Florida – the benchmark destination for sun-loving travelers all over the world, the spring break mecca for exam weary collegiates, and although many of its cities vie for the attention of paradise-seeking baby boomers, Fort Myers truly has the makings of a sublime retirement town. Perennially blissful weather, white gulf beaches, and voted the second best city to retire by U.S. News & World Report, the City of Palms is considered one of the hottest winter resort cities for cabin-fevered snowbirds (including Thomas Edison and Henry Ford) and offers plenty of reasons to want to call it home.
A Home Run for Baseball Fans
Diamonds are a baseball fan’s best friend, but when it comes to throwing the perfect pitch, Fort Myers is in a league of its own. Home to the minor league team the Fort Myers Miracle, this town doesn’t just play baseball, it lives baseball, and with landmark ball fields like City of Palms Ball Park, and Jet Blue Park at Fenway South as well as the recently renovated Hammond Stadium seating VIP’s just a few feet from the action, the act of stepping up to the plate is as ubiquitous to Fort Meyers as deep dish is to Chicago.
It Gets an A+ in Gastronomy
Fort Myers is an unexpected culinary haven, a cornucopia of local flavor with everything from freshly caught seafood and barbeque, to authentic Cuban fare. Whether it’s reservations for two at the white tablecloth swathed, flambéed elegance of the Veranda or a casual night out with friends gathered around hand-tossed molten cheese bliss at Downtown House of Pizza, the countless menu options throughout the city are meant to be experienced one ingredient at a time. The best happy hour libations are on tap, and craft brew connoisseurs will discover the best way to kick back is with a smooth hand-drawn ale or lager frothed to perfection.
Upscale Waterfront Downtown
Everything is a showstopper from Southwest Florida’s coveted sugary beaches, to the sparkle of freshwater lakes and roomy bike paths of Lake Regional Park, but nothing harnesses the class and history of Fort Myers quite like the brick- paved ornate streets of River District. A farmers market that’s open year-round, art, and music walks, award-winning repertory theaters, and luxury residential neighborhoods, River District merges “old” Florida with the present. Notable landmarks including the Art Deco designed Old Edison Theater built in 1941, and former Vaudeville turned Arcade Theater opened in 1915, proudly showcase a revitalized walkable downtown that comes alive long after the sun has set into the Gulf. Whether someone is looking for a town with a vintage character or one urban at its core, Wallet Hub’s “fasted growing city” definitely hits the sweet spot.
