[John_W]

Other than visiting your grown children 2 or 3 times a year, what are you going to do the rest of the time? Myself, I like being 3-1/2 miles from either Brownwood or Lake Sumter Landing Square (LSL). I think those are the best venues for bands and the movie theaters. So we live in Tamarind Grove, it was the newest village in 2011, and I've lived here since then, eight years.

If I had to do over, I would chose maybe Duval or Gilchrist, only because they are closer to Buena Vista and you can avoid driving your golf cart on the side of a road in a golf cart lane. Those villages you can almost go directly to the separate golf cart trail (MMP) alongside Buena Vista. Otherwise you're riding along maybe 3' from a car going 35 driven by a person about 70 years old. It's a scary thought, and we have to drive on the side of St. Charles Blvd for about two miles going north to LSL or 1/2 mile going south to Buena Vista. Regardless, I only drive my cart when I play championship golf, which is once or twice a week. Distance wise, Duval or Gilchrist are about the same distance from the two squares.

The squares are just a small part of living here, I have eight 27 hole championship golf courses I can reach in 15 to 25 minutes in my golf cart. I just played with some guys on Friday who live in Jacksonville and they thought it was great to be able to drive your cart to the course. I don't play on the executives, those are good for golfers just starting out, but you can find those just about anywhere in TV.

Shopping, we are 20 minutes from 466 which has Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Walmart, and many other stores. We are 30 minutes from 441/27 which has another Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Kohls, etc. However, if there is crime, usually shoplifting, it's along that area.

In our immediate area we have Colony Shopping Center 3 miles away which has Publix, Walmart Groceries & gas, and other stores and restaurants. Less than a mile away is the new Trailwinds development which has Lowes, Aldis, ABC Liquor, Jersey Mikes, Burger King, Circle K, Wendys opens tomorrow, Taco Bell under construction, 11 bed ER under constructon and a credit union and many more planned.

At Brownwood Square area I enjoy the MVP Health Spa, my wife and I have been going there since May 2014 and they have classes like Zumba, Spinning, Group Power, etc all with professional paid instructors. Since I turned 65 I signed on with United Health and have their Villages Medicare Advantage plan and there is no premiums and our MVP membership became free.

I guess I just like the area about 466A and Buena Vista the best. We also have two regional rec centers, Seabreeze and Lake Miona, both within 10 minutes away. Neighborhood rec center Sterling Heights and several neighborhood pools.

Since you've mentioned taxes, your thinking about price. The northern areas I believe resales will be cheaper, one reason those homes were built about 2000. Areas south of 466 started about 2005 and as you move south my village for example is 2011 and across 466A Gilchrist is 2013. One item you'll find in the newer homes is vaulted ceilings, in the north areas those are sometimes less, and when living in a smaller retirement style home a vaulted ceiling gives you a bigger feel.

Age is also a big difference, but that will change when some of us die. For example, when I moved here in 2011 my village didn't have a softball team, so I was put on Calumet Grove, one of the northern most villages. I was 61 and was the youngest on the team by many years. Now that I'm 69 that doesn't mean as much, but if your around 60 you might find northern areas have older residents. As I said, this will change because we all die sometime and new people will eventually take over, and who knows, those areas may become the youngest.

I would go to a lot of open houses when you are here. Go to each square and check out the crowd and the bands. Go to the restaurants and theaters, Savannah Center and the Sharon for live shows. Play some golf, if you have a salesman he can arrange free rounds with a cart. Enjoy exploring The Villages, Florida.