overgrowth.
NOTE: The blue/green algae blooms (Cyanobacteria) laying on the surface of freshwater canals in Lee County have never been present in Collier County canals.
2 OUR BEACHES ARE NOT COVERED IN DEAD FISH
Despite videos circulating on social media of dead fish piled across the beach, Collier County beaches are not experiencing that level of fish loss. In fact, no large whales, sharks, or porpoise (dolphins) have been found dead on Collier shores or in canals.
NOTE: The recent accumulation of dead fish in Moorings Bay (Oct. 7th) was a result of Hurricane Michael, which created very high tide levels that pushed canal water into nearby sewer pipes. As the tide receded, a Cylindrotheca algae bloom formed that killed fish living in the bay. This is a different algae than what causes red tide.
3 SUPPORT INCREASED WATER TESTING IN COLLIER
Steps to protect water habitats from high nutrient output cannot be taken without proper environmental testing. But budget cuts have reduced water testing to monitor nutrient levels in Collier County.
TIP: Ask your elected government officials to increase funding for future testing or donate to a registered marine or water-quality agency that has the ability to perform the tests and monitor for irregularities.
From NABOR Water Quality Newsletter October 2018 PDF
