East Naples consists of the areas in the Greater Naples Area that are located immediately east of Downtown Naples along Tamiami Trail East (US-41) and Davis Blvd. If you head east on Tamiami Trail (5th Ave S in Downtown Naples) you enter East Naples as soon as you cross over the Gordon River. The area is rather loosely defined and is sometimes referred to as South Naples.
East Naples covers a sizable area; considerable but undefined — from the waterfront Brookside neighborhood (off Davis Boulevard), to gated golf communities such as Eagle Creek, all the way to Isles of Capri (off Collier Boulevard). It also takes in working class neighborhoods such as Naples Manor, Avalon Estates, the commercial strip along the (East) Tamiami Trail and Davis Blvd., and a slew of developments such as Foxfire, Glen Eagle, Lakewood and Falling Waters.
These areas began development after the construction of the Tamiami Trail and there are a great variety of neighborhoods in East Naples some of which are established areas, and others that are just beginning to be developed. East Naples is the highest concentration of neighborhoods that are undergoing revitalization owing to the younger generations desire to live near but not in downtown areas.
Arts and Culture
East Naples has its own arts and culture scene, there are several distinct scenes in the East Naples area.
Much of the activity is centered around the Bayshore Cultural Arts District with plans for several along this corridor. These galleries include Things I Like by Catherine contemporary art gallery. Bayshore is home to art “tent sales” throughout the area but it will be a while till more galleries start popping up along Bayshore
While the Galley scene in the Bayshore Area has been slow to start, there are lots of local bands to be heard in the Bayshore Area. Local restaurants, bars and coffee shops abound here with live music commonplace. One of the best live music venues is Celebration Park located by the Haldeman Creek bridge on Bayshore Drive Here you will find a permanent food truck rally with local musical groups jammin out almost every day.
In Gateway Triangle, you will find Opera Naples off of Linwood Avenue. Here there are numerous performances and recitals at the Wang Opera Center. Opera Naples offers educational master classes and edutainment programs on the operations and history of the grand opera.
Located off Tamiami Trail East is Sugden Regional Park which often features concerts and events. The most popular is the Legends Concert Series, held on the first Saturday of every month.
Across the way from Sugden Regional Park is the Modern Steps School of Dance which has been an East Naples mainstay for many years. They have conducted numerous dance performances alongside concerts in Cambier Park and Baker Park. They offer numerous different classes and programs and if you are a dance aficionado, feel free to check out Modern Steps.
Waterfront Neighborhoods
Within East Naples you’ll find a wide variety of waterfront areas along Naples Bay, The Gordon River, Rock Creek, Haldeman Creek, and numerous canals. There is great diversity among the waterfront areas in East Naples with some areas suitable for tall sailboats and anything smaller than a true yacht (a boat that requires a crew to run), and some areas suitable only for the smallest vessels.
Sailboat Access (Direct Gulf Access)
The neighborhoods along Naples Bay offer sailboat access, sometimes called “direct gulf access”, which means that there are NO overhead obstructions (bridges, cable crossings, pipe crossings, etc.) on your sail from home to the gulf.
The most spectacular waterfront in East Naples can be found in Windstar which is the home port of the largest boats in East Naples. Here, the Island at Southpointe Yacht Club offers the East Naples equivalent of Port Royal in the City of Naples with luxurious waterfront mansions where all boats but the large superyachts can be parked.
Within Windstar, most residents keep their boat at Southpointe Yacht Club which is just a short distance from Gordon Pass and the gulf of Mexico. Within Windstar, 2 other communities, Admirals Watch and Regatta Landing provide direct sailboat gulf access. At Admiral’s Watch you’ll find a dock in Naples Bay with full deep water boat access suitable for even a small yacht. At Regatta Landing, its gulf access is via Haldeman Creek so water is shallower but still suitable for tall masted sailboats.
Within the City of Naples, but usually classified as East Naples are the bayside neighborhoods of Royal Harbor, Oyster Bay, and Golden Shores. In these areas you will find a place where the ultra luxe feel of Naples blends with the “Old Florida charm” of East Naples. Within Royal Harbor are smaller residences intermixed with large estate homes. Oyster Bay and Golden Shores include a mix of homes and some of East Naples’ only condominium communities that provide direct gulf access boating. Oyster Bay and Golden Shores are within easy walking and biking distance of Downtown Naples so they offer downtown living on the water without the extreme downtown prices.
Last, but not least we have the Haldeman Creek waterfront in the Bayshore Area, downstream of the bridge on Bayshore Drive. This is part of the Bayshore Cultural Arts District, and has a whimsical “boho chic” fishing village feel. The Demere Landing, and Gulf Shores areas generally the most affordable direct gulf access water frontage in the Naples Area.
Boat Access (Indirect Gulf Access)
If you don’t have a boat with a tall fixed and immovable mast, then you can explore some more of the East Naples waterfront. These waterfront areas are generally MUCH more affordable and feature some of the area’s most interesting waterfront. The mangrove lined canals and creeks of East Naples make for an interesting boat cruise in and of themselves.
Manatee Pointe
Small Craft Boating Communities
For those who don’t have a big boat, but instead ply the waters on a smaller vessel (canoe, kayak, gondola, rowboat, small electric john boat) there are waterfront areas that are uniquely suited to smaller vessels and exclude large vessels. Gulf Access isn’t a worry here because vessels of this type are best in rivers, lakes, and canals and not the gulf.
Along Bayshore Drive, there are several neighborhoods along the Kelly Outfall Canal which is a narrow and shallow canal that connects to lakes perfect for small craft boating, Neighborhoods in this area include Lake Kelly, Kelly Plaza, etc.
On the opposite side of the canal are neighborhoods such as South Tamiami Heights, and Guilford Acres. These neighborhoods are located along Tamiami Trail East and are located near Sugden Regional Park and Lake Avalon.
Bundled Golf Communities (Golf Membership Included)
If you golf a LOT, then a “bundled golf community” would be the place for you. These country club communities include golf membership in the HOA fees which provides residents with use of a private golf course. These communities are able to offer residents tee times even during the busy season when tee times can be hard to get. Most homes in these communities have spectacular golf course views.
Pay as You Golf Communities
If you like to golf, or simply like the golf course view, these might be the best option if you don’t golf a lot.