Close X Near

There was a blonde driving down the road one day. She glanced to her right and noticed another blonde sitting in a nearby field, rowing a boat with no water in sight.

The blonde angrily pulled her car over and yelled at the rowing blonde: “What do you think you're doing? It's things like this that give us blondes a bad name. If I could swim, I'd come out there and kick your butt!”

Near e close são sinônimos para "próximo, perto". No entanto, close é acompanhado de to:

The hotel is near the airport.

Don't stand close to the dog, Rosie!

Close vai além e também é usado para proximidade entre pessoas, significado que near não carrega:

He is devasted by the death of his sister. They were very close.

E ainda: antes de substantivo se utiliza a palavra nearby ao invés de near:

A nearby village.