Jill Kushner - Specializing in The Colony Golf & Bay Club, Bonita Springs, Florida FL - Downing-Frye Realty Inc.

Naples and Bonita Springs, Florida are rich with gated communities. A well-planned community offers a variety of housing choices, and of course, amenities.

But how do you decide which community is right for you? I always tell clients I work with that price, floor plan and location are important, but so are the community’s amenities.

To help you through the process, here are some of the main benefits you should look for when looking for a second home or seasonal retirement home within a gated community:

Architectural integrity – A planned community incorporates master architectural guidelines for the homes, which ensures that neighborhoods have a unified theme with enough variations to complement one another. In other words, it’s not cookie cutter. The Colony’s high-rise towers, mid-rises and custom single-famil homes were built with the highest standards of design aesthetic and quality.

Amenities to enhance quality of life – Master-planned communities offer homes or high-rise condo’s that don’t require much maintenance coupled with amenities that make it easy to enjoy free time with friends and neighbors. Amenities will vary by community and may include golf, tennis, a Country Club, dining, social events, and canoe park just to name a few.

Sense of community – Many master-planned communities have these on-site amenities to make life’s daily activities easy and convenient. These amenities help to foster a strong sense of community, since fellow residents get to know one another through neighborhood activities and events.

The residents of the Colony Golf & Bay Club have a host of amazing amenities at their fingertips. Best part is, they don’t have to sacrifice space by settling on a smaller floor plan. The high-rises and single-family homes at The Colony offer spacious, open floor plans perfect for guests or entertaining, plus high ceilings, state-of-the-art appliances and custom cabinetry to reflect their individual personality.

Are you looking for a second home or seasonal home? Contact me today!

Labels: Amenities, Bonita Springs, Dining, Fitness, Golf, High-rise, Lifestyle, Real Estate, Retirement, Single-Family Homes, Tennis

What’s more fun than having fun with grandkids? Not much else if really enjoy every moment with your grandchildren.

I’ve spoken to residents here at The Colony Golf & Bay Club who have grandchildren and sometimes they get into a rut and can’t think of fun things they can do with their grandkids.

The good thing is, Southwest Florida boasts awesome weather year round so this list incorporates a lot of outdoor activity.

Go for a walk or bike ride around The Colony. There are wonderful walking and biking paths throughout the entire community and it’s safe for children of all ages. In fact, biking is the transportation of choice for most residents! It’s a great way to stay active and be outdoors. You can even stop over to The Country Club when you’re done and grab a beverage!

· Visit the water park. Collier County's premier water park, Sun-N-Fun Lagoon is a great place to take the kids. It offers one million gallons of water fun that will thrill children, parents and grandparents alike. Make sure to bring your sunblock!

· Visit the zoo. A great place for families, The Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens offers a nature path almost a mile in length that winds past rare and beautiful animals residing within a 52 acre jungle of exotic plants.

· Go to the museum. No, I don’t mean a typical adult museum, I’m talking about an awesome children’s museum in Naples, Florida. The Golisano Children’s Museum is packed with 30,000 square feet of interactive exhibits. With 12 hands-on exhibit galleries, there is plenty of fun and learning to be had. You can also their calendar for events and camps.

· Visit an adventure park. King Richard’s Park is billed as the #1 Stop for Fun in Naples, Florida. They feature a popular go cart track and video games along with exciting attractions and features like Laser Tag, Dance Machine, and interactive video games.

· Play mini golf. A stone’s throw away from The Colony, Congo River Golf is a challenging miniature golf designed giant waterfalls, rocky summits, mysterious caves and tropical rainforests.

· There’s always the favorite go-to among residents and tourists – the beach!

· And if you encounter a bit of rain during the day, you can always occupy their time with a movie at Silverspot Cinema, an indoor picnic, or tea party!

These are just a few ideas, but trust me, there are plenty of other activities to enjoy with your grandkids.

What is your favorite place to take the grandkids when they visit Florida?

Labels: Beaches, Bonita Springs, Entertainment, Florida, Lifestyle, The Colony Golf and Bay Club

The living room is spacious. The kitchen is a cook’s dream. The master bathroom is like a spa, and there’s even a guest room for the grandchildren. But you still have another room left in your home at The Colony Golf & Bay Club. So what are you going to do with it? Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Home Office – Do you work from home or own your own business? If so, a bonus room can be the perfect choice to convert to a home office. Make sure you decorate and stage the space appropriately complete with ample storage and noise buffers plus everything else you need to work efficiently.

Game Room - Most modern game rooms have a TV, and the bigger the better. Movable seating is for gaming, so it can be easily moved out of the way for more physically active gaming such as Wii Sports. A Murphy bed is a great option to include since it can easily transition into a guest room. For more traditional game room ideas, basic fixtures include a pool table, dartboard and sometimes a bar.

Home Gym – Even though every high-rise tower at The Colony offers a fully-equipped gym, you may still want to use your bonus room as a private workout area. Include a stationary bike or treadmill, free weights and even a TV to keep you from getting bored.

Family Room – Your family and grandchildren visit a few times a year so it doesn’t warrant making it into a play room, but a family room in your new high-rise or single-family residence at The Colony Golf & Bay Club will create a place the whole family can gather and relax in. Include games, movies and a snack area, and keep the space cozy and inviting.

Whatever you decide to do with your bonus room, even if it’s simply creating another guest room for visitors, you’ll have ample space in your new single-family or high-rise residence at The Colony Golf & Bay Club.

How would you design your bonus room?

Labels: Bonita Springs, Bonus Rooms, Decor, High-rise, Lifestyle, Naples, Single-Family Homes, The Colony Golf and Bay Club

Feel like shopping? Spend a day in our neighborhood and you’ll find whatever it is you need – or think you need – here in Bonita Springs! Here’s a glimpse of the excellent shopping choices you’ll find around The Colony Golf & Bay Club:

Coconut Mall
The mall offers 113 stores and 25 restaurants - all surrounding several acres of lakes with a boardwalk. They offer everything in every price range. Coconut Point is the place for people to gather,shop, dine, work, play, see a new film - you name it.

Miromar Outlets
You can literally spend an entire day at the outlets so bring your walking shoes. Located near Germain Arena in Estero, Miromar features over 140 top designer and brand name outlets including Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Perry Ellis, DKNY, Coach Factory, Nautica and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Mercato
Stroll inviting streetscapes as you peruse shops and boutiques. The newest shopping center in Naples also provides a wonderful mix of dining and entertainment.

Waterside Shoppes
This high-end shopping features 60 plus stores and restaurants including Banana Republic, Anne Taylor, Barnes & Noble and Saks Fifth Avenue. They offer valet parking, complimentary style consultations and personal shopping, along with an array of superior amenities.

Village on Venetian Bay
The Village is known for its great shops and personalized customer service. For ladies and men, choose from superb styling from the casual to the elegant. The Village on Venetian Bay is also the place for children's apparel, dazzling jewels, exquisite art galleries, and gifts for the home.

Coastland Center Mall
A family friendly mall featuring your traditional favorites such as Macy’s, Dillard's, JC Penney, Sears and more.

Third Street South
The attractive shops of the Third Street South historic area are brimming with chic high fashion for day and night, with relaxed clothes, lingerie, sports clothes, bathing suits, shoes, purses, and accessories of every description for men, women and children.

Fifth Avenue South
Take a trip to Fifth Avenue South in Downtown Naples – known as a miniature Rodeo Drive. Jewelers, galleries, antique shops and fashion boutiques line the Avenue with the finest quality shopping and dining.

Where are your favorite places to shop in Southwest Florida?

Labels: Amenities, Bonita Springs, Lifestyle, Naples, Shopping, The Colony Golf and Bay Club

Naples and Bonita Springs have some of the most beautiful, unspoiled beaches in all of Florida. It’s one of the reasons why people visit from all over the world. The white sands and the aquamarine, warm waters are truly breathtaking. There is something to do for everyone in the family like swimming, kayaking, shelling, kiteboarding, windsurfing and dolphin watching.

Family Favorites

Bonita Beach Park - This beach front park is on the northern tip of Bonita Beach. It offers a variety of amenities such as restrooms, shelters with tables and grills, a playground, and a sand volleyball court.

Little Hickory Island Beach Park - A white-sand beach combined with a feeling of seclusion is the main attraction at this beachfront park. Surf fishing is a favorite pastime for visitors. The beach is wide and clean and offers restrooms, picnic tables and showers.

Naples Municipal Beach - There is plenty metered parking in the lot on 12th Avenue South. The beach provides picnic tables and showers.

Vanderbilt Beach Park - The beach public access to the Gulf of Mexico, white sands wispy with sea oats, abundant shells and birding. It’s a perfect spot for families as it includes concessions, restrooms and showers, expanded parking, handicap access and close proximity to shops and restaurants of north Naples.

Nature Lovers

Barefoot Beach - Barefoot Beach Preserve is 342 acres of natural land, one of the last undeveloped barrier islands on Florida's southwest coast. Explore on your own or inquire about ranger-led programs to learn of the flora and fauna that characterize the barrier island, from the gumbo-limbo tree to the gopher tortoise.

Clam Pass Park - Clam Pass boasts 35 acres of coastal habitat and preserves that habitat by providing beach access from a three-quarter-mile boardwalk to the sandy beach.

Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park - One of the most popular seaside destinations in Naples, the mile-long stretch of white sugar sand has been rated one of the best beaches in the nation.I t's equally celebrated for its mangrove forest and tidal pools that support a variety of marine life, including loggerhead sea turtles.

What is your favorite beach in Naples or Bonita Springs?

Labels: Amenities, Beaches, Bonita Springs, Florida, Lifestyle, Naples

Bonita Springs and Naples, Florida have a slew of great restaurants to satisfy every appetite. Here are a few of my favorite casual and relaxed dining establishments.

Bonita Springs, Florida:

Naples, Florida:

What are your favorite casual-dining restaurants in Bonita Springs and Naples, Florida? Share them here.

Labels: Bonita Springs, Dining, Florida, Naples, The Colony Golf and Bay Club