Fifth Avenue Fun

Everyone knows Naples' Fifth Avenue South is one of Florida's best addresses for power shopping and people-watching, but few casual strollers really know this thoroughfare. For an irresistible insiders' look, join one of the Fifth Avenue South Association's group tours, which include the street's attractions and shops, lunch and-the big score-a goodie bag from avenue merchants.

Fifth Avenue South Association head Debra Newman begins the tours at the Sugden Plaza, location of the striking, modern Sugden Theatre and part of urban planner Andrés Duany's vision for renovating Naples' Main Street. With high vacancy rates and few shoppers in the 1980s, the city's central business district has been reinvented with pedestrian-friendly sidewalks, lighting and cultural attractions. "I tell the group about the part we played in the revitalization of small downtowns," says Newman.

She also leads them on a backstage tour of either the Sugden Theatre, home to Naples' oldest community theater group, or the von Liebig Art Center. "Both have wonderful, well-informed docents," Newman says. "I learn something new every time."

Newman introduces them to gallery, restaurant and shop owners, all eager to convert the group into what Newman calls "Fifth Avenue ambassadors" by explaining how this 70-plus collection of shops and restaurants is unique. With mostly locally owned businesses and anchoring cultural attractions, the avenue is as vital to residents as it is appealing to tourists, something Duany said was central to its survival. After lunch at Vergina, the Mangrove Café or one of the street's other restaurants, tour participants are set free to use the offers they've received from area merchants.

Clubs and other groups as well as individuals take the tours, which usually include about 20 people. "One group came three months in a row, and every time the tour was different," Newman says. "Everyone leaves here feeling a personal connection to Fifth Avenue South."

For information, call the Fifth Avenue South Association at (239) 643-4527.