Estero

Corkscrew Woodlands is a 55-plus gated community in Estero with a unique layout featuring homes on perfectly circular streets. About 40 homes comprise each circle, with gardens and recreation centers in the middle. The design creates communities within a community and makes it easy for neighbors to get to know one another. "If you've ever camped, you understand the lifestyle, and that's what you're buying into," says Candace Farmer, a Realtor with Local Real Estate who specializes in selling manufactured homes. "People drive around in their golf carts, and they play pickleball and swim together. It's a very active community." Along with a central lake, two communitywide rec centers offer additional resort-style amenities and provide spaces for residents to socialize and gather for special events. The residential circles are populated with two distinct options: Some feature contemporary homes and others manufactured homes. The contemporary homes are primarily two-bedroom, single-story dwellings that offer about 1,000 square feet of interior space. There are a few plans that offer three bedrooms, and the largest of those are multi-level homes that offer up to 1,600 square feet. Driveways, attached garages and back porches are standard features. Prices range from the low $300,000s to the mid-$400,000s. The manufactured homes offer one- and two-bedroom layouts. "I call them mobile home cottages," Farmer says. "And what's nice is you don't lease the land. You own the home and the land for under $200,000, which is a huge bargain for this area." These homes typically range from $125,000 to approaching $200,000 for the largest two-bedroom models along the lake. Palm trees dot the community, adding a tropical touch, and residents enjoy plenty of wildlife sightings amid the natural landscape of southwest Florida. Residents receive a monthly newsletter called The Woodlands, which provides information about the community, including upcoming events, such as luncheons, dances and more. The center of each circle has either a gazebo with a relaxing tropical garden or its own recreation center with resort-style amenities. The shared community centers allow all residents to stay active. They have access to a pool, fitness center, courts for tennis and pickleball and horseshoe pits. They also can relax at the spa. The central lake offers additional recreation, such as fishing and paddle-boating. Venturing outside the community, residents can take advantage of Estero Community Park's amenities. The lakefront setting offers paved walking paths, multi-purpose fields, a disc golf course and a dog run among its amenities. Golfers are well-positioned, as seven golf courses are located within a 5-mile radius, including the Stoneybrook Golf Community's public, 18-hole layout adjacent to Corkscrew Woodlands. The beaches of Bonita Springs are less than 10 miles away, and boaters can enjoy nautical adventures in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Fort Myers about 20 miles away. Miromar Outlets, a Mediterranean-style open-air mall, offers upscale shopping and dining about a mile away. Fountains and palm trees beautify the mall's walkway as visitors shop from dozens of popular brands that include Brooks Brothers, Kate Spade and Michael Kors. Shoppers can take a break at one of the mall's many restaurants, such as Ford's Garage, a popular regional bar and grill famous for its burgers and vintage Ford vehicle memorabilia. Estero Town Commons offers additional retail and dining options such as Lowe's and local shops like EA Bicycles and Fusion Yoga & Wellness. Jet's Pizza, which specializes in deep dish pies, is among the popular eateries located there. Publix anchors the nearby Corkscrew Village. Only one person 55 or over is required to live in a home, so students can reside in the community. They would typically attend Lee County schools Pinewoods Elementary, rated A-minus by Niche; Three Oaks Middle, rated B-plus; and Estero High, also rated B-plus. The high school offers the prestigious Cambridge International program. The community is conveniently located near Interstate 75, which provides direct access to points of interest up and down the Gulf Coast, including Fort Myers to the north and Naples to the south. Both cities are about 20 miles from Corkscrew Woodlands. Southwest International Airport in less than 10 miles away.

When Cyrus Teed and his Koreshan Unity arrived in Estero in 1894, they hoped to create a utopian commune of 10 million people. While they came up short with around 250 followers, they found a place close to paradise in Pelican Sound and left in its wake acres of scenic parkland for future generations. "Koreshan State Park has 11 buildings standing and shows a glimpse of the fascinating world of Koreshan life," says the president of the Friends of Koreshan Park, Tim Murphy, who helps fundraise for the park and has volunteered there since 2018. "I still go there and learn something I didn't know before." Directly east of Estero Bay, Pelican Sound is a long stretch of various communities resting between the boundaries of golf clubs, wildlife sanctuaries and a few vacation resorts extending out towards US Highway 41. It is a veritable jungle for house hunters to explore and find nothing short of variety in. Outside of HOAs, most homes are ranch-style, often in a mid-century design. Still, Mediterranean designs are also not uncommon, a trend that takes over almost entirely within the area's gated communities, which are packed with terracotta-roofed homes or tall condo buildings that come in various designs. Typically, gated properties are more expensive than non-gated properties, which offers a wide range of prices for Pelican Sound. Single-family homes can sell for anywhere between $250,000 to over $2 million, while condos tend to be priced a bit lower, usually between $175,000 and $1.5 million. Florida schools use an unrestricted open enrollment system, meaning students can choose where they attend. Most prefer to stay close to home, with the three nearest options for young students being Spring Creek, Three Oaks and Pinewoods Elementary Schools, all three of which earn a Niche score of B or higher. Next comes Three Oaks Middle, which has a B-plus Niche score. However, some students choose to have a more creative curriculum by attending Bonita Springs Middle Center for the Arts, which has a Niche score of B and offers many uncommon classes and extracurricular activities, such as a steel drum band. Older students often finish their education at Estero High, which has a Niche score of B. Having proximity to Estero Bay affords Pelican Sound residents with miles of scenery and acres of wetlands to explore. Backcountry hikers are well served at the 6 miles of Estero River State Park's River Scrub Trails. Just beyond the fences of Pelican Sound Golf & River Club, Koreshan State Park offers more recreation and history, from admiring the park's many gopher tortoises to geo-seeking through old buildings that once belonged to the Koreshans. "In my experience, every time we have a tour, there is always somebody's first time here," says Murphy. "Once they get in and get a taste, they come back, especially for camping, which is always packed because it's a destination for campers by offering things you can't normally do, like walking around the settlement at night." The US Highway 41 corridor, which sits just east of Pelican Sound, is home to a number of restaurants and stores. When heading south, many locals will pull into El Guacho Inca, a local Peruvian restaurant whose portions of shrimp picante and other traditional dishes are more than generous. Directly across the highway is Coconut Point, an outdoor shopping mall with more than 110 stores encircling a lakefront boardwalk. Whether it's a new phone, new clothes or a simple grocery run, they can all be taken care of in one place. The mall can also be reached by bus routes that run along the highway, which can take riders from the Lee Health Coconut Point Hospital north to Fort Myers. Even campers at Koreshan State Park can be reassured that there will be enough chocolate left for their s'more when there is a Publix outside the park. Pelican Sound consists of many deed-restricted communities, so events are usually contained within their respective neighborhoods. However, Coconut Point Mall has many events open to the public, such as live music every Wednesday night, an annual arts festival, and a farmers market every Thursday from October through April.

Home to Estero County Club, The Vines is a members-only community where residents live among the golf course and its many beautiful lakes. Homeowners have three memberships to choose from. The full golf membership grants unlimited access to the golf course and all of the country club’s amenities. The sports membership offers the same, only with limited golf. And the social membership offers everything but golf, including racquet sports, the fitness center and dining areas. “People get to know each other here and become friends,” says Beth Wardlaw, Realtor with Local Real Estate, who has lived in The Vines since 2017. “We have everything from golf tournaments, pickleball leagues, fitness classes and lots of social events.” And while many similar communities are 55-plus, The Vines welcomes people of all ages. The Vines has six different sections with various styles of homes, including condos, coach homes, villas and single-family homes, most of which come with a view and a sense of privacy. “Pretty much every home faces the golf course and lakes,” says Wardlaw. “And each condo is an end unit, so everyone feels like they just have one common wall.” A two-to-three-bedroom condo sells for around $425,000 to $450,000. Coach homes come with attached garages, ranging from $450,000 to $550,000. The attached villas offer about 1,750 square feet of living space, selling for around $475,000 to $550,000. Single-family coastal contemporary houses provide the most space, with 1,850 and 2,200-square-foot options, some of which come with enclosed pools. They typically range from $600,000 to $750,000. However, Wardlaw says she has sold some for as low as $550,000 and as much as $1.5 million, and that pricing all depends on how much has been updated since they were built in the 1980s and 1990s. The Estero Country Club prides itself on its championship golf course, used for both fun and competitive leagues. Members can hit the driving range and practice their chipping and putting before hitting the pristine and challenging links. Wardlaw, who enjoys playing on the golf course, says, “Hole five is our signature hole. It has an island green and is especially challenging because you have to avoid the water, and the wind is usually coming toward you.” Members also have access to tennis, pickleball and bocce ball courts, which have their own leagues as well. To stay on top of their game, members can stay in shape at the fitness center, which offers several classes. And with a community pool available, residents enjoy lounging in the sun and cooling off in the water. Residents get a monthly newsletter so they always know what’s going on in the community. Events are held for each sport all year long, such as golf tournaments and social bocce ball gatherings. The country club hosts a dining event once a month along with holiday parties, whether it be for Saint Patrick’s Day or to ring in the new year. There are also weekly events like bingo, trivia and karaoke for locals to enjoy. Mulligans Bar at the clubhouse offers a casual setting with a patio where locals frequently visit to relax and drink cocktails after a round of golf. The clubhouse also has a main dining room, which has a more formal and elegant atmosphere, featuring seasonal dishes. More restaurants can be found along South Tamiami Trail (U.S. Route 41), along with big retailers like Walmart, Publix and ALDI. There are several large shopping centers and malls within a 5-mile radius as well, including Miromar Outlets, a large open-air mall with dozens of popular brands. University Village, near Florida Gulf Coast University, embraces the same open-air concept on a smaller scale but with a majority of restaurants, like Mello Mushroom and Poke Fusion. Students are served by the Lee County School District, and can attend Bonita Springs Elementary, which gets a B-minus grade from Niche. They may go on to B-plus-graded Cypress Lake Middle and B-graded Estero High, where they can earn a diploma through the rigorous Cambridge Program. Commuters can drive 20 miles north to Fort Myers or about 25 miles south to Naples by taking either U.S. Route 41 or Interstate 75. It’s also about a 12-mile drive to the beach, which, according to Wardlaw, takes about 40 minutes in season and 25 minutes out of season.

Villages at Country Creek is a residential golf community of about 20,000 residences in Estero, Florida. Located 25 miles north of Naples, Villages at Country Creek is considered a less dense and more competitively priced alternative to the famous West Florida city. It offers several subdivisions with low HOA fees, which attracts those who want amenities without the cost of a country club membership. Niche ranks Estero as the second-best town to live in Lee County. Villages at Country Creek is also popular with young retirees who gravitate to the 18-hole golf course, social calendar and nearby shopping and dining. D. Michael Burke, Realtor with Keller Williams Realty Naples and a longtime southwest Florida resident, explains the appeal of Villages at Country Creek, “Compared to many surrounding residential communities, Villages at Country Creek is small, quaint and competitively priced. Buyers like the array of home styles, from condos and townhouses to one-story villas and two-story lakefront homes. Golfers have a great course to play here but don’t have the high upfront costs of a country club membership." Buyers will find homes from 3,300 to about 6,000 square feet, including villas, attached duplex homes and two-story Mediterranean-style homes. Houses face the golf course or ponds that dot the community. Well-landscaped yards feature live oak, cypress and palm trees. Wide and sturdy pedestrian bridges connect the various subdivisions, making it easy for residents to take long walks throughout the community. Two-bedroom, lake-front condominiums list for around $365,000. Thoroughly remodeled, three-bedroom Florida ranch-style homes have recently sold for about $560,000. Golf-course facing three-bedroom homes list for $500,000 to $600,000. Koreshan State Park is a 135-acre historic site managed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Nearby Estero Community Park is highly popular with dog lovers, offering two off-leash play areas. The park also features a disc golf course and an expansive playground that will keep little ones entertained for hours. Locals won’t run out of destinations and events to entertain or educate. The Annual Coconut Point Art Festival is held in Estero every February. Fort Myers and Estero’s own Hertz Arena offer a year- round calendar of concerts from bluegrass and big band, to folk and pop. In 2024, Hertz Arena will host Lynyrd Skynyrd with ZZ Top, Joe Bonamassa and Marc Anthony. Villages at Country Creek Creekside is the community’s flagship restaurant, with private dining and Sunday brunch. Estero Town Commons Place features Lowe’s, Dollar Tree and Tropical Smoothie Café. Miromar Outlets is an open-air shopping plaza with nearly 100 outlet brands including Adidas and Banana Republic. Chicken Salad Chicks offers made-from-scratch sandwiches with a decidedly southern flair. To satisfy a burger craving, head to Ford’s Garage or stop by Publix to get the fixings to make your own on the grill. Kids in Villages at Country Creek can attend public schools in Lee County, which has an overall Niche grade of B-plus. Three Oaks Elementary has earned a Niche grade of B-plus. The school offers pre-kindergarten through fifth grade and is notable for being the first Core Knowledge School in the country, which provides a unique way of teaching reading proficiency. Three Oaks Middle also has a Niche grade of B-plus and has high reading and math proficiency scores. Estero High School has an overall Niche grade of B and is ranked the No. 10 best public high school in Lee County. It offers Career Academies that combine classroom, career and community programs focusing on practical skill development. Residents of Villages at Country Creek walk or drive golf carts to various amenities inside the community. Otherwise, residents drive their cars to shopping, dining and other daily destinations. It’s just 7 miles to Fort Myers Airport-RSW Airport, and about 120 miles to Miami International and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International. Beach-lovers are less than 7 miles from Bonita Beach and Lovers Key State Park.

Estero Park, home to about 2,000 residents, is a southeast Fort Myers neighborhood of private gated communities, residential subdivisions and retail centers. Located 1 mile south of the historic, turn-of-the-20th century, citrus-growing town of Estero, the residential neighborhood takes its lead from the town and promotes the area's historic significance. Subdivisions in Estero Park are beyond well-landscaped, with nearly every yard featuring at least one, if not more, tall palm, cypress or live oak trees. Flower beds are filled with roses, hibiscus, camellias and anthurium. Driveways are lined with palm trees. Visitors stop to take pictures of the greenery around homes, lakes and parks, simply because it’s stunning. Subdivisions are laid out in circles or ovals rather than long streets, which minimizes traffic. Shopping and dining destinations are within a 5-minute drive from home, as are several schools and parks. According to veteran Realtor D. Michael Burke, with Keller Williams Realty Naples, and a longtime southwest Florida resident, “Buyers in Estero Park like its relatively small size, its proximity to shopping, dining and schools. Unlike other Florida communities, you don’t have to spend much time hopping on and off highways in Estero. Things one needs are close to home. And while typical Florida amenities like golf and beaches are nearby and accessible, they’re not the focus. The emphasis here is on community, homes and neighborhoods.” While the average home value as of December 2023 was about $648,000, buyers can find one-story traditional single-family homes with Floridian accents, including red tile roofs, visible garage doors, tall palm trees and arched entranceways for around $620,000. Many homes in Estero Park have swimming pools or room enough to add one. Two-story homes in Estero Park often face man-made lakes or ponds, have about 3,000 square feet and list for around $740,000. Estero Place is a new subdivision of about 100 homes ranging from 1,870 to 2,600 square feet, priced at around $300,000. The subdivision features 54 acres, with one-third dedicated to green space. Estero Community Park features covered pavilions, a dog park with two off-lead play areas, and large streetlights, making nighttime walkers and runners feel safe and welcome. It also offers “The Historic Area” managed by the Estero Historical Society, with a historic 1902 cottage home and the renovated 1904 Estero Creek Schoolhouse. Locals won’t run out of destinations and events to entertain or educate. The Annual Coconut Point Art Festival is held in Estero every February. Fort Myers and Estero’s own Hertz Arena offer a year- round calendar of concerts from bluegrass and big band, to folk and pop. In 2024, Hertz Arena will host Lynyrd Skynyrd with ZZ Top, Joe Bonamassa and Marc Anthony. Brand new, mixed-use Estero Crossing opened in early 2023 with a combination of retail, professional businesses and luxury apartments. Crisp and Green is a popular eatery featuring healthy bowls, sandwiches and soups. Chicken Salad Chicks offers made-from-scratch sandwiches with a decidedly Southern flair. To satisfy a burger craving, head to Ford’s Garage or stop by Publix to get the fixings to make your own on the grill. Kids in Three Oaks can attend the Lee County district public schools, with an overall Niche grade of B-plus. Three Oaks Elementary has also earned a Niche grade of B-plus. It offers pre-kindergarten through fifth grade and is notable for being the first Core Knowledge School in the country. Three Oaks Middle also has a Niche grade of B-plus and has high reading and math proficiency scores. Estero High School has a Niche grade of B and is ranked the No. 10 best public high school in Lee County. It offers Career Academies that combine classroom, career and community programs. Residents of Villages at Country Creek walk or drive golf carts to various amenities inside the community. Otherwise, residents drive their cars to shopping, dining and other daily destinations. It’s just 7 miles to Fort Myers Airport-RSW Airport and about 120 miles to Miami International and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International. Beach-lovers are less than 7 miles from Bonita Beach and Lovers Key State Park.