Fort Myers vs. Sarasota (Coral Gables, Key West: house, landscaping, to buy)

[LovingCapeCoral]

Wow - I see a lot of negativity on these boards.

I just moved here from Columbus, Ohio. I was getting laid off from my job up north so my family and I decided it was time to make this move. Cape Coral has over 165,000 residents while Fort Myers has less than half of that. The Cape Coral-Fort Myers Metropolitan Statistical Data (MSA) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics takes Cape Coral, Fort Myers, and surrounding metro communities - and puts the number of residents at some 600,000+. It is a metropolitan area. Fort Myers is older and yes has more crime, but when I do the math and compare it to equal population in Columbus, Ohio the crime was significantly lower. We moved here to get away from snow, ice, and generally gray skies and we love the fact that we can go to the beach whenever we want to. This place (Cape Coral) is great, and despite the economic issues affecting the entire country, I think this is a great place to live. We have the most foreclosures because we had the most growth, and as in any economic downturn time will heal this issue. Many people up north are just discovering Cape Coral, like we did, and are considering buying to take advantage of the downturn. Give it a year or two and the economy will get better.

In terms of jobs, I was able to find one pretty quickly, but I am in the 5% of the population with a Masters degree and I have very stable professional employment. People with my background are scarce, so I was able to get work within three weeks of moving here. I am lucky and I know it...it is harder to get work for those with no college. My husband is in the group of unemployed. Since construction trades took a dive, those workers are looking for anything - including retail jobs. If that is the job classification people are in, finding a job will be hard. Lee County offers a great career and employment center to help with the search. There are also community colleges, colleges, and universities in the area to help with job training. The Lee County Economic Development Agency is working hard to diversify the employers in the area and draw in new business and higher paying jobs. All of these efforts take time but will make a difference in the next 12-18 months. Our average age is a lot younger than Sarasota, so there is some evidence that the younger age categories are moving here, which is a positive. The schools are great too, which helps draw families.

I know everyone here is entitled to there opinions. Mine is more optimistic, and I wouldn't have moved here if there was no hope in the place. Economic recovery takes time, and everything people are talking about here seems to be tied to the economy. We can be proactive and try to draw business and home buyers down here. We can focus on the fact that we get to live where others dream of going on vacation.

Originally Posted by hiknapster

I was going to let this go, but some people might actually take this at face value.

Next major metropolis? A metropolis is generally defined as having at least one-half million people in the city and at least one million in the surrounding county. That doesn't fit Fort Myers.

Other problems with the label is that the area has one of the largest amount of foreclosures in the country and also has businesses and developers going under left and right. That brings us to the development of downtown. That's been on hold since the economy took a dump. And sadly, there were never many high-paying jobs to support a metropolis in the first place.

Also, you live next to the second largest mall in the country? Name it, because I've never heard of it.

List of largest shopping malls in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[marie3]

Hands down Sarasota

[Suncoast Guy]

Originally Posted by marie3

Hands down Sarasota

I have to agree with marie3, Sarasota is much better than Fort Myers, but if you want to live in Lee County, look in Cape Coral- that's the only Lee city I think I would even want to live in. Other than that, go to Sarasota, everything you need is there and more!!

[mon mon the pipers son]

i am looking to buy a home in the North Fort Myers area. I have heard that it is a "crime-ridden" area, is it really all that bad?the area I am looking at is actually right above the area that is called East Fort Myers on the map. Can anyone help me with this question?

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by mon mon the pipers son

i am looking to buy a home in the North Fort Myers area. I have heard that it is a "crime-ridden" area, is it really all that bad?the area I am looking at is actually right above the area that is called East Fort Myers on the map. Can anyone help me with this question?

North Fort Myers, for the most part, is not the best, especially around Bayshore. Lots of rednecks, criminals and run-down trailers. It is the area north of the Caloosahatchie River. But I think you mean to the south of the river.

I have no idea what map you are using, so I don't know what specific area you REALLY mean. However, on mapquest, if I look where it says "East Fort Myers," and then look just to the north, well, you couldn't pay me to live there. I also wouldn't live to the east, south or west or where it says "East Fort Myers."

And no, I am not being cute. That's a bad area, one of the worst in Lee County, and some would argue that it is THE worst.

If you give us a street then we can give better assistance, though.

[airbucket]

OP:

If youre main or among your main concerns in where you live are shopping and dining, then I see no difference between FM and Sarasota. I live in FM for NOW, as soon as I can move out of here I am, and I have spent lots of time in Sarasota, so let me tell you this:

SARASOTA is much more culture oriented type of place. It still has the small town country "twang" of Ft Myers and the west coast of FL while ALSO having a NICE arts scene, a cultural "feel" that is TOTALLY absent from Ft Myers. The beaches are prettier overall in Sarasota, though of course you will be find pretty beach here (Lovers Key, Naples beaches). Ft Myers is a VERY dry, dull place IMO. I am 35 yrs old and am quite bored and amazed at how this is truly a place for the fishing and beer drinking "set". If perhaps you have some stable career here and rooted here by family and fishing and beaching is your primary interests, then you may love it here. i find it very one dimensional, small, little diversity in anything and too laid back. There;s nothing interesting going on here. For some that suits them will - I know plenty of people who live here and in *SHUDDER*, Cape Coral, who love it because theyre satisfied with having a few places to eat, places to drink, beaches to go to, monster truck rallies to attend, alligators to shoot and fish to catch. If you want more out of life I would NOT come to Ft Myers.

Sarasota, though STILL too small town and country for ME, is BEAUTIFUL, has some "life" about it, some quaint and sweet old Florida residences and feel, and some more "metropolitan" things going on. dont be fooled! Ft Myers has nothing metro about it! So they are fixing up downtown..."woo hoo", because it is stalled for a year now and its DEAD down there. Its like a ghost town.

I would without question move to Sarasota, however your interest in malls and restaurants is something I cant relate to, so we may disagree.

Good luck!

[TheJagMan]

I know CC keeps getting thrown in. I have visited the FM & CC twice in the past year and have never been to Sarasota. I did like the FM/CC area a lot. One of the things thats very interesting about CC is all the canals. I saw somewhere, that it has the most canals - unsure what that info was based onl. Bottom line is it does have a lot. If you're into boating, you can find a short sale or foreclousure with a heated pool right on a canal for under $200K. You walk out your back door, jump onto your boat, and ride to your friends house. Or at anytime drive off to the open ocean to go fishing.

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by airbucket

OP:

If youre main or among your main concerns in where you live are shopping and dining, then I see no difference between FM and Sarasota. I live in FM for NOW, as soon as I can move out of here I am, and I have spent lots of time in Sarasota, so let me tell you this:

SARASOTA is much more culture oriented type of place. It still has the small town country "twang" of Ft Myers and the west coast of FL while ALSO having a NICE arts scene, a cultural "feel" that is TOTALLY absent from Ft Myers. The beaches are prettier overall in Sarasota, though of course you will be find pretty beach here (Lovers Key, Naples beaches). Ft Myers is a VERY dry, dull place IMO. I am 35 yrs old and am quite bored and amazed at how this is truly a place for the fishing and beer drinking "set". If perhaps you have some stable career here and rooted here by family and fishing and beaching is your primary interests, then you may love it here. i find it very one dimensional, small, little diversity in anything and too laid back. There;s nothing interesting going on here. For some that suits them will - I know plenty of people who live here and in *SHUDDER*, Cape Coral, who love it because theyre satisfied with having a few places to eat, places to drink, beaches to go to, monster truck rallies to attend, alligators to shoot and fish to catch. If you want more out of life I would NOT come to Ft Myers.

Sarasota, though STILL too small town and country for ME, is BEAUTIFUL, has some "life" about it, some quaint and sweet old Florida residences and feel, and some more "metropolitan" things going on. dont be fooled! Ft Myers has nothing metro about it! So they are fixing up downtown..."woo hoo", because it is stalled for a year now and its DEAD down there. Its like a ghost town.

I would without question move to Sarasota, however your interest in malls and restaurants is something I cant relate to, so we may disagree.

Good luck!

Wow. I could have written that myself. That is dead on how I feel. I always kind of felt like Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Lehigh Acres, etc. were bargain basement.

[TigerlillyCA]

I am definitely moving to SW Florida when I retire and want to buy a house next year. I lived in Ft. Myers when I went to high school (man, many, many...) years ago and liked it but I'm worried about crime. Naples might be too high for my budget. I was looking at Punta Gorda. I do want to be around more things to do than shop or golf. Anyone have any suggestions?

[independent man]

Are there areas of Ft. Myers similiar to the best parts of Sarasota? Does the River District and the historic McGregor Blvd. residential area have the same historic charm as Sarasota? Looking for an area of Ft. Myers with mature tropical landscaping and wonderful old architecture like Coral Gables, Coconut Grove or Key West.