The Villages : Florida
Living a New urban/master planned Lifestyle in The Villages, Florida
The Villages, located 20 miles south of Ocala, is a very large planned community. It has 75,000 residents, with plans for 100,000, in two different town centers. There are 2 town squares (Spanish Springs and Lake Sumter Landing) which have shopping, restaurants, and open-air plazas featuring free nightly entertainment. Big holidays are celebrated by the residents - Cinco de Mayo, St. Patrick's Day, Halloween, etc. The Villlages is an active adult community - just about everyone who lives here is retired, except for workers who live in the development.
Fun is the currency of The Villages. There are 33 golf courses, 8 country clubs (residents automatically become members), along with plenty of (separate) family and adult recreational areas. The Polo Center and its Pavilion let you take in an international polo match or compete in a BBQ competition. There is virtually every kind of activity and athletic resource: archery, arts and crafts, pickle ball, quilting, card games, swimming, theatre and singing groups, yoga, etc.
Articles about The The Villages, as well Forum posts on The Villages.
Ryan Erisman's "Complete Guide to the Villages"
Where to Retire in The Villages and Home Prices
The Villages is made up of several neighborhoods and offers many home styles including single-family, villas, cottage homes and apartments. The assisted living component, Homewood, is growing rapidly and provides long term peace of mind for residents. Homewood is across the street from The Villages Hospital, the largest medical facility in this part of Florida. Zillow lists the median home value to be $363,651 in early 2022, up 18.5% over the past year.
What Is Special about The Villages
If you like big, you will like the fact that The Villages is the largest active adult community in the world, and no one else is even close. Because of that size it has unparalleled opportunities for recreation and socializing. Many people liken the experience as summer camp for adults. Here you can make friends fast and enjoy many fun new pastimes.
What Is Not Special about The Villages
Homeowners often have a fractious relationship with the developer over control - the ballot box vs. the suggestion box is one way the relationship is characterized. Depending on your politics, you could view the decidedly conservative emphasis here as a good thing or a bad thing.
Climate and Physical Environment
The Villages is in central Florida about 20 miles south of Ocala. Winters are warm, summers hot and humid.
Restaurants & Cultural Scene
The Villages has countless activities and cultural events that are taking place all of the time. Anyone can participate, or you can leave it to the pros. There are hundreds of clubs and organizations from theatre to chorus and everything in between. No one could possibly take part in a fraction of what is going on here.
Crime
There is very little crime in The Villages.
Medical Facilities
The Villages Hospital is a well equipped facility.
Transportation
Interstate 75 is not far away. Two locations from The Villages operate almost non-stop shuttles to Orlando International Airport. Just about everyone uses a golf cart for their everyday transportation, many couples are 2 golf cart families.
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