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Mrs. B, sorry to hear about that. I am surprised that the police will not even take a report. That makes no sense. Vandalism is vandalism, especially if it is repeated. That does not leave me with a good feeling about this move. We are moving into a new house on a established street. It has been vacant for several months but to my knowledge there has been no problem there. I pray it continues that way since we close in less than a month. One of the reasons I selected the area was also because of the proximity to everything. Will try to keep a positive attitude over all of this.
My husband and I just moved here 2 months ago from Maryland. We love it!
The people here are really nice. I had believed that customer service didn't exist anymore. From grocery stores, retail stores to utility companys, I have had all pleasantly surprised experiences.
We laugh about it now, but when we first got here we were taken aback by all the politeness and manners. I know we had weird looks on our faces because we were thinking "ok, what do they want?"
I know the "in season" is approaching, but traffic to us is mild here.
We love the quick access to beaches, tons of shopping to choose from.
My husband and I both work full time jobs but we still enjoy it here as if we were on vacation!
Good luck and welcome to Florida.
Hi, We are moving to Sarasota area Dec 1, from Boston MA. It's so good to hear something like that!
Thanks!
i love living here, i moved down here about 6 years ago from michigan. beach is 15 minutes away, there is always events going on. last weekend was the sand sculpting contest, i think this weekend bonita has the best of the town, where you pay $5 and get to try all the local restaurants food from bonita. fort myers had there's a few weeks ago.
it is probably just kids in san carlos park. i am not saying it makes it right. make sure you lock your doors though. there have been break-ins lately. people are getting desperate that have lost jobs etc.
That's what we thought about the just kids. We really didn't think it was adults. But because the police wouldn't do anything.....they kept stealing it and wasting our money because we kept replacing them..and Christmas is coming up and I fully decorate my house and wouldn't want those decorations to be ruined or stolen.....we went out and purchased a outside security camera.
WE GOT HIM!! It's a kid on our street! Thank god we were recording, so we even have him on tape, and since we found some of the pieces that he broke and threw away, we have his fingerprints to. Since he is a kid, we decided to be neighborly at first, and go tell the parents.
Long story short-Dad said he would take care of it. Unfortunately, this is a house that we have heard about that our neighbors have had trouble with. I'm going to try to ignore their comments, and hope he takes care of it.
I moved here in Aug. and love it. I have been posting to city-data for a few months and here is what I found: There are some negative voices here on city-data, including people in finanical trouble, real estate agents who don't make the money they used to, people who lost money in real estate, and just generally negaitive people by personality. I just sent the following "activities" to my dad and stepmom for thier visit down here (they are also thinking of buying) and wanted to share some positives with you:
Here are some potential things to do or places to stop by when you are here:
Paesano's - Italian meat market/grocer with restaurant. Lafayette St. Good cannolis too. Nice to combine with next two things. I saw a dry spice, bean, pasta kit for pasta fagoili (spelling?) for under five bucks and thought of you (dad).
Cape Coral Yacht Club - free beach, pier where Chaloosahatche and gulf come together. Coronado dead ends into it. Pier has casual open air restaurant. Club is a city owned rec. center with low fees for pool, tennis, etc. Boating is only part of it.
Farmer's market - SE 10th St. is only a few blocks away, has produce, seafood (stone crab, pine island clams, etc), and fresh flowers (including orchids).
Pine Island - Matlatcha (pronouned Matt-lashay) which has fishing, arts (lots of vendors in small shops), and food - I recommend Moretti's for fine seafood, casual, open air directly on the water. I can see you and Donna eating there, drinking wine, and enjoying life....
Pine Island - St. James City and Bokeelia - Bokeelia is a nicer community, but wary of tourists so some are not as friendly. Captin Conn's has great seafood chowder, but you may get grumpy staff depending on who is working. St. James City is very much like old Florida, but we drove through and checked it out. There is a place named Woody's with a great atmosphere (eat outside on a nice canal front) and great food (mahi-mahi, crab cakes, and traditional American grill). They had a good Jimmy Buffet sounding guy inside, and is a place we would visit again.
Ding Darling Nature Preserve (on Pine Island) - see nature first hand - but bring your bug spray! Haven't seen it yet but I heard it is good.
Corkscrew Swamp Sancturary (by Naples) - has trails but they are boardwalk style so you can see nature but not need the hiking boots. Also, bring the bug spray. Haven't seen it yet but I heard it is good.
The beach - Gasparilla Island in Boca Grande was the best, but Sannibel, Siesta Key (by Sarasota), and Fort Myers Beach are nice. You will like Ft. Myers Beach because there is some casual nightlife (bars and restaurants with bands, etc), restaurants, shops, a pier, and it is a great place for a moonlit walk. Weekends are nice, but it can be busy with the teen and college crowd at times. The Times Square area is where we typically go, as that is where restaurants, shops, and pier are. Nearby beachfront hotels make it a nice place for friends and family to stay when they visit. The ferry to Key West leaves from Ft. Myers beach.
Edision/Ford Museum - in Fort Myers, it is supposed to be a good place for the history buff.
Lover's Key - nice state park and beach. Parking is around $5, and you can walk trails, canoe/kayak, or walk/trolley to the beach. Very nice beach, not many people.
Fort Myers Baseball - many fans go check out the major league with spring training and some winter expos. I'm not into baseball but if you are it may be something to check out.
Gambling - I'm not into it, but if you are the Seminole Casino is nearby and they have local video slots in town)
Broadway Palm Dinner Theater - I think when you are coming I think they are doing White Christmas. There are a few other theaters nearby with other productions. Also check out Seminole Gulf Railway - the do rail tours and dinner theater.
Bert's Bar at Matlatcha - supposed to be good food and entertainment. On 12/6 for example - Julie Black Live @ Bert's Bar & Grill "Always a good time, great food and great fans at Bert's. Don't miss a rockin' night of original blues, jazz, soul & swing tunes by Julie Black and her band".
Local events like the Jazz Festival, Basically Bluegrass, Christmas Boat Show "Annual Holiday Boat-a-Long", Tour-de-Cape, Taste of the Cape (food and wine tasting tour) etc.
Everglades swamp boat tours, the Shell Factory (in N. Ft. Myers), boat excursions, dolphin tours, scuba diving, fishing charters, etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lollibay
We are closing on a house in San Carlos Park on 12/4. We are moving from Texas to be closer to family. We are retired so jobs are not an issue but I am getting depressed reading everything on this board. We love our lives here but family is calling. Please, someone say something positive about living in the area. Surely there are some good things about living in Ft. Myers. Thanks.
I moved here in Aug. and love it. I have been posting to city-data for a few months and here is what I found: There are some negative voices here on city-data, including people in finanical trouble, real estate agents who don't make the money they used to, people who lost money in real estate, and just generally negaitive people by personality. I just sent the following "activities" to my dad and stepmom for thier visit down here (they are also thinking of buying) and wanted to share some positives with you:
Here are some potential things to do or places to stop by when you are here:
Paesano's - Italian meat market/grocer with restaurant. Lafayette St. Good cannolis too. Nice to combine with next two things. I saw a dry spice, bean, pasta kit for pasta fagoili (spelling?) for under five bucks and thought of you (dad).
Cape Coral Yacht Club - free beach, pier where Chaloosahatche and gulf come together. Coronado dead ends into it. Pier has casual open air restaurant. Club is a city owned rec. center with low fees for pool, tennis, etc. Boating is only part of it.
Farmer's market - SE 10th St. is only a few blocks away, has produce, seafood (stone crab, pine island clams, etc), and fresh flowers (including orchids).
Pine Island - Matlatcha (pronouned Matt-lashay) which has fishing, arts (lots of vendors in small shops), and food - I recommend Moretti's for fine seafood, casual, open air directly on the water. I can see you and Donna eating there, drinking wine, and enjoying life....
Pine Island - St. James City and Bokeelia - Bokeelia is a nicer community, but wary of tourists so some are not as friendly. Captin Conn's has great seafood chowder, but you may get grumpy staff depending on who is working. St. James City is very much like old Florida, but we drove through and checked it out. There is a place named Woody's with a great atmosphere (eat outside on a nice canal front) and great food (mahi-mahi, crab cakes, and traditional American grill). They had a good Jimmy Buffet sounding guy inside, and is a place we would visit again.
Ding Darling Nature Preserve (on Pine Island) - see nature first hand - but bring your bug spray! Haven't seen it yet but I heard it is good.
Corkscrew Swamp Sancturary (by Naples) - has trails but they are boardwalk style so you can see nature but not need the hiking boots. Also, bring the bug spray. Haven't seen it yet but I heard it is good.
The beach - Gasparilla Island in Boca Grande was the best, but Sannibel, Siesta Key (by Sarasota), and Fort Myers Beach are nice. You will like Ft. Myers Beach because there is some casual nightlife (bars and restaurants with bands, etc), restaurants, shops, a pier, and it is a great place for a moonlit walk. Weekends are nice, but it can be busy with the teen and college crowd at times. The Times Square area is where we typically go, as that is where restaurants, shops, and pier are. Nearby beachfront hotels make it a nice place for friends and family to stay when they visit. The ferry to Key West leaves from Ft. Myers beach.
Edision/Ford Museum - in Fort Myers, it is supposed to be a good place for the history buff.
Lover's Key - nice state park and beach. Parking is around $5, and you can walk trails, canoe/kayak, or walk/trolley to the beach. Very nice beach, not many people.
Fort Myers Baseball - many fans go check out the major league with spring training and some winter expos. I'm not into baseball but if you are it may be something to check out.
Gambling - I'm not into it, but if you are the Seminole Casino is nearby and they have local video slots in town)
Broadway Palm Dinner Theater - I think when you are coming I think they are doing White Christmas. There are a few other theaters nearby with other productions. Also check out Seminole Gulf Railway - the do rail tours and dinner theater.
Bert's Bar at Matlatcha - supposed to be good food and entertainment. On 12/6 for example - Julie Black Live @ Bert's Bar & Grill "Always a good time, great food and great fans at Bert's. Don't miss a rockin' night of original blues, jazz, soul & swing tunes by Julie Black and her band".
Local events like the Jazz Festival, Basically Bluegrass, Christmas Boat Show "Annual Holiday Boat-a-Long", Tour-de-Cape, Taste of the Cape (food and wine tasting tour) etc.
Everglades swamp boat tours, the Shell Factory (in N. Ft. Myers), boat excursions, dolphin tours, scuba diving, fishing charters, etc.
NOW THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN WAITING TO HEAR!!!!!!!!
loving, you need to work for the chamber of commerce down there. i've copied this post of yours for if and when i ever sell my house up here.
i can't wait to get back down to fl and enjoy all those places you mentioned. the only thing you left out was the fishing and boating.
great post.
Mrs. B, glad you finally caught him but sorry you had to go through all that.
Loving, thank you, thank you, thank you. You have finally made me excited about the move. It is good to hear all of the positives about the area. Now if we could just get all this packing finished
hi i want to move also, can you give me some suggestions on things that worked for u guys? also how do you make that final decision on moving? how was the transition? did u guys apply for jobs before moving? how hard or easy was it to get a job? i am very interested in what people experiences are when they relocate. thanks
While seasonal traffic might stress you out a bit at times ,it is still well worth it to take a drive to any of our beautiful beaches on one of those picture perfect days and sit and watch the birds and waves..then you know why people flock to Florida
have a happy retirement!
I moved here in Aug. and love it. I have been posting to city-data for a few months and here is what I found: There are some negative voices here on city-data, including people in finanical trouble, real estate agents who don't make the money they used to, people who lost money in real estate, and just generally negaitive people by personality. I just sent the following "activities" to my dad and stepmom for thier visit down here (they are also thinking of buying) and wanted to share some positives with you:
Here are some potential things to do or places to stop by when you are here:
Paesano's - Italian meat market/grocer with restaurant. Lafayette St. Good cannolis too. Nice to combine with next two things. I saw a dry spice, bean, pasta kit for pasta fagoili (spelling?) for under five bucks and thought of you (dad).
Cape Coral Yacht Club - free beach, pier where Chaloosahatche and gulf come together. Coronado dead ends into it. Pier has casual open air restaurant. Club is a city owned rec. center with low fees for pool, tennis, etc. Boating is only part of it.
Farmer's market - SE 10th St. is only a few blocks away, has produce, seafood (stone crab, pine island clams, etc), and fresh flowers (including orchids).
Pine Island - Matlatcha (pronouned Matt-lashay) which has fishing, arts (lots of vendors in small shops), and food - I recommend Moretti's for fine seafood, casual, open air directly on the water. I can see you and Donna eating there, drinking wine, and enjoying life....
Pine Island - St. James City and Bokeelia - Bokeelia is a nicer community, but wary of tourists so some are not as friendly. Captin Conn's has great seafood chowder, but you may get grumpy staff depending on who is working. St. James City is very much like old Florida, but we drove through and checked it out. There is a place named Woody's with a great atmosphere (eat outside on a nice canal front) and great food (mahi-mahi, crab cakes, and traditional American grill). They had a good Jimmy Buffet sounding guy inside, and is a place we would visit again.
Ding Darling Nature Preserve (on Pine Island) - see nature first hand - but bring your bug spray! Haven't seen it yet but I heard it is good.
Corkscrew Swamp Sancturary (by Naples) - has trails but they are boardwalk style so you can see nature but not need the hiking boots. Also, bring the bug spray. Haven't seen it yet but I heard it is good.
The beach - Gasparilla Island in Boca Grande was the best, but Sannibel, Siesta Key (by Sarasota), and Fort Myers Beach are nice. You will like Ft. Myers Beach because there is some casual nightlife (bars and restaurants with bands, etc), restaurants, shops, a pier, and it is a great place for a moonlit walk. Weekends are nice, but it can be busy with the teen and college crowd at times. The Times Square area is where we typically go, as that is where restaurants, shops, and pier are. Nearby beachfront hotels make it a nice place for friends and family to stay when they visit. The ferry to Key West leaves from Ft. Myers beach.
Edision/Ford Museum - in Fort Myers, it is supposed to be a good place for the history buff.
Lover's Key - nice state park and beach. Parking is around $5, and you can walk trails, canoe/kayak, or walk/trolley to the beach. Very nice beach, not many people.
Fort Myers Baseball - many fans go check out the major league with spring training and some winter expos. I'm not into baseball but if you are it may be something to check out.
Gambling - I'm not into it, but if you are the Seminole Casino is nearby and they have local video slots in town)
Broadway Palm Dinner Theater - I think when you are coming I think they are doing White Christmas. There are a few other theaters nearby with other productions. Also check out Seminole Gulf Railway - the do rail tours and dinner theater.
Bert's Bar at Matlatcha - supposed to be good food and entertainment. On 12/6 for example - Julie Black Live @ Bert's Bar & Grill "Always a good time, great food and great fans at Bert's. Don't miss a rockin' night of original blues, jazz, soul & swing tunes by Julie Black and her band".
Local events like the Jazz Festival, Basically Bluegrass, Christmas Boat Show "Annual Holiday Boat-a-Long", Tour-de-Cape, Taste of the Cape (food and wine tasting tour) etc.
Everglades swamp boat tours, the Shell Factory (in N. Ft. Myers), boat excursions, dolphin tours, scuba diving, fishing charters, etc.
that reminds me, there is also the dinner theater train in fort myers too, its a mystery theater, i haven't been to it yet, but its got a great dinner and i think everyone votes for the ending. then they act it out.
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