Moving to Fort Myers (Orlando, Daytona Beach: environment, jobs, hospital)

[kappersack]

Any good and bad things on the Fort Myers area?

[firemed]

Originally Posted by kappersack

Any good and bad things on the Fort Myers area?

Go to the search on the top bar of this page and click on it, type in Fort Myers. There will be alot to read.

[nomoresnow]

Hi, Kappersack. I'm moving to N. Ft. Myers in a few months. WHere are you moving from and when?

[Lisa_from_Debary]

I LOVE Fort Myers, I would love to be able to spend more time there. I have even thought about moving over there one day.

ANYTHING to be closer to Sanibel, Captiva and Cayo Costa.

When you get there, go out to Captiva and try the Key Lime Grill, fabulous food.

[FLANATIVE1]

I'm sure you will start seeing posts about Ft. Myers being over-run by retirees, there being no jobs, and a sky high crime rate. Well, the median age is 32 (out of season), there are jobs in certain fields, and the crime is high but it is centered in a very bad neighborhood. The area of Ft. Myers that has high crime is the area that is under the Fort Myers Police Department. Most of Ft. Myers is under the Lee County Sheriff's jurisdiction. What kind of career field are you looking to go into?

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by FLANATIVE1

I'm sure you will start seeing posts about Ft. Myers being over-run by retirees, there being no jobs, and a sky high crime rate. Well, the median age is 32 (out of season), there are jobs in certain fields, and the crime is high but it is centered in a very bad neighborhood. The area of Ft. Myers that has high crime is the area that is under the Fort Myers Police Department. Most of Ft. Myers is under the Lee County Sheriff's jurisdiction. What kind of career field are you looking to go into?

That information is skewed. Right. Fort Myers' average age is 32. As you have mentioned, the high crime rate is MOSTLY centered in Fort Myers and not Lee County.

Now, here's where it gets interesting. Take LEE COUNTY'S median age and it changes dramatically. Want to know what it is?

Median age of residents in 2005: 43 years old
(Males: 41 years old, Females: 44 years old)

(Median age for: White residents: 49 years old, Black residents: 26 years old, American Indian residents: 36 years old, Asian residents: 30 years old, Hispanic or Latino residents: 27 years old, Other race residents: 26 years old)

So that basic commentary of Fort Myers being young is true. Unfortunately those young numbers are concentrated in areas that are not the best neighborhoods.

Bottom line: Lee County has a lot of retirees.

[FLANATIVE1]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

That information is skewed. Right. Fort Myers' average age is 32. As you have mentioned, the high crime rate is MOSTLY centered in Fort Myers and not Lee County.

Now, here's where it gets interesting. Take LEE COUNTY'S median age and it changes dramatically. Want to know what it is?

Median age of residents in 2005: 43 years old
(Males: 41 years old, Females: 44 years old)

(Median age for: White residents: 49 years old, Black residents: 26 years old, American Indian residents: 36 years old, Asian residents: 30 years old, Hispanic or Latino residents: 27 years old, Other race residents: 26 years old)

So that basic commentary of Fort Myers being young is true. Unfortunately those young numbers are concentrated in areas that are not the best neighborhoods.

Bottom line: Lee County has a lot of retirees.

Everywhere in Florida (everywhere in the SOuth for that matter) has retirees. People love to rag on Ft. Myers as a haven for retirees and that is simply not the case. The fastest growing sectors of the population are the families and the minorities. The original poster is not going to escape old people by going to Texas. In fact, most struggling developers based in Florida are turning their attention to the Southwest because that is the new hot spot for retirees. If you look at recent trends, Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona are the new retiree hot spots. Also, Lee County has no where near the amount of retirees as Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, and Collier Counties. As a young person myself, I can assure you that Ft. Myers and Lee County are not as retiree infested as some people make them out to be. Also, on a side note, if the original poster is looking for a more Liberal environment, I would stay FAR away from Texas!

[Lisa_from_Debary]

Maybe this is a sign I am getting old but I don't mind being surrounded by older people, they are alot less to take out a gun and try to rob me...

The times I have been in Fort Myers, I enjoyed talking to the elderly that were visiting there to get out of the cold elsewhere in the US.

I do know that down in Naples they are talking of building a Cleveland clinic which is a very top notch medical facility and will open up alot of jobs...there was another really big childrens hospital there as well, I can't remember the name.

[FLANATIVE1]

Originally Posted by Lisa_from_Debary

Maybe this is a sign I am getting old but I don't mind being surrounded by older people, they are alot less to take out a gun and try to rob me...

The times I have been in Fort Myers, I enjoyed talking to the elderly that were visiting there to get out of the cold elsewhere in the US.

I do know that down in Naples they are talking of building a Cleveland clinic which is a very top notch medical facility and will open up alot of jobs...there was another really big childrens hospital there as well, I can't remember the name.

I agree. Old people aren't bad. Just look at Lee County. The youngest area has all the crime. Lee County has a nice balance. As far as the medical facilities go, Cleveland Clininc is looking to build in Naples. In Ft. Myers, Lee Memorial Health System is building a new hospital at Metro Pkwy. and Daniels that will specialize in pediatrics. That might be the one you are thinking of.

[Lisa_from_Debary]

Originally Posted by FLANATIVE1

I agree. Old people aren't bad. Just look at Lee County. The youngest area has all the crime. Lee County has a nice balance. As far as the medical facilities go, Cleveland Clininc is looking to build in Naples. In Ft. Myers, Lee Memorial Health System is building a new hospital at Metro Pkwy. and Daniels that will specialize in pediatrics. That might be the one you are thinking of.

I'm taking nursing in school so I noticed that when we were over there in January.

When I was watching the news, it was almost funny compared to what we hear over here in the Orlando market...I don't think ONE person the entire time we were there was found dead...thats pretty typical here.

Naples was a little posh but having it next door is likely to keep the tone of the entire area from descending to the level of Daytona Beach...we can only hope.