Downtown Fort Myers

On our field trip to downtown Fort Myers yesterday, my group and I walked down first st. and stopped to take a look at all the shops and restaurants noting that all were fairly small and appeared to be family run, or locally. Being as the streets were empty, I decided the best place to get information is from the main information where people go to file all their complaints and problems, the bar. We went into the Red Rock Saloon where only the bartender stood, sat down and asked him a few questions about the area. As we completed our assigned task for the field trip, I wanted to know more about the real culture of downtown Fort Myers and compare it the downtown area of Naples. I found it interesting that this bar serves as a place where people from all different areas, and subtypes of the world can sit, have a drink, and a good conversation. There was definintely different groups that inhabit downtown, ranging from men in business suits to young adults covered in tattoos and piercings. But according to our bartender, the Red Rock Saloon serves as a common ground for all these different groups. This is quite the opposite from downtown Naples in most parts as downtown is prodimently wealthy and has driven up their prices to ensure that it stays that way. Overall, I thought that downtown Fort Myers has the right idea, keep it local and integrated.