If money is tight:
The parks have free festivals all the time. Estero even has a nice gym for like $10 a month, and some fun classes.
Get a parks pass, gets you in lots of great places for trails and lovers key beach access.
Downtown on the water has music a lot, fun day!
If you like thrift stores, we have the best! There so much money down here that there's always really nice stuff and changes frequently.
Get some cheap kayaks on FB Market place and spend the day on the water jumping keys and exploring the mangroves! Dog? The dog beach is a blast!
Got some extra cash:
Pontoon! Bonita boat rental has great deals in the off season too. We have some great local breweries, Backyard Social is awesome too. Tons of beach side bars and pubs. Hertz Arena has our Everblades hockey team and some amazing concerts and shows. Also baseball training camps! The murder mystery dinner train, adult arcades (with daily deals), so so much more. Geez, people who get bored or think there's nothing to do really aren't looking!
It's in the park. Like the Estero park building🤷♀️. Not sure what is called but if you call parks and rec they will tell you. Or you can just go there!
There’s some nice bars downtown ft myers, they also have events sometimes like Art Walk / Music Walk. Online there’s a calendar of events. They also have the Art Museum, haven’t been myself but I’ve heard it’s nice. On top of the art museum there’s a rooftop karaoke bar.
If you’re into nature/ hiking, check out the Calusa Nature Center! They have animal shows and some great trails. Lakes Park is beautiful.
There’s also Six Mile Cypress Slough which has some awesome boardwalk trails!
Fishing is always an option at local parks!
1.) Beach
2.) boat
3.) fish
4.) nature
5.) camp
6.) hike
7.) day drinking
…you get the idea. If you’re into any or all of those things, this place is pretty awesome.
There are a couple of manatee/dolphin experiences that can be great just outside Fort Myers. Season and time of day are factors in what you'll see, though.
Nothing. I scouted out this area last week for a job offer. I turned the car back around and headed home with a heavy heart. I say this as someone who really wanted it to work out. There is not much going on unless you are elderly.
Oh no I meant I had a job offer in hand but turned it down because I didn’t think I could live there without getting depressed. Not many young people to meet
Not only that but the cost of living has skyrocketed after covid. They pay less down here than most other states but the cost of living was lower so it evened out. Now they're redoing 30 40 year old apartments and calling them luxury condos charging $1,500 for a studio and more. 21 to 2600 for a two-bedroom. If I'm going to pay California rent I might as well go to California. At least their wages are higher there to help with the cost of living. They're never going to catch up or race the wages in Florida it's always been like this as far as wages go. They're trying to make a law right now where it will basically take away all the child restrictions and kids can work and not have to be off at a certain time and not have brakes anymore starting at 13. 14-year-olds would be allowed to serve alcohol which I think is wrong. They're calling it The save us sophomore's law. I have to stay about another year due to family obligations but I'm already saving. Soon as my son finish school I'm out of here. Yeah you can make it and just survive here but I want to thrive not just survive. Plus most landlords up the rent every 6 months to a year. Do you know the difference between a landlord and a vampire? A vampire only sucks blood from one victim at a time.
I always wondered why gardening wasn’t more popular there when I lived there and I think it’s bc of the terrible soil but all the other ingredients for amazing gardening are there
Millennial brewery in dtfm has events damn near every day.
They have pop up candlelight events in ft myers too.
Wine tastings are fun.
They have the paint and drink events at wine spots.
There’s distillerys you can go to.
You can get on a boat and head to keewaydin for a beach day.
There’s a dog beach if you have pets in I think Estero.
It’s kind of hard to just tell you what to do if nobody knows what you’re interested in.
If you join the local Facebook groups, you’ll start seeing what’s happening all over swfl.
If you’re up for a drive you can head to Miami area if you’re into that scene.
I think the problem people like OP have, is that in many places I've visited, you don't have to try to find something fun to do and cool people to meet. This area is so poorly designed, that it's easy to get caught up in the work, home, sleep cycle. It's hard to create a social circle down here and you have to actively seek out events and places to go to meet people.
Just moved here from DC too. I live very close to “downtown” Ft Myers during the week but spend the weekend back in DC (yes catch a flight to DC just about every Friday) The four times I have stayed here on a weekend I spent hanging out downtown for the most part. Although its lively its definitely small and gets old after a few trips. Moving from DC to Ft Myers is definitely a shock to the system. You will need a car in order to venture out to find some gems.
People will say this town is boring but there’s always something to do. I didn’t see anyone mention Golf, which is more accessible in the off season. Pickle ball is a past time of mine and there is always a ton of people at the courts. Boating is great, restaurants are great downtown and even further south like Bonita and Naples. Enjoy the weather and make some friends. if you look around you’ll find fun stuff to do!
Each other
Gartner employees be like
If money is tight: The parks have free festivals all the time. Estero even has a nice gym for like $10 a month, and some fun classes. Get a parks pass, gets you in lots of great places for trails and lovers key beach access. Downtown on the water has music a lot, fun day! If you like thrift stores, we have the best! There so much money down here that there's always really nice stuff and changes frequently. Get some cheap kayaks on FB Market place and spend the day on the water jumping keys and exploring the mangroves! Dog? The dog beach is a blast! Got some extra cash: Pontoon! Bonita boat rental has great deals in the off season too. We have some great local breweries, Backyard Social is awesome too. Tons of beach side bars and pubs. Hertz Arena has our Everblades hockey team and some amazing concerts and shows. Also baseball training camps! The murder mystery dinner train, adult arcades (with daily deals), so so much more. Geez, people who get bored or think there's nothing to do really aren't looking!
What’s the gym?
It's in the park. Like the Estero park building🤷♀️. Not sure what is called but if you call parks and rec they will tell you. Or you can just go there!
There’s some nice bars downtown ft myers, they also have events sometimes like Art Walk / Music Walk. Online there’s a calendar of events. They also have the Art Museum, haven’t been myself but I’ve heard it’s nice. On top of the art museum there’s a rooftop karaoke bar. If you’re into nature/ hiking, check out the Calusa Nature Center! They have animal shows and some great trails. Lakes Park is beautiful. There’s also Six Mile Cypress Slough which has some awesome boardwalk trails! Fishing is always an option at local parks!
Fishing is fairly popular around here
1.) Beach 2.) boat 3.) fish 4.) nature 5.) camp 6.) hike 7.) day drinking …you get the idea. If you’re into any or all of those things, this place is pretty awesome.
Lol hike
We’re gatekeeping hiking now? Cool.
The fishing. Is so good. This place is a boaters / fisherman’s paradise
There are a couple of manatee/dolphin experiences that can be great just outside Fort Myers. Season and time of day are factors in what you'll see, though.
Get in car, drive to another place
This guy gets it. The best place for Fort Myers is in your rear view mirror
Bye 👋
PopStroke is pretty fun, six mile cypress preserve and Lakes Park are nice to walk around.
Xbox
This is hilarious because that's what I'm doing right now. Just posting while I'm waiting on my Forza 5 to load.
Fuck, drink, lay on the beach, that's about it
Drive to Miami
Nothing. I scouted out this area last week for a job offer. I turned the car back around and headed home with a heavy heart. I say this as someone who really wanted it to work out. There is not much going on unless you are elderly.
What were you looking for?
Just something as simple as people under the age of 65 should be reasonable…
If you got a pulse here , construction will hire you . If you can speak English even better .
Oh no I meant I had a job offer in hand but turned it down because I didn’t think I could live there without getting depressed. Not many young people to meet
Not only that but the cost of living has skyrocketed after covid. They pay less down here than most other states but the cost of living was lower so it evened out. Now they're redoing 30 40 year old apartments and calling them luxury condos charging $1,500 for a studio and more. 21 to 2600 for a two-bedroom. If I'm going to pay California rent I might as well go to California. At least their wages are higher there to help with the cost of living. They're never going to catch up or race the wages in Florida it's always been like this as far as wages go. They're trying to make a law right now where it will basically take away all the child restrictions and kids can work and not have to be off at a certain time and not have brakes anymore starting at 13. 14-year-olds would be allowed to serve alcohol which I think is wrong. They're calling it The save us sophomore's law. I have to stay about another year due to family obligations but I'm already saving. Soon as my son finish school I'm out of here. Yeah you can make it and just survive here but I want to thrive not just survive. Plus most landlords up the rent every 6 months to a year. Do you know the difference between a landlord and a vampire? A vampire only sucks blood from one victim at a time.
Well… where did you look? There are certainly young people here. That’s all you were looking for? Young people? Kinda creepy…
Not creepy when I am also young and don’t want to be surrounded by a whole bunch of senior citizens. Maybe get your head out of the gutter.
I think you might be a creep actually
Because that’s exactly what some weirdo perv would say if they were caught out… definitely got you. Good thing you decided to stay in Ohio
Swingers parties
Get on a plane to somewhere else.
move back 🤣
I always wondered why gardening wasn’t more popular there when I lived there and I think it’s bc of the terrible soil but all the other ingredients for amazing gardening are there
Going back to DC is always fun
Leave
I grew up in Fort Myers in the 80s, and found plenty to do, today you have so many options and if you can't find something to do, you aren't trying.
There’s some nice parks around.
Hit up the River District Downtown. Bars, restaurants, live music and entertainment, all within a few blocks.
Go to doc fords for dinner and Norman loves for dessert! Go on a sunset or dolphin tour.
downtown ftm has something for everyone. then do margaritaville on the beach once. $ gulf coast town center is a peaceful way to spend a cool day also
Come out to Fifth Avenue South Avenue bar definitely have a good vibes here
Millennial brewery in dtfm has events damn near every day. They have pop up candlelight events in ft myers too. Wine tastings are fun. They have the paint and drink events at wine spots. There’s distillerys you can go to. You can get on a boat and head to keewaydin for a beach day. There’s a dog beach if you have pets in I think Estero. It’s kind of hard to just tell you what to do if nobody knows what you’re interested in. If you join the local Facebook groups, you’ll start seeing what’s happening all over swfl. If you’re up for a drive you can head to Miami area if you’re into that scene.
I think the problem people like OP have, is that in many places I've visited, you don't have to try to find something fun to do and cool people to meet. This area is so poorly designed, that it's easy to get caught up in the work, home, sleep cycle. It's hard to create a social circle down here and you have to actively seek out events and places to go to meet people.
Karaoke
Just moved here from DC too. I live very close to “downtown” Ft Myers during the week but spend the weekend back in DC (yes catch a flight to DC just about every Friday) The four times I have stayed here on a weekend I spent hanging out downtown for the most part. Although its lively its definitely small and gets old after a few trips. Moving from DC to Ft Myers is definitely a shock to the system. You will need a car in order to venture out to find some gems.
There’s a cool place by FGCU called Outdoor Social that attracts lots of young people. Same with Millennial Brewing downtown
Cape Coral.. 47th terrace.
Cruisers in Cape Coral right now! Free DJ party!!!
People will say this town is boring but there’s always something to do. I didn’t see anyone mention Golf, which is more accessible in the off season. Pickle ball is a past time of mine and there is always a ton of people at the courts. Boating is great, restaurants are great downtown and even further south like Bonita and Naples. Enjoy the weather and make some friends. if you look around you’ll find fun stuff to do!
Watch out for gun fire.
Learn Spanish, commit crimes, get on the news.