The Claridge at Pelican Bay - high rise luxury next to mangrove preserves with spectacular Gulf views
Posted On 2007-02-08 , 5:23 PM
“Come fly with me, let’s fly away . . .”
- Frank Sinatra, 1958 
The Claridge is a gracious luxury high rise building in the award winning, master planned waterfront community of Pelican Bay in Naples. Located between the Marbella and Montenero residential towers on Pelican Bay Boulevard – a tree lined street which gracefully curves through an idyllic, lushly landscaped setting – Claridge was completed in 1993. This low density building, with only 81 residences contained in its 22 floors, features dramatic views of the Gulf of Mexico, mangrove forests, and the bays and estuaries which make Pelican Bay such a treasure. Pelican Bay has won national acclaim and other  accolades for its unique and groundbreaking environmental and architectural designs, and its signature landscape.
There is, perhaps, an amusing and rather ironic dichotomy about The Claridge. The setting for the Claridge is in a very peaceful, soothing, and quiet part of Pelican Bay. Typical of Naples overall, and Pelican Bay in particular, the prevailing “demeanor” is Midwestern in sensibility. The Claridge is a perfect place to get away from it all, to soak in tranquility. The peace and quiet here is an asset that is treasured by the residents. Pets are not  allowed. It is elegant, it is tasteful, it is reserved. The dichotomy, though, is based on the architectural design of the building, which has an Art-Deco feel. The effect is anything but dissonant though; to the contrary, the sense of form, proportionality, balance, and harmony that radiates from the architectural style is a perfect match for the natural habitat surrounding this building. People, nature, and the building itself, are in harmony at the Claridge.
The “East Coast” flavor of the design makes  me snicker when I think about how out of place Mr. Sinatra and his Rat Pack circa 1958 would have felt in the quiet, peace loving Claridge. The Fontainebleau of days gone by in Miami it ain’t. Thankfully. What the action-craving Rat Pack of old would likely shrug off as “dullsville,” is the perfect tonic for the executives, professionals, entrepreneurs, and others who reside in The Claridge – and need rejuvenation and refreshment.
Not that lifestyles at The Claridge are all work and no play. Far from it. The amenities at Pelican Bay, and Claridge, furnish endless  choices for those who wish to enjoy award winning beaches with private pavilions, fine and performing arts, world class shopping, championship golf, fabulous tennis, a dazzling array of restaurants, and more. Current market pricing for properties in The Claridge runs from approximately $1,000,000 to $1,400,000, and the amenities and features include, among others:
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secure, assigned under building parking (some residences have 2 spaces)
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large resort quality pool (spectacularly under-lit at night)
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fitness center
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tennis
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golf membership opportunities at The Club at Pelican Bay (featuring 27 holes of Championship Golf designed by Arthur Hills)
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2 private beach pavilions
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tram service which transports residents to 2 separate beaches with private access
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private beach club available
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poolside cabanas available for sale
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guest suites
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library and community room
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open floor plans
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typical residences feature 2 lanais (screened and unscreened)
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panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico, Clam Bay, preserves, and the golf course
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floor plans ranging from approximately 1,750 to 2,800 square feet in living area
One unique and highly prized feature of the Pelican Bay lifestyle is the boardwalk, and the one of a kind transportation method taking residents, like those living in Claridge, to one of two different private access beaches. The trams – quiet and eco-friendly – stop at regularly appointed areas to take residents to the beaches and the restaurants and other amenities that sit right on the white sand beaches of the Gulf of Mexico  here. Restaurants such as the Beach Café, Sandpiper, the Sand Bar, and the Sunset Café, are all on the waterfront, and accessible by tram. Morning cups of coffee, drinks at sunset, delicious meals served right on the beach – these special amenities are for Pelican Bay residents and authorized guests only. The paths the trams follow attract those who like to walk, bike, jog, rollerblade, and more.
Between the Gulf of Mexico and the Claridge lies a very complex and beautiful sub-tropical eco-system. The preserve area, featuring mangrove forests, estuaries, and a host of  native fauna and flora, is beautiful and pristine. To pair modern luxury living so closely with the natural beauty, and the birds and other creatures that live in this oasis, is what makes Pelican Bay, and buildings such as The Claridge, so special, and so set apart. There are “million dollar views” in Claridge to be sure (please excuse the cliche, it is late as I write this), but in a very real sense, the chance to actually live in this dramatic natural setting is almost priceless for those who appreciate habitat as much as haute living.
The resort style pool at Claridge has previously been acclaimed as the best tropical pool in Naples. A day relaxing by this pool embodies the Naples lifestyle to the N-th degree, with the Bay Colony skyline in the distance, the tram passing silently by, wading birds calling out from a few hundred feet away. Silence the ringer on your cell phone, OK? Grab that book that has been sitting by your bed for weeks, and relax. Open up your poolside Cabana, and play mixologist for a friend or two. Put on flip flops, ride the tram, grab a chair by the beach, and watch the pelicans dive for their dinner. Best of all, linger long enough to watch one of those famous Naples sunsets. If the  sunset is even more spectacular than usual, it is not inappropriate to toast your Realtor®. When our clients experience such things, we feel a sense of “mission accomplished.”
The ImagineNaples.com waterfront team lives to serve. Contact us at:
Jeffrey A. Ahren
direct: (239) 398-7508
toll free: (800) 97 IN FLA (800) 974-6352
Douglas M. Sharpe
toll free: (800) 97 IN FLA (800) 974-6352
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