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Fort Myers Area

Nole-Esq.

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Dec 21, 2006
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How is it as a place to live? I get that it's not Tampa, but is it very boring?
 
How is it as a place to live? I get that it's not Tampa, but is it very boring?

Haven't lived there but it depends on what you want to do. If you like fishing, hiking and going to the beach it's a great place. If you want big concerts, big sporting events, dance clubs, theme parks, etc...then yeah it sucks. Only you would know if you'll be satisfied with the former.

There is some great food in the area and that whole area is a great place to retire (lots of drug issues in the area as its both 1) an import source, 2) a major addiction Center mecca filled with wealthier addicts from NYC on methadone and 3) not a lot to do. So if you've got an addition issue Id stay away.

I could live there no problem as long as I could vacation elsewhere on the regular.
 
Actually since you're an ESQ as well from the handle, you might even run into me. I'm helping to set up a couple of the aforementioned addiction centers as its $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. As much as $75k per bed per month, so even a modest 60 bed facility is raking it in hand over fist.
 
No big sporting events??? Don't they have like the worlds "best" mud bogging track down there?
 
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Thanks everybody. I actually do like fishing, hiking and going to the beach. Nightclubs, concerts, etc. are not really a priority. How is the weather? Are there a lot of Nole fans?
 
Thanks everybody. I actually do like fishing, hiking and going to the beach. Nightclubs, concerts, etc. are not really a priority. How is the weather? Are there a lot of Nole fans?

I grew up here and moved back to FM to practice.
If you like boating and fishing you will enjoy it here.

The area is totally different depending on the time of year: season when all the snowbirds are back it is tough to get around on the roads and get into restaurants etc. The summer months is when I like it...less crowded.

How old are you?
 
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I'm in my mid thirties. Serious girlfriend. No kids.
 
Mrs. Ed and I plan to retire there in a few years. Not great for the young folks, but boy, the seafood places abound. I refer specifically to the Cape Coral area; we love it there.
 
It's not a bad place in my opinion. The service at restaurants is really bad for some reason though. Lot's of golf; good beaches; boating; fishing; and a lot of families. The tourist usually are from the Mid West which is a good thing to me.

One area you could not pay me to live in is Cape Coral though.
 
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Thanks everybody. I actually do like fishing, hiking and going to the beach. Nightclubs, concerts, etc. are not really a priority. How is the weather? Are there a lot of Nole fans?
I don't live in Ft Myers, but visit the area a lot during the year because my wife's family lives in Fort Myers and Naples. There are a ton of Noles living in the area.
 
I went to high school down there and my parents still live there. I really dislike the area strongly. Has absolutely no character and everything is so unbelievably spread out. It's really just strip mall after strip mall after strip mall. There are tons of great golf courses and beaches, but the time of year when it's not super hot it's packed with old people and tourists. You really haven't seen snowbirds until you've gone out to dinner in Ft. Myers/Naples in the winter time. There will be times when i've gone down to see my parents where i'm the only person in the entire restaurant under the age of 60.
 
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As someone who has covered the Fort Myers area for work, I can say without equivocation that it blows. As @QuaZ2002 pointed out, Fort Myers is nothing but endless, mostly dilapidated strip malls. That area is a case study for letting developers run wild with little to no restrictions. Fort Myers is bad even in a state like Florida, which has a high number of dilapidated and run down looking strip malls. I realize that most people hate Cape Coral, but it least the place doesn't look like a dump. From my perspective, the restaurants are very average and there is very little to do compared to larger metro areas. I could see someone enjoying the area if they were out on the boat all day. Personally, if I had to live down there, I would live in Naples and commute to Fort Myers if necessary.
 
Thanks. I was looking at houses in Bonita Springs or Naples.
 
I agree...don't move to Ft. Myers...it's horrible...stay away.....;)
 
Thanks. I was looking at houses in Bonita Springs or Naples.
This is where I lived and my parents still live. There are certainly worse places to live but I would never move back. Are you moving from Tampa?
 
This is where I lived and my parents still live. There are certainly worse places to live but I would never move back. Are you moving from Tampa?

No, I was just giving Tampa as an example of a place that I know is much more metropolitan than Fort Meyers. I would be coming from the Northeast mostly for the business opportunity, not to socialize. Being around Nole fans and having good weather would be bonuses.
 
I live in Cape Coral (basically Fort Myers). If you are mid 30's and no kids you will be extremely bored. Beaches, golfing, boating are okay as stated. Snowbirds and the current heat are something you will never get used to. I would look in Naples.
 
Born and raised there and will never move back. Visiting gives me a nice perspective I didnt have growing up, but still could not live there. Food is pretty meh, but Winter weather is enjoyable.
 
I moved to South Fort Myers(Gulf Harbor) after graduating from FSU in 2003. Worst 9 months of my life.
 
Here's some places I like in the area. Edison's Ft Myers; Mucky Duck Captiva; and Doc Ford's Sanibel( for drinks)
 
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Lived in Cape Coral since 93, and as stated above it is pretty boring unless you like the beaches, fishing and golf. I will say the Bonita area (estero) is a nice are with Coconut Point mall and FGCU in the area. Naples is nice, however you better have a lot of $$$$....housing values is up 35% over last year and only going up. Weather is hotter than hell for 8 months out of the year, and the other 4 months you're dealing with the old folks......
 
I moved to South Fort Myers(Gulf Harbor) after graduating from FSU in 2003. Worst 9 months of my life.

See I thoroughly enjoyed living in gulf harbor, yea during season the blue hairs are everywhere but then they leave and it is dead for the remaining 8 months of the year.

My girl and I want to move back as we have been in Miami for the last 2.5 years and have not acclimated at all to this area.

If we were to move back, we would move to south ft myers or Sanibel. We love to be by/on the water and there are a good selection or reasonable everyday restaurants to keep us happy and a good amount of nice ones for special occasions.

If I could and I am trying, I want to retire on captiva.
 
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We toured FGCU a few weeks ago. I think it would be a different college experience if my daughter ends up going there.
 
:(:(:(
See I thoroughly enjoyed living in gulf harbor, yea during season the blue hairs are everywhere but then they leave and it is dead for the remaining 8 months of the year.

My girl and I want to move back as we have been in Miami for the last 2.5 years and have not acclimated at all to this area.

If we were to move back, we would move to south ft myers or Sanibel. We love to be by/on the water and there are a good selection or reasonable everyday restaurants to keep us happy and a good amount of nice ones for special occasions.

If I could and I am trying, I want to retire on captiva.

You're talking my language baldfsufan!
Have you looked into prices on Captiva lately?
 
:(:(:(

You're talking my language baldfsufan!
Have you looked into prices on Captiva lately?
Dr,

No I haven't looked seriously at buying, but we are looking pretty hard at renting on Sanibel. The place I want to live is on south seas in "lands end" and they run about 1.5M and up. I am just a few years away from that being a reality.
 
Dr,

No I haven't looked seriously at buying, but we are looking pretty hard at renting on Sanibel. The place I want to live is on south seas in "lands end" and they run about 1.5M and up. I am just a few years away from that being a reality.
Ok
I hope it works out.
 
How is it as a place to live? I get that it's not Tampa, but is it very boring?

Spent my high school years there and hated every minute of it. I got out of there as quickly as I could and never looked back. Still haven't been back even all these years later. We called it "Ft. Misery".
 
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Stay away from Ft. Myers if you are mid 30's no kids. Look to Naples, but honestly even that is gonna be boring, and expensive. In the Florida alphabet they don't say N N Naples were the old folks go for nothing.
 
Spent my high school years there and hated every minute of it. I got out of there as quickly as I could and never looked back. Still haven't been back even all these years later. We called it "Ft. Misery".
Exactly....stay away
 
You seem to be sending mixed messages Doc.
 
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Move to Tampa or Downtown St. Pete area. Agree with most here about the area from my work and people I know who are from there. It is also seems to be a few degrees hotter than other parts of Florida in the summer, as you don't get as strong of a sea breeze as the east coast does. I find it to be truly miserable in the summer with oppressive humidity and heat. But maybe that's just me.
 
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