OK Just Moved to Naples/FtMyers area-Here is a "Virgin" Impression (Tampa: real estate, foreclosure)

[goldtaffeta]

Hi all

I just moved to, first Naples for a brief while, and now I am living and briefly was working in Ft Myers. My opinion may or may not count for much because I have only been here since 8/4/08. But it may be helpful BECAUSE of my "innocence" in my "virgin" impression.

I am originaly from NJ, lived in Los Angeles for 19 years, and really liked it, but could not handle the price of houses (before and even after the "crash") so moved to a cheaper state. We chose FL because (1) we have relatives we could live with while getting on our feet and (2) it is on a coast and I/we love the ocean.

Since this is Ft Myers thread, I will give my impression of Ft Myers. Perhaps some old hand long-timers of Ft Myers can explain some of the things that seem to be "lost on me."

My initial impression of Ft myers is that it is "patchy." I can't get a handle on this place. It, like a lot of cities, changes from block to block. So does LA, but this place REALLY does. It is hard for me to tell not just block to block but building to building if I am in a good or bad area.

I had just had a job in what is called the Fiddlesticks area of Ft Myers which I was told is the "high class, posh, wealthy' area of Fort Myers, and I believe it because the owner of the family owned wireless software co where I was working lived there, in a gated golf community, complete with club house etc. The owner of the co owns the largest house in Ft. Myers. Yet, I went searching one day for a place to run on my lunch hour (I have been running on my lunch hour for some 10 years, so on any new job I always go scope out a good place to run). I always try to find a place not too desolate, where there are houses and a sidewalk. There are no sidewalks, and all, I mean ALL the houses are behind gates that say "no trespassing" in this "Fiddlesticks" area. Moreover, this "posh" area didn't really strike me as "posh" until you looked inside one of the getes. Outside of the gates it was like trees and brush, etc. And standing water/creeks/channels/swamps (not sure what those are). The few streets I drove up were "outback" looking and most streets would just end and become a dirt road, which gave it a "not really suburb, not really rural" feeling, which seems to fly in the face of "posh and wealth."

BTW there was a Denny's not that far from our job. Not exactly posh either.

Anyway, I had visited other areas too - regular areas - the Edison mall and some apts etc. One complex would look nice but then we'd go to the net to read about renters' comments on that apt, where former tenants can post their comments, and there would be a ton of comments about break-ins, drug deals, muggings, etc., though the apt itself would have fishing, lakes, and all these other really beautiful grounds.

Then there was the nearby Walmart. Again, in a nice looking area, I drove several miles up the street, and in the Walmart were people who looked - some of them middle class, and others who looked, shall we say, deep deep south - like with the comb stuck in the back of their hair?

As I said, I simply cannot get a handle on this place.

OK - the job that hired me. I am in the I.T. (Information Technology - software) field. I don't know if this ONE job is or is not representative of Ft Myers, so take this with a grain of salt. But I have done what I do in I.T. for 12 years and I am good at what I do - I have tons of accolades. One thing I loved about LA is that it was so multicultural (I am a Latin Female) - and I love software co's because you can come in in jeans, it is laid back, and LA is such that one person is Russian, the other is Persian, the other is Amer Italian, the other is Polish - etc., female and male, but most programmers are male. Still I always felt free from racism in LA because there are so many cultures that the day to day, overall "texture" is just not one of racism, despite the odd sensationalized "race riot" story. And there is not a "good ol boy" network in the west at all.

OK so in this job, I come in the first day, and of 29 programers, every one is about 31ish, white, tall and male, except for one female who is the wife of one of the programmers, and one black male who hung around with the secretaries who were minorities. I never once saw him hang out with one programmer. And he looked extremely uncomfortable all the time

This reminded me SO MUCH of NJ. It is a lot of the reason I left. NJ was like that. On most professional level jobs, the minorites were secretaries or worked in the cafeteria (with a few odd exceptions) and if you were a profl minority you found yourself hanging out with the cafeteria workers because you were marginalized by the "environment" there. It has been 19 long years since I've seen that.

I don't want to go into more details about that job but suffice it to say, I am super outgoing and I can deal with the "good ol boy"network. I have a thick skin and can "push on" with that. But what bothered me more was the clicque-ishness. The dept was broken into clicques and you couldn't break in. They were not friendly. Or they were but only to a point. Note that the other depts, marketing, sales, had females and had more minorities, and the people WERE friendly. It was just that programmer department. They also had these basketball teams after work (of course no females could play on that. In LA they wouldn't do that. If they had teams of something, it was somethign both sexes could do.)

This job was like the first large groups of people I met in the Ft Myers area. So this stuff was "impressing" me, perhaps more than it should have. This would not have been significant to me if I had lived here several years, because I would have just chalked it up to that specific company.

But what I find interesting is, my husband found a neighborhood park that had a men's baseball team around the same time I started working there. He signed on to an existing team because he didn't have a true team. His team was some company - and they needed an extra player. My husband is really good. And he is super friendly with everyone. He was on a team like that in LA - a real estate co needed an extra player. That team was so friendly and open and they got on famously. But with this Ft Myers team, he dropped out after like 4 games, saying they were totally clicque-ish, were not friendly, would not put him on till like the end of the game (and it is NOT his playing - he is really good ) like they were all sucking up to some boss on the team. So it strikes me that his experience on that team was EXACTLY like my experience at this job. Are people in Ft Myers just clicque-ish?

So needless to say, we are not really caring for this place. My husband just had an interview in Broward County and he has one in Tampa tomorrow. I too am sending resumes to the both areas. Whichever one works out better, we are out of here.

Please chime in, old timers, and let me know if we are just having an unusual experience, or if our experience strikes a familir chord, and that is how it is here, and please explain why. I would be really curious. (BTW I am no longer at that co. they let me go after 5 weeks with no explanation. I was 6 years at last job 4 years at previous one. Never been let go of anywhere in my life. I am published in my field. Excellent at what I do. I think I know what it was. I don't think it had to do with the stuff above. I don't care to go into it here. They did same thing to previous person, I found out. Talk about poor employee relations. Ca is the "seat" of IT - it seems Ft Myers is just 'boonies" for IT.)

Anyway, that is my newbie, virgin impression of Ft Myers

Cheers

G

PS Naples is gorgeous - I love the posh restaurants - but there you are either rich and retired, or you have one of those servant type jobs working for the rich - neither of which fits my husband or me. My husband's family (his uncle and his grown kids) have those type of jobs - working at Marshall's or in construction or tiling or as a butcher so they are happy. My husband and I are in the "middle" service sector so Naples is not for us. But it truly is beautiful there. The services are marvelous - the parks and recreation, streets, restaurants, etc. I wish I were rich enough to buy a house there, or rent. Actually you can but you have to look. And it is NOT patchy there at all. The people all look "top shelf." hahahaha I did a lot of campaigning for Obama while staying with his uncle and got a chance to meet a lot of naples folks and I really liked the people there - even the rich ones were super nice and friendly - and nobody had a comb stuck in the back of their hair. (jk)

[brokerdave]

i am just curious but why do you think he has the biggest house in fort myers? most communities have gates and almost all have sidewalks. any community with no sidewalks and dirt roads is not a accurate description of the area. the area is clique-ish in the beginner professionals early 30's range. this can be good or bad depending on your personality and age. my cousin came down here in his early 30's as a partner for a nextel store chain and opened several stores. he has made a lot of contacts and knows many more people than i. he since sold his partnership and bought 2 failing business' in fort myers and has made a good living with both. i have met people from all walks of life here and been in numerous cliques. there is a reason why people associate with those in there social caliber. i've had to golf with people i did not like or wanted to know because there were a part of cliques.

i am sorry to hear your experience was so abrasive. i would like to hear more about the areas you are referring to. i have found that once you get into the mid to later 30's age groups people are more open to others.

[hiknapster]

Yep. That's Fort Myers.

Patchy doesn't even begin to describe it. You have no idea who your neighbors are. You could be in a gorgeous gated community and have a neighbor who is a drug dealer or be a victim of a home invasion.

People are just odd there. I had lots of friends when I lived up north. Lived in Fort Myers for 10 years and did not have one friend. Been up in Knoxville for three years and have made more friends than I could ever have imagined.

Sorry, brokerdave, but your age theory does not hold up. I'm 47.

Fort Myers is low rent. I've always wondered about anyone that likes it. Perhaps if you are a retiree.

Goldtaffeta, get out while you can.

[JimCali]

Goldtaffeta,
Your observations are good. I tried my best living in the Ft. Myers area for three years before I left. I was never able to get a handle on it either. I didn't hate it but found there was nothing I was able to attach myself to. Meeting people was easy enough but found establishing friendships was elusive.
I moved on before the real estate "crash" so I consider myself fortunate.

[BornInFL]

"On most professional level jobs, the minorites were secretaries or worked in the cafeteria (with a few odd exceptions) and if you were a profl minority you found yourself hanging out with the cafeteria workers because you were marginalized by the "environment" there."


Who's fault is that though? You go to college, get a good job, no matter what color... everyone has the opportunity.

[capekelly]

Fiddlesticks is Old School here. I've lived here since '97, born in Atlanta, lived in New Orleans and worked in LA.
If you want upscale, Naples is your best bet. Look for newer construction and a gated community and you'll do fine.
Fort Myers used to be called Fort Misery, for a reason. Most of the people are from Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan. A lot of them came down t care for their aging parents because they had no job and/or a big drug problem or were running from the law, or all of the above.
Zero Class. Very little taste. A lot of snobbery from the old timers. Everybody else watches too much reality tv, and god forbid you ever set foot in any of the clubs in downtown Fort Myers - underage drinkers and tacky tacky stripper-wannabe's.
And it goes down hill from there.
So I recommend taking the first job offer in any major market other than here.ood luck.
G

[USA71]

EVERY city and region is different in culture, food, social class, economic class, etc. Yes, Ft Myers sucks. Like most of southwest Florida, it really doesn't have a cultural and family history that goes back very far. No one sets roots there to raise a family. Drugs everywhere and it's too hot. The cops in SWFL will tell you... "South Florida attracts the transients of society." It's a nice place to visit, not live. Go back to LA, the home prices have dropped and will crash further in 2009-2010 with the new housing collapse... Option ARMs are to reset in those years. 50-70% of those will go into foreclosure. So pack your bags and drive back to Gangland.

[jim09091]

Originally Posted by USA71

EVERY city and region is different in culture, food, social class, economic class, etc. Yes, Ft Myers sucks. Like most of southwest Florida, it really doesn't have a cultural and family history that goes back very far. No one sets roots there to raise a family. Drugs everywhere and it's too hot. The cops in SWFL will tell you... "South Florida attracts the transients of society." It's a nice place to visit, not live. Go back to LA, the home prices have dropped and will crash further in 2009-2010 with the new housing collapse... Option ARMs are to reset in those years. 50-70% of those will go into foreclosure. So pack your bags and drive back to Gangland.

I wish everyone here had this view... the roads would be a lot less crowded.

"No one sets roots there to raise a family." Not true.
"Drugs everywhere" They are everywhere. Even the small, wealthy town in New England that I went to high school in.
"and it's too hot." It is South Florida... what did you expect? If you want to build a snowman in January stay in the north.

[imagardener]

Originally Posted by capekelly

...If you want upscale, Naples is your best bet. Look for newer construction and a gated community and you'll do fine.

I was in Naples for 10 years and it is not multicultural. Anyone with non-white skin works in service or landscaping. Yes some of the bank tellers are non-white but that's it. It's old white and rich.

Broward Co. would suit you socially, it has been multicultural for 2 generations or more, also Palm Beach County, where I grew up. Skip the Boca area, it's east coast Naples.

There is really nowhere on the east coast like California, Colorado is the nearest thing. Sarasota went for Obama so you might consider that area but probably not Tampa. Sarasota is youunger, hipper, greener, etc. Just stay away from Longboat Key (Naples-like but even older).

[dznutz261982]

if youre scared of crime then build a safe room.swfl is gravy. i love it and am here to stay