Estero is SOOOOOO Beautiful. (Sarasota, Fort Myers: condo, home, find a job) - Fort Myers - Cape Coral area - Florida (FL) -Lee County - City-Data Forum

pinda · 07-08-2010, 05:35 PM

I returned on Sunday from my visit to the area and I loved it. It was not as humid as I thought it would be and it is much more beautiful than I pictured it. My husband and I like warm weather. Yes, 90's is hot, but we don't feel too much difference in the humidity than here in Wisconsin. Someone said the breeze helps out a lot. Estero is so very beautiful and the Coconut Point Mall area is fantastic. I didn't go into too many of those communities because it is higher than our price range but the area surrounding is gorgeous.

All the shopping is incredible. The Miromar Outlet Mall and Gulf Coast Mall were wonderful. I had so much fun shopping and driving around. We had a fantastic Realtor who took the time to show us around who lives in Estero.

I can't wait to come down again, probably in August. My husband is living in Estero in a condo and I will be moving when I sell our home or fall. (that condo is a big disappointment though, I may write about that later, it appears to be Mold issues. They are testing it now).

hiknapster · 07-09-2010, 10:17 AM

I'm glad you really liked Estero. It's a very nice area and the people are just wonderful!

Quote:

Originally Posted by pinda

I returned on Sunday from my visit to the area and I loved it. It was not as humid as I thought it would be and it is much more beautiful than I pictured it. My husband and I like warm weather. Yes, 90's is hot, but we don't feel too much difference in the humidity than here in Wisconsin. Someone said the breeze helps out a lot. Estero is so very beautiful and the Coconut Point Mall area is fantastic. I didn't go into too many of those communities because it is higher than our price range but the area surrounding is gorgeous.

All the shopping is incredible. The Miromar Outlet Mall and Gulf Coast Mall were wonderful. I had so much fun shopping and driving around. We had a fantastic Realtor who took the time to show us around who lives in Estero.

I can't wait to come down again, probably in August. My husband is living in Estero in a condo and I will be moving when I sell our home or fall. (that condo is a big disappointment though, I may write about that later, it appears to be Mold issues. They are testing it now).

pinda · 07-09-2010, 10:28 PM

I also felt the people were friendly. They would open doors for you and wave if you let them in with their car. For the most part, it felt like I was seeing people from the midwest but I kept meeting more people from the east coast. Store clerks were very nice and helpful too. I booked my next flight for August.

hiknapster · 07-09-2010, 10:33 PM

Yes. Amazingly, us East Coasters are pretty darn nice!

beerme1 · 07-12-2010, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pinda

Estero is so very beautiful and the Coconut Point Mall area is fantastic. I didn't go into too many of those communities because it is higher than our price range but the area surrounding is gorgeous.

I am going to explore Estero in September. The wife has been to the malls lol and I have seen them from 41. My concern about the area is that there is no area to it. To me it seems like it is gated areas,
(which we would prefer but not demand) with a couple of big sinlgle story shopping malls. I don't see what Estero is if not for that. Thats it. Yes I know there is a big college which is irrelevant to us. A hockey arena which is cool but minor league. What else is there?
I keep seeing people say how beautiful it is. Where can I see this to appreciate it? Cause the mall is great but thats not going to make us look into moving there vs. Sarasota.
One thing I do like is the access to Naples and FT Myers as I will need to work somewhere.

I do not mean this to be a knock on Estero. I want to love the area but need more than 2 malls to do so.

hiknapster · 07-12-2010, 09:58 PM

It's a nice area, as opposed to Fort Myers. It is exactly the way you described. I refer a lot of people to that area that have been job transferred to the Fort Myers area, especially if they want to live in a gated community. Would I move there just "because?" No. But the OP thought it was beautiful and they are the beholder.

I think it is a heck of a lot better than San Carlos Park and several Fort Myers areas and a few areas in Bonita Springs. It does tend to be fairly deserted out-of-season, though.

beerme1 · 07-13-2010, 05:13 AM

Hik i wasn't trying to knock the OP view. In fact I just wrote to somone in the Buffalo to Cape Corasl thread that Estero may be more their cup of tea based on where they live up here and what I do know of Estero. But I guess I'm looking for more. With that said though if I had a job in hand in either Ft. Myers or Naples I would glady peg Estero as my first choice.
But I dont have a job and that does give me some freedom as to location and that is why Sarasota is appealing to me. Aesthetically I feel it to be so much more.

rikoshaprl · 07-13-2010, 07:44 AM

Beer, you may be stuck living where you can find a job. Jobs are tough to come by these days.

pinda · 07-13-2010, 10:29 AM

Sarasota was our first choice but my husbands job took him to Fort Myers. We had only visited the area briefly in 2005 and loved Sanibel but didn't really check out Fort Myers that much. We spent more time in the Sarasota area.

I did not think another area could compare but I do think Estero and the little parts of Bonita Springs I saw are beautiful. For me the beauty is the lush green, tree-lined streets (try driving down Coconut Rd, south of the Coconut Point Mall and go east) Really pretty. I love many of the communities and their beauty with lakes, preserves and such. I was amazed at the shopping and I realize there is more to life than shopping, but I had so much fun looking at outlet designer stores and such. I also thought the people were polite and nice. I know the traffic and amount of people will double in the season, but it didn't seem deserted to me. I was surprised at the number of young people and young families because the average age is 61 as per city data.

I didn't have time to check out the beaches on this last trip but the beaches in Sarasota are amazing. I will be happy to just walk along the beach and enjoy the water view anywhere along the Gulf.

I don't take offense to your opinion. I do think it is what you are used to and my husband and I enjoy trees, water and nice people (I like shopping too). We are not big city people but like to be close to some of the larger cities amenities. I think it is a plus for working to be close to Naples too.

I think Sarasota and Fort Myers area are both great choices and I can't wait to get down there permanently.

beerme1 · 07-13-2010, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rikoshaprl

Beer, you may be stuck living where you can find a job. Jobs are tough to come by these days.

At the end of the day you could very well be right too. But the jobs here are nothing to write home about and I could prrobably take 6 months to a year of looking for one there before the wife says get out