We love living in Punta Gorgeous! - 3/30/2022

When we were visiting different cities in Florida, we quickly realised that Punta Gorda is the friendliest gulf coast town in south Florida BY FAR! My wife and I bought a home here in 2015 and rented it out until we moved here in the spring of 2020. Punta Gorda has an awesome rental market! Age is just a number down here. People are out walking, running, biking, golfing, playing tennis, pickle ball and even roller blading every day! Punta Gorda is a very bicycle friendly. At 58, we're younger than the average median age of 66. The demographics are getting younger and younger here every year! In two short years and during Covid, we have made many great quality friends. Downtown Punta Gorda is super cute and almost always has some live music somewhere. There are a good selection of restaurants although most are closed by 9:30 or 10:00 PM. It's busy here during snowbird season but tolerable unlike Ft Myers, Cape Coral, Naples and or St. Pete which have insane traffic during snowbird season. The real estate is more affordable than those places too! The boating & fishing here is INCREDIBLE although they could definitely use a few more nearby bars and restaurants that easily accessible by boat. All in all, it's a very nice, fun, friendly place to live with very minimal "**** show" unlike Ft Myers, Naples, Cape Coral etc. When you come to visit, fly Allegiant (direct and cheap) & book a stay at the Wyvern or Four Points Sheridan. Go visit Fisherman's village and have lunch at any of the 5 restaurant's there. Then take a walk along the boardwalk at Gilchrest park to work off some lunch. For dinner, do an appetizer stroll up and down Marion ave. You'll love the quaintness of our little town! Then go to TT's tiki bar or Sunset beach tiki bar for a sunset cocktail and then Shorties for a closer. Besides having a very enjoyable day and re-connecting with your better half, you'll get a great a great feel for Punta Gorda! - your welcome :)

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Here's a semi-detailed 2021 review for you! - 10/20/2021

I haven't lived in Punta Gorda, so I'm not sure about every nook and cranny of the place, however I did visit for about a month during the winter and about another 2 weeks during the summer. From my experience, Punta Gorda was over all a really fun place to visit, the neighborhoods are quaint and the people are generally really friendly! Like other comments have stated, it is a retirement community full of old people, but what's not to like about old people. There are a few nearby convenient stores, and there's decent water access. The community is quite fun when it comes to local events, however it can get pretty boring with the lack of things to do entertainment wise. IT CAN GET VERY HOT DURING SUMMER!! and decently cold during the winter so bring any and all of your clothes! :)

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Health Care is Wanting - 4/22/2017

We have lived here for six years and enjoy it very much. One gets used to the summers but they are uncomfortable. The fishing is pretty good - used to be much better. This is definitely a boating community. People are friendly and newcomers make friends quickly because we are all transplants. The big downside is the quality of Medical care. Two of our three local hospitals (Bayfront Hospitals) recently again received D rankings; going to one of them in an emergency is a death sentence. The third, Fawcett, is decent but the ambulance service (PG Fire Department) refuses to make the trip. The local doctors are, for the most part, graduates of foreign medical schools or DOs (weren't smart enough to get into a US med school). Some, however, are good. Care is better but hardly world-class in Fort Myers. Those who can afford it, travel for treatment of serious conditions.

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Hot! - 8/11/2014

That's actually only true for 3-4 months of the year - but when it's hot it's HOT! The thermometer will only say 91 or 92 degrees but with the humidity the "feels like" temperature is 110 - 111. We are getting too old to be able to call this enjoyable weather. As for the rain - we have a rainy season - typically June through early October. It used to be a safe bet that there would be a thunderstorm every afternoon, but it has become more intermittent in the past couple of years. But when it rains it RAINS! The winter months - referred to as the snowbird season - is when we have the best weather. It also reminds us year -round residents why we put up with the summer months. Typically high's of 75-80 and lows 45-50. That being said we do have frost and freeze warnings - that's when the orange juice prices increase for those of you not in Florida. Punta Gorda is considered subtropical and even if we don't need shovels - 45 degrees is chilly.

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Quaint Southern Charm - 3/16/2014

I have spent a few weeks over a period of the last ten years in Punta Gorda and have found the city to be relaxing and decent. The waterfront is very enjoyable and a must for visitors. The library is useful to me for web access. I always head to the Smokehouse for a breakfast like no other.

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This site is severely outdated and plagued with mi - 2/15/2014

There is no way Punta Gorda is 29% hispanic as this site claims,maybe 2% hispanic,2% black,Punta Gorda is 95% white elderly retirees,with a median age of 65.

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Punta Gorda is a retirement community!!! - 2/13/2014

Punta Gorda is the U.S. city with the most elderly residents,mainly mid-westeners and some retirees from middle class to upper class,the city is overwhelmenly elderly,Wich could be a culture shock if you come from a much younger city,the population triples during snowbird season October to May,It's also very conservative/republican and backwards in nature,there is also a large redneck/southern population living in the many trailer parks around the city,you will notice the many lifted trucks with confederate flags flying on trucks and front plates. There is nothing to do for people under 55 other than drink and fishing,you have to cross the bridge into Port Charlotte for most things like shopping and the very small,run down,town center over there. If you are an elderly conservative/republican with money to buy a boat,and like to fish and drink all day,you'll be in heaven down here.

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Apology from a Yankee - 10/31/2013

To all the citizens of Punta Gorda. I am a complete Yankee. Born and raised in Connecticut. I am planning on buying land in Punta Gorda, Florida. I'll build a small home to live in during the winter. I plan on planting fruit trees, grapes, and a big garden for when I am here. I am sorry many of us are rude. I promise you, that when I come, I will be the one that smiles at you. I will say hello. I won't be rude to any of you. I won't drive like a crazy. When your town folk meet me, they will finally meet a Yankee with manners. I will be polite. I'm sorry some of us are rude. These are people that are mean and nasty to their fellow people back in the East also. You will find there are rude people every where. They do not have to come from the East. Trust me there are good people that come from New England. Please stay open to meeting us. Joan Zakrzewski, New Hartford,. CT

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PG back in the day - 6/15/2013

Punta Gorda used to be an amazing place to live back in the day. Friendly people with good manners. Laid back atmosphere. Beautiful. Everyone looked out for each other. Now that the New Jersians and New Yorkers, Michiganians, etc moved in, it is a changed place. Road rage, aggressive people in the stores with attitudes that they should have to wait and can just step in front of you in line. They have a "better than thou" attitude and a terrible accent. They've ruined our small, lovely town and we locals feel it will never be the same. Oh, yes! They like to tell us that without them and their $, we wouldn't survive! Ha! We were just fine without them. In fact, we were great. Go home yanks and take your rudeness with you!

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Waterfront living at it's finest - 2/24/2013

Punta Gorda is an historic city located near Charlotte Harbor, the Peace River and the Gulf of Mexico. You will find single family homes and condos on canals within Punta Gorda Isles. There is ample opportunity for boating, fishing, golf and more. Many of the homes have their own pool, boat dock, boat lift and more. The area is deed restricted so it is very well kept. You will see the most beautiful sunsets from your own yard. The sea walls are maintained by the city. There are walkable areas within downtown with restaurants and shops and wonderful parks that offer a variety of events throughout the year. Home prices vary but most single family homes in PGI are above $200k. More affordable homes for some retires can be found in mobile home parks and smaller condos.

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Waterfront Living - 8/21/2008

We bought a home in Punta Gorda Isles in 2004, just before Hurricane Charley. Punta Gorda was beautiful then but is even more so now. After the hurricane, much thought was put into the renewal and renovation of this little town. I still wouldn't choose any place else to retire.

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Nice Warm Weather - 3/21/2007

The weather is subtropical. Very warm and humid in the Summer. Overall the economy is struggling a bit. Service oriented community, wages are not the greatest. World class fishing and boating however. It just depends what you are looking for.

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Jim - 9/30/2006

There is plenty of transportation here, we call it automobiles. We don't need nor want any taxpayer funded crap like that. Go to Chicago and pay taxes up there, and, oh yeah, bring your shovel. This place is the biggest sleeper in the USA, we're rebuilding EVERYTHING. The houses have all been re-done since Charley with new roofs, paint windows, etc. and the waterfront homes all have concrete seawalls that ARE MAINTAINED AND REPAIRED/REPLACED FOR JUST $460 PER YEAR!!!!!!! And some idiot complains about public transport. Must be a Demoncrat.

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Public Transportation - 8/26/2006

The area's population has grown tremendously within the last few years, but the area lacks efficient public transportation.

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Paradise IS Punta Gorda - 7/6/2005

People, the numbers don't lie. Punta Gorda is a wonderful place to live. The only problem is that if you're not already here, the cost of purchasing a home has gone through the roof.Waterfront property that cost $72,000 five years ago is now going for over $300,000. A very nice new home approx 2400 sq ft,5 years ago could have been built for around $300,000(including waterfront lot). Today, that number is probably more than $650,000. Don't for a moment think that a direct hit by Hurricane Charley diminished the demand. It just made people aware of the beauty of the area.

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