Naples ranks high in leisure, climate and greatest number of medical doctors. It's near the middle in crime. The area ranks among the lowest on the list in housing costs, which are some of the highest in the nation. Mass transit availability landed Naples at the bottom of the Money list in that area for 2000, but a Collier Area Transit bus system that started this year could bring a lift to that category this year. Tourists visiting downtown Naples can now hop a bus if they want to head north to Bonita Springs or just slightly north to the Coastland Center mall.
Hourly buses run both ways across the county.
Reasons the 22,000-plus residents in the city say Naples should be ranked No. Boutiques and upscale shops in the downtown shopping district. Fine restaurants in the Fifth Avenue South district. Outdoor dining in the balmy temperatures is major attraction to the downtown area as is the average winter temperature of 91 degrees. The Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts in North Naples brings nationally known entertainers, musicians and performers to town.