How important is it to be near shopping?
 

Looking to buy very soon south of 44. I know shopping is limited (for now), but outside of a weekly grocery run, that is usually the extent of my shopping (buy everything else almost exclusively online). I only shop with a purpose, do not enjoying just casual, browsing and window shopping. To me, being near the Big Box stores just creates more traffic and congestion. Are you OK being a bit away from major shopping plazas, as long as you are close to a grocery store?

Not at all because it's too hot and too slow to carry groceries in a golf cart. More important to be close to the squares and restaurants. But a lot of people do it. Because they can.

Nobody can really answer this question for you? Just ask yourself, "Self, how important is it to be close to shopping?" Then answer yourself.. lol

It is a bit inconvenient now. At the present time, there ain't much south of 44. There is no a gas station, drug store, or Big Box store. All you have is Magnolia Plaza and Sawgrass. I do wish that there were more stores down here (a Walmart or an Aldis - or, dare I say, a Costco or a Trader Joes) but I expect that to change in the next year or so. I am amazed that a store has not opened up down here. There must be at least 25,000 people living south of 44 so they would have a captive market. I was surprised that BJs opened a new store in Spanish Springs area. They have almost every store in the world in a three mile strip - Sams Club, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, Walgreens, Best Buy. Not sure if there was a demand for BJs.

We usually go up to Lady Lake area a couple of times a month to do shopping - Walmart, Home Depot, Target, etc. We also shop online. Amazon is great.

Wife and I travel a lot further at home for shopping.
Shouldn't think anyone in TV has to travel more than 15-20 mins. for any essentials.
How close do you need a shop?

Besides the retail stores, the 441/27 run has lots of restaurants, mostly chain restaurants. There are also plenty of restaurants on 466 and 466A. If the OP doesn't dine out much, then those restaurants are not important. Anyone looking to purchase here in The Villages has to have a heart to heart with themselves and decide what is really important to them. It really doesn't matter what the posters on this forum find important.

The only "close" shopping I care about is a grocery store and maybe a gas station.

Once Meggison is finished and connects to 470 (I think that's the road) which should be soon, it will be a quick ride to Rte 27 in Leesburg. The intersection of 470 + 27 has a couple of grocery stores, gas stations, fast food, etc. And is not far from a giant regional post office.

What’s ok for me may not be for you.
How did things look on you visit?

OP, funny you ask but it is a question that only you can answer. Wife and I just discussed our location between 44 and 466A. We both play golf twice and sometimes three times a week and there are plenty of courses to choose. We have a Publix and Neighborhood Walmart very close, several restaurants and within the last two years Trailwinds along 466A opened and we have a Lowes, more shopping and more restaurants. Across from Trailwinds is more shopping including a Winn Dixie, restaurants, etc. We rarely go to Sam’s or any stores along 441 but are members. We do like Target and wish one was closer. Lake Deaton Plaza is a short golf cart ride too. Brownwood and Sumter Landing are about 15-20 minutes by golf cart. Yep, we like our location and it’s only gotten better. I believe in the near future (three or four years) south of 44 will have similar conveniences.

We live in the Spanish Springs area and this is the best place in TV for proximity to stores, gas stations, warehouse clubs, chain restaurants and health care professionals. We love it. We do forget to buy certain things when we go out. No problem 2 Pubilxes an Aldi < 1 mile away. Even though we take car, most of these businesses are accessible by golf cart.

To us proximity is great.

I don't care about stores like Target and Kohl's, etc. Living south of 44 is less than 10 minutes to the businesses on 44 and in Brownwood which include Publix, Walgreens, more than a dozen restaurants, pizza shops, gas stations, primary care, specialists, auto repair, etc. plus we have the Fenney Grille and McGrady's Pub. When they start building big box retail the traffic will be a nightmare just like it is in Lady Lake on 441/27.

OK, here's the deal. If it makes any sense. Ya just don't feel like doing a bunch of driving. And that for us, outweighs going anywhere to "shop". Kinda like being in our part of this big old bubble.

For us when buying it was a 9 on a 1-10 scale. We are between Morse & Buena Vista and just south of 466a. Great location IMO. Key shopping is no further than 10 minutes and Brownwood 15 minutes. So for us it worked our perfectly. And truly we would never consider moving south of 44. Just sayin’. Personal preference.

The traffic on 441/27 in Lady Lake is a nightmare right now because of this ongoing construction. When this construction is complete, it will be a breeze. Prior to the beginning of this construction, the 441 stomping ground (starting at Kohl's at the southern end and ending at Walmart at the northern end) took a maximum of about 10 minutes from one end to the other and that was at busy times of the day and in season. I don't have any idea what the hold up is with the completion of the road but it can't come quickly enough.

Essential. Love having quick golf cart access. Only want to keep one car

We wanted to be fairly close to major shopping for groceries such as big box stores so we bought a resale about 8 miles away.

No desire to be say 18 miles away down south.

However what is important to us may not be to you

No, it's always been bad and by the time construction is completed so will all those new family homes be completed adding thousands more vehicles to that area. People that liver there are already complaining and they haven't even completed one home yet.
I quit driving up there over a year ago and won't go back, nothing up there that I need that I can't get down here or in southern Leesburg.

South of 44 you're closer to Orlando. :) Depends on what kind of "shopping" you need or want. If it's just FOOD then you have no problem. If it's hardware stores, big box stores, a lot more restaurants, a lot more gas stations (so lower prices in many cases). Depends on what your lifestyle demands. Being from NNJ/NYC area we like a LOT of shopping areas not filled just with Cremation companies, nail salons, banks and financial services ;) but we have adjusted a bit but find ourselves going to Orlando more often than planned. :D

We are just north of 466A equidistant (~6miles) between Brownwood & 441 and pretty close (3 miles) to LSL and chose that location for a weird but specific reason. :)

We are 11 minutes to BW, 14 minutes to LSL, by cart. Have access to 3 grocery (Publix, Winn Dixie, Walmart) in 10 minutes or less, by car/cart.

Yet I travel to Fresh Market, Earth Fare, Whole Foods, Costco, Commissary. I buy gas at Sam’s, while shopping, maybe once a month. So no living near shopping that is available in TV is not important to me. But you will be entirely different in your quest compared to my needs

We like being near a Publix/Winn Dixie. We are close to both
We would place being close to restaurants pretty high too. But we eat out fairly often.

With Amaxon, who cares?

Kroger delivers groceries.

Plenty of up to date shopping south of the Turnpike within 20 min in Leesburg and Clairmount.l (Costco, BJ's, Walmart, Target, etc.) Tampa is 45 min, Orlando/Disney Springs less than 60.

As others have stated, traffic is a mess in SS. Businesses are old and the homeless are stalking some big chain parking lots...

where is the closest hospital? ER? Urgent care? Doctors, Dentists offices? these are questions you should be asking yourself....not restaurants.

Not much convenient south of 44. Plan to travel for most things including golf if you play.

I wasn’t sure at first, we have been here almost a year now and can whole heartily say we love being a bit away from a major shopping plaza for the reasons you have mentioned, congestion and traffic. We bought a home south in Citrus Grove.
Love life in The Villages.

Absolutely fine. I would rather not have all the traffic that so many stores brings.

Route 44 has two Publix grocery stores already for several years. And Route 301 has two gas stations what's always seem to overcharge more and those on 44. But I bet in two or three years you'll have half a dozen decent largest stores for shopping but of course there's always Amazon and walmart.com so really what do you need? For Hardware go up 301 a few miles is in Ace Hardware and on 44 is sparr. If I were you I would be more concerned with the lack of doctor's offices and Specialists currently in the in the area although there are several Urgent Care facilities already on 44 10 minutes from anywhere near you. Remember the hospitals that are nearest to you or at least going to be 20 minutes or more. I'm talking about Advent Leesburg and The Villages Hospital

You already have it figured out; I agree with you about shopping and you will be happy down south. Don't listen to those who bash the newest areas-I am very happy shopping at our grocery store at Magnolia Plaza and otherwise shop online or in Orlando for better options than along 441/27. Welcome.

"If you build it, they will come..."

I remember our first trip to TV, some years back. Some of the prime retail outlets today rest on what was pasture or scrubland then. It won't be long until those types of businesses are built in the south too.

I wouldn’t live North of LSL. Too much traffic compared to the south end of TV. Personally, I like not having big box stores around. Less traffic and if I must go to a big box store it’s a close drive.

Convenience is exactly why 17 years ago we bought close to 466. We really want for nothing as we have a ton of choices. Publix, Walmart, Aldi, Fresh Market, Sprouts coming, Homegoods, Wallgreens and CVS. By golf cart we can get to all of these in time from 2 minutes to 10 minutes. This convenience is why homes in this area sell super-fast.

We purchased our forever home 3 years ago in Briar Meadow. It was extremely important for us to be less than 5 minutes to a grocery store, dentist, doctor, restaurants, etc. as we are planning to age in place. Here's what gave us the notion,
my out of state, 82 yr old, mother in law won't drive to her Costco because it's waaay across town. It's less than 10 minutes from her home.

Most of my friends and neighbors like being close to a grocery, pharmacy, bank, and maybe a couple of restaurants. Convenience has become more important than it used to be and it is much faster to go by golf cart than drive. We live in Marsh Bend and love the easy access to these things.

Thats why I will not buy there, They have no community travel. which to a senor is very important that cannot drive. Lets be real!

You are a broken record. Great that you are not moving here. How many times do you have to post the same thing?

Love It!
 

We have lived south of 44 in Citrus Grove since December. Groceries aren’t that far for us. We drive the cart to Lake Deaton plaza if we feel like using the cart. We do take the car quite a bit when we need to get other things, but how often do you have to go to TJMaxx or the furniture store? Brownwood square is about a 20 minute golf cart ride away, but then we have Sawgrass opening up as we speak. We are very satisfied with how things are evolving and if you are into shopping/retail, the Bexley bridge should be open within the year to the brand new world of Eastport.

For me, not so much. I dislike shopping. I do the minimum - groceries every couple weeks. But, for hubby, having a Home Depot closer to Hawkins would save us a lot of miles. :)

Groceries 👍🏻. Retail and large box stores 30-35 min. drive to Lady Lake but lots of choices!

I guess it all depends on what we are used to as far as traffic. Living on Long Island a good part of my life then down in South Florida then up to New Jersey gives me a different perspective than someone who hails from much less populated areas. This traffic here in The Villages is nothing compared to the areas where I have lived. There are more farm animals to see in these parts than I have ever seen in my life. This traffic, even at its worst is a pleasure compared to what I have driven in over the years.

It has been 12 years since they started building south of 466A and that road is just now catching up with some shopping needs. It has been 5 years since they started developing Fenney and the area south of 44 and there is still nothing there or on 44. It will be many years before there is commercial development from 44 down if it ever happens at all.

I don't know where Briar Meadow is located but I just love the name of your village.