The Happy Face of Bayshore Drive

This week my subject location is the Bayshore Drive area, where I’d like to mention a little of its background, and how this area has matured. Bayshore is in an area off U.S. 41 East near the Gordon River and has lots of water properties. It is lovely land near the water, lots of boating, and many years ago it was a fun area with a Bar and Restaurant named “Tipsy Seagull” and owned by City of Naples Mayor Bill Barnett for a short time. Yes, it was located on the water, and I’ve heard some people who couldn’t remember the name, so they called it the Drunken’ Pelican and other names. It was a favorite place for all of us in the area, and they even came down from Pelican Bay! It was a nice area and a favorite playground for many. The Tipsy was sold, and all I can say is the new owners had many problems with the Sheriff’s office and the place closed. It sat there deteriorating until Rebecca Maddox came along with ideas, money and fine food, and repaired and fixed the place into this beautiful area we now enjoy. At that time they rarely sold wine and you could sit inside and pick up your food inside. It was a wonderful place! Since then it’s taken a new direction. The food is still wonderful, but now you have to sit outside because they store their wine inside, and when it’s cold or raining, or bug season, it’s a problem. We truly needed a fine restaurant in that area. Let’s hope someone will come along and focus on fine food instead of drinking. Meanwhile the area has become a place for people to enjoy Food Trucks and fun nights and attracts a lot of people from out of this area, but speaking for myself, I long for the simple, fine foods of yesteryear, with Old Florida Charm. There is a lady who has lived in this area for a while now, and her name is Diane Sullivan, and she has bought a few properties and hopes to bring back that old Florida Charm and neighborliness through her properties. That area has had many faces, but right now it has a happy face, and I guess we all have hopes for something marvelous to come soon. We really need a Fine Dining restaurant in this area! Don’t get me wrong, we have some fine dining in the area, but we need more of everything!

• * There is also an Ankrolab Brewery, owned by a young man in his first attempt at business and it’s a wonderful place to sit back and enjoy, and they make outstanding Root Beer. All you need is ice cream and you’d have a Root Beer Float! I’m not a drinker, so this really hit the spot for me!!

• There is a committee that oversees this area called the Bayshore CRA (Community Redevelopment Area) with many longtime residents who really care about the area! No one pays them; they serve because they love the area. The new president, Karen Beatty, and the previous President, Maurice Gutierrez, have lived there so long that I think that’s when God first created trees! He wanted the best for the people and the businesses, so the CRA board members worked together to make that happen.

• News Just in! The Bayshore Gateway Triangle CRA Advisory Board and the Bayshore Beautification MSTU Board met in a joint meeting to listen to a presentation by Stantec Engineering. A conceptual plan for the proposed 17-acre pedestrian connect Boardwalk Bridge from Bayshore to Sugden Park was presented. All members of both boards voted unanimously to approve the connection to Sugden Park. The 17 acres was purchased in 2006 for the purpose of a catalyst project for the Bayshore Redevelopment District. The Boardwalk/Bridge will fulfill part of that vision that’s been held for this property for many years. Permitting for this project is expected to take place in February, 2023.

More information to come next week about things close to home, like this!