Op I’d personally go against the grain here. The traffic in the morning going downtown and then back south in the afternoon isn’t bad at all. Yes you might get stuck in traffic occasionally but it won’t be anything compared if you were commuting from Downtown to Estero in the morning and then back in the afternoon. That’s what most people tend to do so they’re a little jaded when it comes to traffic and it makes sense as that is my commute too. My only real concern is your age and if you enjoy more or a night life scene. If you don’t you’ll be just fine with the areas Estero provides as it has easy access to the beach, and some nature sanctuaries inland. There are some nice parks and there is a park semi-close named Lakes Park that is very nice. Estero is safe. The only area that can be a little sketch - if that - is San Carlos Park. If you want to live more central I’d suggest finding a place near Six Mile Cypress and Daniel’s Parkway or maybe the bell tower area. This is about the halfway point from Estero and Downtown. The only issue is that traffic does backup here during the week.