They call Cape Coral the “Venice of America”.  In addition to being on the Gulf of Mexico, the city has canals running throughout the neighborhoods. That means many of the homes are either on the Gulf or on the canals, making it a city where most live on the water – one way or the other, and if that’s your thing, you’re going to like it here just fine.

Many locals complain that the city is quiet—too quiet. While plenty of locals, particularly retirees and families, are happy to chill and enjoy the outdoors, for many, the lack of a significant commercial district and no culture to speak of drives them a bit stir-crazy. 

The Water

LookyLOO Review of Cape Coral

As noted, Cape Coral is a quiet city. Filled primarily with Retirees and Families who enjoy the outdoor lifestyle, primarily on the water, you get to enjoy here. Whether swimming in the Gulf, boating, paddle boarding, or fishing on the canals, if you dislike water, you won’t like the Lifestyle in Cape Coral. It should be noted that during the tourist season, roughly Thanksgiving through April, Florida fills with northerners, who fill the roads, beaches, and restaurants. If that extra energy bums you out, stay clear.  

If you want to check out what locals do for fun, check out the Cape Coral [**calendar of events**](https://www.capecorallivingmagazine.com/calendar).

We highly recommend visiting Cape Coral and staying in the community in a [VRBO](https://vrbo.com/affiliate/p4JS4ZC) rather than a hotel to get a feel for what it's like to live among the locals. You can receive discounted fares on travel via our [partnership with Expedia](expedia.com/affiliate/9NZ8LBQ) as well.

Lifestyle 

Most people who live in Cape Coral work in Fort Meyers. The city is primarily a residential border town of the much bigger and faster-growing Fort Meyers, and if you live here but still work, then you’re probably heading to one of the big businesses in Fort Meyers. Retail, Healthcare, Tech, and Electronics all have a big presence in the area, which is why Fort Meyers has been, at times, the fastest-growing city in the U.S. 


Worklife 

If you’re retiring and looking for a beautiful place to live, Cape Coral is a wonderful choice. If you’re a family looking to escape the weather of the great white north, and don’t care about how much in-town action there is, then Cape Coral should be on your list.  


Escape to Quiet

Why You Should Move Here Now?

What most locals complain about is the fact that the city is quiet, too quiet. While plenty of locals, particularly retirees and families, are happy to chill and enjoy the outdoors, for many the lack of a significant commercial district and no culture to speak of drives them a bit stir crazy. 

**Disastrous_Object583**
8mo ago
🦉🦉🦉

Moved to Cape Coral a few months ago from horrible Maine and aside from the traffic we love it! People down here are WAY better than New England people! I’m a combat veteran and I can’t tell you how appreciating the people are for veterans here, in Maine you don’t want to advertise you’re a vet. There seems to be plenty of work for the people that actually want to work. I work from home so it doesn’t matter for me. Weather is fantastic!

ZZZZZZZZZ

Reviews of  Cape Coral from Locals

If you’re looking for a master-planned community check out Coral Lakes. Like many communities in the area, Coral Lakes is gated for security, and filled with big 4 and 5 bedroom homes and a roughly equivalent number of townhomes for smaller families, retirees or vacationers. The neighborhood has plenty of amenities for the kiddos, like volleyball courts, soccer fields and play areas. Many of the homes are on the water, as you’ll find throughout Cape Coral. If you want to go even more upscale check out West Cape Estates. The roads are cobblestone, the lots are big and many of the homes are on the community’s 2-acre freshwater lake. The neighborhood also has some homes with water access to the Gulf of Mexico.
- Coral Lakes
- West Cape Estates
- Trafalgar Woods
- Cape Royal


Families

Coral Lakes

So many of the gated communities in Cape Coral feel like 55+ neighborhoods you find in other cities that the options feel endless. Some are focused on the 55+ community and we’d recommend starting with Cape Royal. It’s a golf community with just 483 single-family homes, plenty of resort amenities, and a 27-hole championship golf course. There are year-round events, trips and community activities for those looking to be social. 
- Cape Royal
- Gulf Coast Village
- Highpoint


Retirees

Cape Royal

Cape Coral 

**Disastrous_Object583**
8mo ago
🦉🦉🦉

Moved to Cape Coral a few months ago from horrible Maine and aside from the traffic we love it! People down here are WAY better than New England people! I’m a combat veteran and I can’t tell you how appreciating the people are for veterans here, in Maine you don’t want to advertise you’re a vet. There seems to be plenty of work for the people that actually want to work. I work from home so it doesn’t matter for me. Weather is fantastic!

**me_likecats**
8mo ago
🦉🦉🦉

Get a house on the water it is awesome. A lot of people here (reddit) hate on Cape Coral and ft Myers but I think it is a quiet ft Lauderdale/Boca. I was 6 when I first went to cape coral in 91. My mom still lives there half the year. It is a great place to do business but not to party. But I just drive to Miami if I want to go crazy. I loved it as a child and still love it today. Traffic is not to bad so you can go shopping whenever you want in like 15-20 minutes.

**WildLavender1800**
2mo ago
🦉🦉🦉

Hi, I moved to Cape Coral from a very busy city. The place and people here are nice. Drivers actually slow down and stop when they see people walking toward the crosswalk. Where I'm from, they speed up and try to beat you to it so they don't have to wait. Common courtesy is alive and well here. The only negative is that there is literally nothing to do. If you like fishing, boating and the outdoors, there are parks and boating. You can also drive over the bridge into Fort Myers for beaches. Other than that, you will die from boredom. I'm used to real city life, where there are always a million events going on at once. If you want a busy fun life, don't move here.

scrotobaggins_dw
8mo ago
🦉🦉

I've lived in SWFL my whole life and have watched the cape go from lehigh by the water, to a nice place to live. I don't know if all of the city ordinances are the same but it used to be no vehicles with company lettering/ladder racks, no rvs/5th wheels, no boats on trailers, visible from the streets. Kept a lot of local working class people from moving in. And as a result a lot of people who like the fact that it was essentially a city wide HOA moved in. It's definitely grown and has gotten more things people want (restaurants, shopping, etc).

Cape Coral , Florida

Venice of America

Looklyloo Score: 83