photo mosaic of Naples, Florida pier, Bayfront, Bayside, dolphin jumping, magenta orchid, water birds silhouetted against the sunset
Two old Florida restaurants in Naples, Fort Myers area make statewide best of list

Two old Florida restaurants in Naples, Fort Myers area make statewide best of list

Robyn George and Dave Osborn | Naples Daily News

Hit the road in Florida and you’re bound to run into salty oyster bars, historic waterfront wonders, quirky roadside diners and a fabulous fish camp or two.

Welcome to the Sunshine State, where tastes of old Florida can be found here, there, and everywhere.

The USA TODAY Network Florida Dining & Entertainment team recently compiled a list of charmingly historic, road-trip worthy restaurants you’ll want to jump in your car, boat or golf cart to find.

Of the 16 old Florida finds from Perdido Key to Mayport to West Palm, these two were in our little nook of Southwest Florida:

The Snook Inn, Marco Island
There are waterfront restaurants in Florida, and then there are those that are hurricane-tested. Make that hurricanes.

The Snook Inn endured Hurricanes Wilma (2005), Irma (2017) and Ian (2022), not to mention others that have passed nearby. Yet this cool spot that’s more than 30 years old still stands.

And customers continue to be lured to the island south of Naples by enchanting Gulf breezes and stunning sunsets. They can sip a special drink like the Snook Inn Loaded Bloody Mary and order up a variety of seafood choices, from oysters and grouper to fried calamari to clams, red snapper, shrimp and much more. Find it at 1215 Bald Eagle Drive, Marco Island; 239-394-3313; snookinn.com

Cabbage Key Bar and Restaurant, off of Pine Island
This boat-access-only gem of an island restaurant and bar is awash in Old Florida history and charm. Dating back to 1944, food and drinks were served in what was then an exclusive island resort in Pine Island Sound. Fast forward to the 1970s and the original home of the island’s owners was converted into an open-air restaurant, while their library became the bar. Today, the latter is known as the Dollar Bill Bar with more than 65,000 customer-signed bills blanketing the walls and ceilings. Famous visitors range from Ernest Hemingway to Julia Roberts.

Besides fresh seafood, this island paradise serves a char-grilled cheeseburger that Jimmy Buffett, who was a frequent guest, may or may not have sung about. And before you get back on the boat, finish your visit to this slice of old Florida with a homemade slice of frozen(!!!) Key lime pie. Accessible only by boat, Cabbage Key is located at Channel Marker 60 in Pine Island Sound, 4.5 miles west of Pineland; 239-283-2278; cabbagekey.com

Still hungry for more? Read on naplesnews.com.

Florida Commercial Real Estate Surges on Population Boom & Tax Appeal

Florida Commercial Real Estate Surges on Population Boom & Tax Appeal

What’s Fueling the Boom?

In-migration of high-net-worth residents
South Florida, especially counties like Palm Beach, has welcomed ~90,000 new residents recently. Many are affluent executives and tech professionals relocating in droves over the past few years.

Tax advantages
Florida’s lack of income and estate taxes is proving attractive to businesses and investors. Combined with favorable commercial rent tax cuts (effective October 2025), the state climate supports deep investment.

Market Snapshot
West Palm Beach: Retail occupancy hit record highs—vacancy rates below 3%—as mixed-use developments blend office, residential, and retail needs.

South Florida tri-county (Miami–Dade, Broward, Palm Beach): Commercial real estate volumes jumped 10% in H1 2025 to $5.6 billion, driven by a 110% surge in office and a steady demand for multifamily and retail assets.

The Self‑Sustaining Growth Cycle
The inflow of well-paid professionals triggers demand for upscale office space, dining, retail, and housing. This has sparked a virtuous cycle: companies follow their employees, integrated developments thrive, and investment continues.

Read about large companies moving into Florida, and the effects for the Naples area on naplesnewsnow.com.

Are you looking for a home in the Naples, Florida area? Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.

High approval rating: Tripadvisor a big fan of this stunning Naples Boutique Hotel

High approval rating: Tripadvisor a big fan of this stunning Naples Boutique Hotel

Mark H. Bickel | Naples Daily News

The reviews are in and once again Inn at Pelican Bay in Naples has something to deservedly brag about.

The Inn at Pelican Bay announced in a press release it has once again been recognized by Tripadvisor with a 2025 Travelers’ Choice Award, placing it in the top 10% of hotels worldwide.

This honor is based on consistently stellar reviews from millions of travelers around the globe.

What to know: Inn at Pelican Bay and Tripadvisor

  • This marks the fourth consecutive year the Inn at Pelican Bay has received top honors from Tripadvisor.
  • In 2022, the hotel earned its first Travelers’ Choice Award.
  • It received the honors again in 2023, and in 2024, it was elevated to the elite Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best list. That distinction named the Inn at Pelican Bay the No. 1 hotel in Naples, the No. 1 hotel in Florida, No. 25 in the United States, and among the top 1% of hotels worldwide.

What other accolades has the received? Read more on naplesnews.com.

Birdwatchers delight: See Fort Myers Beach shorebirds swooping and diving for dinner

Birdwatchers delight: See Fort Myers Beach shorebirds swooping and diving for dinner

Andrew West | Fort Myers News-Press

The south end of Fort Myers Beach is a nesting site for many of Southwest Florida’s protected shorebirds. Those include black skimmers, least terns, snowy plovers, Wilson’s plovers and more.

News-Press photographer Andrew West spent a recent evening there documenting some of the sights.

Some skimmers were seen loafing on the sands while others hunted the shallow waters in search of a meal. Least terns bathed and a lone reddish egret danced, pranced and ran in a zig zagging pattern drumming up a meal. In Big Carlos pass, several dolphins broke the surface of the calm waters, working in pairs in search of fish.

A staked off area alerts visitors to be aware of the nesting birds. The terns will make a racket and dive bomb any potential threat, which includes people. When hatched, snowy plovers and least terns are small cotton balls with feet. The camouflaged puff balls scatter along the landscape. The snowy plover chicks feed almost immediately after hatching, while parents bring in small bait fish for the least terns and black skimmers.

Beach nesting season is April 1 to Aug. 31.

Check out the video and photo gallery on naplesnews.com.

Are you looking for a home in the Naples-Bonita Springs, Florida area? Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.

Traffic Talk: New details emerge about historic I-75 widening project between Lee, Collier

Traffic Talk: New details emerge about historic I-75 widening project between Lee, Collier

Mark H. Bickel | Naples Daily News

Now that summer is upon us and the end of another busy tourist and snowbird season is in the rear view mirror, the memories of the months of horrible traffic we had to endure from Marco Island to Cape Coral usually start to fade right about now.

We come home from the grocery store or work and tend to say: “It’s really not that bad out there!”

But the clock to the start of next season is already ticking.

Which brings us to the Collier County MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization) Board Meeting that took place June 13. If nothing else, the meeting was a reminder that significant efforts are underway to create long-term fixes for the traffic stress Southwest Florida is experiencing.

But the meeting was important in many other ways in terms of getting a better understanding and more details about the Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) historic project that will widen I-75 − to as many as 10 lanes in some places − from the Golden Gate Parkway interchange in Collier County to the Corkscrew Road interchange in Lee County.

Get the details on naplesnews.com.

 

New Four Seasons Resort taking reservations in Naples; opening planned for October

New Four Seasons Resort taking reservations in Naples; opening planned for October

Laura Layden | Naples Daily News

The highly anticipated Four Seasons Resort in Naples is taking reservations.

Years in the making, the resort, part of a larger mixed-use luxury development, known as the Naples Beach Club, will debut in October.

Four Seasons announced the opening of reservations via a press release June 17.

While the release did not include an official opening date, the resort’s website shows the first-available booking date as Oct. 20, with limited options, or restrictions. After that date, rooms are marked as unavailable until Nov. 24 (with limited availability, until December).

The Four Seasons is replacing the former Naples Beach Hotel, off Gulf Shore Boulevard North. The Watkins family owned and operated the hotel for 75 years, through three generations, before selling the property for redevelopment in 2021.

Read more on naplesnews.com.

Are you seeking a luxury home in the Naples, Florida area? Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.