[manaboutown]

Last year (2009) I flew into Tampa and drove to Terra Vista/Citrus Hills from the airport, about an hour and fifteen minute drive on the Suncoast Parkway, a toll road, for a lifestyle visit for two nights after which I drove over to TV for its lifestyle visit for four nights. As a previous post mentioned the rolling hills, landscaping, golf courses, clubhouses and homes are spectacular. It appeared to be a true gated community which TV is not. The nearest beach is man made, nice but small. Nearby are some historic small towns, beautiful rivers, manatees and Old Florida nature. The onsite physical training facilities are first class, something TV lacks by my standards. Their homes are also first class, architecturally detailed, aesthetically pleasing and have granite, stone and high end appliances all at quite reasonable prices. The problem is it felt remote, an island of country club life in the middle of an unchanged rural environment. Once one has eaten at the handful or restaurants and played the golf courses what is there to do for someone with urban or even suburban interests? Also, the nearest major medical facilities are probably in the Tampa/Clearwater/St. Petersburg area. Since my condo was not ready when I arrived the developer comped my whole visit which left a very pleasant taste in my mouth.

After leaving Terra Vista I drove to TV which only took an hour or so. The contrast was significant. TV is huge by comparison, has the two - soon three - town squares, many activities and clubs, more golf courses for those who golf, golf cart paths, many nearby restaurants and big box retailers and is closer to major hospitals, and car dealers in Ocala and Orlando as well as Orlando's airport. TV does not feel remote to me. It feels suburban and laid back. TV is also not far from Florida's east coast beaches.

I would love to have a Terra Vista style home and a first class recreation center physical training facility nearby but I do prefer the lifestyle TV offers, more people, more to do, closer prximity to hospitals and more choice in medical providers and shopping. As an aside, I am single and finding a good dating partner or significant other is a numbers game. I was out to dinner in Terra Vista at one of the clubs and the female pianist who was providing dinner music and I chatted quite a bit. She was very friendly, in her midfifties and single herself. She hinted that not much was happening for singles in the Citrus Hills area.