Blog entry # 11

The word downtown evokes neutral emotions. In my opinion the word downtown brings thoughts of a very urban lifestyle and reminds me of a city setting. I do not visit downtown Fort Myers very often but when I do it is usually for one of the events such as music walk or art walk. Downtown Fort Myers is experiencing something of a renaissance because the area is centered on the ideas of music and art and a lot of downtown Fort Myers is decorated with and inspired by art. With downtowns art and music walks they are supporting the ideas of the renaissance.  The night life of downtown consists of many young people because of the various bars and nightclubs. Downtown Fort Myers is a totally different scene during the day, with the normal crowd being seniors and business men and women. Their stature in communities has changed over time because the downtown area is now attempting to try to appeal to a younger crowd and become a place that people of all ages can enjoy.  Downtown Fort Myers seems to cater to an older crowd with its expensive high end boutiques, maybe if some more affordable stores were created in the area it would attract younger shoppers. Some of the prominent architectural features in downtown Fort Myers are some of the original buildings such as the bank and the post office. Some features such as the First National Bank, the art gallery, and the statues of Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and Harvey Firestone are very prominent in the downtown area. These features are designed to rekindle the pedestrian spirit by attracting tourists to travel here to see Florida’s history at the museums and to marvel at the art. Another nod to history that we saw on our tour was the mosaic with the picture of the soldiers and the Native Americans and the Art of the Olympians museum. The economy of Fort Myers has evolved from past to present in that most of the business now is based on the tourism industry. With all of Fort Myers’ natural beauty and old historic sites the area is attracting many tourists from all over the world. Downtown Fort Myers relates to sustainability because the area preserves and maintains old historic sites, has preserved the natural beauty of the harbor, and has created a park for people of all ages to enjoy.