Cape Coral Overview

Cape Cora= l Overview=

With 1= 14 square miles Cape Coral is the second larg= est City in terms of land mass in Florida. With more than 400 miles of salt and fresh water canals Cape Coral is called the Venice of America.

Cape Coral also = offers a high quality of life due to its low crime rate (2nd in Florida), outstanding climate, excelle= nt health service, affordable housing, education facilities, parks and recreat= ion.

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Cape Coral is Lee County biggest and fastest growing city . The populatio= n of Cape Coral has do= ubled every decade since the city was incorporated in 1970. Since 1970 the popula= tion has increased 600%.

asons why to live and/or invest in Cape Coral<= /o:p>

Cape Coral is one of the nation= ´s first master-planned communities
Water wonderland with more than 400 mile miles of canals and 27 miles of shoreline
Most populated city in Southwest Florida
Money Magazine ranked Cape Coral in July 1996 as the “6th Best Place to Live”= out of 300 metro areas in the United States
The Ft. Myers/Cape Coral area grew seven times faster than the national average between 1980-1990
The cost of houses in Cape Coral ranks among the lowest in the state
Climatic Conditions
Summer temperature average high 90.2 / Low 71.9 degrees
Winter temperature average high 74.0 / Low 63.9 degrees
One of the lowest crime rates in t= he United States
Relaxed Gulf Coast Lifestyle
Easy Access to Regional and Nation= al Markets
High-Growth National Job Market
Affordable Housing Mixtures <= /o:p>
Quality Educational Facilities
Cost Effective Industrial Space
Business Incentives
Progressive Tax-Structure

Statistic<= /o:p>

size: 114 square miles =
inhabitant: about 116,159 (2002) <= o:p>
median home sale price: $97,894 (1= 997)
median income: $46,115 (2002)
shore line: 27 miles
canals: > 400 miles =

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Welcom= e to "Paradise" — the largest "small town" between Tampa and Miami!

In 2005, it was named the second fastest growing city in the US by a national news magazine. Shortly after, it was billed by a business magazine as the best place in the country for finding a job.

Formerly overshadowed by the more cosmopolitan Fort Myers across the bridge,= Cape Coral has in= deed come into its own. With a wide sandy beach, swaying palms, friendly folks a= nd city-sponsored activities, "the Cape" has a small-town feel despite its quick growth.

With more canals than Venice, Italy, this boaters' paradise is quickly becoming a permanent hom= e for people hailing from all points in the US — and further abroad= . The city welcomes about 10,000 newcomers each year as the secret of Cape Coral slips = out.

Born of a dream of the Rosen brot= hers of Baltimore, land in Cape Coral was originally parceled out = by mail. Those interested in purchasing their own piece of paradise could pay = off their land bit by bit.

Upon retiring — or upon tir= ing of the Northern weather — people from all walks of life moved to their property in the Cape and began building<= o:p>

The Rosen brothers and their staff embarked on a campaign to bring people to the area, resulting in a city philosophy in which the city gives back to its residents in the form of well-maintained parks and free recreational activities.

In the '60s and '70s, residents could visi= t the Rose Garden and see the porpoise show, "oooh" and "ah" over Waltzing Waters, or stroll quietly through the gard= ens.

In 2005, the city celebrated its = 35th birthday; many Cape pioneers were in the= area long before that, braving mosquitos, dirt roads= , and no air conditioning. Pioneers are proud of their contributions to the town = that was a dream.

Today, visitors and residents ali= ke can take advantage of the many parks in the area, such as Jaycee Park, Rotary Park, Four Freedoms Park, and the Cape = Coral Yacht Club. The Yacht Club, which dead-ends off Coron= ado, is accessible by car or boat, and with the days upon days of sunshine that = Cape Coral offers, everything is accessible by bicycle or walking.

The Yacht Club is one of the city= 's landmarks, offering visitors 634 feet of be= ach, a covered picnic area, playground, and a 93-slip yacht basin. It also has a heated pool, racquetball courts, and horseshoe pits.

The Wi= lliam Austen Youth Center and Eagle Skate Park, at 315 SW 2nd Avenue, has a state-of-the-art park for all ages. Dedicated in 2006, the skate park offer youths ramps, jumps and banisters — anything a skate-boarder, in-line skater, or bicycler could want.

For more fun in the sun, Sun Spla= sh Family Waterpark, on Santa Barbara Boulevard, is a city-= owned facility that offers giant water slides and pools for visitors.<= /span>

For those seeking riverfront dini= ng, the Cape = Harbour community provides Rumrunners Restaurant, which is accessible by both car a= nd boat. Visitors also can enjoy lunch or dinner at the waterfront shops and promenades at The Marina at Cape Harbour.

Seldom is seen the spot in Florida that neglects the golfer, and Cape Coral is no exception. Golf enthus= iasts will find five courses that boast some of the finest greens and fairways in= Lee County.

The city continues to expand with= population, its circumference continues to expand with= the development of formerly distant areas such as Pine Island Road. Restaurants such = as Carrabba's and the Shrimp Shack have hit the Cape via <= st1:Street w:st=3D"on">Pine Island Road.

As most residents will tell you, = it's the large-scale activities that give the Cape its strong community.

Cape Cora= l's History

In 195= 7 two brothers, Leonard and Jack Rosen, from Baltimore, Maryland, spent weeks loo= king over Southwest Florida for a piece of property to develop. Late that year t= hey purchased a parcel of land from Grandville Keller and Franklin Miles,(owner of the Alka Seltzer Company ) for $678,000. The land once known as Redfish Point was renamed Cape Coral. The development company, Gulf American Land Corporation started what was to be known as the "Waterfront Wonderland." Ground was broken on Novemb= er 4, 1957. On June 10, 1958 the first residents moved into their home in the southeastern part of the Cape. At that t= ime a waterview homesite sold f= or $990, waterfront, $1,990 and riverfront $3390. Property sales reached over $9 mil= lion the first year. By 1965 approximately 500 prospects a day toured the proper= ty. When sales reached a peak in 1969, Cape Coral was sold to General Acceptance Corporation of Allentown, Pennsylvania for $250 million.

In 1970 with the population at 11= ,470 the City of Cape Coral was incorporated be= coming Florida's second largest in area, trailing only Jacksonville. Barely a decade old, Cape Coral was poised and ready for the future, destined to become one of the nation's fastest growing and most desirable cities. = In the ensuing years since incorporation, the city population has steadily increas= ed to exceed 150,000. At buildout it is estimated = Cape Coral will h= ave a population of approximately 400,000.

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