Changes due to all the building and growth
 

It's our fourth winter here, we live here full time. I see much harder to get tee times, much heavier traffic, and many other changes that I have never noticed before when the snowbirds return. I think it's all due to the fact that we have grown exponentially in the home building, but not in shops, restaurants, golfing, amenties that should go with it...and I am getting quite concerned....your thoughts?

Changes
 

I, for one, agree. Started off as a renter for 5 years and now a FROG for the past seven. Although the summers aren't too crowded, yes, the winter season surely is. And now the with the winter climate seemingly colder in the Sunbelt, I recommend all you snowbirds go to Costa Rica next year. (Just kidding. Keep spending and buying to support local businesses. Maybe the ratio of amenities to population will balance some day. You think?)

Imagine how much worse the traffic would be if "shops, restaurants, golfing, amenities that should go with it" did keep up with the "exponential growth in home building"!

Check out the Goldwingnut video's.

Rate of home growth and ratio of homes to amenities and commercial businesses has remained relatively constant.

No need to go that far. With the exception of this winter, I spend my winter months just a three and a half hour drive away in southeast Florida where the temperatures are often a whopping 10-20 degrees higher than the frigid Villages.

Example: this morning it was 46 degrees in the Villages and 65 degrees in Ft Lauderdale.

OK I will bite what is a FROG?

Here till I croak.

Why disrupt the narrative with facts? Silly you.

Thanks, who would have thought

Do wish someone would figure out how to expand Morse Blvd.

More and more cars will pass thru with no more capacity to be added.

We have lived here for five years and we are not at all concerned about the new growth. The Southern Area has some very nice amenities like bike paths that do not exist anywhere else in The Villages.

We have been in TV fourteen and half years. Yes, lots of changes, building construction and it’s been fun to watch. Sumter Landing was new in 2006 and we were on a “waiting list” for a Villa in the village of Caroline. We were in our Villa and enjoying the village lifestyle when a devastating tornado hit The Villages and Lady Lake on Groundhog Day 2007. Homes two blocks from us were completely destroyed. You can Google for details but about 100 houses were rebuilt in The Villages along with Mallory Hill Country Club, a recreation Center, courtyard fences, etc. Just north of forty Villagers needed hospital treatment but no deaths in The Villages. Perhaps this say something about how well our homes are constructed. As I remember, nine deaths in Lady Lake and seventy or so total deaths across Central Florida from this tornado on Groundhog Day in 2007.

Brownwood was maybe in somebody’s imagination and there were no homes south of 466A when we moved to the Village of Hadley in 2009. We now live in a designer home where we were among the first to build south of 466A. We are Sunbirds who go North in the summer for a couple of months but happy Florida and Village residents.

OP, when more businesses become available south of 44 traffic on Morse Blvd. will remain “busy” during the winter months, lighter the rest of the year and the golf courses “busy” during the winter months and much lighter the rest of the year. Growth has its issues but I’m confident that The Villages will be up to the task in the future as it has in the past.

Traffic does seem a bit heavier on Morse Blvd. Some of the new traffic is Residents from the new Villages south of 44 coming up north to shop. Eventually, if we live long enough, we may be traveling south on Morse Blvd to shop down there. Because of COVID 19, we have some new golfers mostly on the executive courses. This pandemic too will pass and “normal” will return. One thing for sure, it will never be boring here in The Villages, Florida. Fore.

Only here about a year and find the best shopping here is on 27/441 with new stores constantly opening.

Would be surprised if the same stores open in the South but who knows.

As a result for us we like being N of 466A.

Let’s hope south of 466A doesn’t become like 27/441

Maybe the same number of people as years before (plus the new folks south of 44), and 'Rona' is keeping people from doing things outside the bubble? That could be why people are playing golf and shopping locally instead of taking trips to the coast, etc......

We were just commenting last week how many for rent signs are on houses, how many empty store fronts there are still, how quiet the cart paths are, how empty the town squares were and how there were no lines at restaurants. So we were thinking the opposite, did COVID make this winter quieter than winters in the past.

I don't think that is what this thread is about........unless you can take the bike paths to local restaurants, retail stores, medical buildings, etc.

I much prefer to be close to 27/441. Nothing wrong with having a saturation of restaurants, retail stores and medical facilities all within a 2 mile stretch. Everything is so close. I love to do those what I call "441 runs".

This traffic we have here in The Villages even in high season is not nearly the amount of traffic I was used to on Long Island, South Florida and New Jersey. I'm sure there are plenty of people who come from areas of the country which are more rural so the traffic here might be more than they are used to so there is that.

Good for you. I don’t need to shop multiple times a week, so the trips to Sam’s, Home Depot, etc, are minimal. The majority of our household shopping is done online. Much more convenient. Since I live south of 466A, I hope neither 466A or 44 become like 441. I, for one, don’t feel the need to be 5 minutes from “saturation”. Good thing we all have choices :)

From Monday 18-Jan-2021>> REPORT<< 6:30 pm

Lake Sumter Landing was ROCKIN.

.....GREAT Band at Playing at The Square.
..........Scooter The DJ at CODYS.( tons of families)
...............MOST Restaurants SLAM FULL

BARS are now BUILDING CASH PIPELINES DIRECT TO THE BANK

....................PEEPS in Lawn Chairs ALL OVER the place

I said to MYSELF....
......SELF....I must be in a time warp.

The walking/bike paths in the new Southern Area are a wonderful amenity for some of us.

Even though we live north of 44, we can easily put our bikes on our carrier, drive to Bradford, and catch the trail where we can ride for miles and miles without ever having to deal with a golf cart or a car.

In short, what they have done in the Southern Area has definitely improved the quality of our life.

Heck, if we need to go to a restaurant, retail store, or medical building, we can just drive our cars.

No. I am not concerned. There has been a lag always until the commercial growth catches up with the number of homes ALWAYS. We have been here for more than a dozen years and have heard this complaint EVERY year at this time. The developer builds houses and commercial areas to rent. The businesses need to be able to have both the capital and the need to expand here.

This was tough during the downturn in economy about ten years ago but it boomed for the last four years. We will see what the future brings.

If you build it...they will come. I was here before Michaels and Culvers and Sam's Club. If you can't get a tee time, expand your horizons and go a little further....and your time slot too. Being busy is what happens in all of Florida during high season. Until the pandemic this year, I didn't think anyone ever cooked at home.

It'll work out fine. I don't think there is ANYWHERE as nice as The Villages.

It's called a pandemic, everybody leaving from New York and New Jersey Ohio and all those places to come here, it's been a very unusual year for traffic because of the virus. Everyone knows that that's why it's crowded

Huh?

You are spot on. TV has gotten way too big.

It's all about the Snowbird, selling new homes.

Welcome to Florida
:ho:

Get use to it or move.. winter is always busy..going to get busier.. it's not just TV it's the entire state..

Good points
 

All good points. I haven’t had a major problem getting tee times, but you are 100% correct. More people living here....more playing golf during peak season. I have a bigger problem with running the winter rates thru MAY!

I am grateful to snowbirds who pay for services and amenities for twelve months a year but utilize these services and amenities for only a portion of the year.

We lived just south of 466A for two years. When we first moved in, TV announced Fenney was going to be built south of 44. When we left two years later, 7 new “villages” existed south of 44. I remember calling for take-out food – took two hours because of all the orders. Had to reschedule a dental appointment and first available was in six months. Going to the mailbox was like entering a demo derby and we had to start timing it for “off hours.” Make your hair appointments all at once for the entire winter, or you’ll never get in. And if you have a pet and need to kennel it while you go “home” for Christmas, make a reservation a year in advance. The homes and neighborhoods are beautiful, but there are not enough support services. For that, and a few other reasons, we moved out of TV a year ago.

I agree with you. We've found alternative golf courses, restaurants and shops around the area (within 60 miles) that we enjoy. For the most part, better restaurants are found in Ocala, Orlando Homosassa, and many other surrounding communities. Mission Inn is a great golf course with good restaurants and accommodations if you want to stay over and it's only a 20 mile trip. Let's face it, most restaurant chains would love to operate in the villages, but the developers model (charging high rents and a piece of the company's gross profit) make that less than likely. The Villages will continue to get new nail salons, donut shops, and one off restaurants until the developer changes the model. I do see that BJs has bought property adjacent to TV and plans to build a warehouse store and they are a great store to shop in. We've seen some restaurants open just outside TV that serve excellent food and are doing quite well. Texas Road House, Longhorn Steaks, Mission BBQ, Napolinos to mention a few. Marks Prime in Ocala serves some of the best steaks you'll ever find. And we do have some fine restaurants in TV with Chop House, Blue Fin, Red Sauce and Piesanos.

Capitol Grill probably won't be in our future. PF Changs was coming but the developer wouldn't work with them on space and a year later, the space sits empty.

In short, we have some really fine places to eat, golf and have fun all around us. Some are in TV; many are not.

I fear you are seeing what you want to see. I recall one apartment overlooking a busy highway and then a beautiful lake. Which one should be look at?

The Villages in a Pandemic is very busy ... and the number of shops and restaurants will reflect the demand by the population. We play golf as a foursome every single day and never have a problem with scheduling it.

Step Back. See the positives.

I agree with you. We've found alternative golf courses, restaurants and shops around the area (within 60 miles) that we enjoy. For the most part, better restaurants are found in Ocala, Orlando Homosassa, and many other surrounding communities. Mission Inn is a great golf course with good restaurants and accommodations if you want to stay over and it's only a 20 mile trip. Let's face it, most restaurant chains would love to operate in the villages, but the developers model (charging high rents and a piece of the company's gross profit) make that less than likely. The Villages will continue to get new nail salons, donut shops, and one off restaurants until the developer changes the model. I do see that BJs has bought property adjacent to TV and plans to build a warehouse store and they are a great store to shop in. We've seen some restaurants open just outside TV that serve excellent food and are doing quite well. Texas Road House, Longhorn Steaks, Mission BBQ, Napolinos to mention a few. Marks Prime in Ocala serves some of the best steaks you'll ever find. And we do have some fine restaurants in TV with Chop House, Blue Fin, Red Sauce and Piesanos.

Capitol Grill probably won't be in our future. PF Changs was coming but the developer wouldn't work with them on space and a year later, the space sits empty.

In short, we have some really fine places to eat, golf and have fun all around us. Some are in TV; many are not.

Thank goodness covid is here or it would be worse. Usually much worse than what's going on this Snowbird season.

Good to hear BJ's is coming. Any word on Costco coming to the area, somewhere on 44 would be great. closest one is over an hour away.

Eleven years
 

Been here 11 winters for 6 months most years, always busy during winter months but only a few times have we not gotten a tee time with our groups. If you think our traffic is bad here, try Ft. Lauderdale on for size of crowded roads...

Add to the mix all of the non-village apartments, townhouses, condo's and single family homes that are in the works all around the outskirts of TV and see what that does to traffic, shopping, etc. Of course it will have minimal affect on the amenities such as golf but it might keep the championship courses busy. The 320 units approved on 44A near Brownwood should really help the Paddock Square businesses.

When I first came here in 2008, I came on the preview plan. One of their selling points was that The Villages was to be capped at around 100,000 people. I was happy about this because I was concerned about unabated growth. The thought was never to reach the turnpike. It was busy in the winter but really pleasant in the summer and you could always get tee times. The restaurants were busy in winter and there was a wait but not like it is today where wait times can be up to two hours. Most snow birds left at the end of March not April. This all changed after the death of the original founders. Unfortunately, and I hate this saying, it is what it is. So you either put up with it or you move. There are a lot of nice communities in other areas of Florida that are suited to a quieter life style.

Well said.