“Where do I want to be and where do I “not” want to be; that is the question” (Hamlet – or almost Hamlet).

Updated in April, 2019

Venice vs Naples

You hear this quite often:” If I don’t find my new home in Venice –that’s okay with me – I will go to Naples instead.” Wow! That is interesting. Because both cities have an Italian name does not necessarily mean that they are next door neighbors. It is true that both are on Florida’s Sun Coast (West Coast of Florida), it is also true that both were founded pretty much the same time, but, that is already what both cities have in common.

Beautiful street in Naples

So, what’s different?

Nothing, right? Well, let’s see: First of all,  Naples is further south than Venice, almost 80 miles.  Does it make a huge difference climate wise?  Slightly… in the winter time at least. Naples tends to be 5 degrees F warmer than Venice – only during a few winter months. That is really impressive, right?

Well, it doesn’t seem to be a lot; however, when our Canadian friends are sending us one of their nasty cold spills down in January, it can be the difference between light frost (only in the morning hours) and no frost at all. Oh, Floridians are crybabies! We know that, but if you like tropical plants in your garden it does make a difference.

The Vegetation is also different

The vegetation in Naples seems to look more tropical, greener, thicker, lusher…different.  But the grass is always greener on the “other side”, right? Okay, now we now know that the winter is not so “harsh” in Naples compared to Venice.

Venice Beach

What else: Fortunately, both cities did not make the same mistake many tourist destinations in the world made.  Clusters of high-rise buildings are not destroying the character of the cities. And that is really awesome!

Of course, there is a moderate high rise building here and there, they may even have six or eight stories, but that doesn’t have an impact on the overall silhouette of both cities. However, Naples has more very upscale homes lined up along the coastline, something that can be seen on Casey Key or Siesta Key as well, but not so much in Venice.

Naples appears to be more like a “metropolis”– Venice is more “laid back.“

Canal with boat docks

Naples’s restaurants, shopping opportunities, and nightlife places are pretty upscale, fancier and …seem to be more diverse? There are more opportunities with a higherdiversity of places. Because of the nearby Florida Southwest International Airport in Fort Myers, Naples also attracts more international travelers and second-home buyers from all over the world.

In comparison, Venice is quieter – more “low key.” Venice also has fewer opportunities for fine dining and extravagant shopping, but no sophisticated nightlife. However, Sarasota is only a 30-minute drive away, and there are much more entertainment opportunities available. Probably more than your wallet can bear.

If you are living in the outskirts of Naples, you will also spend probably 30 minutes in your car if you want to go to a particular place. Traffic can be bad, but Venice is on the fast track to getting there, too.

Both cities have almost the same size of residents, both a have an airport, both have a fishing pier and both have a historic downtown area.

So, what is different now? So far we talked a lot about what both cities have in common. 

Naples Downtown

Besides, all this is there anything else that differentiates the two cities on the Gulf of Mexico from each other?” You may ask, Dear Reader. Here comes more diversity……

• Naples is one of the wealthiest cities in the United States, with the sixth highest per capita income in America, and the second highest proportion of millionaires per capita in the US.
• Real estate is among the most expensive in the country, with houses on sale for in excess of $40 million.
• The average house price in Naples was $816,513 in 2018. Compared to the average house price in the Venice and Sarasota  with $384,095 and the State of Florida with $316,697 respectivley.

Does that qualify for a “difference”? We think so.

Feel free to contact us, whether you have a question or just want to comment on our post.