Spotlight on Naples: Modern Luxury with Old-Florida Vibes

Naples is renowned for top-notch golf, sport fishing, and high-end shopping, but this jewel on Florida’s Paradise Coast offers much more, says resident Scott Glick, creative director for a media company. “If you enjoy nature and pristine old Florida, that’s in abundance here,” he says. Glick praises the white-sand beaches—and the fact that they seem untouched—“intertwined with mangroves and winding waterways, more of the way Florida was 100 years ago, wild and undeveloped. Scott Glick “Coming from Miami originally, and being exposed to a refined, luxury lifestyle all my life, Naples has the same qualities, but it’s an edited version—it offers a high concentration of luxury within a beautiful, old-Florida lifestyle,” Glick adds. What’s more, “You get a multicultural mix of people from across the country and the world—people from other places who have done well and now have the means to live a very good life.” In his view, they couldn’t have picked a better spot for that than Naples. —Drew Limsky DINING ON DECK “The top restaurant is Sails ( 301 Fifth Ave. S., 239.360.2000 ). The atmosphere is like stepping onto a private 300-foot yacht. It’s open and airy, very Florida, with an open kitchen concept. The menu is, of course, seafood-focused but touches on a fusion of French, Italian, and Greek.” His favorite dishes include the lobster ravioli and the salmon tartare: “Those two are exquisite.” Waterside homes in Naples (PHOTO: NEGAPRIONISTOCKGETTY) FLIGHTS OF FANCY Glick loves to drop by the Vine Room for a glass of wine. “It doesn’t feel like you’re in Florida,” he says. “It feels as if you’ve stepped into a speakeasy from New York or Chicago. It’s elegant, sophisticated, innovative.” The kitchen specializes in tapas-style plates, and he enjoys the dramatic presentation of the wine flights—served in a box that opens with a puff of smoke from dry ice. Colorful Bayfront buildings (PHOTO: ROBERT HARDINGOFFSET) HOT WHEELS Naples is well known for its car culture. The annual Cars on Fifth event held every winter draws Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and other ogle-worthy vehicles—and autophiles to admire them— from around the country. The Revs Institute , a car museum and educational institution, is a must-see ( 2500 Horseshoe Dr. S., 239.687.7387 ).“It’s not a typical car museum,” Glick explains. “It showcases very expensive cars, not just because they’re expensive but because they were significant in their time periods for the changes they introduced in technology and performance.” Visitors are advised to reserve tickets online, “sometimes weeks or months in advance.” Method & Concept DESIGN MECCA Glick also enjoys one-of-a- kind design studio Method & Concept ( 111 10th St. S., Ste. 112, 239.529.2633 ), the brainchild of artist, designer, and furniture-maker Chad Jensen. “It’s a multitude of different experiences. If you want to go there for interior design ideas, it’s one thing, but it’s also an art gallery that brings together emerging artists exploring new ideas. In interior design, styles can fall into the cliché trap of coastal living. What I appreciate are pieces that are unique and fresh, and Jensen does a great job at that.”