The Beefcake of Naples, Florida, the Wealthiest Town in the U.S.

We're in a new era of the glorification of wealth, where people gawk at the gold-plated bathroom fixtures and mink-lined carpets in the private jets of the Rich and Famous.  If you want to meet the elite, you'll probably hang out in Beverly Hills or Manhattan.  You might not think of Naples, a small town of 23,000 in southwest Florida. 













But Naples is one of the wealthiest cities in the U.S., with the second-highest number of millionaires per capita.  Want a $39,000,000 house with 8 bedrooms and 6 baths?   Try the Port Royale neighborhood near the Hamilton Harbor Yacht Club.

Naples has the highest number of yachts per capita, too.

What do you do for recreation, besides swim, snorkel, kayak, yacht, go shopping in the ritzy stores, or eat at the Grille at the Ritz-Carlton (rib eye steak with foi gras and haricots verts, with creme brule for dessert and a glass of madeira, $145)?

The Revs Museum is dedicated to cars.  Pass.

The Palm Cottage, Naples' oldest house, built in 1895.  Not a Victorian mansion, a cottage. Pass.

The Holocaust Museum of Southwest Florida.  Pass.

I guess you look for beefcake.

There is a public beach along the Naples Pier.

There are 6 public and 4 private high schools in town, a huge number for its population.  Most are quite small; the millionaires of Naples tend to send their kids to private boarding schools out of state.

But that means quite a lot of swimming teams, and an annual competition for all-city swimmer.









I like the guy on the right  Who dresses like that for a swimming award photo?  He looks more like a film studies major.













Who lets their kids get anchor tattoos?
















I didn't see a lot of interest in other sports, but I did find the Naples-Bonita Bodybuilding Classic, held every May since 2014.













Just outside of Naples, the town of Immokalee is one of the poorest in the U.S., home to a lot of migrant workers who harvest your tomatoes for less than minimum wage.  Half of the juveniles under 18 are living in poverty.

Their high school offers wrestling instead of swimming.  Is that a social class thing?