Thinking about relocating to Fort Myers! (Tampa, Orlando: house, unemployment, school)

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by TamRE

Where are you getting your data from? You should check the census data. Tampa is not a younger demographic. Both cities are pretty close in all age groups.

Data from US Census Bureau 2010 figures

Ft Myers 2010
Persons under 5 – 7.3%
Persons under 18 – 22.7%
Persons 65 and over – 14.4%
Median age – 33.90


Tampa 2010
Persons under 5 – 6.4%
Persons under 18 – 22.6%
Persons 65 and over – 11%
Median age – 34.7

Those stats don't take into account the enormous amount of retired snowbirds that descend on Fort Myers each winter. The vibe of both areas is very different and of course there is a wider selection of jobs in Tampa, too. Much larger legal community as opposed to an industry that heavily skews toward services for retirees and vacationers. Bigger city, more nightlife, closer to theme parks. As much as I know you are trying to sell something, the consensus is clearly that she is probably going to prefer Tampa. There are far more young professionals in Tampa.

[Kim in FL]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

Yes, I do. Love those mighty Atlantic waves! Hate the hot bath water of the gulf, especially at Fort Myers Beach. I find it pretty dirty, too. I like Naples and Sanibel much more but still prefer the Atlantic.

I think Mr. Sam meant the beach scene, though.

Fort Myers Beach is dirty. ewww. I won't even go in the water. Sanibel has nice beaches and who wants to spend the time and money and getting there and be able to find a place to park or pee? No thanks.

I prefer the beaches on the other coast...well..actually I prefer the beaches of Jamaica

[TamRE]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

Those stats don't take into account the enormous amount of retired snowbirds that descend on Fort Myers each winter. The vibe of both areas is very different and of course there is a wider selection of jobs in Tampa, too. Much larger legal community as opposed to an industry that heavily skews toward services for retirees and vacationers. Bigger city, more nightlife, closer to theme parks. As much as I know you are trying to sell something, the consensus is clearly that she is probably going to prefer Tampa. There are far more young professionals in Tampa.

For your information, I do not sell real estate in Ft. Myers or any of Lee County.

[Billythepokerkid]

Originally Posted by Kim in FL

Fort Myers Beach is dirty. ewww. I won't even go in the water. Sanibel has nice beaches and who wants to spend the time and money and getting there and be able to find a place to park or pee? No thanks.

I prefer the beaches on the other coast...well..actually I prefer the beaches of Jamaica

"Fort Myers Beach is dirty. ewww. I won't even go in the water."

That will be your little secret. The areas near the pier tend to have murkier water occasionally due to the river and the way the currents move. It is also the busiest spot on the entire island. If you get there and it's murky or "dirty", drive about a mile down the beach and you will see a huge difference. I live just South of Matanzas Pass and the only few times I would have considered the water dirty was shortly after huge storms. There are public beach access points all the way down Estero Blvd. If that isn't good or clean enough drive a little further and you get Lover's Key, Barefoot, Bonita, and many more. There are also a ton of public access points on the way there. Again, if that isn't up to your stands keep on driving South, You will have Wiggins Pass, Vanderbilt, all the beaches of Naples, and then Marco Island. If you don't want to drive South, go North for the day. Less than an hour and half you have Venice, Boca Grande, Manasota Key, Inglewood, Longboat Key, Siesta Key, and Holmes Beach among many others. And as you mentioned Sanibel and Captiva are also options that are 15 minutes from Ft. Myers Beach if you don't mind a few bucks for the bridge. If you have a boat Cayo Costa, North Captiva, and Gasparilla are options as well. Also most of the beaches listed have facilities. There are only a handful that don't offer them and you should know this before heading there. As for parking, I personally have never had a problem with it in 32 years, leave early if you have concerns. If you live here you buy the yearly parking sticker for 60 bucks and it's no big deal you can go as much as you want. I have spent a lot time on the East Coast of Florida, there are no beaches that even come close to the beaches of the barrier islands in Southwest Florida. If you can't find a beach that suites your needs, the problem is probably you and not the area as many of these beaches are regarded as some of the best beaches in the world.

[alfbroker]

Safety was a concern for the OP as it should be for a young person moving to an unfamiliar area. The larger areas mentioned have some pretty bad crime areas. The more reasonable the rent, the more likely you will be near or in one of those areas.
Apply online for employment first from where you are because assuming you will have no problem getting work would be a big mistake.
You may be tired of where you live now but moving to Tampa/St Pete may be worseMagazine says St. Petersburg is country's saddest city; Tampa not far behind - St. Petersburg Times

[Billythepokerkid]

Originally Posted by alfbroker

Safety was a concern for the OP as it should be for a young person moving to an unfamiliar area. The larger areas mentioned have some pretty bad crime areas. The more reasonable the rent, the more likely you will be near or in one of those areas.
Apply online for employment first from where you are because assuming you will have no problem getting work would be a big mistake.
You may be tired of where you live now but moving to Tampa/St Pete may be worseMagazine says St. Petersburg is country's saddest city; Tampa not far behind - St. Petersburg Times

Yep, Men's Health Magazine is the source for this article. The same magazine that's idea for weight loss and six pack abs is drinking protein shakes for every meal and running on a treadmill for 3 hours a day. It's very relevant, especially since the OP is female. lol

You also mention safety and then post a link that talks about people who take anti-depressants and commit suicide. More coffee needed??

[Kim in FL]

Originally Posted by Billythepokerkid

"Fort Myers Beach is dirty. ewww. I won't even go in the water."

That will be your little secret. The areas near the pier tend to have murkier water occasionally due to the river and the way the currents move. It is also the busiest spot on the entire island. If you get there and it's murky or "dirty", drive about a mile down the beach and you will see a huge difference. I live just South of Matanzas Pass and the only few times I would have considered the water dirty was shortly after huge storms. There are public beach access points all the way down Estero Blvd. If that isn't good or clean enough drive a little further and you get Lover's Key, Barefoot, Bonita, and many more. There are also a ton of public access points on the way there. Again, if that isn't up to your stands keep on driving South, You will have Wiggins Pass, Vanderbilt, all the beaches of Naples, and then Marco Island. If you don't want to drive South, go North for the day. Less than an hour and half you have Venice, Boca Grande, Manasota Key, Inglewood, Longboat Key, Siesta Key, and Holmes Beach among many others. And as you mentioned Sanibel and Captiva are also options that are 15 minutes from Ft. Myers Beach if you don't mind a few bucks for the bridge. If you have a boat Cayo Costa, North Captiva, and Gasparilla are options as well. Also most of the beaches listed have facilities. There are only a handful that don't offer them and you should know this before heading there. As for parking, I personally have never had a problem with it in 32 years, leave early if you have concerns. If you live here you buy the yearly parking sticker for 60 bucks and it's no big deal you can go as much as you want. I have spent a lot time on the East Coast of Florida, there are no beaches that even come close to the beaches of the barrier islands in Southwest Florida. If you can't find a beach that suites your needs, the problem is probably you and not the area as many of these beaches are regarded as some of the best beaches in the world.

Yes, it is me. I don't like the beaches that are stateside..I clearly stated where my beach of choice is.

[Bbiddle87]

If your not dead set on living on the coast Orlando is a great choose for young professionals. Great downtown, parks, 2nd largest university in US, cocoa beach and daytona only about an hour away. Don't be confused Orlando is not just Micky mouse and shamu any more. We are in the process or have completed a world class half a billion dollar NBA arena, new state of the art performing arts center, sun rail commuter rail, etc. Also a younger population base than Tampa, Fort Myers, and Miami with a metro of 2+ million people to boot.

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by Bbiddle87

If your not dead set on living on the coast Orlando is a great choose for young professionals. Great downtown, parks, 2nd largest university in US, cocoa beach and daytona only about an hour away. Don't be confused Orlando is not just Micky mouse and shamu any more. We are in the process or have completed a world class half a billion dollar NBA arena, new state of the art performing arts center, sun rail commuter rail, etc. Also a younger population base than Tampa, Fort Myers, and Miami with a metro of 2+ million people to boot.

True. I use to live in Orlando and really liked it. I moved there when I was 34 and there were a lot of young people there, completely different than southwest Florida.

[alphacoyle]

Ft Myers isn't really what you're looking for. Kind of skeezy; good for retirees and other people looking for cheap living. The beach has sold out to the party scene and it's just about drinking, the have bars right on the beach and everyone's boozed up. Now, the Tampa area IS probably what you're looking for: it's got a big legal sector and lots of need for paralegals, also it's more adult in nature and you can pick from a lot of areas to live in all with close access to decent activities from clubs to parks. That's what I like about Hillsborough County; it's got a wide range of places and the economy here is never going to totally crash; we've got ports and great weather. I know MN is pretty cool, but it's 80f here today. The east coast is more expensive and that pretty atlantic water has terrible rip tides. When I was little a friend got sucked out in knee deep water and died; as an adult I got sucked out waist high and after I got out I watched 3 other people having the same thing happen. Just saying.