So You Want to Live in ... Pine Island Florida
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A slice
of Old Florida "country" still thrives on this lush, green isle. Text by
Carlos Harrison
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When she
saw two shirtless, shoeless boys gliding over a dirt trail on bikes
with their arms outstretched like wings, Lisa Benton knew she had
found a home on Pine Island, Florida: "I said, 'This is Mayberry.'"
In truth, it's four Mayberries. Located
northwest of Fort Myers and connected to the mainland by a causeway,
the island includes the communities of Matlacha, St. James City,
Bokeelia, and Pineland. It's a place with no traffic lights, where
you can visit your neighbors by boat. Although the island has few
beaches, several exist on nearby uninhabited islands. Residents love
the neighborliness, nature trails, and renowned fishing. Relaxing,
they say, can keep you busy here.
Candy-color fisherman's shacks in
Matlacha (that's mat-luh-SHAY) hold galleries, restaurants, and bars
where it feels like everyone knows you even if you've never met
before. Locals wear "Pine Island Reeboks"—white, rubber shrimpers'
boots—and call the span over Matlacha Pass "The World's Fishingest
Bridge."
Overlooking the flat-water sound and
mangrove islands, Pineland harbors the vintage Tarpon Lodge, where
most come for fishing, food, and sunsets. But not office manager
Nancy Glickman. "I'm an amateur astronomer. I was looking for
stars," she says. "When the conditions are right, the skies are some
of the finest anywhere."
St. James City has streets named for
exotic fruit such as Cherimoya and Carambola, and mailboxes covered
with shells and painted pelicans. Folks can get groceries at the St.
James General Store, eat breakfast at Jackie's Family Restaurant,
and share what attracted bookstore owner Liz Lutzi: "The feeling of
not really being in a city." Cynthia Welch lives in St. James City
and works in Bokeelia because of the "peace, serenity, and sunsets,"
she says. With a 15-year-old daughter, she adds, "It's a great place
for teenagers. You can get on your bike and ride to your neighbor's
house and mothers don't panic. That's small-town America, and you
don't find that everywhere."
This "close-knit community" feeling is
a powerful lure for transplants, and a hook holding locals. "They
say it takes a village to raise a child," says Mel Meo, who's lived
here almost 40 years. "But really it takes an island to raise a
child."
That means everybody. Customers at Olde
Fish House Marina Restaurant hold baby Stephen while his grandmother
brings their orders. Stephen's mom, Jessi Skorupski, says her menu
reflects the islanders' bond. "When I opened up, a lot of the old
island women came and gave me recipes." Macy Romero left the hurry
and hubbub of Miami Beach to raise her 2-year-old daughter here,
among the marsh rabbits and manatees. "The nature drew us here, to
spend our lives outdoors," she says. That's Pine Island's magnetism,
Mel says: "We live in paradise, so there's no reason to go anywhere
else."
(published December 2007) |
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A Peek
into Pine Island
Setting: Pine Island, Florida, home to four distinct communities,
sits among a cluster of islands between Fort Myers and Sanibel.
Attractions:
Fishing—the island was named one of "America's 25 Hottest Fishing
Spots" by Field & Stream magazine for its redfish, tarpon, and snook.
Pristine Cayo Costa beach, a 45-minute boat ride away, offers rustic
cabins and open stretches where the only coconut oil you're likely
to smell is your own. Residents rave about the island's K–5 school,
winner of the state's highest ranking for the past eight years
straight.
Drawbacks:
Limited job market. "A lot of people work off-island," in Fort
Myers, says archaeologist Michael Wylde. "But I think that's a
sacrifice people are willing to make."
Housing:
Options include single-family houses and manufactured homes in St.
James City, condominiums and custom-built houses in Bokeelia, breezy
bungalows and fisherman's shacks in Matlacha, Keys-style stilt homes
and golf course townhomes in Pineland, and custom luxury homes with
pools and private docks throughout. A three-story luxury home on
gated Galt Island nudges $2 million; a waterfront St. James City
manufactured home, $234,900; Matlacha fisherman's shack, $259,000; a
newer three-bedroom, three-bath with pool, $795,000. Off-water homes
range from the $160s to $1 million.
Your
next-door neighbors: A patent attorney, novelist Robert Macomber,
mystery writer Randy Wayne White, artists, musicians, commercial
fishermen, snowbirds, fishing guides, teachers, and police.
How you'd
spend your free time: Golfing, boating, biking, birding, kayaking.
Walking nature preserves. Dancing to boomer tunes at Bart's.
Enjoying Tarpon Lodge's ever-changing gourmet meals.
(published
December 2007) |
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