Downtown Fort Myers

Growing up in the area, I am already very familiar with the history of Fort Myers and the downtown area. I went to Fort Myers High School, so we had many events in the downtown area. I have been around through a lot of the renovations of downtown, and I love the changes that have been made. Growing up with an appreciation for architecture (I once wanted to be an architect) and renovating buildings back to their historic look. The addition of the brick pavers have also given the streets a cleaner and more presentable look. The goal of the restoration of the downtown area has been all about bring more people back to the area, and I think with even the additions to the restaurants and shops it has helped. The night life has increased with the Florida Rep theater having full seasons, bars, nightclubs and even the art center. 

Being a professional photographer, with a love for our historic district I have had the opportunity to photograph several subjects utilizing the historic Edison Ford Winter Estates and downtown Fort Myers. There are so many different opportunities that a photographer can take advantage of because of the restorations that have been made, there is a special beauty brought out to engage in the history. 

On today's field trip most of the places that we visited I have been to before, except for Hotel Indigo where I had never been before. But the little facts that the other professor provided us with. Some of the interesting facts that I learned today included the use of the Page Field and Buckingham Air bases. I knew the both existed, I live right near the Buckingham one, but was not aware they were actually used during WWII. I had never been inside the courthouse before and appreciated the historic and original qualities to the interior of the building, along with the artifacts to show the history. The parking garage that is located South of Harborside, it was interesting to hear the colors were meant to be subdued Gator colors.. that fact really stuck because I spent my first couple of years of undergrad at the University of Florida, and am a Gator at heart. 

To improve the field trip and keep the connected with the history and people behind Uncommon Friends statue, I think there should be a trip to the Edison Ford Winter Estates. It is one of the biggest parts to Fort Myers history, and I think it would be beneficial for students who are not from the area to see another historic site. 

From the amount of time I have spent in the area, I am extremely proud to have grown up around here and tell other people some of its history. I have a great connection to the fact the Thomas Edison made this his Winter home and even developed a lab and botanical gardens here to continue to come up with new inventions. He seemed to really appreciate the area and was able to give back to the community. Which we mentioned today was another form of sustainability, when you are able to learn from the past and grow for the future by making impactful changes. Edison and friends took a step in the right direction, and now we are trying to continue growing our area based on those key ideas.