[121804]

Originally Posted by SoFLGal

Oddly enough, I know that many people that live in PG work in Ft. Myers.

That was what we did. Commute for my dh was about 45 mins; not bad in the scheme of things. PG was more to our liking than FM & we found a steal for a rental.

TKramer- Do a search on Sterlings or even City Data & you will see that the median age is in th 60s in PG. Majority of the area is snowbirds or retirees; especially PGI. The major place to work is the hospital or Publix & WalMart. There's a few random lawyers here or there & dentists/hip doctors, etc.

Until recently, the major "employer" in PG was construction due to the rebuild after the hurricane. PG was actually nationally recognized for its rebuilding efforts & how fast it went. Now, with construction at almost a dead halt, people have to go elsewhere. So, younger families did have the opportunity to live in PG b/c they had construction jobs & hence places like DC went crazy in building cheap & fast & tried to sell for livable wages. Burnt Store Meadows is nice for younger families but average home there when we left was still averaging $400k & that was for basic.

Homes in PGI are not cheap b/c of its canal access & its draw to the older popluation. It made one of those magazine lists for the top place to retire in the late 90s. Take a drive on the streets off of Aqui Esta; those mortgages are not being paid by the cashier at Publix or the waitress at Harpoon Harry's. Take a drive throoughout PgI in the summer & count the boarded up homes for summer. There were 9 on the street across from us & there were only 12 homes on that street....Snowbird heaven.

Homes in DC are cheap b/c its DC & if you are familiar with DC, you know why they are cheap.

There is every age group in PG, but the majority are not in the mid20s nor are people in their mid20s flocking there. There's very few professional opportunities to earn a decent wage. People who do work in PG are usually coming from PC or areas of Punta Gorda.

TKramer- Charlotte County has the highest population of 65+ in FL & I believe the nation right now. That was on the news back in the summer. Don't have a link to post to it but I'm not randomly making up info.

Punta Gorda Civic Assoc is a perfect example of what PG is made up of & its target demographic. It is trying to get in younger families but the issue is livable wages for families & home prices that are still high. For those familiar with PG, PGI is the nicest area but it's almost unaffordable to the middle class working family.

So, TKramer, many who work in PG are not necessarily from PG & probably more are from PC,which is in Charlotte County. But, it's a small city so the retiree population can out number the working population as it does.

[outsider1]

Mod deleted

If the OP is at all concerned about Charlotte county schools, that would be a good example of their contribution(or the lack of it, actually) to society.

[TKramar]

Originally Posted by SoFLGal

Charlotte county encompasses Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda and part of Englewood. I would say there are more working class in Port Charlotte than any other areas of Charlotte County. There aren't too many places to work in Punta Gorda. Harpoon Harry's-a few golf courses, the small downtown area, a Home Depot, a few fast food restaurants, a few grocery stores, some medical buildings and a small hospital. That's about it.

Yes, I would guess that many of the people that work in Punta Gorda travel from other areas. Everyone I know that works in Punta Gorda lives in Port Charlotte or North Port. Most can't afford to live in a place like PGI and work in Punta Gorda. Oddly enough, I know that many people that live in PG work in Ft. Myers.

Solana, Cleveland, South Punta Gorda Heights, Tropical Gulf Acres...and the downtown area encompassed from Cooper St. to 41, and Airport Rd to 17...those houses are working class homes. PGI, Burnt Store Meadows...those are your "upper crust"...the ones complaining about a potential Wal-Mart expansion right next to them...

[121804]

Originally Posted by TKramar

Tropical Gulf Acres

I don't know if I would consider that regular living in that area. TGA is an area for people who prefer some serious isolation & no amenities.

I drove through there once for the heck of it & was terrified if my car broke down no one would ever find me. It's quite desolate.

[TKramar]

Originally Posted by 121804

I don't know if I would consider that regular living in that area. TGA is an area for people who prefer some serious isolation & no amenities.

I drove through there once for the heck of it & was terrified if my car broke down no one would ever find me. It's quite desolate.

I knew some people who lived out that way....

But, isn't isolation a GOOD thing? Why do you suppose some people like small, rural settings?

[121804]

Originally Posted by TKramar

I knew some people who lived out that way....

But, isn't isolation a GOOD thing? Why do you suppose some people like small, rural settings?

Yeah, I am sure there are people who do enjoy that lifestyle & if it works for them, great.
TGA just freaked me out a little.
Personally, I don't like complete isolation & do enjoy seeing neighbors on a regular basis. We have about an acre & tons of trees, but I still see my neighbors, which I like. My dh, on the other hand, could probably go years without seeing the neighbors & he'd be content as can be.

[Big House]

I am going to visit in June, and check out the areas that you guys have given more favorable comments about - thanks.

Will I see a lot of houses that are "boarded up" because people left to head north for the summer, or because there are a lot of distressed sales that I've heard about?

Also, does the area have any high speed internet access in the area? I expect that it does, because there seems to be a lot of good internet users - like you guys.

[Big House]

What is the best newspaper in the Punta Gorda area, and do they have a dot com address?

[TKramar]

Punta Gorda has basically three papers.

Herald Tribune (from Sarasota), News-Press (from Ft. Myers), and Sun Herald (from Charlotte Harbor). The last is the most local for the area...as far as classified ads go.

[TKramar]

Originally Posted by Big House

I am going to visit in June, and check out the areas that you guys have given more favorable comments about - thanks.

Will I see a lot of houses that are "boarded up" because people left to head north for the summer, or because there are a lot of distressed sales that I've heard about?

Also, does the area have any high speed internet access in the area? I expect that it does, because there seems to be a lot of good internet users - like you guys.

I don't know if anyone has a T1 there. I would think that Comcast provides internet as well as cable.