Local opinion of Cape Coral/Ft. Myers (Port St. Lucie, St. Lucie: sales, foreclosures)

[Luvsdabeach]

Did this area start having problems after the hurricane hit and has it just gotten worse since it hit? We were down there this summer and it seemed to be a growing area.

[jcjh20]

My parents got a second house in Cape Coral last summer (I'm originally from south NJ) and they keep convincing me it's a good idea to move there. The house is in the Yacht club area, and seems like a nice, quiet neighborhood to live in. We used to vacation around the Tampa Bay area and also the Ft Lauderdale/Miami area, so compared to those, this area was nothing special and a lot less exciting, as there's not really anything to do except the beach, go out to eat/drink or shop, which made me uneasy about the idea of ever living there permanently..

There is a large amount of middle-aged to old people, more than I've ever seen probably (besides Boca Raton, though I've never been to Palm Beach). Ft Myers Beach is pretty run down and seedy looking, but the "times square" area and the beaches surrounding it, including Lovers Key, range from very fun to really nice. The Cape Coral bridge toll is absolutely ridiculous. Every time I go down there, we end up having to cross the bridge a lot, and I can only imagine how much money we've spent on it.

I can't really comment on the jobs, the financial situation, or things like water/sewage, as I've never paid the bills there. The taxes and insurance seem high though. The housing economy went to **** apparently, so you can definitely get a cheap place here. As for crime, I think a lot of people exaggerate, though it is my understanding Ft Myers is one of the worst crime ridden cities in the US, but I am sure that is just the actual 'city' area of Ft Myers near downtown, Mcgregor Blvd North Ft Myers, or possibly near Ft Myers beach. I live in SE Cape Coral and I've had no problem with crime here. I never feel threatened and the only problem is just that it's a boring, sleepy town. The area which I guess is considered South Ft Myers is safe as well. Some people get way too freaked out by the media when they read about something crime related.

Overall, I like the area; it has really nice weather (if you like warm weather) and scenery in some spots, some nice beaches, a lot of restaurants and places to shop.. etc. but would never live there permanently, as it's way too unsubstantial for me. If you want to settle down and start a family or do something more low-key, you'd enjoy it here.

[jackie8689]

Thank you for the nice words. See? Still nice people around. Just proves my point
I think the entire country is in trouble right now, with the economy and gas prices, etc. This local government has a lot to do. The surge in the population growth made it hard to keep the infrastructure changes happening as fast as the population. Now people are losing their homes and the builders are going belly up and have alot of spec homes either empty or unfinished. So people are leaving and not alot of people moving here either. The Cape has a bad rep right now, with the taxes and the utility fees and the crime rising up. This has virtually stopped the growth in it's tracks. One thing is now the city has a chance to catch up with their expansions and road work. New businesses are still opening up, so that is encouraging, too. I think some backsliding is happening but eventually will work itself out. I think the leadership is doing the best they can with what they have to work with, overall. The turnaround will not happen overnight, but it has good possibilities.
Personally, I love to go to places to sit outside to have some wings and a beer with friends or go down to the yacht club to the "little beach" or to sit on the deck and watch the boats or just going out on friends boats to moor outside of Ft. Myers beach to hear the music. OR just hang out by the pool in my backyard with friends and a bbq. Sounds boring, I know, but this is paradise to me. I love the beaches and the water around me. It's all good. Now if I can just find a good job, life really will be fine. I guess it's a wait and see game for me right now to see what will happen in coming year.

[soothsayer1234]

Originally Posted by LeavingFlorida05

This is my personal opinion, but I would not raise a family in Cape Coral/Fort Myers/Naples. My daughter is still young and I want to get out of here, ASAP. Unfortunately, my career holds me back. Hopefully I can get out before she starts school. I just don't like the social enviroment down here. It's not what I want for my daughter.

I can certainly see why sending your girls to school with local gangbangers
and up-and-coming gangbangers might be an issue in Ft.Myers/CC

[soothsayer1234]

Originally Posted by ftmyerssucks

Dont do it.
Take it from the perspective of someone who was raised here.
Its a hellhole with nothing to do, rude and stuck up bastards, horrible traffic, and its completly overpriced.

The guy saying that most of the fun is in South Ft. Myers has to be out of his mind. There may be some things but its not enough for the amount of people under 25 can do. Most the minors can do is hang around Bell Tower, one of the malls, or go to that ugly excuse of a beach.

They need to start doing some more stuff for minors thats not in ****ing SW-Almost Pine island Cape Coral. The city should buy what was supposed to be Zoomers over by Lexington Middle (on summerlin heading to the beach) and finish it up and open it.

Trust me, if you move here, your kids will hate you for it. I still get in fights constantly with my parents and im moving to L.A in a year.

Save yourself the time and look towards Ft.Lauderdale/Orlando/Tampa.

This week-end, as usual, kids were pretty much just hanging around bell tower mall jacking up the volume on the rap music in the cars, and hanging outside the theaters, with Lee county sherrifs' cars in usual formation. Truly, this community is geared towards the gated and seniors, with a beach area that is a small clone of downtown disney, nothing but repulsively ugly facades and giant T-shirt shops. Even the bars looked lonely........I would go crazy if I was under 25 here....

[soothsayer1234]

Originally Posted by lindalu

Oh my this thread is so funny. I have lived in Ft Myers for 30 yrs. I am now 37. Yes cape Coral is ugly. But to some people the Fl sun is paradise. There really isn't much to do but go to the beach or mall. You are right and crime is here but these things are everywhere. Lehigh Acres and Cape Coral have been selling homes like crazy in recent past years, but they are the ugliest towns in all of southwest Fl. Ft Myers might have a higher crme rate but they also have the oldest neighborhood in the county, where the lowest income is. And that is one small five mile area. The rest of Ft Myers is pretty good. And much prettier than the other areas. just thought I would add my opinion in case anyone wanted a womens point of view. SW FL is a nice area overall, great place if you like boating,golfing,beach,shopping. It is becoming an area for weathly people.

There are some beautiful places to live in Florida....a few would be as follows: Winter Park, an old, established city-like neighborhood in Orlando, with a density and arty-cosmopolitan air of a Chicago or NYC neighborhood. Coconut Grove and Coral Gables, south Miami, also cosmopolitan and not cookie-cutter, with awesome old, established homes and architecture. South Beach...great art-deco archetecture, tons of culture, great beaches and restaurants, and a NYC cosmopolitan aspect that makes it even more sweet. Marathon, Key Largo, Islamoralda, and Key West...all quaint, relatively peaceful, and surrounded by ocean.....Parts of Ft. Lauderdale, particularly east of the causeway, are very beautiful, and Los Olas Blvd. is very impressive
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That being said, Ft. Myers and CC have the most cookie-cutter, antiseptic housing and architecture in FLA this side of Tampa, which at least has some pretty neat old cuban neighborhoods like Ybor city. Just don't base the rest
of Fla on that perception, as it gets way better than that.....

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by soothsayer1234

There are some beautiful places to live in Florida....a few would be as follows: Winter Park, an old, established city-like neighborhood in Orlando, with a density and arty-cosmopolitan air of a Chicago or NYC neighborhood. Coconut Grove and Coral Gables, south Miami, also cosmopolitan and not cookie-cutter, with awesome old, established homes and architecture. South Beach...great art-deco archetecture, tons of culture, great beaches and restaurants, and a NYC cosmopolitan aspect that makes it even more sweet. Marathon, Key Largo, Islamoralda, and Key West...all quaint, relatively peaceful, and surrounded by ocean.....Parts of Ft. Lauderdale, particularly east of the causeway, are very beautiful, and Los Olas Blvd. is very impressive
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That being said, Ft. Myers and CC have the most cookie-cutter, antiseptic housing and architecture in FLA this side of Tampa, which at least has some pretty neat old cuban neighborhoods like Ybor city. Just don't base the rest
of Fla on that perception, as it gets way better than that.....

soothsayer - I really like your posts, and find myself agreeing with most of them!

To your beautiful towns and areas list, let me add our town of Lakeland, a small city in it's own right - it is "old Florida" at it's best - a charming and preserved vintage downtown with a real town square park, and beautiful classy Lake Mirror Park (with a fancy promenade all around) This town has so many lakes I almost feel like I am on the coast, and the architecture in the inner core is all old, vintage preserved. With the rolling land and steep slopes to the lakes some homes even have basements! Definitely NOT the look of the "antiseptic" areas of the SW Florida towns being spoken of here.

Yes, Florida is a very large diverse state, and hopefully no one bases their opinion of the state on ONE area alone. There are many beautiful, fun places to live here, one just needs to set their criteria and visit several places to find which one "fits".

[VLANE]

I am looking to retire from NYC in 2 years. I want to move to a warm winter climate small city that, although small, still has some conveniences that I'm used to in NY. Is Cape Coral the place for me?

[Angelala]

We visited for about a week and ended up buying a house that week. It's very laid back the people were friendly and we got a great deal on a second house.
I liked Cape Coral and am looking forward to going back.

[WW47]

Originally Posted by LewLew

............ be careful as media sound bites are not always accurate. The media is in politic's pocket etc. The world is going to he** in a handbasket because people believe everything they read, form an opinion and then have nothing but "the media" article to back them up. People should heed warnings, but doom and gloom is the name of the media IT SELLS PAPERS, and everyone's area's have bad parts. I saw you send out an article on a post about kids doing drugs in a rental home. Welcome to almost any city in the US. Now, you can blame the media for a lot of those problems as well. Cape Coral is not any more drug infested than other areas. Parents need to be cogniscent of their kids...period. A lot of parents today are more concerned with their own social lives than being burdened with their children...it's a national epidemic. If you look up the BEST areas to raise children, they are all very tiny towns, many of which are in the midwest. I bet the kids there are pretty bored, and ready to leave too! Life is what you make it.

Very true~ Cheers