high violent crime rates in fort myers?!! that's totally bogus!!! (Miami: condos, big house)

[hiknapster]

last time I checked, most people do not want to retire to Miami, Detroit or Atlanta. You're not doing the area any big favors, so you might want to quit while you're ahead. I also notice that you just moved to the area and you don't actually live in Fort Myers.

[movetoflorida]

Originally Posted by jbclown

Yeah....Fort Myers......the real ghetto.

When I was there a few weeks ago in downtown is was so bad...there were children playing in the park and thousands of people walking around, hanging out, having a good time. People were eating in restaurants. Can you believe that??? Out of control!!!

GIVE ME A BREAK PEOPLE.



Like anywhere, they're a few bad neighborhoods but to the people who compare it to the ghetto or who call it Fort Misery, you need to spend some time in a real city with real bad neighborhoods (Miami, Atlanta, Detroit, etc.) Spend a few days there and report back- the big bad ghetto streets of Fort Myers will suddenly look a bit tame.

All these ghetto names for Fort Myers is just a way for it to look much tougher than it really is, because somehow it makes some of the locals happy to think of there city being big and bad.

Let's compare, population wise, the amount of violent criminals residing in Miami and compare to the criminals in Fort Myers. I believe Miami wins hands-down.

In my recent visit to Fort Myers, I also found downtown to be pleasant. It is the areas around Fort Myers that are unpleasant and scary to drive through to get to downtown. It reminded me of areas in downtown Newport News, Va or Richmond, Va near where I live with crack heads, winos, drug related shootings and whores. The concentrated areas of potential crime to stay away from, have often been discussed on this forum by many who have lived there. I am sure you will learn the same just as I know what areas of Newport News and Richmond to stay away from. Have you noticed where you see the most cops? That might be a sign too. I was a little nervous having a couple drinks at "The French Connection" restaurant downtown with a cop parked next to my truck when I came out. He took off to make an arrest as I approached my truck...whew! I was under the limit, but I didn't want to be harassed. Every cop I saw, was busy...guess thats a good thing and a bad thing. Just in the week I was there, a bar outside downtown was robbed by two masked armed robbers. Your right, Fort Myers or Miami? Fort Myers is the lesser of evils for me...by a hair.

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by jbclown

Yes, I just moved to Bonita Springs, I have lived EVERYWHERE in Florida From Pensacola to Jacksonville right on down to Key West, I know what I'm talking about.

I do believe that went right over your head.

[Huckleberry3911948]

CDF "swamp gas" posts on crime are amazing-- pages and pages of explaining away dangerous areas.

[justNancy]

Originally Posted by movetoflorida

In my recent visit to Fort Myers, I also found downtown to be pleasant. It is the areas around Fort Myers that are unpleasant and scary to drive through to get to downtown.

You must be talking about the streets from the north or east. You could spend years living in So Ft Myers and never drive on them at night.

The information on Ft Myers is very one-sided on this board. Maybe nobody here ever lived in Island Park, which is a very expensive area with waterfront property for boaters. Just go into that Publix at night and tell me if there's any of the riff-raff some people here always talk about.

I think it's funny that someone will recommend Estero, but say Fort Myers is dangerous and full of hoodlums. So who are all the people living in Carillon Woods near Boyscout where there are a few homes on the market now for around $700K? What about the families in Devonwood which is off of Six Mile Cypress? There's a home listed for $1.9 million (in this market!) and the others are over $760K. It's a really gorgeous community where you can have horses. Belle Meade has 2 homes listed for $649,000 and that's off of Summerlin. Then there's Gulf Harbour where the boat docks for sale are over $350K. (not the houses!) I wonder if the person who buys the condo listed for $2.9 million is ignorant, has no teeth and married to a crack *****. After all, from all the posts about SWFL, only those type of people would ever live here.

[Obxnc7]

JustNancy is right.....there are beautiful places in Fort Myers. Also some areas I would stay out of, but name me one big city that doesn't have bad areas that most would want to stay out of. I live in Fort Myers and feel safe. There are many wonderful places to live.....just as many good as there are bad in my opinion. Sure, it's not for everyone, but what is? You have to know what you want.

[justNancy]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

last time I checked, most people do not want to retire to Miami, Detroit or Atlanta. You're not doing the area any big favors, so you might want to quit while you're ahead. I also notice that you just moved to the area and you don't actually live in Fort Myers.

Really? Source please?

Atlanta is consistently on the top 10 lists for places to retire and was listed by AARP as the #1 spot to retire 2 years ago. I know these things. I'm old! I wish I could afford the nice sections of Atlanta, although I could probably buy in one of the suburbs south of Atlanta.

As Obxnc7 pointed out, there are few cities that don't have bad areas.

I edited to remove the listings, in case it violates one of the board rules. (I was showing some gorgeous areas of Fort Myers like St Charles Harbour)

[tjstrain]

just a note here, a few years ago I was in a Starbucks in NAPLES, close to downtown, 5th Ave. In front of me waiting in line were two SWAT team guys in full gear. I thought maybe they were visiting for a convention or something????? SWAT in Naples?????? So I asked them and they replied that there is actually a SWAT team based right there in Naples. WOW! Never thought that sort of thing was needed there???????? But I was wrong. Since your talking crime I thought I would bring that up. The one guy told me that only three cities in Florida at that time had a SWAT team and Naples was one. INTERESTING

[MrsTommy]

Originally Posted by tjstrain

just a note here, a few years ago I was in a Starbucks in NAPLES, close to downtown, 5th Ave. In front of me waiting in line were two SWAT team guys in full gear. I thought maybe they were visiting for a convention or something????? SWAT in Naples?????? So I asked them and they replied that there is actually a SWAT team based right there in Naples. WOW! Never thought that sort of thing was needed there???????? But I was wrong. Since your talking crime I thought I would bring that up. The one guy told me that only three cities in Florida at that time had a SWAT team and Naples was one. INTERESTING

That SWAT (H.E.A.T.) team was created for a Captain to have something to do when the taxpayer $$$$$$ were flowing. They actually get called out two or three times a year...mostly for warrant service...

[hiknapster]

I lived in Island Park and my husband worked in Island Park for years. I shopped in that Publix for about four years. It was fine. Not Westchester County, NY or Wellesley, MA. It was little Island Park. They're selling condos in there for $70,000. I can't possibly see why that is impressive.

Were there creeps there? Yes. My husband worked with a crackhead that lived there. Drugs can happen to anyone. Mostly, though, it was quiet.

As far a house selling for a couple MIL in Fort Myers, of course there is. Once again, there are some nouveau riche that plop their money down in Lee County. Just because you have money doesn't mean you have sense or taste.