Bonita Springs (Jacksonville, Orlando, Cape Coral: lawyer, foreclosures, tornadoes)

[jzizza]

I would appreciate information from people living in Bonita Springs such as crime rate, employment (i.e. legal or medical field), is it a community more for retirement or does it attract every age, is there enough cultural activities to keep a person busy and interested, etc. It appears to be nicer than Ft. Myers or Cape Coral, is that true? What a hurricane activity in that area?

Thank you.

[imagardener]

Originally Posted by jzizza

I would appreciate information from people living in Bonita Springs such as crime rate, employment (i.e. legal or medical field), is it a community more for retirement or does it attract every age, is there enough cultural activities to keep a person busy and interested, etc. It appears to be nicer than Ft. Myers or Cape Coral, is that true? What a hurricane activity in that area?

Thank you.

I can't tell you about crime because I live near there (in Naples) but not in Bonita. I like Bonita (most people drop the Springs) but of course certain Naples people look down on it just because it's "not Naples". Coconut Point is nearby for shopping/restaurants. There are not as many cultural features as Naples but it's so close that it's almost a suburb.
There is a very expensive community called Mediterra located between Naples and Bonita. $10 million homes and they're not even on the beach or anywhere near it!!
Bonita is nicer than Ft. Myers in the sense of being smaller, less traffic.
I don't know anything about Cape Coral at all.

I think employment may be tough becuase I hear people have a hard time getting affordable housing for the going wage. I can't comment as I'm self-employed/semi-retired.

Hurricane activity is the same for most of SW Florida on the coast, medium danger. If you go further inland you have danger of wildfires and tornadoes.

[Tarastomsgirl]

Bonita is lovely, there are some iffy spots but what town doesn't have it! Its grown A LOT and there's some great shopping. The nice thing about Bonita is you're wedged right between Naples and Estero/ Ft. Myers so you can go with way for playing.

[pap/paws]

I lived in Bonita for a yr and a half before moving to Naples (very similar these days). Got a great deal in Naples, so we moved, but I would have stayed. I've been here for almost 12 yrs now. What I especially liked about Bonita was that I tended to go into Ft. Myers and do things too, and now just a little more south, I don't.There is a really neat park in FM. Lakes Park. Train for the kids during Christmas time, Medieval Fest. lots of other things. I was surprised to find out that FM is considered, high crime????? Seems like any other place. Maybe because I read that because it is a tourist destination (spring break) that this is what raises the numbers.....people from out, coming in. Heck, Orlando has a higher crime rate....tourists!! Anyway, concerning living in Bonita vs. Naples, I guess that looking at 25 min. to jaunt up the road, is different than say, 45 min. Bonita is nice, just avoid OLD 41, and what was known as, downtown Bonita. Bonita along the conventional hwy 41 is very nice, and some pricey developments have grown. Bonita Beach is multi million dollar homes. Just a little way up the road is Estero. That was just small rural parcels. It too is now growing. In Estero, near I 75 is the Germain Arena. Hockey fans of the Everblades team, public ice skating and figure lessons for kids, concerts, etc. One thing about Lee cnty schools (Bonita, Estero, FM) is that they have a stronger program of "schools of choice". They have schools that SPECIALIZE in drama and arts, science, etc. And a variety of charter schools. I'm a teacher, and we here in Collier, don't. Oh, there is one charter school way out in Marco...There is also a larger selection of private schools.

[justNancy]

Originally Posted by jzizza

I would appreciate information from people living in Bonita Springs such as crime rate, employment (i.e. legal or medical field), is it a community more for retirement or does it attract every age, is there enough cultural activities to keep a person busy and interested, etc. It appears to be nicer than Ft. Myers or Cape Coral, is that true? What a hurricane activity in that area?

Thank you.

What Imagardener wrote is true. When I first moved to Bonita Springs, several people I met in Naples turned their noses up, which is a riot since there are many gorgeous, upscale communities here. In fact, part of Bonita is in Collier County. The prettiest beach in the area is called Barefoot Beach on Bonita Beach Road which is run by Collier County Parks & Recreation.

There really is no "downtown" area here. Most of the businesses are on route 41 which is also called Tamiami Trail. Regarding jobs in the medical field, it's best to contact the local hospitals or medical boards. The economy is horrible right now, but I'm sure there is always a job opening for talented people in healthcare. You'll have to be more specific. If you are talking about office jobs working for doctors or lawyers, that's different. Don't expect to get paid well down here. 1/2 of your wages will be in sunshine.
Are you bilingual? Many jobs opportunities require that a person speak fluent Spanish.

Regarding crime, every area has its "pockets" but Naples & Bonita Springs are relatively safe. Fort Myers has some lovely areas too and there will a lot more job opportunities because it's more of a city. Although there are plenty of year round residents in Collier County, Lee County has more blue collar workers. Still, plenty of multi-millionaires live in Lee County.

Cape Coral is entirely different. It's huge. I think it's the 2nd largest city in FL only second to Jacksonville, yet it has a pop of about 150,000 because so much of it is still undeveloped. There are so many different areas, that it's hard to describe. For example, there are gated communities with large homes in the millions and sections where you can buy a new house for $150,000. I don't know if it's #1, but it's probably in the top 5 cities in foreclosures, so there are plenty of bargains to be found. Most people who live on the Cape drive to Fort Myers to go to work. The drawback for me would be that you usually have to cross a drawbridge ($2 toll) to get into Fort Myers, although to the north there are roads that connect without a bridge. Also, some areas like the NW section are many miles from the interstate. Still, I am looking at homes on the Cape because of the prices. Many builders have excess inventory that has been empty for 2 years. One gated community just had a big "clearance sale" last week.

The only way to decide if you like an area is to visit and see for yourself. Keep in mind that the closer you are to the beach, the more expensive the area will be (in most cases) Naples is full of celebrities and people who just want to say they live in Naples. Sometimes I have to laugh when I go to the Waterside Shoppes and see all the luxury cars. In the winter (what we call "Season") it's not unusual to spot a Rolls Royce or an Aston Martin. There are more part-time residents in Naples than there are in Fort Myers, although every area has its share of snowbirds. Traffic doubles for about 3 months every year, but it doesn't affect the early morning commuters, since it begins later in the day. If you buy a 50 year old concrete block house in Olde Naples it will still cost you over a million, even in today's market. That same house in Lehigh Acres or sections of Cape Coral will cost you less than $150,000. Bonita Springs is somewhere in-between, although there are some very pricey communities like Bonita Bay and Barefoot Beach. Quail West has a Naples address but it's actually in Bonita..don't ask! LOL

BTW, you can search the MLS for free. Good luck!

[oeabel]

We live in Estero but my kids go to school in Bonita. I like the city a lot and Barefoot Beach is, by far, our fav (actually located in Collier County despite having to drive thru Bonita to get there). I would not hesitate to live there but it is an interesting mix of money and poverty, sadly. It is a changing city, growing like everywhere and I have heard a lot about plans to revitalize the historic downtown. I like it but some people are put off by old Bonita. However, I think that is part of what makes the city so great... It's not your standard cookie-cutter burb like Estero. It is also central to both Ft Myers and Naples with lots of great shopping around.

[POKERMIKE]

Hey Maybe You Can Help Me Out .i Am Moving To Bonita Springs In 43 Days. Im Moving In To The Village Walk.i Have 4 Children Need Some School Info First I Have One Going Into High School,next One In 7th Grade,then One Going Into 4th.baby Still To Young I Need To Know What Schools To Send Them To Please Any Info Would Be Great.i Checked A Few Websites About Some Schools. Oh By The Way Im Moving From Ny .thanks

[Mrs.Bewitched]

I don't know anything about Cape Coral...and I know that Bonita has some nice areas (I live in Naples), but I also know that Bonita has some VERY shady streets. My co-worker lives in Bonita- I think in Rosemary Park...and it's so bad she doens't allow her children to go off of her block.

[Obxnc7]

Hi,
I noticed you are a teacher. I also am a teacher and my husband and I are moving to the Fort Myers area because of his job. I have been looking at Lee county schools. We are from WV so we don't do the "choose your school" thing. Children go to the school in the district where they live. (Much smaller here.) We are so excited to move. Looking at the Bonita area, possibly. I am making a trip down there in a few weeks to look for a place to live and check out schools. My question is this...I was told that I could not register for school until I have my physical address in Lee County. I know they have already started assigning children into schools for the 2008-2009 year and I am afraid that by the time I register, the good schools will be full. I have already asked about two schools and was told not to even think for a second that I had a chance of getting my child in. How are the public schools? Any to really stay away from? How are the private schools? I have looked into St. Andrew Catholic and St. Francis Xavier Catholic. My child attends a private school here, as I don't care for our "district school." Any information on how this works and on any of the schools would be great! That is my one and only concern with our move. My daughter will be in 3rd grade next year, and one going into Pre-K. Thank you so much!

[MrTudo]

Would anyone care to compare Bonita with Sarasota or even Port Charlotte? ( Pretty diversified! )

I just did a preliminary search of Bonita and there's some interesting listings in the 300K range. It's a few degrees warmer there than it is here in Port Charlotte so I would think that certain tropical palms that are iffy here in PC are no problem there? For example, Areca palms while they grow here in PC, in some parts they get freezer burn in the winter. Mango trees are iffy here. If you're close to the water there's generally no problem but if you're on a certain side of Tamiami Trail, then you'll be disappointed if we get a freeze.

If a realtor would chime in that would be great. In terms of price, in an average middle class area would you say that Bonita is more expensice than Port Charlotte? If so, by what percentage as a rule of thunb? 10%? 20%?

Can someone render an opinion on Winter Haven East?

Grocery shopping. We cook. When I say we cook I mean my Wife could be a candidate for Iron Chef Asia. Hence we're looking to be a little closer to a Fresh Market or Whole Foods, Asian Grocery, etc. Do these exist IN Bonita or would we have to drive and if we have to drive, how far? In Port Charlotte we now have to go to Sarasota, ( a 40 mile hike) to go to Whole Foods or in the other direction a Fresh Market in Ft Myers.

Fish Markets? Butchers?

Thank you! The search continues.