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| Fort Myers | ||
| State | Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 65.725 (2012) | |
| height | 3 m | |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
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Fort Myers is a city on the west coast Florida with 52,000 inhabitants. The city is the administrative seat of Lee County.
background
history
According to a manual written by Francis Asbury Hendry, who lived from 1833-1917, Fort Myers first appeared around 1841 when it was first occupied as Fort Harvey. The military fort was then abandoned in 1842, rebuilt in 1850 and used in honor of a U.S. officer. Army named Abraham C. Myers, a colonel. The fort was a center for command and control operations during the war against the American Indian tribes who lived in Florida until they were defeated and relocated from the state to regions in the western United States. However, part of the Seminole Indian tribe never surrendered and stayed in the Florida wilderness. Colonel Myers reportedly resigned and joined the Confederate Army when the Civil War began. Under Confederate control, African slaves were transported from Virginia to the area to aid in growing crops.
During the civil war, the fort changed hands once or twice between the armed forces of the north and the south. An African-American infantry of Union soldiers was stationed at Fort Myers from 1863 to 1864. Under the authority of Monroe County, the first African American school was established in the Fort Myers area on the grounds of an emancipated slave named Nelson Tillis in 1885. Although Thomas Edison ran telegraph services for the north side of the Civil War, Edison bought a winter home in Fort Myers in 1886 after marrying his second wife earlier that year (National Park Service, 2012). In 1890, the first African-American teacher (Annie Moore) was hired to teach in the area (Lee County Black History Society, 2011).
A county called Lee County, so named in honor of Commanding General of the South, Robert E. Lee, was established in 1887. By 1908 the population of Fort Myers was about five to six thousand (Captain F.A. Hendry Reunion Committee, 2002). In 1912, the first black-only public school in Lee County was established (Williams Academy). Henry Ford bought the house and land next to Thomas Edison in 1916. In 1920 Jones Walker Hospital was only opened to the black population. Bunche Beach was opened in 1949 as the first local beach only for the black population. In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled to end segregation in public schools. However, this decision was not implemented until 1969 through the integration of Lee County's local schools. Relocated to Clemente Park in the Dunbar section of Fort Myers in 1995, Williams Academy is the premier center for African American history in Lee County. The museum and administrative offices were established on Henderson Avenue in 1936 (Lee County Black History Society, 2011).
Fort Myers Black History Society Museum, view of Clemente Park. The total population of the city of Fort Myers was 62,298 in 2010 (United States Census Bureau, 2010). This population does not include seasonal residents or residents of Lee County outside the city limits.
Offshore islands
getting there
By plane
To the east of the city (approx. 25 kilometers) is the Southwest Florida International Airport
(IATA: RSW). In addition to a number of flights within the USA and to Canada, there are other routes from Germany with stopovers, e.g. via Charlotte Douglas International Airport(IATA: CLT) and Philadelphia International Airport
(IATA: PHL) offered.
By train
By bus
In the street
By boat
mobility
Get off the plane and go straight to the car rental. You need a car here like shoes in Germany. Cost from about $ 25 / day.
Public transport is still in its infancy and cannot be compared with that in Germany or larger cities in the USA. You can get an overview under LeeTran.
Tourist Attractions
Streets, squares, neighborhoods
- River District (around First Street, between Caloosahatchee Bridge and Edison Bridge), historic area in downtown with many listed buildings, shopping addresses and restaurants.
Museums
- Edison and Ford Winter Estates, 2350 McGregor Boulevard. Winter residence of Thomas Alva Edison and Henry Ford. The top museum in town. Admission includes an audio tour of the Edison & Ford Estates and access to the laboratory and museum. Guided tours can also be booked, but have to be paid for separately.Open: daily 9 a.m. - 5.30 p.m.Price: Entry $ 20 (children 6-12 $ 11).
The other museums are more likely for rainy days:
Parks
- Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve, 7751 Penzance Blvd.. 8 km southeast of downtown is this wonderful nature park, according to Tripadvisor the best attraction of Fort Myers. Opportunities for hiking and wildlife viewing. The visit takes 2 hours.
- Lakes Regional Park, 7330 Gladiolus Drive, 14 km south of downtown. The city's second first-class nature park. Hiking opportunities, and boats can also be rented.
- Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium, 3450 Ortiz Avenue. Somewhat shabby nature center 7 km southeast of downtown.
activities
In particular is Fort Myers Beach, which actually no longer belongs to Fort Myers, an interesting holiday location, especially if you want to travel with children. Accommodation options exist both in the numerous hotels or in holiday apartments (e.g. Pointe Estero), with a pool and directly on the kilometer-long sandy beach. It is also approx. 200 - 600 m wide and you can walk for hours with the children and collect shells. You can spot dolphins or just swim. There are some noteworthy shopping centers (see visitflorida.com) and Naples, the noble town is about 30 minutes south, is worth a trip (super playground) or you go to Sanibel Island or inquire about the other offshore islands.
shop
As easy as breathing. Make sure you have a credit card with you! In the USA, a distinction is made between "Credit Card" and "Debit Card". You need a "Credit Card", without which you cannot rent a car, for example.
- Miromar outlets, 10801 Corkscrew Road # 199, Estero, FL. Nice, open outlet mall with attractive architecture.
- Fleamsters Fleamarket, 4135 Doctor Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard, Fort Myers, 33916. Extraordinary, covered flea market - note opening times.
In addition, there are many branches of the supermarket Publix, Walmart, Target for everyday needs.
kitchen
American cuisine in Southwest Florida offers classic dishes such as burgers, ribs and steaks as well as a variety of fish dishes and also includes dishes from South American cuisine.
Inexpensive
- Marko's, 16305 San Carlos Blvd.. Inexpensive and popular restaurant with Greek cuisine.
medium
- Austrian-German restaurant, 1400 Colonial Boulevard. If homesickness strikes. Large selection of schnitzel and other traditional Central European dishes. Very popular address.
- Bahama Breeze, 14701 S. Tamiami Trail, Fort Myers, FL 33912. Caribbean cuisine, excellent cocktails (taxi to drive home!).Open: Sun-Thu 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri, Sat 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
- India Restaurant, 11605 S Cleveland Ave Ste 20. Good restaurant with Indian cuisine (which is otherwise difficult to find in the region).
- Origami restaurant, 8911 Daniels Parkway. Very good sushi restaurant. Also Korean and other Japanese dishes.
- Taqueria Jalapenos, 2249 Cleveland Ave. The most popular Mexican restaurant in town.
Upscale
nightlife
From a European point of view, there is no night life. Many restaurants close around 9 p.m. A few bars (pubs often with dining options) are also open longer.
accommodation
Fort Myers and Cape Coral (Neighboring towns, directly connected by bridges) offer a variety of overnight accommodations. In addition to hotels, single-family houses are very often booked. Most of these houses can accommodate 6 people and mostly have 3 bedrooms, living room, dining area, large kitchen, garage and terrace. (Often with a pool and access to the canals.) The prices of the houses are between US $ 600.00 and US $ 1000.00 per week, depending on the location and quality (plus taxes and levies of 11%, as of 2013).
Learn
- Edison College, in Fort Myers.
- Florida Gulf Coast University, in Fort Myers.
- International College, in Fort Myers.
- Southwest Florida College, in Fort Myers.
security
health
Practical advice
trips
Fort Myers is the ideal base for exploring central and southern Florida by car.
- Babcock Wilderness Adventures. Approx. 45 minutes driving time.
- Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary & Blair Audubon Center. Approx. 1 hour driving time.
- Everglades City. Almost 1½ hours southeast): The boat tours in the start here Everglades National Park. Those who prefer to drive can also explore the park on Route 90/41.
- Saint Petersburg. Approx. 2 hours driving time.
- Tampa. Approx. 2 hours driving time.
- Orlando. Approx. 2½ hours driving time.
- Miami. Approx. 2½ hours driving time.
- Miami Beach. Approx. 2½ hours driving time.
- NASA - Kennedy Space Center Cape Canaveral. Approx. 3½ hours driving time.
- Key West. Approx. 4½ hours travel time) or by ship Key West Express (approx. 3 hours driving time).
literature
Web links
- Official website of the city
- Lee County
- The Beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel Official tourist website
- Southwest Florida International Airport Official website of the airport
