Ft Myers/Cape Coral vs North Naples/Estero/Bonita Springs (Sarasota: real estate, apartment)

[darrvao777]

My husband and I are currently living in Naples but are looking to relocate. My husband just got transferred to a new office in Cape Coral and I'm slated to transfer to an office in Ft Myers. We were wondering which location would be best in terms of searching for housing? (Ft Myers/Cape Coral vs North Naples/Estero/Bonita Springs)

We also currently have a 2 month old baby and are looking to rent (budget of ~$2000-3000/month)

We really loved the Naples area and have some concerns about the safety of Ft Myers (admittedly nothing we witnessed firsthand, just what our neighbors are scaring us with)

Any recommendations for a safe/optimum place to settle while minimizing commute time? Thanks!

[NoSnow4me]

I don't know much about fort myers, but the northeast section of cape coral is pretty ghetto. The northwest part of Cc is very quiet and low crime, and the drive wouldn't be too bad if you're close to burnt store road, imho. Most of the south part of town seems to be nice as well, except for the downtown area. There's a broad range of good and bad all over the city though. Your best bet is to take a day and drive all over it so you can narrow down where you want to look. We wasted an awful lot of time looking at ads and dragging our real estate agent out to look at houses, only to find they were in neighborhoods we wouldn't want to live in.

[darrvao777]

Originally Posted by NoSnow4me

I don't know much about fort myers, but the northeast section of cape coral is pretty ghetto. The northwest part of Cc is very quiet and low crime, and the drive wouldn't be too bad if you're close to burnt store road, imho. Most of the south part of town seems to be nice as well, except for the downtown area. There's a broad range of good and bad all over the city though. Your best bet is to take a day and drive all over it so you can narrow down where you want to look. We wasted an awful lot of time looking at ads and dragging our real estate agent out to look at houses, only to find they were in neighborhoods we wouldn't want to live in.

Thanks for the input, we definitely plan to drive around these areas and take a look

We are leaning towards something in North Naples for that reason but am unsure about the commute times though

[Compression]

I wont go into a long diatribe as to why I know.......

To minimize your commute time, and still be in an area that seems "familiar", and the right budget.......you'll probably find that Estero, no further north than Corkscrew road is going to fit the bill for you.

Farther north may feel foreign to you (San Carlos Park, and south Ft Myers)

This might be a good barometer for you. On 41 at Corkscrew there is a Publix, about a mile or so north there is another at Sanibel Blvd. Another mile and a half north you'll see yet another around Alico Rd. Visit each one, and see how you "feel" at each

Cape Coral is nothing like Naples. Well maybe a bit like EAST Naples (without the apartment bldgs.) However if commute time is the biggest consideration, Cape Coral hands down (MHO of course)

Just a thought.......

CN.......

[Willistonite]

We are looking at Pine Lakes 55+ Community for our retirement. Does any one have any comments they could share with me on Pine Lakes? Good or Bad. Thanks

[Roni99]

I would not recommend to live anywhere South of Fort Myers if you are working in Cape Coral and Fort Myers. My husband drives every day to Naples, leaving at 5:30 in the morning, coming back at 6 pm. This commute is very stressful and puts a lot of miles on your car. There are some very nice areas in Cape Coral and with your budget you will find a beautiful home to rent or to buy. :-)

[CooperPremier]

We have 2 year old twins and live near Alico and 41.
Our nanny used to drive from Cape Coral everyday and it took her 20 minutes or less, usually. The area is very nice, 10 minutes from Gulf Coast Town Center (shopping/restaurants), 12 minutes from the airport, 10 minutes from Coconut Point Mall and 20-25 minutes from the beach. Stock homes is building a brand new beautiful development right by us. It's off of 41 a little bit, so you don't get the traffic noise and right by everything I just mentioned.
If you need rental information, housing information or even just more information about this area, send me an email. ricky.cooper@sothebysrealty.com

[tjstrain]

There is a really nice house for rent on the south ft Myers/estero border listed in the classifieds here on city data. Search "Estero"

[Mr Cape Coral]

Many factors go in to selecting an area to live in.
Cape Coral will provide you the most house for the dollar. There are many areas that could be very satisfactory for your needs.
Budget and size of home will be your major criteria along with location.
If you want a place on the water that increases the price.
Many great restaurants are in and coming to Cape Coral.
You will hear positive and negative comments about any area of Southwest Florida. It really depends on your lifestyle and needs as to what works best for you.

[flgafl]

So, for a couple that is 50 yrs old and active (live music, hanging outside, biking, entertainment and restaurants at night/day, cafes, movies, shopping) do you recommend Estero? Our price range is 300K. Main concern is health care. Is there available health care in the Estero N. Naples area? Is it easy to get in for appointments (I see a doc almost weekly and specialist). What is the name of the major hospital network there?
(We are considering Punta Gorda but appears a lot of old people and many mentioned they have to travel to Sarasota or Ft. Myers- that is insane!!! )
Thank you in advance.