Why is Ft. Meyers known as 'Little Pakistan' in rap songs? (Jacksonville: 2009, crime)

[picsesmauve957]

Very high crime rates is probably why. I had to commute from Sanibel Island to Ft. Myers as a Senior in High School, and I had friends who were raped, murdered, and just messed around with.

[WW47]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

Well, I wouldn't want to live in Miami, either, so I don't get the comparison.

And for a place with that much crime, it better offer more than traffic, early-bird specials, few job opportunities and high housing prices.

Fort Misery? I was told that was the city's nickname within the first week of living there. If you haven't heard it called that I would be very surprised. It's as common as "Cape Coma."

Red Sox training stadium? Not a very good part of town.

By the way, I'm from south central Massachusetts.

It's funny, most of the people I've heard (in person) calling it "Fort Misery and Cape Coma" are infact "miserable and negative" people. It's all about how you look at it. I know many people that are happy here~

[Chromedome]

just a nickname for the iner city areas of the city..which are dangerous and have a hell of a drug scene...ofcourse theres a little exageration on the behalf of rappers but i wouldnt call fort myers the safest city in the world....

turn on cops and you probably have a 1 out of 3 chance of it being in fort myers.

people talk about the good..red sox training, the skatepark, the waterfront park, etc but for every neighborhood like gulf harbor theres a neighborhood like the palm beach ave, ortiz or MLK areas. not really that much different than most cities..in that aspect anyway.

EVERY city has its nicer areas and its seedy dangerous ones.

look at palm beach or miami you have millionaire mansions and projects within a few miles of eachother... NYC you have million dollar apartments up the street from crackhouses and slums.

somebody who stayed exclusively on star island, the grove or coral gables wouldnt think miami to be anywhere near as dangerous as it is.

[Crane's Rooster]

For what it's worth I grew up in the Pre-Real estate mania Fort Myers. As I remember it and from most people who are really from Fort Myers/Lee County/Southwest Florida we never really aspired to be everything that people complain we're not. Most of us who grew up there love Fort Myers for the little town we are at heart (for good or bad). We are not a conglomerate of metropolitan wannabees. I've always known that I wasn't going to make my fortunes and hit it big in Fort Myers that's why I left . But I've always loved it, and still do, as the place I could always come back to and call home. I could care less that there aren't multiple fortune 500 companies there and the accomanying bands of high power execs with big cars and big pockets. That's not my Fort Myers and that's what I hope not to find when each time I go back. If you do not enjoy the simple pleasures of drinking in the sun and fishing all day you should look further south to Miami for the glamorous life.

As far as crime rates, that's a product of the history of Fort Myers. It's an old southern city, contrary to popular belief it did not just appear on the map in the past 10 years. Long before many new residents flocked there for the what used to be cheap housing, Fort Myers was a very segregated city. When I was there they had to bus kids from inner city Fort Myers to surburban Cape schools as part of desegregation. Those areas are still the places where the crime is concentrated. It has been like that for as long as I can remember. For those of you who mischaracterize the city, take into consideration the factors that caused the crime did not happen overnight and will not change overnight.

Also I don't understand why everyone is so worked up over Plies nickname for Fort Myers. It's his subjective view of the Fort Myers he grew up in, and growing up in Michigan Court I do not doubt his credibility in being able to make such a statement. But we didn't all grow up in Michigan court. There are many parts, neighborhoods, faces and personalities to Fort Myers. By the way, traditionally City of Palms and Fort Town are the more popular nicknames for Fort Myers.

[swaptrex]

this thread makes me giggle...as far as "Fort Meyers" being a ghetto i would most likely say NO! like many said every town or city has it's bad parts, but if compared to big metropolitan cities such as Atlanta, Gary, DC, etc Fort Meyers is a joke for crime. some people need to pull their head out and look around.

[Relocated]

I Came across this posting thing, and saw that none of you actually have a grip on what this nickname actually means, so I will explain. Growing up in Lehigh Acres I found myself (for one reason or another) hanging out with the wrong people. Very soon I wanted a weapon to "defend" myself. So I asked some friends where I could get one. My friend at the time directed me to a middle man who was able to sell me a quite crappy submachine gun. The person who actually supplies these armaments is Pakistani. From what I have heard his family supplies most of South West Florida. I have never seen him face to face but I have heard stories, and he has a myspace where he brandishes his chrome AK-47.. lol..
Thus the nickname makes sense....

[Donna-50]

Originally Posted by florida1

That's nothing! I was there about a week ago and I actually saw lawyers in business suits! BMW's and Mercedes were everywhere! Why just this past weekend there were thousands of men, women, and children (and some dogs too) participating in the annual heartwalk! I've never seen anything like it in my life. It makes south side Atlanta look tame. Seriously though, anyone who thinks Ft. Myers is a "crime haven" must live in a cage. Crime is no worse here than anyplace else. Also, that same list that has Ft. Myers as the third worst crime rate in Florida also has Palatka occupying the first or second place slot. Palatka!?!? I think that says something about the list. Palatka is a peaceful town in north, central Florida. I don't even see how people can take that list seriously.

Also I want to make a quick comment to hiknapster's post. There are three Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Ft. Myers/Bonita Springs (as of the 2007 list). Obviously if you compare that to Atlanta or Chicago that isn't a lot. However, the only cities in Florida with more Fortune 500 companies than Ft. Myers/Bonita Springs are Miam/Ft. Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Tampa/St. Pete, and Orlando. To say that Ft. Myers has no professional job market is absurd. Two of those companies are currently hiring. Also, there are actually 5,000 more jobs in the county this year compared to the same time last year (they publish this in the Business section of the news-press every Monday so people can track it). Unemployment keeps going up because population growth is far exceeding job growth. 30,000 people added last year and only 5,000 jobs. I think we can see where the problem is coming from. I'm not saying we have a hot economy here, in fact we have far from it. However, to act like Walmart and Publix are your best hope for employment is ridiculous. Most of the business owners I know would give their right arm for someone with a college degree. Unfortunately, because this area isn't a major metro yet (notice I said yet), many young professionals tend to overlook it. Iv'e seen IT and Analyst postions in this area open for months. There are jobs out there for professionals.

Also, you claim it is hard to make a living wage in SW FL. According to the last statistics, Lee County had a poverty rate of 9.7%. In comparison, Knox County, TN had a poverty rate of 12.6%. The statistics say that making a living in Knox County, TN is more difficult than making a living in Lee County. How come you don't complain about the employment where you live?

As far as the actual topic is concerned (sorry for getting off track), I have no idea why Ft. Myers is called Lil Pakistan. I agree though that the most logical reason is so that the rappers from here (all two of them) can make this area out to be more dangerous and ghetto than it really is.

Very well said.

[Donna-50]

Originally Posted by WW47

It's funny, most of the people I've heard (in person) calling it "Fort Misery and Cape Coma" are infact "miserable and negative" people. It's all about how you look at it. I know many people that are happy here~

I never heard Fort Misery and Cape Coma until I came to this forum. I must have different friends. Been here 15 years and still enjoy life here.

[SideshowPete]

Originally Posted by florida1

Iv'e seen IT and Analyst postions in this area open for months. There are jobs out there for professionals.

Where ???!!!

[whippersnapper]

There's a couple of analyst job opens in the county or city right now. Check
Official Lee County Government Web Site
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