Prior to our fieldtrip, I had only been to Downtown Fort Myers once in my life. When I when, it was night time and a completely different experience. During the day (especially in the weather we had), Downtown is a beautiful place. The city has a very relaxing balance of nature, and beautifully maintained streets and store fronts. The area was clean, and very aesthetically appealing. There was art on nearly every street corner, and all of the building were in good condition. Downtown Fort Myers is a beautiful area filled with food, fun, culture, and history. The pizza was great, too(ha!).
The area it self was very pedestrian-friendly, with plenty of crosswalks, sidewalks, store fronts, and restaurants. Friday and Saturday nights are much different than the week days, so the traffic will greatly vary. Given that the areas we were in had very narrow streets with pedestrians everywhere, it is not the most settling place to drive around. But when you are on foot, this area is differently a fun place to spend an afternoon. With the option to go out on a dock and look at the boats, parks and fountains to hang out around, and plenty of places to shop and eat, Downtown is a perfect place to spend an afternoon.
Transportation also varied in Downtown: There were plenty of people on foot and biking, a steady flow of cars, and an option of Lee Transit busses. Given that the streets were small and the parking spots were scares, it was much easier to navigate through the city on foot. Not only did the set up of this city make pedestrians comfortable, but it also made the more environmentally-friendly option of transportation the most appealing one.
Florida Gulf Coast University's urban environment was a little different than the Downtown urban environment. When living on campus, you need to drive ANYWHERE that is not a part of campus. If you want to grocery shop, retail shop, or go out to eat, you will have to drive at least 5 minutes to any destination. When we were exploring the downtown area, I noticed that everything was in walking distance. When trying to evaluate my surroundings, I sat on the stairs of the courthouse and looked up the nearest grocery store just to find that I was currently 4 minutes of a walking distance away from a Publix. This type of set up is very convenient and enjoyable. When I buy a home one day, I would like to live near areas such as this. There are always things to do Downtown, and you can walk nearly everywhere.
The following are some of my favorite pictures from my experience Downtown:
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