Moving To Cape Coral (Miami, Orlando: apartment, insurance, condo)

[dsmero]

Hello all,

I'm possibly relocating to Ft. Myers area for work and wanted to get a head start on my homework. 27 yr old, male business professional without children or spouse. All my browsing has told me to avoid Lehigh Acres at all costs, but what about Cape Coral? I've seen mixed opinions on this and depending on the area. I'm coming from Baltimore MD, so as much as I hate to say it, I'm no stranger to experiencing crime of some sorts - usually vehicle breakins.

Are there any areas of Cape Coral to avoid? There seems to be plenty of options in Cape Coral fitting my budget. Looking for something 1000-1200, 3br/2ba, modern, garage, nice community etc... Job will be by the airport. I'm big into fishing, kayaking and other outdoor activities so this area is very appealing to me.

If any residents could give me some insight that would be much appreciated.

[cviz]

dsmero,

The SW and SE Cape Coral are the most desirable areas. The NW and NE are not bad areas, but they are not full developed and a lot of homes are on well and septic. Stay south of Pine Island Rd and you should find some very nice neighborhoods. Tavel time to the airport is 45 mins depending on traffic.

[Izmack]

We have our boat in the Inner Harbor and winter here in Cape Coral for 6 months. To compare crime btw Baltimore and Cape Coral would be like comparing a hurricane to a rain shower or maybe the Ravens to the Texans. You'd probably be a lot happier over in Fort Myers - the Cape is more of a bedroom community, with families and older folks. I don't run into a lot of singles over here in the SE.

The area near downtown Fort Myers is quite vibrant - great restaurant / bar scene with a lot of events. As with Baltimore, a few blocks can make the difference in living suitability. I'm not the best person to guide you there, but perhaps someone else will weigh in. The I-75 connector to the airport will be done soon and it'll be a straight shot from downtown to your future work - maybe 20 minutes? The Estero neighborhood is really nice, but not too sure of the demographics in terms of singles. Lots of nice kayaking down there. Plus, you are closer to the water and all that is Fort Myers Beach.

Originally Posted by dsmero

Hello all,

I'm possibly relocating to Ft. Myers area for work and wanted to get a head start on my homework. 27 yr old, male business professional without children or spouse. All my browsing has told me to avoid Lehigh Acres at all costs, but what about Cape Coral? I've seen mixed opinions on this and depending on the area. I'm coming from Baltimore MD, so as much as I hate to say it, I'm no stranger to experiencing crime of some sorts - usually vehicle breakins.

Are there any areas of Cape Coral to avoid? There seems to be plenty of options in Cape Coral fitting my budget. Looking for something 1000-1200, 3br/2ba, modern, garage, nice community etc... Job will be by the airport. I'm big into fishing, kayaking and other outdoor activities so this area is very appealing to me.

If any residents could give me some insight that would be much appreciated.

[rikoshaprl]

The benefit of Cape Coral are that you can live in an affordable home or apartment right on the water. If you are in SE Cape Coral, near the bridges, you can get to the airport in 30 minutes. The new connector to 75 will be done in a year that will knock another 3 to 4 minutes off the commute. You can get to Downtown Fort Myers in 10 to 15 minutes from the SE. There are many bars right in Cape Coral. Fort Myers Beach is 25 minutes from The SE without traffic. Crime is not an issue in CC but the area right near Cape Coral Parkway has a little more crime than other areas, mostly because of the commerce and bars there. There are plenty of people your age in CC but more hang out at Fort Myers Beach or the Gulf Coast Town Center. Good luck!

[sabrinat]

My advice to you is to stay out of Cape Coral. It's the most boring place on the planet with the worst restaurants you could ever imagine. Fort Myers sucks as well but not as bad as Cape Coma.

I know I moved there for a year and thought it was beautiful at first.

[rikoshaprl]

Originally Posted by sabrinat

My advice to you is to stay out of Cape Coral. It's the most boring place on the planet with the worst restaurants you could ever imagine. Fort Myers sucks as well but not as bad as Cape Coma.

I know I moved there for a year and thought it was beautiful at first.

You must have gone to the wrong restaurants. There a plenty of excellent ones and so many to choose from!
Cape Coral, FL Restaurants: See 310 restaurants with 8,578 reviews - TripAdvisor

[apwilson54]

Hi,

I have a home in Cape Coral, Fl and it is on a canal and is great.. Friendly neighbors, close to any basic stores and a drive to Ft Myers or towards Naples for the higher end mall stores. It is a quiet community. All of the restaurants are good, a lot are franchise places with some mom and pop smaller cafes and restaurants.

What you are describing in a house would probably be more like 1700 sq ft not including the lanai or pool area. I prefer the homes south, south east of Veterans Memorial Pkwy.

If you are a boater the salt water canals offer access to the gulf and house or land prices go from affordable to expensive depending on the location.. The closer to the gulf with no bridges the more expensive. If you purchase a older home be prepared to go thru a 4 point inspection and a wind mitigation inspection to get insurance.

If you purchase a older home (1980's) consider replacing all windows and doors with impact proof windows and doors to get the highest discount on your insurance and make sure the roof is a hip roof with the right nailed clip attachments to get the full hip roof discount.

If you purchase a lot to build on there is a connect fee charges by the city. There was a 80 x 160 lot on the canal near my home that was asking 126K a few months ago and had the utilities installed. A canal lot can easily add 50K to the price of a home.

There are a lot of good opportunities in Cape Coral. Yes it gets quiet early in the evening, there are a lot of retired folks there and the night life is quiet and you are about a two hour drive from Miami or Orlando or Sarasota.

[CCRESI]

I would go for Estero/Bonita, or as close to the beaches as possible. Find a condo so you can spend your free time doing the things you love vs. mowing grass every 5 days.

Mcgregor area of Ft Myers is also a nice location.

Good luck to you!